When I was a little girl (maybe 6), my grandmother made some doll clothes for me. I loved them. Especially the sparkly dress, which, in my opinion, transformed my doll into a princess.
My grandmother (Omi) always used scraps of fabric for my doll clothes. To her, sewing was a utilitarian necessity that her frugal lifestyle required. During World War II, my grandmother had to feed and dress six children. Times were tough, so she had to be creative. She made lots of practical clothes from curtains or table cloths. My Omi taught me that if I could imagine it, I could create it. Oh how much I miss this amazing woman!
I have such happy memories of all the doll clothes, with their small buttons and tiny snaps. The fact that they were made from fabric scraps made it even better to me. I can still picture my grandmother sitting at her old sewing machine making them scrap by scrap as an act of love and devotion for me to play with. She took the time to stitch tiny stitches just to see the joy on a little girl’s face.
I never learned to sew doll clothes. My hobby was knitting. As a teenager I knitted complex patterns and made hundreds of sweaters. Later, I became interested in woodworking.
Less than 20 years after these doll clothes were made, I had two beautiful little girls of my own. They loved their dolls just as much as I loved mine. It was so fun seeing the girls re-discover these tiny doll clothes. I still remember sitting on the floor with them, jammed up against dresser drawers, trying on tiny pants and dresses. It was a gentle pleasure and an opportunity to dream.
The girls are all grown up now. The doll clothes stay in a “special” box in my house. Perhaps someday another little girl or boy will know that these things are meant to be played with and loved.