"Guten Tag!
My name is Ulla Seckler. I was born and raised in Germany and moved to the United States in 1996. I have been sewing and making things practically all my life.
Back in good old Germany children are instructed in needle works at a tender age. I still remember the old lady, named Frau Knebel, who came in with two gigantic knitting needles, the size of poles for pole vaulting (it seemed), and taught all the girls and BOYS how to knit in elementary school.
But sewing is in my blood. My great grandmother was the village seamstress and called in whenever somebody got married and needed custom-made, hand embroidered table and bed linens. She taught her daughters and my mother how to sew. Some of her work can be seen at a local museum. I watched my mother sew, crochet, and knit all my life. She did not have to make a living that way, but whenever she had a minute she was doing something. Her hands were never idle, and I grew up in a world where handmade sweaters, mittens, and scarves, appeared overnight. All it took was a snowfall. My dolls and I never lacked a new outfit and were dressed appropriately for the season . . .
After I had children of my own in the US I was worried that they would grow up without the same quality handmade items and toys that I had when I was little. So I started making dolls after my daughter was born. And once I started making the dolls, I began making clothes for them as well. "
It has been years since I wrote this. But I still make dolls and enjoy it so much. It gives me great pleasure when I receive pictures and wonderful notes from people who tell me how much their child loves a doll that I made for them.
Sometimes, when life gets a little rough, I like to look at them. It makes me pick up the needle and keep going...
