American Girl Doll Fashion Camp

August 2016

During my summers when kids are out of school, I teach a girls sewing camp which incorporate 5 days of hand and machine sewing. We make outfits and create jewelry and accessories based on the theme of each camp. We've had Birthday Party Camp, Sleepover Camp, Mexican Fiesta Camp, and most recently a Girl Scout Camp-out.

These camps are less about how to sew meticulously and more about playing with the sewing machine to make fabulous creative costumes for the dolls. The grand finale is a fashion show on our red carpet runway!

I condensed this class into a three hour birthday party as well. Always a hit!

These camps that top the list for my summer fun, are held in my studio at the Dragonfly in Old Towne Orange, CA

Visiting Frances- Grafton, Vermont

August 7, 2016.  Visiting Frances

My niece, Katie Zerega, (who we referred to as "Katie Maine", so as to avoid confusion with MY Katie, "Katie California") was married, in upstate New York at the top of a ski resort. It was a spectacular weekend;  the entire wedding party rode a chairlift up to the top of the mountain for a beautiful ceremony and a spectacular view.

Heading home to Connecticut, Mom and I detoured through Vermont. My great Uncle Dick owned a house in Weston, VT, a charming village where we spent every winter weekend of my childhood. (Free lodging, a father obsessed with skiing, and $6.00 lift tickets in those days made for non-optional ski weekends).

We drove up to the old house finding no one was home. That didn't stop us from trespassing and circling the house, reminiscing about all of our times snowshoeing in the meadows and visiting the Vermont Country Store.

Our final stop in Vermont was to duck into the charming yellow farmhouse in Grafton Vermont, owned by my sweet friend, Frances Holliday Alford.
Her home has been completely remodeled to include an elevator to her third floor studio. With more sewing supplies than any art studio, this creative space is jaw-dropping. After promising to return for an art weekend, we wrapped up our travels and return to Fairfield.
Thank you, my sweet friend, for a wonderful visit.😘