"Not of an age, but for all time!" Ben Jonson (1623)
My goal is to create doll clothes and accessories that are special enough to be passed on for at least another generation.
Opening this Etsy shop brings a lot of threads in my life together -- my love of vintage clothing (especially hats!), fabric, lace, linens and trim, as well as costume design. I also love the idea of recycling/upcycling/repurposing old clothing, linens and fabric -- I just cut around the imperfections!
I am involved in every aspect that goes into creating my special doll outfits and accessories -- searching for vintage trims and fabrics at estate sales, flea markets and thrift shops, shopping for new fabrics, trims and patterns, laundering all of these items, felting the wool, designing the outfits, cutting out the pieces, sewing them, photographing the completed outfit and shipping them out!
My design process is very simple: First, I settle on a "starting point" -- which can be a pattern that I haven't used before, a new fabric that I want to make something with, a particular trim or vintage linen or garment that I want to use. The design then evolves from there -- a different trim works better, another fabric works well as a contrast. Sometimes I have to admit that the original idea doesn't work and I start again or I realize the outfit needs something else to complete it -- perhaps a piece of jewelry, a hat, or a shawl. The final, finished outfit almost always differs from what I had originally planned.
I've recently discovered Pinterest and have created a few "Inspirations" Boards to collect ideas for future outfits and projects. If you'd like to see what I might be making in future, check it out: pinterest.com/andrealuciano
