Sandi Toksvig
The popular presenter tells us about her new passion for miniature furniture and why she loves Jane McDonald
● I didn’t realise until I was asked about The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge how many people are interested in the world of miniatures.
It’s the range of people, too, there is an enormous number of young people. I mentioned it to friends over dinner and their 18-year-old went, “Oh miniatures are my thing!” and showed me all these houses she’d made. You can become obsessed with it really quickly. ●
I think it’s the scale that will make people unable to believe it.
I mean, when you see a miniature bathtub, a twelfth of the size of an actual bathtub, with running water, or a mangle that can actually mangle clothes, it’s breathtaking, incredible.
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I defy anyone not to be fascinated by the makers.
The designs are of things from all around the house that have got to be made tiny yet functional and beautiful – and how do they do that? One of the makers chose a chess piece, he turned it upside down, cut a bit off it and suddenly there was this magnificent bathroom table. ● I am possibly the world’s smallest presenter and therefore I felt this [show] entirely fitted me. I don’t think people know about my secret crafting life, I’ve always been making things, I weave, I embroider, I knit, I do woodwork, I make things out of paper. I spend my life creating things so to be allowed to do it in miniature seemed absolutely perfect.