We are joined by the delightful and talented doll clothing pattern designer, Tamara Casey, Owner of Designs by Jude, on In The Doll World, doll podcast. https://www.inthedollworld.com/podcasts
As Tamara states, her doll journey was similar and different from others who have become dedicated doll lovers and collectors. When I was growing up my mother and grandmother were both accomplished crafters. My grams owned a ceramic shop, and my mom would make ceramic and porcelain dolls and enter them into competitions. Both women were amazing sewers and quilters and I was neither. I dabbled in their art but preferred being outside. I was a bit of a tomboy. She eventually found her love for dolls as a young teenager through a friendship with a younger neighbor. They would spend countless hours playing with Barbie. Tamara thought she would play with dolls well into her twenties, but was wrong and she did not rediscover dolls until she owned a small gift store in 2000.
Tamara began her journey back as a painter and customizer. Reading through one of the magazines she saw an article about OOAK dolls. Fascinated, she told her husband that people were buying thrift store dolls and transforming them into mermaids and fairies with paints, silk flowers, and a glue gun. That began her venture into repainting and customizing.
When Robert Tonner’s Marley Wentworth was released in 2005 as a basic doll, she decided to create her first sewing pattern. It was a hand-drawn pattern for pants, a top, and a floppy hat. From there the collection began to grow.
Over time she had developed a relationship with Jackie, the owner of the Doll Market in Greensboro, NC. In 2008 Jackie, asked her if she wanted to purchase it. Feeling she just didn’t know enough about the varied inventory and retail was not her goal, she declined. Tamara states, everything happens for a reason. Just having her ask me about buying her business opened my mind up to the possibility of growing my business.
Shortly after that, my mom saw that Gary Fletcher was selling his pattern business, and the rest as they say is "Herstory"
To learn more about Tamara and to see more of her amazing patterns of Design by Jude, please visit https://www.fletcherpatterncompany.com/
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