Lesley Manieri has recently retired from her career as a high school teacher and can now turn what was once a parttime hobby into a fulltime passion. She has always been a keen knitter taught by her mother at an early age. Even her father and brother were competent knitters, taught by her mother in their London air raid shelter during World War II Lesley’s interest in miniatures began when her father built a dollshouse from a pattern in a women’s magazine in the mid1950’s, and she still continues to add to her collection of furnishings and accessories for this house. She began to make her own accessories when she had difficulty sourcing some 1950’s furniture and this led to her selling her creations, firstly through retail outlets and fairs. Her 112th scale food items, plants and household accessories have been popular at the Sydney Dollshouse and Miniatures Show held annually at Homebush Bay for many years now. Around 2001, Lesley found there was much interest in dolls clothes knitted in this tiny scale and now she focuses on both clothes and dressed dolls and sells at fairs in many capital cities in Australia, as well as trading at at least one fair in the US each year as well as the worlds biggest dolls house show, Miniatura, in England. Because she is not a doll maker, Lesley uses predominantly dolls made in Switzerland by Heidi Ott, although she is also a fan of the dolls made by South Australian artist, Bev Henderson. The Heidi Ott dolls come as babies, toddlers, children and teenagers and all have intricately detailed hands, feet and facial features. They are available in white and dark skin.

Address: 249 Warringah Road, Beacon Hill NSW 2100, AUSTRALIA.
Telephone: 00 61 2 9451 6287
Website: http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~lmanieri/