The Blessing of Blogging Friends

Say that 3 times fast! I dare you! I am just blown away by the love and generosity of our blogging community. A woman I am proud to call friend, Julia wrote a post honoring my 5oth birthday with a poem she wrote for another friend at 50. And it's a darn good poem! That is just the coolest thing! I am humbled and touched beyond belief. Maybe this turning 50 thing ain't so bad!!! Thank you Julia!

Grosgrain: Born 2 Impress GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Born 2 Impress GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Cinnamon Sticks GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Cinnamon Sticks GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Baggu GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Baggu GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Barbie Fashion Show

No photo shoot today...the battery in the camera is just about dead and I am watching my little man this morning before I go to work. I am still having a ball making doll clothes and in unrelated doll clothes news...American Girl offers free pdf files of their OOP doll clothes patterns for 6 of their dolls. I bought the Samantha pattern 20 years ago, but I did not have the others. Sara has a Felicity (I think it was Felicity, Punkin???) doll as well, so I can make her more clothes too. Of course Sara does not play with her AG dolls anymore, but someday we may have a little girl who will love them as much as her Mother did...ooohh, I'm getting misty!

It Still Does it for Me

Barbie and a box 'o fabric that is. I did all my obligatory chores yesterday and then set to work making a sloper for Barbie. I started by making a body map (tracing her body like she was a crime scene victim) and then noting all the pertinent measurements. I retrieved the box of fabric scraps from the garage. You know, the fabric bits that aren't quite big enough to make a full size garment, aren't quilting type textiles, but you love them too much to part with? I had exiled them to the garage a couple of months ago with the thought I would give them away to my boss for her grandaughter's to play with. Then this Barbie thing came up and I was glad I still had the fabric. Not that I don't have an ample supply of fabric upstairs, but hey...back off Barbie! You still got the body...you can have MY cast offs!!! HeHeHe!!!! Anyway, I popped in a movie and drafted away. Barbie is wearing a new pair of pants and T shirt. I have a pair of cropped jeans and a couple dresses cut out. It really was fun to make patterns again. I think sometimes I get too caught up in using someone elses pattern rather than drafting my own. Maybe this is the push I needed to start thinking outside the box again. Thanks Barbie!

Me & Barbie

Yep...me & Barbie. We have a connection. We both are turning 50 this month. Somehow Barbie has weathered the years a little more successfully than I have. She still has a fabulous figure. I guess she went the career path rather than settle down with Ken and have a family. Are they still together or did Barbie get the dream house and the 'vette in the settlement? I don't know...I lost touch with Barbie over the years.

As a young girl in the 60's I played with Barbies. My first Barbie was a hand me down from my older sister. She was one of the first molded plastic ones with legs that didn't bend. She had short dark hair (since my sister and I both are brunettes, I guess Mom thought we would relate better to a dark haired Barbie) I hated her at first. All my friends had cool Barbies with long blonde hair and the legs that bent. I really felt deprived at the time, but I'm over that now. I saved my money and bought a "cool" Barbie myself. I bought Midge too. Barbie taught me to sew, or at least she was the first customer I designed for. Barbie and a box of fabric scraps and I was entertained for hours.

Now there is a new generation of girls who still like to play with Barbie. My friend Celeste has a 9 year old granddaughter. One day they were shopping in a local junk store (that's all you can call Mike's...I would elaborate, but that's a whole 'nother post!) and Kaylee found a huge Barbie. We call her "Amazon Barbie". Anyway, Kaylee had to have her...the poor thing has a screw holding her arm on and asked her Grandma "Do you think aunt Mary would make her some clothes?" They actually have an aunt Mary (blood relative) in their family who does not sew at all, so Celeste was a little confused. She said "Honey, aunt Mary doesn't sew". Kaylee replied "Not that one...you know, aunt Mary and uncle Tom!" Then the light bulb went on! Well of course, how could I turn down an opportunity to sew for my first customer? Here she is for her initial consult:
Jo is not too certain about Amazon Barbie. She kind of freaked him out at first, but I think he is getting used to her now. We are going to work on a tattoo to cover up that unsightly screw. She's not FrankenBarbie for heavens sake! Kaylee loves Hannah Montana too, so I got the bright idea when I woke up at 2:00 a.m. that I could make her some Hannah Montana jammies and Barbie could have a matching set. She asked Celeste if she would sell her house to get her Hannah Montana tickets...isn't that cute??? (NOT!!!) I found some fabric on Ebay that was reasonably priced and got a yard of Camp Rock fabric too, because she also likes the Jonas Brothers. I am excited about this project and am off to make a sloper for Amazon Barbie so I don't have to keep her too long.
Happy Birthday Barbie...let's go celebrate!