Here’s a little about who we are and how we started…
At Liberty Jane Clothing we are passionate about designing. We are blessed with an amazing team of gifted and talented people! We focus on an intense level of detail, create custom patterned outfits, use top quality fabrics, and give you the chance to own something rare and beautiful.
About Cinnamon: Cinnamon Miles is the co-founder, and the lead designer at our company. She has also served as an official brand ambassador for the Bernina Company, the world’s premiere maker of sewing machines. She is a bestselling author and has been published with DK Publishing. You can see her complete list of books on her Amazon author page.
Here is her story in her own words… I started sewing doll clothes when I was 8 for my 17 inch Kimberly doll. I loved making those outfits!
My mom taught me to sew and it was my passion immediately. My mom realized I was pretty obsessed when I accidentally sewed into my finger while making an outfit and the needle broke off – so she had to take me to the hospital to get X-Rays. The next day I told her I had to keep working on my project and needed her help replacing the needle. She just smiled. She worked for a Fashion Designer/label in L.A. before I was born, (called Switched On Ltd. in Santa Monica), so she was a pretty amazing sewing teacher. My grandma had a friend who worked for Bob Mackie (my original inspiration) in his design studio. She would give me scraps of fancy material that I would use to make dresses for my doll. I still have Kimberly and those original Bob Mackie fabric outfits! They weren’t exactly perfect, but they were pretty good for an 8 year old.
Q: How did you start Liberty Jane Clothing? Answer: I took a long break from designing, then when my girls started to get into American Girl Dolls, I found my daughters wanting unique outfits and I wasn’t impressed with the options. And when we looked beyond the AG catalog, we found things made with very low quality, or designed very poorly, or both. I decided to make my own patterns and outfits similar to things they see on TV and in magazines. Contemporary, fun, couture. Everyone was shocked by how well they came out. Jason and I decided maybe there was a business opportunity here, and so with a lot of prayer and planning, we started to put together the pieces of a small business. It’s been a bit overwhelming, but still fun.
We are not concerned about high volume or manufacturing in China, we’re focused on an intense level of detail, high quality fabrics, and designs that are bold and trendy. My goal is to translate contemporary fashion hits into the 18 inch doll market for collectors and young girls who are excited by today’s fashions. I try to have a celebrity inspiration each year, and also create a spring and fall line of original designs.
We believe Liberty Jane (as a brand) stands for something. We have been blown away by the excitement for it, and the support. I’ll never forget listing our first outfit on Ebay and getting an email inquiry in the first few minutes. We just had no idea there would be this much interest. We’re excited to see how that energy translates into new and bigger projects.
We decided to use my youngest daughters first and middle name for the “Brand” – Liberty Jane. It sounded like it could be a clothing brand, so we went with it. We think it works. As you can tell by the Statue Of Liberty styled crown ‘i’ in our logo, we are trying to convey a sense of Americana. Our clothes are American Made, which is actually pretty rare, for doll clothes, and shoppers are smart enough to know that of course. Obviously we are operating in support of the amazing American Girl ecosystem, so in our minds, an homage to America, (and the Statue Of Liberty), seems like a great brand attribute.
About Our Patterns And Pixie Faire: In the fall of 2009 we decided to begin making our patterns available. Our reasoning was fairly simple. Although we are honored and thrilled at the high prices our outfits go for at auction, we realize there are a lot of people who won’t ever pay $300 to $500 for a doll outfit, but they would gladly buy a pattern and try to make something themselves. We see Liberty Jane Patterns as a substantial part of our work. Our patterns are easy to follow, in the form of Guidebooks, with color pictures, and step-by-step instructions. They are offered as digital downloads, for just $3.99, so you can start your project immediately. In 2013 we launched Pixie Faire as a market place for Indie Doll Clothes Designers. We are honored to serve over 70 of them and have had over 1.2 million patterns downloaded since we started.
About our Auctions: We hold our auctions on our Ebay store, and generally list things for 7 day – starting and ending on Sunday evening. Sometimes we list things on Thursday for a 10 day auction, so they end on Sunday evening.
About Sew Powerful & The Sew Powerful Purse Program: In 2010 we started “Liberty Jane Gives Back” and over time that turned into a full blown 501C3 charity focused on empowering women in Zambia. In 2014 we launched the Sew Powerful Purse program and we are honored to have assembled thousands of passionate seamstresses around the world in support of this important cause.
Use Of Our Patterns: If you’re a seamstress, and would like to sew outfits using our patterns, you can email support@pixiefaire.com and receive a copy of our terms and conditions.
It’s a privilege to have you visit Liberty Jane Clothing and we hope you enjoy the outfits you purchase. The Liberty Jane Clothing Team!