When I was visiting my dad this summer, he pulled out some work I had given him nearly twenty years ago. I don't recall if this actual piece was in my senior thesis exhibition at RISD, or if I made it specifically for him. But I remember the very first one I made. It was in my apartment on College street that I shared with my roommate Marlene. I don't recall where the idea came from, but I realized I could make a little dress with a sleeve as big as my pinky, and I really wondered what it would look like. The first one was a painted block printing paper that I just tore into the sort of right sized shapes. It was pink and I used a dark red thread to put it together. The little stitches were x shaped that followed the edges of the torn paper. There was a shoulder seam, side seam, waist and set sleeve. I had started in Apparel Design, but this was the first garment I had ever enjoyed making. And so began my Senior Thesis without my even knowing it. The dresses started to take on character with different added materials. I used to fold them up around a needle and thread and stick them in my pocket with a little pair of scissors, so I could pull them out and work on them at my work study job, or in the Print building, whenever I had a minute. I'm happy my dad gave her a good home all these years and that we have had a chance to get reacquainted. I think she might be the next listing on my Etsy shop....watch for her!f