07 March, 2011

young style

i think i may have twittered or facebooked this, but i'm just now getting to posting it here...
while visiting my parents over the holiday season, i found this:


i made that barbie skirt when i was - oh, i don't know.... somewhere around 10 years old? i love it! i wish i had that exact fabric now; i'd make the same one in my size! i have a faint memory of my mom teaching me how to make and sew the super-basic elastic waist pattern. i probably did the same thing i do now; made one, but then had to make at least three more until i got the pattern and method down just right. i only specifically remember two of the others, though.... i love that my mama saved so many of the toys that my sister and i knew and loved when we were little. now my niece is discovering them and loving them all over again.
oh -- and that reminds me: do any of you remember "fashion plates?" and, more specifically, do you know where i might be able to track down a set? my sister is thinking that bella would be totally into them -- and since it was a toy from the 80's, the fashions may even be relevant now!

10 comments:

Mollyandollie said...

Oh my god! I loved fashion plates...I'll check Lizzie's maybe?

chezkimberly said...

yes! thank you, molly!

btw, i'm chuckling here to myself as i realize that my skirt style and heels in the photo/post below this one are so similar to barbie's! haha!

Jamie said...

OMG i loooved fashion plates as a kid, I TOTALLY forgot about them!! Thanks for the flashback!

Pameladawn said...

Target online, Barnes and nobles, eBay and Amazon.

Pamela

chezkimberly said...

pamela -
thanks for the suggestions. it looks like there's a barbie version on the market today - but it doesnt look as good as the ones we had as kids. there are lots on ebay, though! i sent the link to my sis.
thanks!

Anne Magee said...

I loved fashion plates! I wonder if they are still up in my parent's attic?

Leila said...

Ooo, I loved those fashion plates too! I bet my mom still has mine but where is another question altogether. . .

kansasrose said...

How wonderful is this post!!! I have my original 1964 barbies and the 'vintage' collection of handsewn clothes my grandmother made for them. The details she put in are amazing! You would love them! Little snaps, tiny buttons and bows. She made a red mohair swing coat that is so gorgeous I will I could shrink to wear it! Love your work...(I was a customer way back in late '08, love love your needlework) Jenny

chezkimberly said...

i love what a chord this struck with so many of you! barbies and fashion plates - obviously very memorable parts of our childhoods. i was thinking about it the other day -- is it any coincidence that fashion plates were such a beloved toy of all of us - and now, we're attracted to the creative arts still, right?! iiiinteresting..!!
(and jenny -- so good to see you here!! thank you for your sweet comments on this and other posts today!)

kansasrose said...

I'm intrigued to read that a new generation calls these dolls 'fashion plates'. Perhaps that is a more accurate term for them. Indeed, they were plates for exploring our inner fashionistas. For me, they will always be an iconic representation of unattainable feminine for my generation of girls, and maxing out credit cards. lol However, the hours of fun we had with our 'barbs' is priceless. :)