I?m Ellen Lumpkin Brown and I am totally passionate about sewing! I?ve been sewing since I was a young girl. My mother and grandmother taught me and I learned more in junior high school. Sewing made me feel powerful then and it still does now - I love having the ability to make what I want myself. I am a self-taught doll maker and pattern designer. Once I started sewing dolls, I felt as though they had always been in my hands waiting ... Read Full Bio »

I?m Ellen Lumpkin Brown and I am totally passionate about sewing! I?ve been sewing since I was a young girl. My mother and grandmother taught me and I learned more in junior high school. Sewing made me feel powerful then and it still does now - I love having the ability to make what I want myself. I am a self-taught doll maker and pattern designer. Once I started sewing dolls, I felt as though they had always been in my hands waiting patiently to come out! I sewed dolls on a make-to-order basis using pure wool felt because it has a beautiful warmth and depth that is perfect for dolls! Then I started to make cute, contemporary clothes for the dolls too. The girls in my neighborhood would come up to my sewing room to help me design the clothes. I found that the clothes could fit many different dolls and that is how these patterns came to be! I'm now branching into accessories too! I authored a book called Doll Fashionistas, a step-by-step guide to sewing stylish dolls and a fashionable wardrobe to match. I am the owner of The Doll Loft, www.TheDollLoft.com, the place for dolls and clothes to sew. The Doll Loft is an independent, family-owned business based in South Orange, New Jersey where I live with my husband and three sons.