Joyce Miko AADA

Here is an updated picture of my very very good artist friend Joyce Miko. She was also in attendance at John and Cile`s house for lunch. She and her sister founded AADA Academy of American Doll Artist. Sadly her sister has passed away. I know many of her fellow doll artist have asked me how Joyce is doing. She looks great , her health is great and she has asked my to say hello to all that know and love her.
Joyce and her sister were responsible for the next phase in my dollmaking journey. The OOAK (the one of a kind phase.) We had over the years many WOW(week of workshops). We gathered the best of the best teachers and students together and traveled to foreign lands. France , Italy and more. Oh what an exciting time in my life.
It was sad indeed when Joyce had to phase out AADA. But as we all know nothing stays the same. We can only savior the memories.
Joyce has moved out of the big Victorian house and into a small comfortable home in Goffstown NH . She is realizing her passion for quilts. She sells on ebay under the name of Quilt Divas. If you have any messages for our friend Joyce leave them on my comment page and I will see she gets them.
One last thing about the Burbridge Lunch post. I didn`t get the pictures in the order I wanted. I hope you will bear with me as I learn more about blogging.

Me and John Burbridge

The lady in the white dress. This is one of six new Ladies that John has created. She has no hair yet because i need to style the wig for all of them. My but he has been busy since the last time i saw him. I found it interesting that he has left room in the hat for her hair to be styled correctly.
This gold material is very interesting. Let me back up a bit here. All 55 ladies now reside at Ventfort Hall in the Berkshires in Ma.

Sarah Morgan sister of J.P. Morgan built this Mansion which is now a museum dedicated to the Gilded Age. Perfect place for the ladies to live. Sarah had bought this material to have a dress made for herself. She died before it was made. Sarah`s great great and maybe another great could be added here ,granddaughter asked John to create a dress for one of the ladies.
This picture of the dress John created with the gold material is not the best picture. I am in John`s studio and she along with a few other new ladies were on shelfs and the lighting was not the best. But believe me this dress is breathtaking as all of his works are.
The simplicity of this walking suit is elegant . Again she needs her hair done. I must get to their wigs very soon.
Oh I wish you all could see how lovely this ladies are . My pictures do not do them justice. If you ever want to give yourself a real treat buy John`s book .Les Petites Dames de Mode by John Burbridge isbn 1-9322485-06-6

After a wonderful lunch served in John`s perfectly manicured gardens we settled down to admire the antique clothes that Dawn brought for show and tell. In this picture John is showing us that while wearing this coat a women because of the way the coat is constructed ,was not able to raise her arms above her elbows height. Since all she had to do was to be able to pour tea. LOL
Dawn and John admire the inside of the Lace Tea Coat. Notice the pile of other antique clothes in front of John.
Cile models this wonderful antique Lace Tea Coat.
This car duster coat is in amazing condition . John thinks it dates around the late 1800`s
The inside of this mint antique car duster coat.

He uses this lager pleater but There were no examples handy to show you the results.
John shows Dawn my daughter how to use this kind of pleater
This picture shows the finished result of one of the pleaters that john uses.

John Burbridge

This pleater is interesting ,but difficult to see in the picture.
John is showing Dawn my daughter how he uses one of his pleaters.



I recently had lunch at John Burbridge`s house. His wife Cile, a world famous wedding cake artist, prepared a lovely lunch for us.It was served in their well manicured garden patio area. Dawn my daughter and long time friend Joyce Miko were in attendance.
After lunch we went to John`s well organized studio. there John shared some of the tools he works with.I was fascinated with the iron he uses. It was quite heavy and has a tank that set on the floor. A hose led from the tank to the iron to produce steam.

Kinkie The Lion King

Today just for a giggle I thought I would humiliate my cat Kinkie. What do you think he is thinking?