The Jemima Company - Jemima's Story

Jemima's story:

I made my first Jemima in 2007, because as a dressmaker, I had such a huge pile of small pieces of fabric that I needed to do something with them. Clothes for rag dolls seemed like an ideal solution.

That original Jemima had her design changed a bit, her pattern altered a little and her clothes re-fitted slightly. I started to sell her and found that people loved her traditional look and feel and that I sold as many for adults as I did for children. Jemima often reminds people of a favourite, well-loved doll from their childhood.
Since Jemima was successful, along came Alice (with yellow hair), Emily (with red hair) and Olivia (with black hair). Each doll has different features and these tiny details are all important. Also of the highest importance is safety. Jemima and her friends have no small parts – buttons, hooks, beads – that could come off to present a safety problem. Their clothes are all fastened with securely-stitched Velcro making them easier and safer for small people.

As the years have passed, I have designed and made many different clothes for the dolls so that their outfits can be mix-and-matched and to encourage imaginative play as much as possible. Pyjamas are one of our top sellers, helping children to develop their own bedtime routine.

I started out sewing Jemima from the corner of the playroom but now our HQ is in a Shepherds Hut at the bottom of our garden in rural East Lothian. From one doll in 2007, we now have four and many different outfits. Our dolls can be found in Australia, the USA, Canada, and all across the UK. Of course, I now buy fabric specifically for The Jemima Company, so that huge pile of remnants I started with hasn’t really diminished!
Susanne