Q: WHY DO YOU DO SUCH LIMITED NUMBERS OF DRESSES?
(only one of each combination in each size)
Actually there are several reasons:
1. I absolutely hate seeing kids all dressed alike. While I wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to think everyone would want my dresses (one close friend says the mix of patterns gives her vertigo), limiting their number means each is totally unique. A kid in one of my dresses won’t look like everyone else; they’ll get noticed.
2. I have a gawd-awful fabric addiction. Making only 3 dresses with each color combination allows me to feed it. I have an excuse to go shopping (preferably outside of Alaska!) for that perfect fabric to match the one I already have.
3. My sanity is rather dear to me. Making these dresses is fun and the moment it isn’t fun, I’m going to stop. Doing 100 of the same dress – tracing, cutting, bundling, sewing, etc., would make me lose my marbles. Working with different fabrics makes it enjoyable. I think it would become tedious doing the same thing over and over.
Q: YOUR DRESSES ARE 100% COTTON – WILL THEY SHRINK?
No, there should be no shrinking. I pre-wash both the fabric and the lining in warm water and dry it in a hot dryer before I cut anything out. Thus, there should be no further shrinkage when you launder at home. (See the next question for laundering tips.) In the future I plan to add some other fabrics, but they will be treated not to shrink, either.
Q: HOW SHOULD I TAKE CARE OF THE DRESS? WASH/DRY/IRON?
As with all garments, care in laundering will pay off by making your 246GIRL dress last longer and look better after many wearings. Here are my suggestions:
Before laundering, remove any delicate parts as directed (e.g., the tassel on the tassel & ruffle dress and the belt on a style that will be coming this spring).
Wash cool on the delicate or handwash cycle in your washing machine (or handwash for real if you like to play the martyr).
Hang dry. As you probably already know, any clothes you really value should always be hung dry and never go into the dryer since the dryer beats up the fabric. (Dryers make garments look old before their time.) The dress will probably be wrinkled when it’s dry – that’s the nature of cotton & the reason for the next step.
Iron out the wrinkles with lots of steam. Remember, steam is the key, NOT the temperature setting (although cottons can take very high temps). It took me a lot of years to figure out that a good steam iron is worth its weight in gold. I actually don’t mind doing my weekly ironing anymore since I got a good iron. Use a water spray bottle if your iron doesn’t have steam.
Q: THERE’S NO CONSISTENCY ON READY-TO-WEAR SIZING. WHAT SIZES ARE YOUR SIZE 2, 4, AND 6?
I agree! There is one famous Dutch company (which shall remain nameless) that makes the most BEAUTIFUL and EXPENSIVE clothes, but I’ve just about given up on ever figuring out what size I need for my daughters; it varies wildly from season to season, even within a particular line! (An issue when you have to mail order to Alaska.)
All of my dresses are based on the following “model” kid measured with no clothes on. However, none of the dresses are form-fitting enough that there should be problem with the average girl not being able to wear them and look good in them.
I’ve put the exact measurements for each style of dress on the Measurements & Features by Style page if you are in doubt as to a particular size fitting your girl.
|
Body Measurement
Sizing Chart |
Size
2 |
Size
4 |
Size
6 |
|
Your Girl's Height:
|
36"
|
40"
|
46"
|
| Her Chest: | 21" |
22.5"
|
24"
|
| Her Waist: |
20"
|
21"
|
22"
|
|
Her Hips:
|
22"
|
23.5"
|
25"
|
Q: WHAT MAKES YOUR DRESSES SPECIAL BESIDES THEIR LIMITED PRODUCTION?
All of the following:
1. Dresses are fully lined so they look nice on the inside as well as the outside (the ruffle/tassel dresses are the exception with only the bodice lined)
2. Seams are finished – none of this raw edge business you see so often
3. I use only high quality cottons
4. Each dress is individually cut and sewn by me; I see them through from start to finish.
5. I try to watch details like keeping polka dots lined up or matching stripes – something you seldom see in mass produced clothing
Q: HOW CAN I VIEW MY SHOPPING CART CONTENTS?
If you lose track of or close your shopping cart window by accident, just return to the FAQ page and click this button:
Q: DO YOU LIVE IN AN IGLOO? DO YOU SEE BEARS? IS IT DARK ALL THE TIME?
Sorry to disappoint, but my “igloo” has radiant heat and a decent plumbing system.
As far as wildlife goes, however, what you’ve read about Alaska is true. Even here in Anchorage (a metropolitan area), we get frequent visitors. In the past year we’ve had a gigantic porcupine, a wolf, and a black bear wander through my neighborhood.
Moose show up a couple of times a week in our yard; there’s one mother and twin calves who are regulars. Every year the moose make a snack of the kids’ Halloween jack-o-lanterns on our front steps...along with my flowers in the spring.
It’s also true it’s very dark here in the winter – it makes for good sewing weather when it’s pitch black at 4:00 in the afternoon and -10 degrees outside. Unlike Barrow further north, the sun DOES come up in Anchorage in the winter, but only for a few hours each day. In the summer, we have 20 hours of glorious light and tend to take full advantage of it with fishing and golfing at midnight.
yep, a real, live baby moose in our very own backyard...