A thread finer than a hair
Almost 17 years ago I began to crochet for dolls. Back then I knew nothing about scale. I took thick thread, made clothes for Barbie, Integrity Toys and Poppy Parker dolls, and was happy with every outfit. Such clothes sold very cheaply, and that did not bother me.
Then it seemed to me that I already knew a great deal. I, as they say, put on a crown and overestimated both myself and my abilities. People from the doll community, who understood far better than I did how clothes should look at doll scale, told me so quite quickly. Publicly.
It was a very hard period. I felt I had lost the ground under my feet, and I did not want to crochet at all. But now I understand: that moment became the push for real growth in my hobby.
What helped me through was Yulia. She simply took a huge box of spool threads and gave it to me, writing: “Take it and learn to crochet, you will manage.” We lost touch long ago, but to me she will always remain a fairy. I remember her gesture and her support, and I am endlessly grateful for them.
I began to learn. At first I crocheted with two threads, then moved to one. A stitch that looks beautiful on a person turns into a coarse ridge on a doll, and that was when I saw it with my own eyes. Much later I mastered spool silk and a 0.35–0.45 mm hook.
Not only thread: photography
Reducing the material was not all. That situation made me notice something else: even a well-made outfit can be lost in a poor photograph. In 2013 I bought my first DSLR camera and began to study the theory of photography. Today I photograph all my work myself, because I want the frame to reveal the character and atmosphere of each look as the thread reveals its texture.
What I crochet with now
Today I work with premium spool silk: Madeira and Gütermann threads for hand embroidery. They are even, smooth and very strong for their thickness, so the stitch comes out crisp and the fabric lies softly. My second foundation is bobbin silk, which I bring directly from Italy, in two densities: 6000 metres per 100 grams and 3000 metres per 100 grams. My finest thread today is the Couture silk spool.
Working with such materials is slower and more expensive. But the fabric flows, the lace breathes, and the dress looks as if it had been sewn for a living model in miniature.
What this time taught me
Criticism showed me where to grow, and one person’s kindness gave me strength. If Yulia reads these words: thank you, I remember everything and still keep your spools.
My early works, as an example
You can judge the quality of the photographs yourself too.
Watch my results
Today I create knitted outfits for collectible BJD dolls under the Ombra di seta brand.
If you’d like to see this journey with your own eyes, start with the earlier pieces: these include works from 2023. Photos of the very earliest pieces haven’t survived, only the ones on this page. Then open the 2026 works and compare. And if you’d like to add any of these to your collection, stop by the shop.
