Thanks for stopping by
Hi, my name is Allie. I’m so glad you found my site! I love chocolate, hiking, dolls, and of course sewing. I’ve been sewing and selling doll clothes since I was ten years old. I started out selling doll clothes at bazaars and now I’ve turned my passion into a business.
Learning to sew
As a little girl I often saw my Grandma working on a sewing project. Sometimes when she was babysitting she would bring her sewing machine and a stack of aprons that she was making for a bazaar. I would sit next to her and watch as she sewed. I didn’t have a sewing machine, but I did have a needle and thread. So I began hand sewing little things for my doll Hally and I. Every Sunday after church my friend and I would hand sew and embroider things for each other and our dolls. I took my first sewing class at Joann Fabrics where I used one of their sewing machines to make a pillowcase. Then for my tenth birthday I received my first sewing machine. I was so exited to start using it. A lady at my church, who was a seamstress and a doll collector, offered to teach my friend and I how to sew doll clothes. On our first lesson we learned how to make a doll pillowcase dress, the same one I sell to this day. After just one lesson I was hooked. So once a month we would get together and learn how to sew something for our dolls or ourselves.
The Dream
I had always dreamed of having an American Girl doll. My doll Hally was great, but her hair was so frizzy that I had to keep it in braids. My Mom suggested that I could sew some doll clothes and then sell them at a bazaar to earn enough for my very own doll. I loved the idea and got straight to work sewing doll Pillowcase Outfits and Nightgowns. I loaded up the finished doll clothes into my green vintage suitcase and tagged along with my Grandma to one of her bazaars at the Red Lion Hotel. There I made just enough money to buy my very first American Girl doll, Ruthie. After that first bazaar I realized that I could keep this up, sewing and selling my creations. Being home schooled gave me lots of flexibility and time, so I kept sewing doll clothes and doing bazaars. People were so impressed that a kid had sewn all these things that I continued to sell more and more. Not only did I love having money in my pocket, I loved how I had achieved that money. It wasn’t just given to me, I had used my own two hands to earn every penny.
Something more
I knew for awhile that I wanted Allie’s Adorables to be an actual business and not just a hobby. That’s quite a big task to accomplish though. I didn’t have the slightest idea of how you even start an actual business. I pretty much learned as I went. I did tons of research from ‘how to take product photos’ to ‘how to get a business licence’. I reached out to other small business owners, website designers, and photographers that I knew to get their opinion and advice on things. I could not have done any of this by myself. But why choose to go through all the troubles of having a business? Well first off I wanted to make high quality doll clothes that people could keep passing along. I saw that most of the doll clothes that I owned were cheaply made and often ripped. So I decided to sew all of my doll clothes as if they were for actual people. I wanted other doll lovers to have clothes for their dolls that could be played with, washed, and and then played with some more. Secondly by having my own business I would have the opportunity to inspire others. When girls and boys hear the story of how I started sewing and they see what I’ve made, they are inspired. They think “Wow, if she started sewing when she was ten, then so could I”. Sewing is a lost art and I want to inspire others to pick up that needle and thread just as I did.
