About

My journey into doll clothing design began at the age of six, sitting in the corridor of our block of flats, sewing tiny outfits for my Barbies and their “babies.” Even then, I had a passion for creating properly fitting garments, using fine knitting needles and delicate yarns to shape miniature clothes with care.

Growing up, I absorbed the skills of sewing and knitting from my mother, who sewed for others to supplement our income. A knitting machine was always part of our home, and even today, it remains a treasured tool in my studio.

By the age of ten, I was designing baby clothes, rarely relying on shop-bought patterns. At thirteen, I was making clothing for local shops to sell — my first steps into entrepreneurship. It was during this time that I created my first 'weighted baby' — carefully crafted from brown fabric and filled with stones to replicate the comforting weight of a real infant. Long before the world knew of reborns or silicone dolls, the passion for realism and craft was already alive in my hands.

When my son was born in 1981, I had a full trunk of handmade baby sets ready for him, including tiny preemie designs — though, thankfully, he arrived only two weeks early.

In 2007, I discovered reborn dolls and began designing and selling clothing for them on Facebook. Balancing a full-time job and my creative work, dollwear remained a beloved hobby that traveled with me across countries and seasons of life. When we moved to France, I expanded into selling BJDs to Finnish customers — helping bridge the gap when suppliers abroad wouldn’t ship to Finland — while continuing to create clothing for these beautiful dolls.

In 2023, I fell in love with My Meadow dolls, Kay Wiggs creations, Connie Lowe dolls (including my beloved Stella), and Jessica de Geus dolls, beginning a fresh, inspired line of clothing for them.

After two decades of designing doll clothes, I took a brief pause, selling my dolls and closing my sewing room. But creativity, once part of your soul, always calls you back. In 2025, I returned to designing with more excitement and inspiration than ever before — this time, with a dream to teach others the techniques and ideas I have gathered over a lifetime.

Many of you already know me through my work. I continue to offer older patterns on Etsy and sell finished garments through the Discover Dolls Marketplace — a secure, trusted site where every seller is vetted for safety.

Now, for the first time, I am opening the doors to Piccolissimo Stitch & Design Studio — a membership site where you can access my patterns, sewing ideas, seasonal inspirations, video tutorials, and more, all for a one-time lifetime payment. No subscriptions, no hidden costs — just an invitation to learn, create, and be inspired.

I hope to spark your creativity, nurture your skills, and welcome you into a world where every stitch tells a story.

 

With love and gratitude,

Tiina Hoddy
Founder, Piccolissimo™ Stitch & Design Studio