OBSESSIVELY OBSESSED

I had lined out a number of patterns, planning to make many skirts for 18-inch dolls, but then I messaged my niece Becky to inquire about her recent Hawaiian vacation with her son and his family. Becky responded in enthusiastic terms and went on to say, “We saw some Hawaiian outfits for AG dolls in Maui.  Not sure if that's something you could make or not.  Allyn really got into the Hawaii atmosphere and clothes, jewelry, etc.” (AG doll Hazel belongs to Allyn, and I am the apparent source for Hazel’s wardrobe.) I love to follow a girl’s – er, doll’s – interests when I sew for them, so I immediately responded with, “Yes, I CAN make Hawaiian outfits. Why didn’t we think of this sooner?”

That’s all it takes, you know, to send me off on a tangent. First, I reviewed my digital patterns and found I already had a number of Hawaiian or tropical designs in my collection, so I moved them to a sub-file titled, “Hawaiian and Beachwear.” Next, I reviewed my paper patterns and books for anything remotely appropriate for a tropical vacation and posted those on my bulletin board. Then I moved to Pinterest and made a sub-board titled, “Hazel’s Hawaiian Vacation,” which includes pictures of any remotely tropical-like patterns, including some I don’t own – yet.

Six Hawaiian prints

Becky said that Allyn loved the Hawaiian floral prints. I didn’t have any on hand, so I ordered yardage from the Hawaii Fabric Mart. While I waited for my order to arrive (and as it turned out I didn't have to wait long), I visited JoAnn Fabrics, where I selected three tropical designs from the six bolts that qualified. “Some of our customers carry an extra suitcase when they go to Hawaii so that they can bring home fabric,” said the sales associate. Well, we weren’t thinking about that at the time, and besides, it was someone else’s vacation. The challenge is that tropical floral prints are typically large, and I think of dolls in small prints, but I decided not to worry about that. Hazel just wants to wear muumuus in bright colors.

A few days of organizational work went by before I was ready to begin the Hawaiian project. And besides, I also had to finish the two skirts I was making. And then, since a skirt is useless without a top, I made halter tops to complete the outfits. The first Hawaiian sundress is coming along well – but that’s a story for another day. KW

[Above: My Maryellen, probably closest in size to Hazel, models the finished skirt outfits.]