Former Life Long Learning tutor Mandy Dawkins of Thrapston has had a fascination for dolls’ houses for years. When her husband, John, built her two collector’s houses, both incorporating shops, she was inspired to embark on a new venture: designing and making miniature hats and bonnets to 1/12th and 1/24th scale.

Mandy styles her hats from the Georgian/ early Victorian period, including Jane Austen bonnets, to the later Victorian/ Edwardian era. One of her most popular specialities is the suffragette hat, using the purple, green and white associated with this movement, complete with printed banners to go with them. Men are not excluded as Mandy makes straw boaters, top hats and deerstalkers with goggles. Flapper hats and cloches cover the 1920s and 1930s, leaving a gap until the 1960s where the Ascot hats appear. With modern dolls’ houses becoming more popular, Mandy has started to produce fascinators on silver metal bands to cater for this market.

Mandy first starting selling her creations at Heritage Dolls Houses at East Carlton Country Park and, last year, the opportunity arose to have a stand at a local fair. This year, Mandy has exhibited as far afield as King’s Lynn and York, and she will be displaying some of her miniatures at The Bridge Street Gallery in Rothwell from Saturday 30th June through Friday 27th July. This is a themed exhibition - Monochrome - where each shelf will be themed with the same coloured hats.  Mandy’s next fair will be in September at Slepe Hotel, St Ives.

Dolls hats for men, woman and children start at £4. For details, please contact Mandy on 01832 734613 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Miniature Dreams

Miniature Dreams

Miniature Dreams