Jess Brown's Small Dolls Living Large

The February edition of "Martha Stewart Living" magazine features a lovely two-page spread on Jess Brown, designer, doll maker and owner of on Western.

Brown first began sewing dolls for her children, Stella and Tiger. With a love of vintage textiles, she created tea-dyed muslin soft dolls that have charmed doll lovers around the globe.

Not only are the one-of-a-kind dolls dressed in antique yardage dresses now available at fancy shops scattered around the globe, their international following includes design icon Bottega Veneta, which recently commissioned human-size mannequins for five of their boutiques.

It would be fun to talk to Jess about such good fortune and recognition of her talent – but, alas, she is in Paris, doing what people do in Paris, being creative and planning new design adventures.

All of which reminds me that in Petaluma it’s easy to feel that rubbing elbows with incredibly talented and fun people is just normal.

wouldn’t be the same without jazz legend table-hopping and squeezing shoulders. A trip to the seems completely ho-hum even when famed photographers flim-strip van is parked in the lot.

And now, here’s another bona-fide media creative design sensation running her little shop, Maude Rare Finds in the bottom of the on Western.  In Petaluma, where you can very likely buy a drink after the show for anyone on the marquee at the , it’s just another reason to love our town made better by so many talented neighbors.

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