So… I’ve accidentally fallen headfirst into a brand new obsession. Dollmaking. Actual, sewn-with-my-own-hands, little cloth humans (and mermaids). And honestly? I did not see this one coming.
It all started the last time my bestie Sarah came over for one of our sewing weekends. You know the kind – lots of fabric everywhere, tea on constant rotation (and beer the later it got in the day lol) , chatting non-stop, and absolutely no pressure to make anything perfect. We decided it would be fun to try making a doll. Just for a laugh. No expectations.
Naturally, I decided to make a mermaid. Naturally, Sarah did too. Funny thing is, Sarah is not a girlie girl in the slightest, and has never been, so imagine her surprise (and mine) when she made the girliest mermaid you could possibly make lol!
She found a really simple doll pattern online, and we tweaked it to give her a mermaid tail instead of legs. From there, we just… went rogue. Changed bits, adapted things, made them our own. No rules. No stress. Just vibes.
And here’s the shocker: I loved it. Like, really loved it.
I’ve talked so many times about creativity and how I never really saw myself as creative with my hands. Writing? Yes. Ideas? Constantly. But sewing, making, building things? I always assumed that just wasn’t my thing.
So imagine my surprise when I found myself completely absorbed in this process – choosing fabrics, stitching things together, problem-solving as I went – and actually enjoying every second. Even more surprising? My mermaid turned out… good? Like, genuinely good? I kept looking at her thinking, Did I make that?
Meet Tabitha
Once the mermaid was finished, I popped a question on my socials asking for name suggestions. There were some brilliant ones, honestly. But then my youngest niece, Ella, suggested Tabitha.
And that was that. There was no way I wasn’t using that name.
Tabitha is dark, moody, and a little mysterious – which I didn’t even consciously plan, but apparently is very on-brand for me. Somewhere along the way, it clicked that these are the kinds of dolls I’ve always swooned over. The creepy ones. The gothic ones. The slightly odd, slightly unsettling, beautiful-but-not-sweet dolls. Basically… my people.
When I Find a New Interest, I Go All In
Now, if you know me at all, you’ll know that when I discover a new interest, I don’t gently dip a toe in. I cannonball straight into the deep end. Which means… books. ALL the books.
I’ve already found five different doll-related books on Vinted. Most are about making dolls, but a couple are about the history of dolls, which is absolutely fascinating (and also a little dark in places, which I obviously love).
My favourite by far, though, is Creative Cloth Doll Collection by Patti Medaris Culea. The dolls in it are just stunning. So much character. So much personality. And the patterns are more like starting points than strict instructions, which I really love. It feels very much like, Here’s the base… now make it yours.
That’s exactly what I want to do.
The Second Doll (a.k.a. Learning the Hard Way)
After Tabitha, I couldn’t stop. So I started my next doll, who is almost finished now. And let me tell you – I have learned a LOT already.
After I’d started creating her, I had a dream about Dia de los Muertos which is why I painted her face this way. I’m quite pleased how she came out considering I’m usually pretty useless when it comes to art lol!
Some things did not go to plan.
Her arms are sewn on… not quite right.
She does not have proper fingers (her hands look more like boxing gloves).
But you know what? Most of it is hidden by clothes, and I’m choosing to see it as character rather than mistakes.
Speaking of clothes – I am actually ridiculously pleased with her outfit.
She’s wearing a long black skirt with a big ruffle at the bottom. It has darts (my first ever attempt at darts!) and an elastic waistband. Is it perfect? No. Is it bad for a first go? Also no. I’ll take that win.
Her top is one of my favourite bits. It’s actually made from the sleeve of a knitted Benetton jumper I cut up years ago after it shrank in the wash. I tried to turn it into a tank top at the time (lol, bless), but I kept the sleeves. Turns out they were perfect for this.
I wanted dramatic sleeves, so I dug into my fabric stash and used a lightweight fabric, pleating it slightly to give volume. They’re long, floaty, and very dramatic – exactly what I had in mind. I even attempted to hem them… which was a disaster, so they’re staying raw. We move on.
Again, I keep surprising myself with how things are turning out. That feeling of oh… that actually worked is wildly addictive.
What’s Left
All that’s left now is the hair. She’s going to have white hair and some kind of headpiece or crown situation (because obviously). Once she’s finished, I’ll show you properly. (NB…I’ve now finished her and you can see the final result on my Instagram below).
But honestly, this whole experience has been such a reminder that creativity doesn’t always show up how we expect it to. Sometimes it sneaks in sideways. Sometimes it arrives wearing a tiny black skirt with boxing glove hands.
And sometimes, you discover a whole new way of expressing yourself at an age when you thought you already knew who you were.
Turns out, I’m a dollmaker now.
Who knew?
