Miniatures and Dolls

Have you noticed that sometimes it's the little things that are the cutest? Do you remember being attracted to objects in miniature as a child? A child's size tea set, a baby hairbrush, a toy iron that really worked, or little rolling pins and pie pans to help in the kitchen --- all were objects that inspired me as a child and drew me into the "child's work --- of play". As I grew older, like many girls of my era, Barbie dolls became a vital part of my life. The tiny objects became even tinier! Tiny high heels, buttons on sweaters that were hardly bigger than a pin-drop, and real nylons with the thinness of a pencil were all little things that had to be tended with care so they would not get lost. Little boxes or a toy dresser or closet kept all Barbie's necessities in a contained place. Hours would be spent, organizing and reorganizing Barbie and her belongings. My mother seemed to enjoy the Barbie stage as much as her daughters did. She would knit and crochet tiny sweaters, coats, and sweater dresses for our dolls. Hand-sewn garments, jackets, and hats were lovingly stitched with her own hand. Our Barbies had very few store-bought clothes. They were too expensive, and besides, the one's mom made were even better! I remember trying my hand at a few Barbie garments as I learned to sew, but oh --- they were so much more difficult than normal sized clothes. Even the larger sized baby-doll clothes were small enough that they caused me stress as I learned to piece and seam. Somehow, mother always got it right and whipped doll clothes galore out in short order. All these memories, and simply because Paula recently obtained an old-fashioned McCall doll pattern for her shop. A tiny package, small scaled pattern pieces, and delicate details, like smocking, make this a doll fashion fit for the best of dolls! Memories of days gone by.