Martha Nelson Thomas


Martha Nelson Thomas was an American folk artist, known for her work in soft sculpture. Thomas was the creator of "Doll Babies," the inspiration for Cabbage Patch Kids.

Biography

Martha Nelson was born in Mayfield, Kentucky. She graduated from the Louisville School of Art. Martha Nelson married Tucker Thomas. They had three children.
In 1971, while a student, Thomas began experimenting with soft sculpture in the form of dolls. She designed her "Doll Babies" with input from children she knew, made them by hand, and sold them at craft fairs around Louisville, Kentucky. In 1976, Thomas met Xavier Roberts at one of these craft fairs. He asked her to supply him with dolls to sell in Georgia, where he lived and worked. Thomas briefly let him sell her Doll Babies, but stopped. Roberts created his own version in 1978, and in 1982 he licensed the dolls to Coleco for mass-production under the name Cabbage Patch Kids.
In 1979, Thomas filed her first suit against Roberts. By 1983, she was seeking $1 million in damages from Roberts. In 1984, the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Around this time, while Cabbage Patch Kids were so popular that buyers had to join a nine-month waiting list, Thomas sold a line of craft items based on her original Doll Babies that allowed buyers to sew up their own doll. Cabbage Patch Kids at this time sold for $30 to $150; Thomas's Doll Babies supplies cost about $16 total.
Thomas died in Louisville, Kentucky on May 26, 2013.
Her work has been exhibited at the High Museum of Art.