I'm a full time illustrator and sometimes author of children's books (www.maggiebooks.com) but my second passion has always been designing and crafting dolls and stuffed animals. I adore fabric, especially vintage prints from the 1940's - 70's and have amassed an enormous collection from Ebay...Back in the late 80's before I got into kid's books I spent about 18 months working as a seamstress in various NYC costume shops and also in Jim Henson's muppet workshop. I learned a ton about quality construction & craftmanship--it was a fabulous experience!