Sew, this is who we are and what we do...

Welcome to Sew What Fabrications, where each doll is hand crafted, sewn and decorated from upcycled, reclaimed, and repurposed fabric and accessories and is entirely one of a kind. No two will ever be alike.

Our dolls are meant to be cherished for their individual styles and personalities. We hope you will love them as much as we do making them!

Sue Roethel

Creator

Sue has worked professionally in the corporate and education sectors. She is very active in her community and wants to do what she can to make improvements wherever they’re needed. Quality of life is what matters most to her, so recreating something to make it better is her favorite activity. She has always been passionate about textiles and needle arts, and she truly enjoys creating new works of art from old things that bring joy to others.

Donna Roethel Lenhard

Artisan

Donna is a retired nurse and real estate broker. She is an avid reader and closely monitors trends in every aspect of life. She has a keen eye for details and design and notices both everywhere she turns. She possesses a unique skillset for assessing something quickly and then resourcing or repurposing it in a unique way. Donna’s special gift touches everything around her that magically transforms the mundane into something original and spectacular.

Together

Sisters Sue and Donna have been creating one-of-a-kind artisan dolls in Rochester, NY since the 1980s. Sew What Fabrications (SWF) was born as a tiny, in-home operation to fulfill seasonal orders from returning customers as well as new ones by word of mouth.

Fast Forward

Fast-forward to Today, Sue and Donna have revived SWF and have taken their creations to a whole new level. Dolls are still made with the same artisan quality as before, but with much more detail and style.

Sue is the seamstress and mastermind behind the personalities of each doll. She takes cues from her collection of unique textile fabrics-- often from; wool coats, denim jeans, sweaters, hats, bags, and the like. She begins hand stitching and machine sewing each doll to replicate or accentuate the design patterns and textures chosen.

Once the bodies are assembled and dressed in uniquely paired clothes, they are handed off to Donna for the finishing phase. Armed with a hot glue gun in a steady hand, it is during this final phase where she'll blend together unique items that remarkably transforms a newly sewn doll into a unique personality.

Sew What Fabrications is sew appreciative to all of our friends and family whom have donated textile fabrics and unique items over the many years since we began. More importantly, we thank them dearly for their continued support in helping us maintain our vital inventory of raw materials.

Made to Last

Our dolls are made to last a long time. We strongly recommend storing them in a secure place that is protected from critters searching for natural materials for nesting.

We sincerely hope that you will find a connection and bond with one of our dolls currently shown "In Stock" in our inventory. If you cannot make a connection with any of these dolls, we encourage you to reach out to us to begin planning a custom doll for you . Tap or click Custom Orders