Roszanna’s Dolls is a family business that was started by Roszanna Gray in the early 1970s and was later passed down to her daughter, Juliana, who is the current doll maker.  The very first dolls that Roszanna made were donated to sell at a church fundraiser. She made a dozen size 25-inch dolls, and they were such a hit that they were all sold in less than one hour.

 

In the early years, she employed the help of her entire family in the doll making process. She employed her 3 young children to stuff arms and legs for her. The pay rate was 3 for a quarter. Her husband John would help her cut out dresses and would help her set up and tear down for craft shows. John also drew the pattern for the 30 inch and 48 inch size dolls that were added later. 

Roszanna’s daughter Juliana began sewing  under the guidance of her mother at a very young age. For many years, this mother and daughter team participated in craft shows across the United States. It was only in very recent years that the dolls began being sold online.

Roszanna enjoyed making Raggedy Ann and Andy so much, that she continued to make them over the next 45+ years, right up to the time of her death in early March of 2018.  Over the years, she continuously worked on process and quality improvements. She was a perfectionist and paid much attention to detail in everything she sewed.

Her hard work over the course of her lifetime perfected the quality of the craftsmanship that can still be seen in the heirloom quality dolls being made and sold today.  Although the dolls are no longer made by Roszanna, herself, the same quality of craftsmanship will always be found in the dolls we sell. As a tribute to Roszanna and her life’s work, our dolls will always be known and sold as Roszanna’s Dolls.