By Elise McGrath
A Bridgerton superfan has spent 300 hours hand-crafting dolls of the show’s characters and prefers it to leaving the house.
Mimi Bassant, 49, became obsessed with the Netflix series during lockdown and found comfort in making models of the characters after losing her brother, Edwin Lopez, 43, to Covid.
She has made 30 dolls including – Eloise Bridgerton, Mother Violet, Colin, and Lady Danbury.
They take her three days to craft by hand and Mimi will spend all day perfecting their hair and outfits.
Mimi, an employment agent, from Sebring, Florida said: “I decided to watch Bridgerton during the pandemic.
“I didn’t think anything of it but when I saw some of the outfits they were wearing I fell in love with it.
“It’s one of my favourite eras of time. I started watching it around the same time I started collecting dolls again.
“I kept imagining what the dolls would look like if they were dressed in that era – then I got hooked on the show and outfits.”
Mimi needed something to put her energy towards after losing her brother in 2021.
She makes the dolls for her own personal collection and does not plan on selling them.
She said: “My mum tries to get me out of my home but I refuse because I would rather be crafting the dolls and dolls house.
“If I am not making a doll, I am building a house from the inside.”
Mimi added: “Before he passed away, he gave me a gift of a Barbie doll. It has sentimental value, so I won’t turn it into a Bridgerton doll.
“At first my mum thought I was a little crazy – she said things like everything to be focusing on and you’re focusing on that.
“I just kept making these dolls and thought I should make the whole Bridgerton cast.”
She has spent roughly $500 on the dolls and the materials for their outfits and has over 1000 dolls in boxes that she collects.
“I will make a few dresses cut the patterns and decide which doll looks like the characters.
“I have over 1000 dolls, mostly in boxes.”
Mimi also is half way through doing up a doll house for the Bridgerton dolls and owns eight doll houses.
“I bought the house for $35 and started constructing it and making my own furniture.
“I own three cars and carriages for the fancy Bridgertons.”
Mimi said: “It’ll take me around one to three days to make the dolls and I am about to finish the 30th character.
“It’s hard to decide who my favourite character is – I feel like I relate to Daphne with her first-time having sex.
“It reminds me of my first time and how parents didn’t talk about sex and stuff.
“I really love the storyline of season one between Daphne and Simon.”
Mimi said the storyline and the outfits inspired her to start creating the dolls.
She said: “I have made my way through season one – I’ve made Eloise Bridgerton, Mother Violet, Colin, Daphne and Simon.
“Last night I made Daphne’s baby – I have made Lady Danbury from the other season as well as Marina Thompson too.
“I am just in absolute awe of all the outfits, and I haven’t seen anyone else making Bridgerton dolls.”
Mimi washes the dolls’ hair and uses straws to curl it.
“If I start making them as early as 8am I will finish around 9pm, if I make them on a weekday I will cook dinner at lunch so I can start them as soon as I get back.
“I will go to second hand stores and ebay to find dolls with no clothes especially if they look like my characters.
“When I get days off work – I will sit and finish my projects.”
Mimi said her friends and family have been supportive of her Bridgerton obsession and her friends help her choosing the right materials for the outfits.
She said: “I am so excited for the new season – I go on social media everyday to get little glimpses.
“I want to get ahead of the game and start making everybody’s outfits.
“I have already made Violet’s daughter according to the outfits I’ve seen on the internet.
“I tell them how much I love that era and the storyline is so amazing. I find it so interesting how girls weren’t allowed to be with boys without a chauffeur.”
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