Here’s an interesting story:

My mom came to visit a few weekends ago a brought me a whole pile of vintage patterns – dating from the 40’s up to the 80’s. As I’m drooling over them all I come across a Beehive pattern book called “Baby Styles”. It looks like it’s from the 50’s. They have these cute names for all the patterns, like one called “Wee Willie Winkie”. It made me giggle just reading it.

As I’m flipping through this book, drooling and giggling I see a crocheted dress and I take a closer look. I looks familar – it looks like a dress my mom recently gave me that my grandma made for me as a baby. I go upstairs and get it out of the closet and compare. Sure enough it’s the same dress! My grandma altered it a little bit to add a ribbon around the waist, but other than that it’s the same dress. The coolest thing is that my mom bought these patterns at a garage sale – so it’s not like this was my grandma’s pattern book. By some coincidence the dress and pattern have been reunited.

So here they are together again:

From the pattern book “Baby Styles” by Beehive.

The dress my grandma made for me (and BTW I was born in the 70’s not the 50’s 🙂 ).

It’s not spectacular, but it’s the first Barbie dress I’ve ever made. As I make more I hope to start creating some of my own clothes, using a much finer yarn and gauge. But for now these knit up fast and the girls love them.

Happy turkey day! To celebrate here are some photos of the completed layette:

one wee hat – check

one pair wee booties – check

one wee cardigan – check

one wee blanket, previously loved – check

I made the above blanket for little A and wanted to give it to someone who I knew rather then just donating.

My next project will be making Barbie clothes for my girls – I have a vintage pattern which is the same one my mom used to make doll clothes for me :).

I miss you, my little Star.

Love,
Mommy

Samantha Marion Venables 09/23/03 – 10/06/03

Yep that’s a bootie and the second one is on the way – hurray!