Dress made by Carolyn Gibby using with Thimbles and Acorns pattern #1750-01
Dolly Mommas By Shari Fuller Twice a month a group of 15 women meet at Beth’s Creative Stitchery Bernina Shop in Columbus, Ohio to sew American Girl size doll clothes for their grandchildren and nieces, for sale, and occasionally for themselves. This group includes a variety of people such as retired teachers, office workers, real estate agents, and nurses and is lead by Carol Clements, a former designer and writer for Creative Needle. Carol uses her talents to help design modern clothes and assist with early American patterns. Everyone has different ideas about color, fabric, and trim which makes for interesting combinations
Tammy Martin’s rendition of the smocking on the Thimbles and Acorns 1850s Day Dress pattern.
Matching coats made by sisters Anita Robinson and Carolyn Grumney using Keepers Dolly Duds Designs Caroler’s Coat pattern
that inspire future projects. Being typical women sewing sometimes well often times takes a back seat to talking and laughing. We try to share as often as we can especially on the hard to find items. Their group is open to everyone. Their current project, a sleeping bag and pillow that Carol has revised from an old commercial pattern, will be paired up with fake pizza for a fun slumber party theme. 
One of the things this group does is purchase supplies together which makes it easier for them to get their hands on hard to find items as well as get the best prices. Still, free is always better so let’s do a little
A special heirloom dress made by Joan Longbrake.
giveaway here for our brand new exclusive coral and blue cameo buttons. Leave a comment below to be entered in a drawing for a package of each of our new cameo buttons (6 blue and 6 coral). The drawing will be on October 30th. Interested in organizing your own group? Contact Joan Longbrake via e-mail at jlprivy4u@columbus.rr.com
Very cute dresses! Nice work ladies.
I love the idea of getting together in one place to sew for our’girls’ instead of each person sewing on their own. It makes for a stronger commitment and is much harder to put the sewing off. It also builds strong bridges among women with like interests.
Wow, this sounds like an excellent way to get together and share a passion in common… It really has a diverse appeal as well, costumers, historical enthusiasts, doll-lovers and so on and so forth!
I love the idea of sewing together rather than by oneself! Wish I was closer as I’d love to do this.
I wish we had a group like this near me – I would so much be part of it!
I have never seen the cameo buttons in those colours – they are very pretty.
Sewing in groups is a ton of fun. I have a friend in another city that meets with a small group of ladies once a month to sew doll clothes for the Christmas toy drive. They have various little fund raisers to buy the dolls to donate – they sew the dolls a wardrobe. Last year they managed to donate 17 dolls with at least 5 outfits each.
It sounds awesome to have that many sewing buddies! I’m even prouder of them because I live pretty close to Columbus OH!
There’s just something about sharing a common interest with others. Quilting bees have been morphed into sewing gatherings and retreats among friends. Mixing talent and talk is a welcomed pastime, regardless of the decade or century! What a fun group for those lucky women!
I wish I had a group here of women to sew doll clothes! We have a knitting group at our church that makes hats and mittens and blankets for charity donation. It’s very fun, but doll things would be even more fun!
I also sew with a group of ladies. We meet at one members house once a week. Sometimes we sew on the same pattern and sometimes we each have our own project.
We are just introducing a new member to our group and to sewing. We have a pet shop/vet theme. We are teaching her how to sew scrubs and a lab coat. She is teaching us how to do some crafts for the food and treats.
I would love to have such a group in my area as well, imagine all the ideas that could be brought up!
I belong to American Sewing Guild, but very few sew doll clothes and they are all beginners, so that is a start. I inspire them with my projects.
I am soon to be retired and would love to start a sewing group with a mission to donate doll clothes
How I wish that I lived in Columbus, Ohio instead of Southern California. I would so love to be part of a group that sews for dolls.
Thank you for a chance to enter your give-away.
I would love to join a group like yours but here in MN.
Great idea. Sounds similar to quilting groups. First I’ve heard of doll sewing group though.
I would really like to have a local doll-sewing group, but I don’t know anyone who lives near me that would be interested. The joys of living out in the woods!!
If you are interested, contact Joan, she said she would be happy to help anyone start up a group of their own.
Sounds like a fun idea, would be fun to start one here in SC but have so many “irons in the fire” already it would be hard to add one more!! Would love the buttons, I sew and sell doll clothes in memory of our beautiful granddaughter who went to be with Jesus 4 years ago.
When I found Keepers patterns I’ve become hooked on the 1850’S STYLE DRESSES AND THE CAMEO BUTTONS WOULD BE PERFECT ADDITION TO THEM.
Getting together to sew doll clothes sounds like so much fun. I wish we had group in my part of the country.
I wish we had a group like that. Sounds like so much fun-something akin to the old fashioned quilting bee our grandmothers once went to.
What a fun group this would be. Wish I lived close so I could join the fun. A person can learn so much from each other.
Melanegell and I have sewn together for years now. I agree, sewing together is sew much more fun. We have Show-and-Tell every week to display what we found, bought or made that week. That’s always fun. We sew for several different doll scales. That’s been a learning experience. No matter what we sew, we always have a good time. Well, almost always. Well, most of the time. We sometimes have fabric failures. Sometimes reading problems. Never machine failures! We always have terrific results with Thimbles’ patterns. And we have learned a lot from each other and from the techniques taught on Thimbles’ patterns. Shari–I think of you often when I am adjusting my stitch length, and when I am pressing with my doll-sized pressing hams.
I really enjoy all the articles in A Thimbleful, but reading about a doll clothes sewing group was a true delight. The ladies have made some lovely clothes. I can only imagine how much fun it must be to share one’s passion with others of like interests. This is a very luck group.
Sounds like a lot of fun!
coral and blue cameo buttons! I love cameo buttons and use them for many different designs. Thanks for this give away!
Wish there was a sewing group close to me…. there are several quilt guilds but nothing for pattern sewing, clothes, or doll clothes. Sounds like a lot of fun…..
I would love to have a group like that to meet with. It would help keep me motivated. The new cameo colors are pretty…
I am so jealous of these ladies. This group sounds wonderful.
How wonderful to have a group to sew doll clothes with! I always get odd looks when I mention I make doll clothes. I think it would be very motivating to finish things! Plus the creative process would get fueled! I love the patterns, and get inspired. Cameo buttons–come to Kansas City……
Wish I was in a group like that. If my sister, Becky and I lived closer, we would do that. we can only get together about twice a year to sew together. How did these women get together in the first place?
I have your black cameo buttons, but the blue and pink would be nice to have as well.
I know it is too late for the drawing, but I wanted to say I think it is so wonderful that some of you have a group to hang out with and sew doll cloths!