this is where it all started--my Barbie and all of her amazing homemade clothes.

my grandmother made all of them for my older sister, presumably from her stash of fabulous scraps. one day it was all passed down to me. my obsessive love of cotton prints stems from this particular yellow dress. i just couldn't get enough of it and of spreading out the wonderfully wide sweep of the skirt. i spent hours folding and refolding the little knitted and crocheted blankets and making beds with home made corduroy pillows , stuffed and held together by straight pins.

there were a few precious store bought things as well: a white fur stole, a flight bag, and the one outfit i ever bought-a pink and sliver full length dress that Barbie would perform her night club numbers in. pictured are a few attempts of things i made myself: a corduroy bathrobe and a felt sleeveless top with a hideous giant plastic button for decoration.