Many people talk about old-style baby dolls; made by hand and made with love; Kathe Kruse does it. She's been doing it for more than 100 years.

Born in Breslau, Germany, in 1883 to an accountant and a seamstress, Kathe had originally planned to become an actress, training at Berlin's Lessingtheatre and performing in Germany, the Polish capital Warsaw, and the Russian capital, Moscow.

However, by 1902, aged only 19, Kathe had given birth to the first of her three daughters and, looking for baby toys for her, struck a problem still vexing parents the world over: she could find nothing to match the quality she demanded for her child.

So Kathe, using the skills passed down from her mother, began making her own baby toys to meet her exacting standards. By 1905 she had her own company and by 1912 she was taking orders from all over the world. Those toys now grace museums around the world and are keenly sought after by collectors.

Kathe passed away nearly 40 years ago, but her company lives on, creating baby toys with the same care and under the same philosophy - 'the hand follows the heart' - that guided its founder. The Kathe Kruse toy company is now Germany's oldest toy company still operating and still using traditional methods to create baby toys and children's toys.

The baby toy designs have expanded and evolved with the times, but each baby toy is still made by hand, using natural materials. Also reflecting the times, the Kathe Kruse line of baby toys and children's toys is increasingly using organic materials.

Each of the dolls and each item of doll clothing takes anywhere from 16 to 36 hours to make and passes through the hands of up to 10 craftspeople and artists, ensuring each baby toy is different.

The Kathe Kruse baby toys still appeal to collectors, but they are made entirely to appeal to babies and children.

As Kathe herself said: 'A doll has to be something a child can love'.

Mellimoomoo knows your child will love these baby toys.