Polly Pocket's got nothing on this!

Just recently came across this awesome tutorial for a portable fabric dollhouse! What little girl (and probably a few boys and grown-up girls!) wouldn't LOVE this as a special homemade gift?

Bippity boppity boo

There is no question that the entirety of the Disney Princess franchise is fraught with controversy and inaccuracy. One issue that has always bothered me from a fashion history standpoint is that the clothing the Princesses wear bears next to no resemblance to actual historical fashions. Los Angeles illustrator Claire Hummel has taken on this issue in a new series of illustrations featuring the renowned ladies in more historically appropriate attire. She did a lovely job maintaining the integrity of the original designs that we have all become so familiar with, while adding more authentic silhouettes and fabrics. Hope you enjoy as much as I did! (She even has prints available in her shop for a mere $10).

RWR*: Charles and Di

*(to make my life a little easier, I am using RWR to stand-in for Royal Wedding Retrospective)


I decided to start with Charles and Di, because they are going to be the most obvious point of comparison when Kate and Wills tie the knot.

For all the highly publicized drama that their relationship came to be known for, it is impossible to imagine a marriage getting off to a more spectacular beginning. Diana, a mere 20 years old on her wedding day, was certainly a 1980s version of a fairy-tale princess. She possessed a grace, charm, charisma and beauty that was (in this fashionista's humble opinion) a bit lacking in the Royal family. Her shy eyes, friendly smile, and compassionate manner stole the hearts of millions worldwide.

The couple became engaged in February 1981. Diana's engagement ring was a Garrard Jewelers 18 carat oval sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds set in white gold. The ring gained additional significance and attention when Prince William offered it to Kate Middleton upon his proposal.


The wedding, touted by many as "the wedding of the century", took place on July 29, 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral. Royal weddings traditionally take place at Westminster Abbey, the change in venue was decided upon because St. Paul's offers more seating and church guests numbered 3,500.


At least 600,000 people lined the streets of the processional route in hopes of gaining a glimpse of the Princess Bride while an astounding 750 million viewers watched the nuptials on television.


Diana's gown was so enormous that she and her father could not comfortably fit into the glass coach that carried her along the processional route and when she emerged from the conveyance, the skirt was noticeably crumpled.


The silk taffeta gown, designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel (who have since written a book on the subject), boasted a 25 foot train, 10,000 hand-stitched pearls and sequins as well as hand-worked embroidery. Despite its grand opulence, the gown possessed a modesty befitting the decorum of the Royal nuptials.


Diana had five bridesmaids, ages 5-17 in attendance with her. Their gowns are in many ways mini-replicas of her gown.


After their ceremony, and before their relatively intimate palace reception of 120 guests, Charles and Diana stepped onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace to acknowledge their admiring subjects. It was at that time that the Prince and his new Princess shared the first public Royal kiss.

Diana's gown and the grandeur of her wedding were hugely influential on 1980s weddings. Leg o' Mutton sleeves, lace appliques, and ballgown sillhouttes dominated bridal fashions of the decade.

Sewing, in miniature

I have just learned that it is National Blog Posting Month. They are even kind enough to offer prompts to get your creative juices flowing. Granted, it is likely that most of the prompts won't exactly fit the subject matter of this blog, I might be able to adapt them as needed. For example, the first prompt is:

What toy from your childhood do you still have in your possession?

So, in that vein...

When I was five years old, I received my first sewing machine. It was a real, working sewing machine on a small scale, intended for small repairs, quick hems, etc. I loved it and used it all the time, mostly for sewing little purses. I've always had a thing about hand bags. My family even (affectionately?) referred to me as "the bag lady".

I no longer have that sewing machine, but the gift of that sewing machine has lived with me throughout my life and I have always remembered it and have always been grateful for it.

Recently, I bought a sewing machine as a present for a little five-year-old friend of mine. I hope it is a fraction as useful, fun, and inspiring to her as mine was to me!

Singer makes a few real, working machines in miniature... here are just a few to check out for the little ones in your life:
Totally Me!
Deluxe Child's Machine
It might be tempting to get a less expensive machine for a young person, but the better machines will stand up to more abuse from unskilled hands and last them longer until they are ready for a full-size machine. I've never met anyone who regretted learning to sew and met many who did regret never learning! This is truly a gift that lasts a lifetime.

The greatest Halloween costume ever.

That is the phrase I typed into my Google search field. And the response I got was actually an illustrated version of a story told by an old friend of mine from high school, drawn by Doctor Popular. I think this Google is a little too smart. Hope you enjoy and Happy Halloween to you all!!!

Cutie pies

So I'm not sure if it is the circles I run in, the time of life I am in or if there is something in the air, but it seems that everywhere I turn, one of my friends or acquaintances is having a baby. I think this is wonderful! I love being a mom, I loved being pregnant, and it is so exciting to see others experiencing it, too. And I am hugely excited that I am becoming an aunt soon!! My brother and his fiancé are expecting twins any time now. They are having two boys, my own twin boys have just turned four... it is so thrilling that I will be able to share my journey of twin parenthood with my own brother!

To recognize all the new and expectant parents out there and perhaps because we've been having a cold rainy spell here in Los Angeles, I wanted to share one of the coolest pieces of baby wear I have seen... baby legwarmers. These are ingenious. First of all, they are a sure-fire way to make sure your baby is looking hip and stylish. Secondly, and most importantly, they are incredibly convenient because they keep those precious baby legs warm like pants do but they make diaper changes a breeze because you don't have to wrestle your little one in and out of pants or fuss with tons of snaps. If you're expecting, put these on your wish list and if you know someone who is expecting they make a fantastic baby shower gift!

You can find them at BabyLegs and Agoo and a search for "baby legwarmers" on Etsy will turn up tons of hand made options. You'll get big time bonus points if you know how to knit and make your own (check out the free patterns here)!

What's in store

My baby brother (who isn't so much of a baby anymore at 28 years old!) is getting married this July. That's us in the picture, I'm 2 1/2 years old and he is 8 months old. I am so happy for him and his fiance and the life they are creating for one another, and I am especially pleased to be making the gown his fiance will wear when they join their lives together. I'll let you all see pictures after the wedding!

Easter Bonnets

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!
I love Easter because it is one of the few occasions we have in modern times to don a gorgeous hat, and I just love hats!

Victorian Easter Bonnets

Adorable, little girl, 1950s Easter bonnets

and the Easter bonnet I would buy if I had a good enough reason.

Fly Girl (Another Stash Busitn' Project)

As promised, here is Stash Bustin' project #2, a little girl's dress (approximately size 3T) made from an old pair of jeans with the skirt and ruffle made from fabric in my collection. The hat and dress were so much fun, I think I have a collection in the works!

All Aboard! (A Stash Bustin' Project)

I felt really inspired by So Zo's Stash Bustin' challenge... inspired enough that I broke into my stash of my husband's old jeans with the holes in the knees and grabbed a roll of accent fabric out of my collection and... voila. A day later, I have an engineer's hat.

I plan to make another hat and a little girl dress... three new items from one old one!

Vintage Plaid Day Dress

I recently purchased this adorable vintage brown/green/blue cotton plaid dress from Swift Vintage (blog here and awesome etsy shop here). The dress fit me very nicely (I kind of have a "vintage" body type and seem to do well with 1950's/early 1960's stuff). I was, however, feeling a little bit... matronly... in it given that it is so dark in color and has a conservative neckline. So I decided that a bit of hemming was in order. I cropped it to just above the knee and was happy with the results.

The angle of the picture isn't terribly flattering, but it gives the idea. This was just the little alteration that this dress needed to feel a little more up-to-date and flirty and more appropriate for evening. Although you can't see it in the picture, I have decided that I like to wear my belts backward to add a little interest to the back of the dress. Maybe I'm crazy, but I like the look. I love this dress so much and have worn it twice already!

I try to adhere to the principle of "waste not, want not", so I'm holding onto the extra fabric. I think there is just enough to make a cute little vintage inspired baby girl dress like this one:

Flower Girl

(Photo by Cathryn Farnsworth)

When Celia (my recent bridal client) and I went shopping for fabric, she casually asked whether I like to sew for little girls.... ummm, heck yeah!!!! I love little girl clothes, especially with a vintage vibe, and given that I have two boys I don't get my fix very often. So I was thrilled when she asked me to create a top for her niece who would be her flower girl. And, on top of making my day, she had the brilliant idea to use the same vintage laces on the blouse that we were using on the wedding gown.

Celia had thought of having her niece wear this JCrew top, so we used it as our inspiration:
We used the pearl white silk taffeta from Celia's gown for the foundation of the gown and added three layers of lace that made an appearance on her gown as well and this was the result:

(front view)(back view with keyhole opening and rhinestone button)

Celia's niece was so sweet and adorable during her fitting, and judging from the pictures, she looked great on the big day!

Creative Costumes

Ever get tired of the Sexy (insert noun here) Costumes? (A sexy ladybug? Really? Is that necessary?) I totally understand the desire to unleash your inner vixen on this night when you can put on another persona for an evening an let loose a little. It's an old tradition (like Carnevale in Venice, Carnaval in Rio de Janiero, and Mardi Gras in New Orleans, just at a different time of year)... put on a mask and leave your inhibitions at home. I myself have indulged in somewhat racy costumes over the years (a Moulin Rouge showgirl, Catholic schoolgirl, kitten, etc), but sometimes it is nice to stray from norm and do something out of the ordinary that is focused on creativity instead of wearing as little clothing as possible (in high school I worked at a fabric store and one Halloween a woman came in to buy several yards of extra wide elastic so she could go as the chick from The Fifth Element which I suppose is sexy and kind of creative at the same time... but also pretty stupid because Halloween in Colorado usually involves lots of snowfall or at least very cold weather. But I digress).

And I guess I'm getting pretty picky here, but I also have a strong distaste for costumes from a package. They are cheaply made, overpriced, and you're almost guaranteed to be dressed exactly like someone else at the alcohol-infused costume party you will be attending. And remind me to tell you the "one size fits most" story sometime...

Anyway, my hat is off to the folks who come up with clever, fun, engaging, creative costumes like these:

You can see this guy loves to have a good time, and he managed to keep his clothes on to get the message across.

This one is hilarious for babies because we all know they enjoy the privilege to...well, pass gas with carefree abandon. Although, on second thought, it may encourage people to sit on your baby. Which would be bad.

These folks have combined naughtiness with modesty and have also pulled off an awesome couple's costume, which (although it may be considered trite by some) I am always a fan of.

If there's anything I like better than a couple's costume, it's a group costume and this family has pulled it off beautifully. Especially because Junior's get-up can transition right into p.j.s for bedtime while mom and dad stay up to party with the adults.

Whatever you end up wearing for Halloween, I hope you have a terrific time and I'd love to hear about all your costumed escapades! If you're feeling short of ideas, check out this awesome list for ideas.

The World's Easiest Halloween Costume

When I was in high school, there was a classmate of mine who was popular due to his intelligent sense of humor, easy-going attitude and general all-around good-naturedness. When it came time for prom he decided (like many of us) not to rent a limo (prom in Boulder, Colorado is definitelt a more laid back affair than in many places... one year my date wore Birkenstocks with his tuxedo). But instead of simply borrowing his parents' nice car, he chose to drive in his own slightly beat-up, slightly run-down, old station wagon. But here's the good part... being the clever guy that he is, he took shoe polish and wrote the word "LIMO" on the side windows of the car. I'm pretty sure there was some philosopher who said something about how if you can imagine something, then it exists. So, this guy made a limo out of an old station wagon by merely suggesting it to our imagination.

So what, pray tell, does this have to do with the world's easiest Halloween costume? Well, it is the same principal behind this t-shirt:



Because my kids still aren't into the Halloween thing yet and because no wonderful costume-wearing opportunities are coming my way this year, I have decided to take a similar, albeit more specific, "power of suggestion" approach to the Halloween costume this year by sporting this t-shirt purchased for a mere $9.99 at Target (I apologize for the blurry picture, it's just one of those days):


It's not quite as cool as when I went as Glinda for Halloween when I was a little girl, but it will have to do.

(I am pictured here with my younger brother who was aptly dressed as the devil... just kidding, bro!)

I'm definitely a little disappointed not to be doing something a tad more extravagant and fun this year, but I plan to make up for it next year... I have something truly fabulous in mind! But more on that later...

My First Halloween Costume

When I was about two years old, I got to dress up for Halloween for the first time and try out trick-or-treating. My mom dressed me as Buster Brown, an advertising icon from the early 1900s. Apparently I was not interested in the trick-or-treating, but perhaps this is where my life-long love of playing dress up and creating costumes was born.

Buster Brown was an excellent costume choice by my mom. It has the "cute" factor that you want for a young child's costume, it is simple enough that it can likely be recreated with pieces you already have at home, it is comfortable and (this is important in October in Colorado) it is warm. Those are all important considerations to make when selecting a costume for your children.

What was your first Halloween costume? What are your favorite memories from your youthful Halloweens?

In Honor of Firefighters

This morning, the apartment unit connected to mine caught fire! It was quite a dramatic morning, but a vigilant neighbor and an awesome, efficient team of LAFD firefighters ensured that the damage was contained to one room of my neighbor's apartment. So, in honor of our nation's amazing firefighters, here is a picture from my family's Halloween last year... the boys were little fire chiefs, their double stroller was a fire truck, and mommy was a chic dalmatian.