Well, Hello Dolly...

I love opening up my email "Inbox". It is always filled with stories and fabulous projects created by our customers. Recently we received an email from a customer who loves making dolls as much as she adores a good trip to Mary Jo's Cloth Store! Marge was kind enough to share photos and her thoughts on Mary Jo's and Doll-making. She is one talented gal and shows her work at galleries!

"I have loved to sew since I was 6 years old. My aunt used to give me a bag of fabric scraps every year when she spring cleaned. I would go up to the attic and sew and sew... almost every day. In the summer the attic temperature would be 105 degrees or more...but I would be soooo happy just making all sorts of doll clothes for hours at a time. I played with dolls until I was too old to be playing with dolls (at least 12 years.) Ironically, I am still playing with dolls at 77 years old. I call them my "Senior-Chicks" to show they are cool.
In 1955 I married...moved to Dallas, N.C. and found Mary Jo's Cloth
Store...to my delight. There I found many unusual fabrics which were not historically sold retail. In those days you could not purchase fabrics that retail clothes were made
of. However, I think Mary Jo was personally purchasing mill ends from design
houses that made retail clothing. Somehow, she always had unusual fabrics that could not be purchased from the average fabric shop.
Encouraged by these fabrics...I found I could copy and design my own patterns and the finished product would really appear "store bought" as a result of the fabrics I could purchase at Mary Jo's. Over the years I have found fur fabrics, stretch fabrics, all sorts of trimmings, even swim suit fabrics...often times just a bolt or two. You must realize that in 1955 these were very rare, impossible to find fabrics. AND THEY WERE CHEAP AS FAR AS COST. I think she purchased them at a bargain and passed that on to her
customers.

Mary Jo and I were on the same wave length and became good friends through the years. However, sadly... SHE kept herself as busy as I did, and we never got to visit much. We did visit each other here and there...just a time or two. Through the years I have seen Mary Jo"s store move four or five times...each time to a larger building...but it still has the small store friendly atmosphere.

I am still influenced by pretty fabrics... only my projects have changed. I have gone from adult clothing to children's clothes to doll making at present. I love old people and making dolls has proven to be my favorite creative pastime. Having traveled the country quite extensively...I have yet to see a cloth store to compare with the selection of rare and unusual fabrics...with great prices, to boot. I never leave Mary Jo's store without being inspired by her displays of great fabrics. I know I probably sound like a commercial..but I really have appreciated having a cloth store of this caliber within driving distance (I live in Denver, N.C. now.)
In closing..."See ya at Mary Jo's".
NOTE: My dolls are sold in several Art Galleries. However interested parties can call me direct at: Marge Crunkleton....704 483 5815

DO you have a story to share? A project that deserves a special spot on the blog or community page? Do not wait, send us your thoughts, stories and projects today.