About Us

...and by 'us' I mean my shop, Requiem Art Designs, and me, Gwendolyn! 

How did all this start? Good question!

When I was a kid, I learned to sew by sewing for my dolls.  I think that's how it is with most kids--the attention span needed for doll clothes is just about what an average 7 year old can handle.

I didn't go on to art school for fashion, which is probably for the best. Until you get to dolls as big as human infants (like American Girl) trying to do things the 'proper' (aka best for humans) way will usually just get you headaches and chunky clothes.

Fortunately, I discovered Japanese doll clothes patterns.  These looked nothing like the boxy patterns I had bought and hated at the fabric store, and they gave great results!  Unfortunately, they were all for dolls I didn't sew for, but at least I knew it was possible to do good doll patterns, provided they were done nothing like human patterns. 

I designed patterns for nice-fitting clothes for my own use until 2012, when Monster High came out.  These awesome fashion dolls had no fashion packs, and no 'other dolls' whose clothes they could borrow, either.  Because of that, people started to get interested in sewing doll clothes, and as one of the few people already doing it, I got asked to make some patterns, so I did, using all the things I'd learned that worked and avoiding the things that didn't work for doll clothes.

After a few years it started to do the magical thing that every artist/entrepreneur aspires to (pay for groceries) and eventually I decided to make it my full time thing.

So now this is me!  I do what I like to do, which helps make other people happy and even sometimes goes on to help them make other people happy!  Best job in the world :)

 

Apart from my patterns, I've also made Amelia, a Pullip doll that was produced as a 400-doll limited edition PullipStyle store exclusive. She broke sales records by becoming the store's best seller for the entire year within 24 hours of being released.  She's long sold out now, but who knows, maybe there'll be a sequel ;)