By Liz McBreen
Years after making the move, Frost was at a friend's house when she got her first glimpse of the art of doll making. Frost built on the ideas her friend gave her and created her own pattern for the dolls. Since then, she has designed, created and dressed hundreds of "dancing ballerinas." Taking up her needle and cloth only on sunny days, Frost creates the forms of dolls, stuffs them and then lets the creative juices flow. "I sit by the window on nice days and I get inspired," she says. "I just let my imagination work."
Using scraps of material, lace and canvas given to her by friends and family, she has created a army of dolls decked out in patriotic colors, floral patterns and evening wear. "I have never made any two alike," said Frost as she displays her elaborate collection.
"People ask me how long it takes me to make a doll, but I never make one from start to finish," Frost explained. She chooses a different task each day. "One day I'll only draw the faces, and the next I sew the dresses," she said. The dolls are topped off with hair of yarn and crocheted hats. Frost draws the dolls' faces on pieces of unused canvas she gets from her daughter, who is an artist.
Frost has also donated her dolls to charity. Since she began making dolls, she has sent three bundles of them to the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry. The dolls are distributed to underprivileged children through the organization. Frost keeps a scrapbook of the thank-you letters she has received from organizations as well as notes directly from the children who have received her handmade companions. When Frost sells any of her dolls, the proceeds go to charity.
A selection of about 16 of Frost's dolls went on display at the Franklin Square Public Library on June 2, and they will remain there through the end of the month. The dolls in the show are for sale and can be purchased after the exhibit. Anyone interested in purchasing one of them should speak to Pamela Lieber at the library.
