Little Wonders: The Magic of June Sprigg Tooley — Tooly’s Tiny Pillows
- Darren Scala
- 14 minutes ago
- 3 min read
There’s a particular kind of hush that falls over a room when you bend close to a miniature — a hush the size of a house key, a hush that holds whole stories. If you love dollhouse interiors, you already know how much mood a tiny cushion can add: a splash of pattern, a rumple of fabric, a hint that someone invisible just left the room. Few artisans capture that hush and turn it into something quietly joyous the way June Sprigg Tooley does with Tooly’s Tiny Pillows.
I'm excited to announce that a number of Ms. Tooley's tiny creations will be heading to my next 7-day estate auction starting on Sunday, November 30 in my eBay store. These pieces are part of an extensive collector from Japan who is looking to downsize her assortment and find new happy homes for her treasures. You can preview more of the collection here and be sure to bookmark and save my store as a favorite seller so you know where to go when the auction begins!
A gentle beginning
June Tooley didn’t set out to conquer the miniatures world; she found her craft in order to soothe herself. She began making tiny pillows during the pandemic in 2020 as a way to manage anxiety and keep her hands busy. What started as calming therapy quickly became an obsession of the happiest kind: designing, sewing, experimenting with scale, texture and trim — then sharing the results with other miniaturists.
June’s creations have since caught the attention of the wider miniatures community. She’s written and been featured in specialist publications about tiny tassels, pillow-making techniques, and the little touches that make a tiny room feel loved — proof that what began in solitude became something that sparks others’ creativity.
What makes Tooly’s Tiny Pillows special
There are lots of small cushions out there in the miniatures world — but June’s stand out for reasons that are as tactile as they are lovely:
Placement and Personality that feels right. June understands how a pillow “sits” in miniature furniture: how a bit more stuffing reads on a piece, how a shallow tuck or a tiny piping changes the pillow’s character. That fluency in miniature design is immediately noticeable when you place one of her pillows on a settee or in a bed.
Fabric and texture choices. The fabric mix is adventurous in big way — small-scale florals, velvets with a whisper of pile, crisp linens and cottons that soften just enough. It’s the fabric and graphic patterns that sell the idea of comfort in miniature; June’s eye for design that translate to tiny sizes makes her pieces sing in dollhouse rooms.
Detailing and finishing. Tiny tassels, neat piping, invisible hand-stitching, and sometimes a cheeky embroidered motif — these thoughtful finishes are what elevate a cushion from “cute” to “hearthside.” June has written about techniques (tassels, for example) that show how much craft sits behind that seemingly effortless look.
A warm palette and personality. Her colorways and combos are curated to tell a story: serene neutrals for a vintage parlor, playful pastels for a child’s room, bold accents for a contemporary vignette. Each cushion is a tiny character you invite into your vignette.
More than decoration — community and comfort
Part of what makes June’s work resonate is its origin: these are objects born of seeking calm. When a maker’s work begins as comfort and then spreads outward, it brings a human warmth you can feel. Tooly’s Tiny Pillows aren’t just accessories; they are tokens of the global creative conversation that bloomed during hard times. The response from collectors and fellow makers — features in niche magazines and enthusiastic collectors.
For lovers of miniature interiors
If you’re furnishing a 1:12 bedroom, adding life to a dollhouse shopfront, or just love to collect the tiniest of things, June’s pieces are a delightful way to layer whimsy and charm into your collections. They’re instantly brighten up a space — a testament to the careful balance of craft and style behind each piece.
Final stitch
There’s an honest, almost philosophical delight in something made small but made well. Tooly’s Tiny Pillows remind us of the details we cherish in the full-sized world: comfort, color, the little flourishes that say “someone lives here.” June Sprigg Tooley took a small, therapeutic practice and turned it into craft that comforts strangers and friends alike — and that’s the kind of magic worth celebrating.
Thank you for taking a look and shopping my sale!
###
Written with the help of AI and edited by Darren Scala
