About Me




Hi, I'm Esther.

I'm a vintage-loving housewife with a passion for home skills.  I love to sew, especially when recreating garments from days of old.  You can pretty nearly always find me at home, tending to the duties of the day and taking care of my precious family (daddy, mommy, and 2 little blessings).  ❤

In 2020, I went from being a "Miss" to a "Mrs.", the greatest blessing of my life next to salvation.  Since then, my dear husband and I have been remodeling a c. 1900 house and are having so much fun making it our very own beautiful home.  We're updating and renovating everything while doing our best to preserve the charm and character of it all.  Once we have it completed, I will most definitely share some photos in a post!

I love to sew, cook, bake, garden, walk/hike/enjoy the outdoors, play the piano, knit, crochet, and one or two other hobbies as well.... ;)

 Most importantly, I would like to share with you my love for Christ.  I am a sinner saved by grace, and without Him, I can do nothing!

I have an Etsy shop, Northern Shore Vintage, where I sell handmade quilt coats, crafted from antique quilts, as well as other vintage clothing and antique home decor.  Do stop by and take a look around!  Blog readers can save 10% on their purchase by using code DOLLYCREATES at checkout.

Feel free to leave a comment - I'd love to hear from you!
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17 comments:

  1. Teresa @CraftyWifeAugust 29, 2013 at 11:30 AM

    Hi Dolly,

    I've been a follower of your blog for a while now and I love it! I also really love your cheery blog design. I just wanted to let you know that I nominated you for a Liebster Award!

    http://www.craftywife.com/won-blogger-award/08/2013

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  2. AnonymousAugust 29, 2013 at 11:34 AM

    Thank you so, SO much! I'm so honored! I'm following your blog now too. Thank you!!!

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  3. AnonymousDecember 3, 2014 at 9:12 PM

    Hello! I'm a new reader...just link-following from other vintage fashion blogs -- Just wanted to let you know that I love your style and I'm inspired by your creations! I also have a love for mansions and exploring vintage spaces. :)

    When I finish college in May I'm hoping to leap into vintage sewing, as my mom has an entire sewing studio ready and waiting for me to learn. Thanks for the inspiration! *follows excitedly*

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    1. EstherDecember 4, 2014 at 10:42 AM

      Hi Kira Anastasia! I am so glad you're following! That will be a lot of fun for you to get into vintage sewing. It seems like a daunting task at first, but you'll love it once you're started.
      Good luck and thanks for the lovely comments!! :)

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  4. Sarah A.January 16, 2015 at 12:44 AM

    Hello Esther! I found your blog late last year and have had a great deal of fun reading many of your posts in the past few weeks. I, too, love sewing, and historic fashions, along with quilting and making darling clothes for little girls. (I have an Etsy shop, Prairie Rose Sewing, where I sell some of my creations.) Your dresses are so pretty and very nicely fitted and made. You must have learned a lot in the past year! What a great journey you are on. I appreciate all of your longer, fuller skirts...they are my favorite to both wear and see on others. So feminine and easy to all around live in! ;) I noticed your writings about Duluth and Glensheen Mansion...the former is my all-time favorite city and the latter was great fun to tour years ago. I'd love the chance to visit it again. Looking forward to following your writings here!

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    1. EstherJanuary 28, 2015 at 10:43 PM

      Thank you so much, Sarah A.!! I'm so glad to have you along for the ride. ;)

      Delete
  5. AnonymousMarch 29, 2015 at 8:28 PM

    Your dresses and fabrics motivate me to get sewing again. I am going to combine a gray pinstripe with a floral and make a jumper with piping and 2 low knife pleats in the skirt. I am going to study some of your looks a little more first. :) Eph 2:8-9

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    1. EstherFebruary 1, 2016 at 12:51 PM

      rcpjyn, I apologize for taking so long to respond! Thank you so much for your compliments!! Your jumper sounds lovely! I hope it goes well for you! :)

      Delete
  6. Rebecca YoungApril 11, 2015 at 4:40 AM

    Esther

    I have just found your blog and find it very inspirational. I am have recently been getting into the vintage scene but am not yet skilled enough to attempt making many of your creations.

    One quick question, I have not seen you in pants/trousers. I am a fairly new convert to pants/trousers wearing as I used to be a skirts/dresses only person. Do you wear pants?

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    1. EstherFebruary 1, 2016 at 12:53 PM

      Hi Rebecca! I apologize for not responding to your comment sooner; it somehow escaped my notice when I was replying to them! So sorry! Thank you for all your compliments!

      I do not wear pants, due to my beliefs.
      Thanks for commenting!

      Delete
  7. modest ChristianApril 30, 2015 at 3:08 PM

    I love antique patterns too. My favorite are the 1910s and 1930 and 1940 and 1950 patterns. It is wonderful to run into another lady who loves the same fashions I do. Have you tried any regency era patterns. Does one really have to have regency underpinnings or could I remake the bodice to fit with modern underpinnings?

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    1. EstherFebruary 1, 2016 at 12:55 PM

      Hi Modest Christian,

      I apologize for not responding sooner!! I have made a couple of Regency Era dresses; http://dollycreates.blogspot.com/search/label/regency - you can see them via that link. My first dress (the one with the light yellow flowers), I wear modern undergarments with. The other one (the blue and cream calico) I wear with a corset.
      Thanks for asking, and I hope you have fun sewing! :)

      Delete
  8. JuliannaNovember 21, 2016 at 3:16 PM

    Hi Esther,

    I love your blog! So nice to see a modest/vintage loving feminine young lady. Curious as to how old you are....

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  9. ElizabethJanuary 31, 2017 at 11:39 PM

    Hello Esther. I just wanted to drop by and give you a heads up that I featured your blog on my blog in this post and nominated you for a Blogger Recognition Award:

    https://myvintageexperiment.wordpress.com/2017/01/31/blogger-recognition-award-giving-back/

    If you choose to accept this award, there are instructions in my post how to do so, but no pressure to participate! I chose you because I wanted to share with my readers some of the blogs that I enjoy reading, and I enjoy reading your blog, especially the wonderful creations both you and your mom whip up!

    Elizabeth

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  10. RachelJanuary 11, 2018 at 6:46 PM

    hello ! i just found your blog and i love your sewing. i love vintage sewing too. i have a question tho, i saw that you made a beautiful butterick 5846 dress and i was wondering what type of fabric you used? i am will be making that dress for someone and i really dont know what type of fabric to use! i was wondering if cotton would work? what did you use when you made your Green 1940s Shirt Dress?
    thanks so much!! ( http://dollycreates.blogspot.com/2015/02/green-1940s-shirtdress.html)
    Rachel

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    1. EstherJanuary 15, 2018 at 1:46 PM

      Hi Rachel! Thank you for your comment! For the green shirtdress, I used a quilting cotton print. Most of my dresses are made of cotton, actually! :)
      Have fun sewing, and I would love to see pictures of your finished dress!
      ~Esther

      Delete
  11. RachelJanuary 15, 2018 at 5:33 PM

    thank you so mcuh! That is really good to know!
    Happy sewing to you too!
    Rachel

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Your comments always make my day!! I will reply here on the blog, so be sure to check the "Notify Me" box or check back soon! Thank you :)

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