Kye is getting her dog!

Thank you everyone for your support! Team Kye has reached its goal, and Kye will soon be meeting her dog, training with him, and bringing him home to assist her every day. I'll continue to be donating 10% to Team Kye through November to go towards Kye's other needs, so please be sure to order your dresses before the end of the month. Thanks!

(BTW, that isn't a picture of Kye above, it's a stock photo, but I expect it will look something like that very soon.)

Help Team Kye in November

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be participating in "Shopping for Kye," which means through November 30th, 10% of all sales will go to help Kye bring home her service dog.

I'm listing all styles available below. If I have the size you want in stock, I'll ship right away, otherwise it will take two weeks. Email me at kuzibah@hotmail.com, with "Sewn by Mice" in the subject field for more info and to place an order. Order now to ensure Christmas delivery!

Thanks for helping Team Kye!

Go Team Kye!

So, I had my first vending experience this past Sunday at a fundraiser for my cousin's daughter. (See this post for more info about the event and the cause: http://sewnbymice.blogspot.com/2013/10/come-see-sewn-by-mice-on-october-27th.html) It was a great event, and I had a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the table!

Not a princess, but clearly kid royalty

Miss Mouse certainly has a recognizable style. And according to her cartoon shorts, she's a fashion designer herself, so I hope she won't mind me copying her signature pink polka dots. This dress has a ruffle of smaller dot fabric around the hem to give the skirt extra movement and twirl. I'll have this dress in 2T, 3T, and 4T at the craft show THIS SUNDAY (see here for more info: http://teamkye.homestead.com/index.html) but if you won't be able to make it, or want different sizes, email me at kuzibah@hotmail.com. This dress costs $40.

Thanks and hope to see you on Sunday.

Come See Sewn By Mice on October 27th!

Hello friends! I've just added another appearance, and it's coming up soon!

My cousin's daughter, Kyelynn, has Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of severe epilepsy. She recently became eligible for a service dog that will be able to sense seizures, will help keep her secure and assist with mobility, and generally be a helper and companion for her. It sounds like an awesome opportunity for her, but the family needs to raise $13,000.

To help raise the money, they're having a fundraiser on October 27th, starting at 2 pm at Forrest Meadow Park in Telford, PA. Read more info here: http://teamkye.homestead.com/index.html

I'll be there as a vendor, so be sure to stop by and check out my table, and also help Kye and her family bring home her dog. In addition to the dresses, I'll have miniature hats (just in time for Halloween!) e-reader covers, coffee cup cozies, and more. Thanks and see you soon!

Let Down Your Hair

Finished the Rapunzel dress (inspired by Disney's "Tangled.") I just love that movie, but for some reason this dress doesn't get recognized as often as some of the others. I'll have one of these at the craft show, in size 3T, but if you want a different size, or want to get one sooner, email me at kuzibah@hotmail.com. See the post below for a link to the craft show for more information. Thanks!

Off to Neverland!

Tinkerbell dresses are ready to go! These little frocks feature a double-handkerchief skirt with a butterfly sleeve in shades of green.

This dress has a deceptively simple charm, and is equally at home at a fancy birthday lunch or picking berries at the farm. Just add a pinch of pixie dust. 

I'll have sizes 2T and 3T at the Craft Fair (for more info on that, go here: http://www.tftwinterfestival.com/) but if you'd like a different size or want one earlier, email me at kuzibah@hotmail.com. These dresses are also priced at $35.

Bibbidy-Bobbidy-Boo!

New design! It's the lovely Cinderella, ready for the ball.

I'm only making one of these for the craft show, size 3T, but if you'd like one before, or in another size, email me at kuzibah@hotmail.com. Price is the same as below, $35. Thanks!

Leave the Princesses Alone!

Okay, what is it with all the princess bashing? I don't entirely get the princess obsession, but seriously, it's harmless and appears to be a normal phase a lot of kids go through. But I've now read multiple fb and blog posts filled with hand-wringing about how Disney princesses are teaching our girls that they need to wait for a man to rescue them, and they should be sure to look pretty in the meantime.

Frankly, that's bull. And I can say that with confidence because I've watched the princess movies at least five time each in the past year. (I know, you're all jealous.)

For starters, none of the princesses seem concerned about their looks. Are they pretty? Yes, but then so are the female leads of every other movie. They're pretty just because they are, and they're indifferent to it (Belle, Tiana,) it makes them the target of jealousy (Snow White, Cinderella,) or it's irrelevant (Mulan, Pocahontas.)

Now, some of the earlier princesses do dream of romance. Snow White has a duet with the prince who will ultimately give her "love's first kiss" right before the Queen orders her death, but she doesn't look to him for help. In fact, there's no indication she gave him much thought other than as a distraction from her chores. Cinderella tells the mice she dreamed of romance the night before, but she doesn't expect this to be her reality. It's just a dream, and she says so. When the invitation to the ball arrives, all she wants is a night off from her drudgery at a party (the life she would have had, incidentally, if her stepmother hadn't squandered her inheritance.) The prince pursues her at the ball, and when she finds out the man she spent the evening with is the heir, she is as shocked as anyone. Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) also dreams of romance, and pretends, with the animals, that she is dancing with the lover she also met "once upon a dream." When an actual man enters the fantasy, she allows herself to be romanced, but here's the twist: unbeknownst to her, this man is already her betrothed. She doesn't know he's a prince, and when she's informed she must return to her royal life and wed the prince she is promised to, she weeps for the man she already fell in love with. If she really had been romanced by a commoner in the forest, her story would have ended tragically. It was only coincidence that her love was also her prince.

But in later years, romance drops out of the picture. The princesses sacrifice themselves for family (Belle, Pocahontas, and Mulan.) The romance there comes in the traditional way, slowly, over time, by getting to know someone. (And in Pocahontas's case, it doesn't even work out.) Two princesses, Jasmine and Merida, reject romance outright. Jasmine eventually succumbs to the pursuit of a determined suitor, but only after he proves himself worthy, and Merida manages to stay single. And Tiana just wants her restaurant. It's only after she saves the prince herself, repeatedly, that she starts to fall for him, but even after they wed, she rejects the royal life in favor of her own dream.

I could go on, but seriously, watch the movies yourself. Some of the older ones are products of their time, but the princesses all have virtues besides looks, and these are shown to be the ones of real value.

My daughter plays princess all the time. She watches the movies, then acts out scenes. Never once has this involved "looking pretty" or romancing a prince. When she plays Cinderella she washes the floor and tries on my shoes. When she plays Ariel, she swims in the sea. When she plays Jasmine, she flies around the world on a magic carpet. And when she plays Mulan, she fights with a sword.

So basically, moms, chill out. Your daughter's princess obsession doesn't mean she'll grow up insipid and useless any more than my obsession with astronauts as a child made me a world-class athlete with an advanced science degree.

Snow White dresses done!

Four dresses in various sizes. I'm making the most of this style, so I've got a big jump.

If you're interested in purchasing one, please leave a comment below or email me at kuzibah@hotmail.com.

Sewing Day

Four "Snow White" dresses, half sewn. Just need to sew the elastic channel around the neck, and add elastic, and make a small hem in the bottom. Hope to be done tomorrow night.

Took a break after the first two to make up and print some business cards. I know I may be getting ahead of myself here, but it makes it feel more real to me.

Also designed a cardboard tag to hang on the dresses. The art is by me, based on an illustration by Beatrix Potter (from the Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse, one of her later books. The doodle on the business card is also by me, and also based on a Beatrix Potter illustration.) The back of the card will have the size and the price.

Incidentally, if you'd like to buy any dresses from me, I make them in sizes 2T to 5T, and they cost $35 plus shipping. Leave a comment if you're interested or have any questions.

My First Craft Show (coming in December)

My sister and I share a serger. That is, we split the cost and it migrates between our houses as we need it. Anyway, I got it back from her last night and my husband is taking our daughter to visit his parents tomorrow so I can have an epic sewing day.

See, as I mentioned in my last post, my daughter only wears dresses, and she especially wanted princess dresses. The problem is, they're expensive. Like $60 at the Disney store. And the costume ones aren't that well made. They're for playing dress up, and my daughter wants to take them to the playground.

So, I designed my own.I used a simple peasant dress pattern, modified to add a full circle skirt (for twirliness) and then just constructed variations on a theme. Now she has six: Snow White, Tinkerbell, Minnie Mouse, Jessie the cowgirl (from Toy Story,) Rapunzel, and a Halloween print one. I've also made some for her friend who is also a big Disney fan.

I've gotten lots of compliments. Several people have said, "you ought to sell these."

Finally, I decided to go for it. I've rented a table at a geek-friendly event in December. (Get info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/200288623453172/ ) I'm committing myself to sewing 12 dresses in assorted styles. Eight, so far, have been cut and await sewing, and hopefully I'll get a lot done tomorrow.

I'll keep you posted.

"Minnie Mouse" dress

Same dress, with cardigan, boots and leopard print hat, modeled by Clare

Living with the Princess

About a year ago, my daughter Clare decided she was only going to wear dresses. Since then, I've heard that this is not uncommon in girls. They go through a phase for or a year or two where it's dresses all the time. I don't mind, except for her reasoning. When I suggest she might want to wear shorts or leggings (because we're going to the playground or it's chilly) she informs me that, no, she has to wear a dress, because "girls wear dresses and boys wear pants."

I have no idea where this notion comes from. Most people I tell this to say, "TV," but I'm pretty sure not. Her favorite shows are Curious George and Handy Manny, and you'd be hard-pressed to find two more barrier-breaking shows. George's neighborhood is as diverse as Sesame Street (a previous favorite) and when Handy Manny needs advice on how to fix something, he goes to Kelly, the (female) owner of the town's hardware store.

Yet this rigidly-defined gender stereotype persists. My husband and I were watching an episode of the old "Dick Van Dyke Show" recently, and when Mary Tyler Moore came onscreen in her signature capri pants, Clare started to laugh. "She's dressed like a Daddy!" she declared between giggles.

And it's not like I'm super-girly. In fact, I've worn a dress once in Clare's life that I can recall, and that was the day she was baptized. Not that this stops Clare from suggesting every morning I change out of my jeans and put on something more appropriate (i.e. a dress.)

The one comfort I take is that her clothing seems to be the one concession she makes to traditional gender roles. She keeps up with any boy on the playground, and has never blinked at her female doctor or our female minister. She's even down with one of her friends having two mommies (although she did ask why one of his mommies didn't wear a dress.)

Obligatory Opening Post

Hello everyone,

Just a first little post here to make sure everything is in working order.

I'm going to be using this blog to promote my little business selling princess dresses (and other handmade goods.) If you've seen my daughter lately, you know my work, and is you're interested in purchasing one, drop me a line. I'll be posting new designs and my vending schedule here.

I'll also probably blog a little about my thoughts, because, why not?

Thanks for visiting!