Meet Patti-Ann
Stanley!
I
am the mother of five grown children, and have 13 Grandchildren
and 5 Great grandchildren. I started sewing about the tender
age of 6 and learned the finer points of the craft at my mother's
knee, on her old Domestic, treadle, sewing machine. I believe
that my one foot is bigger then the other today, from all
that pedaling.
I
almost failed Home Economics in grade school because I refused
to "baste", which is something that I do, very frequently,
now!!! My plans were to go to college and become as Art teacher.
However, after one and a half semester, love got in the way.
We will be celebrating 50 years together this January, 2003.
I
did not start making dolls until the Cabbage Patch doll craze
started, although I was deep into doll clothing and children's
dance costuming. During my children's younger years, I must
have made a boxcar full of Barbie clothes. I redesigned the
Cabbage Patch pattern more to my liking ( a Campbell Kid look
alike) and they were cute. But my other cloth dolls were pathetic.
When
my children were in their teens, I saved and started taking
porcelain classes. By accident I met a fantastic porcelain
teacher who instructed me in the painting of antique reproduction
dolls. We had an agreement - she taught me the doll making
and I dressed her antiques. Later, I dressed all of her students
dolls, especially those going into competition. I still make
a lot of antique doll clothing and re-dress antique repros.
In
1989, we retired to Florida from Michigan. Moving from a 5
bedroom, three floor home, to a two bedroom mobile meant that
the excess dolls had to be "adopted", a very sad
task. I was supposed to bring only 30 dolls with me and sell
the rest. (of course, another 20 were stashed among clothing
and bedding)
A
few years ago, I started making dolls by such wonderful doll
designers as Judi Ward, Raine Crawford, Kezi, Mimi and Carolee.
I called Mimi on the phone and we talked for a while. She
suggested that I join FOCD, which I did. Then I became personal
friends with Judi Ward, who encouraged me to become involved
in the doll making market. After we swapped, she asked me
if I would design some patterns for her Whatever! Doll.
I
designed four different patterns, that are now on the market.
In February 2000, I took Judi's, Beginning Doll Design, class
on line and made my very first Original doll. That doll just
recently won first place in the Professional category at the
Round Rock show in Texas. It is also an available pattern.
Since
then, all the cloth dolls you see on my Web pages have been
born. I am so grateful to all the wonderful people who have
encouraged me and helped me come this far.
Since
retiring to Florida, I've also been very active in our Mobile
Home Community. I was a member of a performing group called
"the Pretenders" that "lip-synced" old
songs. We did numbers such as, Judy Garland's Cabaret and
New York, New York, (performing in glittery leotard costumes
designed by Me, of course)!!
Now
with all my dollies, I no longer have to "Be a Star"…
Patti-Ann
Stanley
