The Euphoria (NOT) of Pleats
It probably won't surprise anyone to hear that a sciency person like myself ADORES the predictability and specificity of pleats. They're parallel and geometric! They're neat and controlled! And they're easy enough...
Outside the Lines
The posts in this category are just what its label says, i.e., every single thing ever written without categorization. If you want to read straight through from the very beginning, go to the last page and work your way through backwards. The most recent posts are always added at the top of the first page.
Bittersweet Musings
In the course of collecting antique fabrics and trims, I sometimes buy something I love - only to discover later that it's not as useful as I'd hoped. The color doesn't flatter...
Maddie’s Pink Sriped Dress
As awful as the fabric for Maddie's Almost Spring Dress was, her second dress for this season was made from the dreamiest silk I've ever had the pleasure of working with. I...
Maddie’s Almost Spring Dress
Maddie and I are pleased to announce we both survived the sewing of her new "almost" spring dress. Comparing its name, and the current date, should tell you everything you need to...
Hard Won Victories
It started with love at first sight . . . (doesn't it always?) The green dress in the above fashion plate caught my eye and next thing I knew, I was dreaming...
There’s No Substitute for Basic Accuracy
Once upon a time, I attended a sewing class where we were encouraged to check the fit of the doll's dress as we worked, since - and I quote - "everyone's quarter...
Magic in Unlikely Places
How much must I hate myself? Let me count the ways . . . It would be funny, really, if not for the angst it causes. I'm speaking of that subconscious place...
Guilty, Guilty, Guilty . . .
If there were cones of shame for sewing, I'd definitely deserve one right now. Because I cheated - on purpose. And it's not the first time. The trouble is, I value historic...
Maddie’s Modes de Paris
It's never good for the morale of the doll room to focus entirely on one project. It probably goes without saying that dolls, by nature, become petulant when new dresses stop appearing....
A Brief History of Hooks and Eyes
In all my years of sewing doll clothes, I've believed the common notion that hooks and thread eyes are the only "proper" way of closing up a dress. Well. I'm thrilled to...