At the young age of 5, my mother lost both of her parents to illness. After their passing, relatives moved in to raise my mother and her sister.

Aunt Estelle, whom I barely remember, sewed for a living to make ends meet. The one thing that I remember is that she sewed costumes for Annie Oakley and I was impressed. Of course she taught my mother and aunt how to sew.

Later when my mother married and I was the 5th child, her sister, Aunt Louise, had time to make my clothes. She even made my slips to wear under my dresses. One Christmas I received my first piece of luggage to a set and opened it to find ten Pendleton A-line wool skirts. It certainly was not exciting to me at the time. They always told me that I would appreciate them later.

I remember standing in front of a clothing store for children and telling my aunt that I bet she would not be able to make the wool hat with the ribbon going down the back that was displayed in the window. Surely she would not be able to reproduce the feather on either side of the hat. Well, the following Christmas, what do you think was in the train case that I received?

During my Senior year of High School around Christmas time, my Aunt died suddenly and my mother died six months later. One of the kindest things said to me at the funeral was that if I needed any sewing done, I am here for you.

What a shock it was to have to go out and buy clothes in the small town where I lived. There was of course no online shopping back then. I was spoiled by having any clothing I ever wanted and I never really appreciated it at the time.

I started searching catalogs, and learned a lot about the quality of clothing. I could not believe the differences in buttons, hems, and the cut of the patterns that they used.

Yes, I appreciate quality in clothing and now have 2 grown daughters who share my appreciation. After having 2 girls and now having my first grandson, I am often teased that our line of clothing for Boys is ever growing.

My clothing store for children has been a success for 20 years, and people have convinced me to share my knowledge on the web.