Beryl's Profile

These hand-crafted dolls are made and dressed by myself
Beryl Nightingale.
The dolls are dressed in the finest fabrics i.e. pure silks, old fabrics,
 exquisite laces [old and new] and the finest cottons. Their costumes hats and accessories
are from books and prints of yesteryear and my imagination.
My dressmaking and millinery skills were taught me at the Woolwich Polytechnic  
school of needlework London [from 1947 onwards]. After finishing my apprenticeship I worked
in London for a high class court dressmakers helping dress society
ladies and film stars.

I had my own dressmaking business dressing ladies for the Ascot
and Epsom lady day races, also other society and day events.
The beautiful laces and old fabrics are hunted for in the antique
markets, lace shops and fairs. I get a great thrill dressing my dolls
in these wonderful finds.

My dolls, hats and accessories have been sold in shops all over the world also in The Burlington Arcade, 

Hamleys  and the Cumberland Hotel in London, Leeds Castle,  Eton, and York.
   
I exhibited at the Kensington International Doll fair for many years.

My company name is that of my great, great grand-mother Clara Cribb
who I found while researching my family tree.