Hi, my name is Barbara. I am the owner of FloraDora Presents on
Etsy. After my children left the nest and I was retired, I started buying
patterns for myself on Ebay. I mainly sewed little girls’ dresses—smocked and
French Heirloom fancy frocks. My husband was baffled by my new hobby. I didn’t
know why I felt that I needed to buy them, I just did. I loved the vintage
adult dress patterns and the artfully rendered graphics. I opened my shop after
my pattern collection continually grew as my husband and I began to plan our
eventual downsize.
People often wonder about my shop’s name. I got the name from a Vaudeville group. The sextet of young attractive ladies from England called – Florodora Girls. They were wildly popular upon their arrival to New York. Rumor has it that they all married very well.
The Florodora Girls
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| My Mother's Wedding Picture |
My
love of all things vintage began when I was a small girl. My mother was a
Flapper and let me play with her bridal veil for hours especially during cold
Pennsylvania winter days when outdoor playtime was lacking. She would tie it up
to shorten it so it would not drag on the floor. I keep this photo on a baker’s rack in my
dining room. It always brings back wonderful memories of my childhood.
Some of Floradora's Patterns
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| 1. Vogue 8299, 2. Simplicity 3310, 3. McCall 1391
4. Advance Import 113, 5. McCall's 3187
6. Advance 8049, 7. Vogue Paris Original 2184, 8. Butterick 1330 |
My other childhood pastimes
during those cold Pennsylvania winters were coloring and paper dolls. When it
came to the paper dolls, I insisted that I only wanted the Hollywood Movie
Stars dolls in their beautiful dresses and gowns. I credit my early childhood
exposure to fashion as the major influence that contributed to my love of vintage
fashion. Today I still play with paper dolls with the help of Sewing Patterns
and Photoshop!
As a young woman, I graduated from George Peabody College
(subsequently absorbed by Vanderbilt University). I live in Brentwood Tennessee,
just south of Nashville. I worked for 45 years as a medical technologist (now
retired). My husband and I have two adult
sons both living in California. In
December 2013, we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary, which
means we are in the process of disencumbering our household in anticipation of
moving to a smaller residence and that is how I came to ETSY in April of 2012.
The time has come to scale down my pattern collection. I am thoroughly enjoying
my time selling on Etsy especially as a member of the Pattern Patter Team. I have enjoyed learning how to use Photoshop™
to bring the beautiful artwork back to life for others to enjoy. I love holding
a piece of history in my hands. Finding my collection new homes where they will
be appreciated and cared for brings me great joy.
Stop by and visit Barbara’s Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FloradoraPresents
Enter COUPON CODE bio2014 At
Checkout for 10% OFF.
