The Latest News… January 2017
Hampton Court Gown, Thimbles and Acorns Pattern #1530-01
I want to thank each and every one of you that made my 5th Anniversary Freebie Friday a big success! This year we gave away over 7000 patterns and I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful gowns that you all come up with! I have several more designs on the drawing board for this time period and will work hard to bring them to you throughout this coming year.
Hampton Court Gown, Pattern #1530-01 A Girl for All Time
Side Laced Kirtle, Thimbles and Acorns Pattern #1550-01, Multi-Size
A quick note on the Hampton Court Gown. This pattern is designed to be worn over our Side Laced Kirtle and Smock pattern and that is how it is pictured on the cover of the pattern. A bonus petticoat pattern is included for those that don’t want to use the Kirtle.
Keeper’s Dolly Duds “Town and Country”
Who gets excited every time Eve comes out with a new pattern? I know I do! “Town and Country” is currently on the drawing board and should be ready early in February. To make it even more exciting, it will be available in 
BOTH 18-inch and A Girl for All Time sizes! 
Happy Birthday Laura!
February 7th, 2017 is Laura Ingalls 150th Birthday! It seems fitting that I should take a little time to celebrate my childhood hero and inspiration with an extra special giveaway. 
Leave a comment about your favorite Little House memory to be entered in a special drawing. One person will win a printed copy of both the “Mary and Laura” and “Carrie” pattern as well as a kit for each dress! Two people will win a printed copy of both the “Mary and Laura” and “Carrie” patterns. Three people will win a six piece set of cameo buttons.
I will be celebrating the life of Laura Ingalls life throughout this next year with some special projects and I am looking forward to sharing them with you!
Thank you so much for all your support for the successful auction of our cover ensemble for Sew Powerful
Congratulations to Melangell!
Melangell came up with the winning name of Hampton Court Gown for our most recent Tudor era pattern. Hampton Court was a castle that Henry VIII stayed at quite a bit. I think most of his Queens stayed there with him. It includes a “haunted” passage that his fifth wife, Kitty (Katherine) Howard ran down to try to get Henry to not execute her for treason. Hampton Court has a long association with the Tudor kings. Melangell will be getting a package of the same fabric I used for the cover dress so she can create her own Hampton Court Gown.
Congratulations to Melanie and Charlene!!
OOOPS! Thanks to an observant reader, it was brought to my attention that two other people had suggested Hampton Court as well. My apologies, I had been reading all the suggestions as they came in and had forgotten about those two when I finally decided on Hampton Court. These two readers will also be getting a gift for their suggestion. Thank you all so much for helping find the perfect name for this gown!
My favorite show was Christmas when Mt. Edwards swam the creek to bring presents to the family and Carolyn, also, became his friend
I did not read the books, so I am only familiar with the TV show. My favorite memories were any episode that Nellie got what she deserved for being quite rude! I loved how the Ingalls family looked after each other during some very difficult situations. Family always came first.
When I was a small child, I stumbled on the Little House On The Prairie books in my school library. I read every one of them many, many times – they were actually what inspired me to learn how to sew!
When I was in high school, my mother got interested in genealogy, and started tracing the family backwards. She discovered, much to my delight, that we are actually distantly related to Laura Ingalls, through her daughter’s husband’s family (the Lane family). I’ve always cherished that thought, as much as I have always loved the books.
My favorite Little House memory is from Farmer Boy where the stove blacking brush hits the wallpaper while the parents are gone!
Congrats, Melangell!
My favorite Little House memory is probably waiting for the books in the library. They were some of the first books I checked out with my own library card. I read them when I was 7, and forgot how much I enjoyed them until I read them again many years later–as an adult. They are some of my favorite books.
Last Spring (2016) my family and I took a road trip to Mansfield, Missouri. The museum is a dream come true for all Little House fans especially seeing Pa’s fiddle in person. I loved touring her two homes and wish I could have lingered longer. One of my favorite memories of tthat day is taking a picture of my Laura doll on Laura’s front porch.
Thank you so much for the Hampton court pattern! It is such a beauty! I’m looking forward to making it, along with the under dress!
I love that you celebrate Laura Ingall’s birthday! She was an important part of my childhood too! I remember watching the show, translated in French for us French-Canadians! Then I got all the books as a gift from my mom. I loved seeing how kids would go to school back then, I “loved hating” Nellie, and I remember well the episode where they celebrated their first Christmas, in the snowstorm. I loved the dresses and the boots too… and Nellie’s curls!
LIke you, I grew up loving to read the Little House series. I think those were the beginning of my love for historical fiction and historical dress. I love your patterns and can’t wait to see what you do next!
I adored these books when growing up and probably read and reread and reread most of them!
My favorite memory was reading the books for the first time. It was important to me because of the time period the books were set in.
Congrats Melangell!
However, I believe there were a couple others that suggested Hampton Court also as a name. Even though they didn’t win the dress fabric, their contribution should have been recognized also, not just the winner of the fabric. Thank you if you suggested Hampton Court as the name.
I am a huge fan of the Little House books! My goal is to visit each of her homes, so whenever a vacation trip takes me near one, I try to go. My favorite by far is their home in Mansfield, MO – I loved seeing actual artifacts that were mentioned in the books.
I use to watch the Little House series along with my three daughters. I loved the show and of course bought the books for my daughters to read. This past Christmas, I found myself buying a set of all the Little House books for my two granddaughters to read. I also made them each a Little House on the Prairie dress and bonnet for their American Girl dolls. Of course I used Sheri’s pattern. Thank you so much Sheri for making history come alive thru your wonderful patterns
My favorite Little House memory is in the book “The Long Winter” (I think), when the whole town gathers for performances. Mr. Ingalls gives a passionate speech about why they should NOT organize a club but just perform and have fun. The whole town came out every week and the performances were a roaring success.
I read every book, some more than once. The “Little House on the Prairie ” series was close to the life some of my great, great grandparents lived.
I loved the Christmas on the prairie when an orange, a rag doll were very special.
My favorite Little House memory is just me reading the books, one after another. I loved them so much! I still do. I particularly remember reading them one summer in the tree house that my neighbor, Penny, and I claimed as our special reading spot. There was a big forked branch just perfect for reading!
My favorite memory of Little House is Laura’s relationship with her Father, whom she called “Pa”, and Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon’s wonderful portrayal of their characters.
Congrats to Melangell, Melanie and Charlene! 😉
My mom took me, my brother and a friend to visit Mansfield, Missouri. We were driving up very steep and narrow Ozark road in the pouring rain. Oops!
The Hampton Court gown takes my breath away! So beautiful!
And I love the Little House dresses. I read those books over and over when I was a child. A few years ago, our family drove out to the Canadian Rockies for a vacation, and we happened to pass through Walnut Grove, Minnesota — the setting for On the Banks of Plum Creek. There’s a Laura Ingalls Wilder museum there, with both indoor and outdoor exhibits, and we wandered around happily for several hours. It brought the books back to me so vividly! I wrote up our visit for my blog, complete with photos. It was a wonderful day!
I can’t think of a favorite but I love reading all the books and let my mind escape to a much more quiet time in the world through the eyes of a little girl…. they never get old.
My very favorite episode of Little House was “Mr. God” starring Earnest Borgnine. So touching on so many levels. Plus I had grown up loving the books.
My favorite passage from the books was when Jack the dog died and the children were worried about his going to heaven; Pa assured them that God would not leave a good dog like Jack out in the cold. (may not be verbatim, but that was the gist of it!) But my MOST favorite memory is that for several years, every evening my 4 children gathered around me as I read the entire set of books through to them (at least 3 times,) alternating with the entire set of The Chronicles of Narnia! Those were happy times, even though I had a chronic hoarseness from all the reading aloud!
When I was in elementary school, before I had my own copies, I borrowed from the school library the ancient, battered, hardback books from the Little House set, over and over again. So many wonderful passages, and I so loved the ones where Laura was proud of/enjoyed her Pa playing the fiddle. And the ones about Jack, their dog.
Love your Ingalls girls patterns!
One of my favorite textile memories in the LH books is in “On the Banks of Plum Creek” when Laura and Mary secretly strung a button string for young little Carrie, sharing the same string and choosing buttons from Ma’s button box. This is a fun activity that I’ll be having children do at our Laura 150th Birthday Party next week!
As a young girl not yet able to read, my older suster would send to to the local library across the street to bring her another Little House book. She’d decribe the cover so I would know whuch one to bring her. After loxating it, I would also gather a copy of These Happy Golden Years. When I would get home, she would tell me that she wasn’t ready for that one yet, but i did not care. I was memerized by the illustrations in THGY and all the books. I yearned to be able to read to know these stories. These Happy Golden Years became my favorite even before I could read. For years, I thought this cover art represented what love looked like. A dashing man in a brown suit with his arm extended holding on to the tree branch.
As a Kansas girl in the 1970s, brown braids and all, I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder and have many memories of playing Little House on the Prairie, especially at my grandparents western Kansas farm. But my favorite memories are as an adult. My middle child was a very reluctant reader. Her older brother loved to read and devoured books, but books just didn’t interest her. Big brother and I were tired of all the easy reader books, so I turned to an old set of Little House books and began to read those out loud to the kids. We would always read in the car, and I remember coming home from a two hour drive and the kids begging me not to stop reading. “Just read,” they chanted. She was intent on every word Laura had written. She took a new interest in reading. We even made a trip to Mansfield, MO to visit Laura’s home. Soon we had to make frequent library trips, and the “Just read” phrase became a motto. We were reading all the Mark Twain Award Nominees and finding authors to go listen to Today my two oldest are in college and both are studying journalism, greatly influenced, I am sure, by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
My favorite is Charlotte, the rag doll. I haven’t read the books, yet. I am anxiously awaiting the experience of reading the books with my GD.
My most memorable moment for the Ingalls would be I guess when Mary goes to the school for the blind and realizes that she’s not useless or helpless. And finds herself, these were some very strong ( mentally) women. She found her new purpose in life
Wow, choosing a favorite memory is difficult as there are so many, but while reading this I’m reminded of the Haste to Marry chaper in These Happy Golden Years where Laura is dreading the thought of hand sewing the long seams to make sheets. She and Ma discuss the possibility of using the recently acquired sewing machine instead, and while Ma states that their ancesters would be rolling in their graves at the thought, but what the heck, they are living in modern times, so why not. Everytime I read that I think about how my love of sewing probably wouldn’t exist if my sewing machines didn’t.
That chapter is fascinating as well for the descriptions of sewing the dress that Laura ends up wearing for her wedding.
Reading my own hard cover copies . I think they were the first books I ever remember owning. I still have them and all three of my daughter’s and my nieces have read them.
The Little House books were the first “big girl” books I remember reading all by myself. I would go to the library and look for the next book. My favorite “Little House” memory from the books are the rides Laura takes with Almanzo, especially the one where during the 4th of July and her ostrich feathers are pulled off her hat after the team Almanzo was breaking darted from the firework booms.
My favorite scene is from “Plum Creek” when Laura is having her creek bank party. I laugh every time I think about Nellie getting “sucking worms” on her feet
I love reading all of LIW’s books and I also love reading biographies about Laura and her family.
Laura and her mom – they were my favourite part – the dialogue was the best part. The way they talked to each other, shared with each other. The dynamics between the two were amazing – I learned so much. Not all of us have moms who share with, talk to, teach, or include us as children. I was glued to the show – read the books whenever I could – did not have my own copies. I have never had a great memory – or at least not much access to it, which makes Laura and her mom even more special to me – the way the loved each other – the comfort, the love, and so much laughter – much more laughter than sadness. I think real life is like that – always more laughter than sadness. We all experience sadness, but the happy moments always outweigh them. I remember Carrie too, but not as clearly – she was so sweet. My heart bubbles over with happiness when I think of them – definitely time to sew for them. Time to read the books – have my own copies…Thank you for bringing memories to life! and giving me so much happiness with your newsletter – love learning too, so the education part is very important to me.