(Eriden Phoenix/Mariya Pyntikova)

Wardrobes in Miniature
by Pam North
For as long as she can remember, Russian artist Eriden Phoenix has been obsessed with dolls and miniatures. “When I was 25, and I already had a huge collection of dolls, I asked my husband if I might purchase a Heidi Ott miniature doll,” she related. “I promised that I would not start collecting dollhouse dolls, but I failed to keep that promise. Several months later I found that there are very few people who can make clothes in such small scale, so I started to sew clothes myself.” Now she makes miniature doll clothes and dollhouse doll wigs.

Eriden had no formal training in the miniature field, instead working to develop and improve on her techniques and experimenting with different fabrics and decorative elements. She tries to use only natural fabrics for her historical-theme clothes, making the clothes as close to the original as possible. She also shares her knowledge and skills with others to exchange ideas, and she plans to start a YouTube channel with some tutorials. She also leads her own group of miniature collectors on a Russian social network, and belongs to other Russian groups related to dollhouse miniatures. There is a rather large club of miniaturists in Russia who like to work together, sharing their knowledge and helping one another to improve their skills.

Although Eriden’s family members, with the exception of her 5-year-old daughter, Liza. are not very interested in dolls, they support and encourage her interest, Her son, growing up surrounded by her work and her collection, always comments on her projects and even helps her to choose colors and fabrics. Combining home life and miniature life has worked well for her since her hobby became her business, so there is no conflict between it and her family activities. “However, sometimes it is a problem to hide my valuable miniatures from my kids and my dog!” she joked.

One of her recent projects is a 1:12 scale Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall-Fraser from The Outlander, a series of which she is a big fan. She decided to make a scene of their happy life in Lallybroch castle. The castle is the artwork of Ekaterina Kirsanova and pupils from her school of arts, and was a gift to Eriden, and the dolls were made by Polish doll artist Zjakazumi. Both were repainted by Valerie Akimova. Eriden also collected some vintage furniture, made in the 1980s. Detailing on Claire’s outfit were hand-knitted by Nina Zuikova. The dolls’ clothes and wigs were made by Eriden. She prefers natural fabrics, and used Japanese cotton and Korean cotton. After trying different textile glues, she now uses the acrylic hardener as  the base for wigs and for edges of clothes.
“The most difficult part about making this miniature was to find matching fabrics,” Eriden related. “Luckily there are some sites from where fabric prints can be ordered. The dress for Claire  was the most fun to create; I improved my skills, and I wish to make a full copy of her outfit sometime. I also love the knitted scarf that my friend made!” Eriden sometimes publishes her patterns in her blog, and shares wig tutorials illustrating her techniques for creating such pieces.

Asked if the final piece turned out exactly as she had envisioned, she remarked, “Oh, there’s usually ways to make things better. I’m always looking for more items for my castle; I make different clothes for my perfect pair; and I’ll get some servants for their dollhouse.”

She will take orders to repeat the clothes, with the price range being in her usual $75-$110 range plus shipping.

Inspiration comes to her from watching historical movies and television series such as Outlander, Pirates of the Caribbean, Poldark. “I love to sew clothes of the Rococo era,” she explained.

She describes her workplace simply as, “Chaos! I am waiting for a new work table, which I hope will help me to organize my work space. Now it is a mess of laces, fabrics, fiber for doll hair, dolls and paper patterns!”

Eriden sells her products on Etsy and sometimes on Facebook. Her price range is $50-$150 for one set of clothes. Her most expensive work was a full reconstruction of medieval bliaud (an overgarment worn by both genders from the 11th to 13th centuries in Western Europe, featuring a voluminous pleated or gathered skirt and a body that is snugly gathered). “One thing I couldn’t bear to part with was a
t-shirt I made with a Beatles motif, and I still have it. Usually my dolls are sitting nude in my dollhouse bathroom because as soon as I dress them up, someone buys their clothes!”

Asked what fires her passion for miniatures, she replied, “I love it when miniature doll’s personna is drawn from real-life, and you can change something and rewrite the story. Or you can write your own story and stage it in your dollhouse. The biggest difficulty is to find fabrics, trims, and accessories in the required scale. I have spent years finding suitable sources, as the problem is that there are few miniature stores in Russia, and no stores where you can purchase 1:12 scale buttons, trims, and buckles, so we have to buy them abroad. One of my most valuable tools I ordered is a Pretty Pleater for miniature dresses and curtains. It is very useful! I think miniatures are fun and have a great future.”

Looking forward to making new creations, she continues to improve her techniques and to try new styles (cosplay clothes, steampunk), and different scales. “I now work in 1:12, 1:24 and 1:18 scales. I am open to new interesting projects, and I do work to order. I am presently creating a modern dollhouse for Heidi Ott dolls with Japanese miniature techniques.”

Contact information:
Name: Eriden Phoenix (Mariya Pyntikova. Real name)
Business name: AderonMiniClothes
Email: adallinear@gmail.com
Instagram:  @adallinear