2005-May 24, New Orleans museum

I accompanied Hubby to a conference in New Orleans. Since I was not too interested in the topic, I decided to visit the city all by myself. Passing in front of the Squires House,  I discovered it hold gown and of course I was  interested. unfortunately the place was close, but The lady present was very gracious. She told me that she had work to do but I was welcome to enter if I didn't mind visiting on my own. Can you believe? the place only for me!! as if I could mind :)

Squires House, here I am!

it was really an exquisite visit I wanted to share it with you
looking to Google map I am  gladly surprise to see that the house it is still standing after the Katrina's disaster in August 2005 (3 months after my visit)

Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007.

2000-2004 - the commissions - Wedding dresses

Through my shows some customers or friends asked me to reproduce wedding dresses. This was a challenge I could not refuse.
The dresses were from various periods,  from 1945 till today. Sometimes I had to choose the fabric myself to be close to the scale. But in other circumstances some customers would give me the actual wedding dress for me to re-use the fabric. This way they would have the reproduction as well as the memorabilia.
I was working with pictures or explanations and memories. Sometimes I worked with Barbie as model or with one of a kind dolls specially designed for the wedding reproduction, and I had to create the pattern from scratch.
here are some of them, I hid the faces to keep the privacy of my customers.

 The wedding took place in 1946. 

The lady gave me this picture and the doll, (maybe Mattel? size 11.5")  It is always difficult to take the scissor to a vintage wedding dress, but I used the original fabric to reproduce its mini-copy.

This wedding took place in 1960. I work with several pictures.

Dolls were sculpted by an artist to  look like  the bride and groom.

I uses a a whit organza embellished with lace medallion applique

This young lady got married in 1997 and I did the dress a couple of years later.
She gave me the doll (maybe Mattel? size 11.5")
the picture I received didn't show very well but the dress was made in raw satin and I used the same king I hand saw the beads and created the see through "Richelieu" type embroidery using fabric paint to circle the motif before cutting through.

For this outfit , it was a bit different. the lady still had her wedding dress, but for personal reasons she didn't want a reproduction of it. she bought recently an 18" Pocahontas doll and wanted to dress her.
I draw a rough sketch  of the outfit she wanted me to do, using her wedding dress fabric.
I used this white satin coverts with small flowers (white /white) to do a kind of  tuxedo with a tiny top embroidered with pearls.

This wedding happened in 2003. the Bride 's Sister asked me to reproduce the dress from pictures.
I use a Mattel 11.5 "doll.
To make the dress, I embroidered with lightly colored treads a silk veil over a white satin. I used a colored parm silk veil for the stole.

Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007.

2000, Oct 14, Red Deer doll show

This was one of the last show I did. As the big girls invaded my life more & more, I started sewing for them. My friends from the Gene club asked me to do some outfit for their ladies, I was in this period working at the university and didn't have to much time in my hands to create as much OoaK as I used to.  I did 2 other ultimate doll shows in Calgary, after this one in Red Deer. (but I do not have any pictures)
I still had quite a lot of dressed Barbie to fulfill my engagement and basically sold them all, while attending those 3 last shows.

Through those twenty something pages you have the opportunity to see all the OoaK  I designed, created and sold during the first year of my passion for Barbie doll. As bigger doll entered the market and reached my heart, I started sewing for them instead but I still love dearly Barbie. she was very inspiring and a faithful companion who introduce me to this new wold of Doll Collectors.

Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007

2000-Oct 01, Edmonton doll show

Once more I was being in Edmonton doll show.

During this time Hubby and I  visited  West Edmonton Mall (WEM), we knew the place indeed pretty well, WEM  was the world's largest mall (until 2004) it's huge with over 800 stores and services. So each time we went to the "Capital" it was a must to go back to the WEM. This day wandering around the 570,000 m²  we entered a doll collector shop and, I missed a heart beat!

  I was in front of a gorgeous young fashion doll, dressed in simple black skirt and crisp clean white shirt. her name? Tyler, Tyler Wentworth. fashion designer, created by Robert Tonner.

She was and still is as today my favorite doll and my muse. I could not wait to have her.

But still I was in Edmonton for the show.

  the show was going well

the sales went well

the coffee was ..as usual...warm

back home I was happy for the day, but I came back with Tyler in my mind

Time period: Calgary Ab. 1999-2007