The Purple Rose of Oregon

Somewhere in Oregon, or so I am told, lives a brilliantly blond little girl who adores purple.  She has purple shoes which she insists upon wearing pretty much all the time.  I heard she even tries to wear them to bed. The story of that girl makes me very happy.  A little girl with such a passion for color, a color!--purple!--and  when her mother contacted me, I knew a fancy purple dress had to come into being.  So little purple rose of Oregon, I hope this dress lives up to your expectations!  (Made just for Katelyn)

Little Emerald Bird and the Peacock Dress

People wonder how I come up with ideas for my designs.  That is an interesting wondering.  Sometimes a particular film or character in a novel begs to be dressed.  Sometimes I copy a design from someone very, very famous and dead.  A beautiful piece of lace presents itself as worthy of an entire dress.  An irresistable piece of silk, a fabulous shade of satin . . . a picture in a magazine, or an image or splashing of color from nature--a sunset or the way the light reflects off clouds or the sea.  Most of the time my best, very best ideas come from thinking about my granddaughter.  Not thinking in the usual way.  More like daydreaming.  I dream think about her and there it is . . .the peacock dress.  An unbelievable shade of peacock blue taffeta underneath a heaven-like gold with scrolled embroidery and a bodice of gilded roses.  Nothing is too much for my beloved granddaughter, and I believe she should wear silk everyday.  The rest of my very, very best ideas usually come from my uber talented daughter who not only inspires me every single moment with her heart stopping paintings, but also with book tips--great book tips like the Patti Smith book that inspired the Little Emerald Bird dress.  Read it and you will know why I had to immortalize part of Patti Smith's sweet poem.

The Look of Love

Growing up in the 50's and 60's was the best and worst of times.  Great junk food, overcooked everything.  Fabulous rock and roll, crooners, punk, Motown, all of it started, yes I think so, back in those days.  And all selective memory processes in place, a PRINCESS was definitely what we all longed to be, dreamed of becoming, and would have traded everything to embody.  The satin and silk, lace and ruffles . .  . and the PINK, Oh my goodness!  How we loved LOVED pink!  And then we grew up.  The life of a princess was more often than not traded for twinkies and Wonder bread, creekbeds and cornfields, mosquitoes and fireflies.  But somehow, through some amazing twist of fate, the most glorious little PRINCESS walks into my life and she is not afraid of anything . . . dreams, wants, wishes, and especially not pink.  In her eyes, all is beauty.

Future Games

It has been so cold here in Southern California and we are not used to such treatment.  There has been no cure for me but to stitch up more dresses, so yes, here they are: one for PEARL.  One for XANTHE, and one for the window of our best sewing store, in honor of the coolest woman I know--Linda . . . my friend who sews quilts.  She is amazing beyond words, an excellent seamstress, and an even more excellent person and she gives me her scraps.  Audreydresses always keep me warm.  No. Really.  I am not kidding.

The Power of Now

Audreydresses did it! Two fabulous sisters in North Carolina received their dresses and oh those little girls are SO CUTE.  Cute is the only word for them.  Thank you, thank you, thank you Amanda for letting me be part of your lives!  I am so glad your girls were the first for my company!