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Spool Dollies

My grandmother passed along her old sewing supplies to me a long time ago and as I've used the thread I have saved each wooden spool to make Spool Dollies. I have since collected more vintage spools to create many more spool dolls, which I am selling at www.ericadaley.etsy.com. I use only non-toxic paints and varnish. Below you will find many examples of the spool dolls I make.

Measuring tape doll and mini Spool Dolls - the spools are from a vintage travel kit and the thread is left on the spool.

Family and Large Doll Groups

This Spool Dollie is made using a spool of variegated thread from Italy called Necchi. Retors Brillante
is another variegated thread from France. When making these dolls I do not remove the thread, but
rather secure it to the spool, then varnish over it in order to keep the thread in place. The thread is so
beautiful there is no need to paint the spool. These spools are very rare, so the price is a bit
higher than my other Spool Dollies, but they make a wonderful addition to any collection!

Spool Dollies Babies

Boys and Girls

Kokeshi Spool Dollies

Front and Back of dollies

Where do I get all these vintage spools? Well, as mentioned above, the first batch was passed down to me by my grandmother, but now I have to hunt for them. You can't just mail order them like wood doll forms, so I have collected literally thousands of spools. I find them primarily through auctions and estate sales. Some come to me in perfect condition (though this is rare), and many come in a sad state. I have had an entire set come with wasps nests (still alive) nestled into the center of each spool, needless to say these went to the back of the garden. I carefully hand pick through every set of spools I purchase as I only keep the best ones to make Spool Dollies or to put into the kits. Very large and very tiny spools are a lot more rare.

Holiday Spool Dollies

Valentines

Easter and Spring Spool Dollies

Fourth of July Independence Day Spool Dollies

Halloween and Autumn

Christmas Holiday

Wedding Spool Dollies

The entire wedding party; including bride and groom, maid of honor, brides maids and junior brides maids, best man, flower girl and ring bearer, and the mother of the bride.

A close up of the bride, her maid of honor (right), her sister (left), and the other brides maids (back), and the junior brides maids (front).

A close up of the bride and groom with the maid of honor, best man, flower girl, and ring bearer.

The Bride and Groom

Close up of the bouquet made from 14k gold, miniature buttons, and Swarovski crystal.

The bride and her mother.

The ring bearer and flower girl.

The bride and her maid of honor.

Two bride's maids.

I used glitter to highlight some of the details on this paper.

This picture depicts myself and my best friend (and maid of honor) on my own wedding day.

Fairytale Spool Dollies

Fairytale Spool Dollies were inspired by my love of this genre and were created initially for my little boy. The fairytale dolls include kings and queens, princes and princesses, knights, maidens, townspeople, wizards, and pirates among many others. I use more dark and earthy colors to create these unique dolls, and I also use gold and silver paints and paper for crowns and shields. I finish them with a non-toxic matte varnish.

Pirates

Knights

Green Giant and Dwarf

Royal Family

Manuscript Dollies