About me

Hello, my name is Lydia and I am the designer and dollmaker behind Polly had a Dolly.

I have always loved designing and making things all my life, as a child I was always busy creating, especially dolls and doll clothes. I went on to study Industrial Design at Brunel University and then to work for big brands in Design Management.

When I became a mother, I found a passion for providing a fun, inspirational and educational environment for my girls which nurtures creativity and ingenuity. Doll play is a unique and important part of childhood development.

My doll making brings all parts of me together - it allows me to combine my creative skills, business mind and, most importantly, motherhood.

Polly had a Dolly seeks to spark children’s imaginations and encourage creativity. Using pure natural materials, heritage craft skills and simple designs my dolls appeal to all the senses and inspire open-ended play. I love to design and make treasured,high quality dolls which will last for a lifetime of play.

My dolls draw on Steiner philosophy which is used in Waldorf eduction. They have deliberately simple facial expressions to stimulate the creativity within your child, helping them to portray their feelings and emotions on to their doll and allowing them to engage in a deeper lever of play. My open eyed dolls are ideal for a daytime play companion and sleepy eyed dolls are perfect for bedtime as (according to sleep experts) they are more relaxing for your child.

Of all the natural materials I use in my doll making, the British lambswool stuffing is the most important. It is the best filling for dolls as it absorbs your child’s body heat making it super comforting; it has a density and weight which is reassuring; and, pratically it is naturally antibacterial, eco friendly and fire-retardant. I provide full washing and care instructions with all my dolls.

I care passionately about our the environment so I try to use natural materials and make dolls that will last. Each dolly comes with a dolly hospital pass where I will repair your dolly for its lifetime.

All my dolls are CE marked and safe for children.