These dresses represent growing up poor in Philadelphia. We couldn’t afford to buy all the faddish clothes. My mom would look at an outfit, come home and get a paper bag or piece of news paper, and create the outfit she had seen. Because of watching her, I used to make all the latest-style outfits for my sisters and my dolls and stuffed animals, from dresses to coats to shoes. Many people said I should design or create clothing for a living when I grew up. Instead I did medical records for 30+years. I do crafts to keep the creative juices flowing.