Hi mommaB. Oh yes, I can remember my mom bent over that singer sewing machine turning out the most wonderful things. I was probably around 10 years old when Barbie dolls came out. I was very lucky to have a doll but there was little money for the store bought doll clothes. Since my mom sewed for a living, doing repairs and alterations and sometimes making gowns and dresses she always had an abundance of leftover fabrics. She always saved every bit of material and then she would design and sew fancy clothes for our dolls out of the scraps. My best momory was the real mink coat that she made my Barbie out of the collar that a customer has her remove from a coat. I was the envy of all my little friends because of the wonderful clothes my dolls had. Mom was a smart woman too. There was a man that was a president of a large shoe manufacturing plant located near our home. He always bought silk pajamas and brought them to my mom to alter. He always insisted in trying on the pj bottoms and having her pin baste them as he wore them so the fit would be just right. My mom hated it when he came and she always made sure all of us kids were there in her sewing room while he was there. Didn't understand it when I was 10 but I do now. When I look back, they were certainly special times. We were poor in a lot of ways but so rich in the memories that my mom made for us. Barbo