Small Dolls
£40
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Amy
£30 - SKU 0116
About Us...
Hi, I’m Gemma, and my mum is Ruth, and together we design and create our Ragamuffin Dolls and Teddies from our home workshop in the Peak District.
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It is a really beautiful place to live, as the scenery is breath-taking (quite literally until you get used to tramping up and down the hills!).
We spend a lot of time walking, but our favourite pastime is crafting.
There is nothing better than sitting in front of a cosy log fire, sewing together patchwork quilts or making new outfits, especially when it is snowing outside!
Several years ago, Mum came across a ragdoll sewing pattern which sparked her imagination. It was a great new project for her since she normally creates wedding and evening gowns. Her first doll still sits on my windowsill- a little brunette wearing a tutu and ballet shoes, reflecting the fact that I have danced since I was little.
Mum loved making her so much that it quickly became a hobby, and after gifting one to a friend, it was suggested that we share them with a bigger audience, as they are so lovely. Hence our Ragamuffins were born. Whilst we still make wedding dresses too, working on such a tiny scale instead is great fun. Plus, I have to say that since it is my task to cut them out, doll clothes are much preferable to prepare than huge wedding trains!
Over time we have developed a few different styles, but each doll is unique and handmade, incorporating traditional methodology and materials. Original ragdolls date back hundreds of years- even the ancient Egyptians had them, although it seems that most people associate them with 17th and 18th century. They were made with cloth fabric and had lace, string or yarn for the hair. In fact, we still use calico, linen and yarn to make their bodies and hair.
Finding good hair yarn is a task we take particularly seriously- even if we do get strange looks when we are discussing the quality of wool for hair in knitting shops!
However, ragdolls were often originally made without faces, but we love individualising our little ladies and gents by giving them sparkling embroidered eyes and lips. Personalising dolls to match their owner’s eye and hair colour adds an extra special touch too.
We are quite diverse in what we make, but continue to blend tradition with our own creativity, to produce classical dolls with as modern a twist as is requested.
Recently, we have started to expand our range of collectables, by developing some gorgeous supersoft bunnies and our new mohair teddies. There is no stopping us in designing new dolls and animals, and we love the opportunity to make personalised creations - from Worzel Gummidge to sleeping dragons! Just get in touch if there is something specific you would like.
So, enough rambling, please go and have a look at our current collection of creations. We hope you like them as much as we do!
Thank you!
Gemma and Ruth
P.S. We would like to thank Maureen Reed at Raggy Dolls whose pattern was the first ragdoll we ever made, and the starting point for the creation of all our little ragdolls.