I design dolls, fashions and soft toys for a living, which are made almost exclusively from polyester fibers; not by choice, but because of company profit margins. When I am dollmaking on my own time, which I love to do, I want to work with all natural fibers. It is so much more enjoyable to work with cotton, wool and silk, and the end result is so much nicer for the recipient (IMHO). So, although I admire the artistry that goes into making dolls such as the ones that you have linked to here, I prefer making waldorf dolls, myself and have found it to be a compelling vocation.
That being said, I have made quite a few dolls from polyfiber, similar to the ones depicted on Judi's site, such as 'My Child' and 'Hot Looks' for Mattel Toys and many other more recent designs. Check out some of the turning tools available at a bear or doll making supply such as CR's Crafts.
www.crscraft.com for helping out on those tiny fingers. Also, trimming the seam allowance close & evenly and clipping the curves carefully will help you to get those fingers looking the way you want. A small hemostat, also for sale at some bear and doll supply sites really works to get tiny bits of stuffing down into the fingers all the way to the tips, evenly. HTH
