I have often been asked how I got into dollmaking, so here is a brief outline.
My family had a strong tradition of needlework, so my mother taught me to sew when very young. I began with hand embroidery and then making clothes for my own play dolls. Around the age of 9 years I found a book in my local library that sparked a lifetime's interest. The title was 'Costume Cavalcade', by Henny Harald Hansen. When many years later I needed a name for my new website, it seemed the obvious choice. But back to the beginning. After devouring that book I collected a series of painting books on the history of costume by Winsor and Newton and thereafter the dresses I made for my dolls were 'Victorian' in style. About this same time, a younger cousin was collecting costume dolls, mostly the national ones sold as holiday souvenirs, so her mother, my Aunt, suggested that I might like to try making some historical dolls for her collection because I was 'good at fiddling'. She donated a rather shabby little Welsh girl doll for me to use, which I transformed into Henry VIII! Well, that was it. I was hooked. More dolls were re-purposed as Elizabeth I and Henry's wives, and then some undressed ones purchased from the market to use for more ideas.
By the time I got to my last year at Grammar School a reasonable set had built up, which I borrowed for display in the History Room on Open Day. Someone suggested that I should sell them, so, almost as a joke, I put up a sign saying 'Orders Taken' and came away with my first list of customers. I continued for a few years dressing those little plastic dolls bought by the boxful, until in the early 1970's we had dock strikes which dried up my supplies. So, on another visit to the library I found a book on making dolls from stockinette that seemed to be just what I needed. It gave me the starting point from which I made many developments and improvements, some following tips from other doll makers and others of my own invention, sometimes in response to criticism - painful at the time, but productive in the end. I should like to mention Clare Dodds (Doddy), founder of the Birmingham Doll Club, who told me how to make my heads stronger, two ladies seen at Kelham Hall Doll Fair who said that my dolls would be 'even better if their faces weren't shiny', Caroline Hamilton (London Dollshouse Festival) who didn't like the way I used to make my hands, and the many who saw my larger dolls and said how much they would like to see them in dollshouse size.
Over the years a number of writers have taken an interest in my work and written about it for several magazines, including Doll Magazine (since taken over by 'Doll Reader'); Dolls House World ; Dolls House and Miniature Scene ; The Dollshouse Magazine (now taken over by Dollshouse World). Some of my dolls were included in a book, Dollhouse Style, written by Kath Dalmeny, published by Batsford in 2002. ISBN 0-7134-8744-5.
Throughout my career I have been involved with a number of different organisations, exhibiting my dolls in a variety of places along the way: The Dollmakers Circle; Birmingham Doll Club; Leicester Doll Club; Leicestershire Guild of Craftsmen; and the British Doll Artists Association. (I plan to add another page soon with more information about BDA). At first all sales were by mail order and personal recommendations, but later I was able to show my work at a variety of Craft Fairs, then Doll Fairs, then Dollshouse Fairs, mostly around the Midlands, but a few further afield. I used to give talks to social groups on The History of Costume illustrated by my dolls, which were very popular. Then along came the Wonderful Web and gradually I cut back on my travelling, until now I am able to stay quietly at home, sewing to my heart's content, but reaching out to the World.
Finally I must mention my many lovely customers, without whose appreciation and encouragement I would not have kept going for as long as I have, or possibly never have started in the first place.