About Me

Hi there, welcome to my weblog. I'm Hillary Lang and I live in Chicagoland with my 3 year old son Oscar, newborn Phoebe and husband Tim. I love to design and create dolls and toys, quilts and 'etc'. I started this weblog about 3 years ago now as a way to stay motivated and connect with the amazing online crafting community I stumbled upon. I've since started selling handmade toys and original patterns, and have contributed to craft books and magazines (press list coming soon). It's all very exciting and constantly evolving, which is why the 'about me' page is so difficult for me to write and maintain. I've started a FAQ below, please feel free to email me any questions or just to say hi, hillarylang at gmail.com or send me mail at

Hillary Lang
Wee Wonderfuls
P.O. Box 1136
Wheaton, IL 60187

ok, here's some frequently asked's.

Can I special order a doll/quilt/toy/etc?
Right now I'm not doing commissions or special orders.

What's this swapping all about? How do I get in?
A great summary on swapping on whip up by Laural, here.

How do I order Japanese craft books?
here are some helpful links:
etsy
http://www.yvestown.com/2006/06/amazoncojp-tut.html
http://www.craftlog.org/craftlog/archives/001661.html
http://www.craftlog.org/craftingjapanese/online.html
http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/wee_wonderfuls/2005/04/all_my_japanese.html
http://www.kitty-craft.com/

Where do I buy...?
fabric...
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/fabric
http://equilter.com/
http://www.fatquartershop.com
http://reprodepot.com/
http://sewzannesfabrics.com/
http://hancocks-paducah.com/
http://www.reproductionfabrics.com/
http://www.virginiaquilter.com/

japanese fabric...
etsy sellers, sonatine, matatabi, chocolate swirl
purl soho
http://kitty-craft.com/

for wool felt...
at joann's or online, here's some at a child's dream come true

flannel..
at fabric stores or quilt shops, here's some at equilter

wool...
quilt shops, here's some at equilter

Where do I get the patterns I use?
Most are original designs I've created and some are from books or sewing patterns. I've made quite a few things from Japanese craft books like this patchwork bag, the scottie dog and this puppy purse. I've listed over here all of my Japanese craft books and given some info on how to find and purchase them. I've used patterns from other sources like this elephant which was a pattern in a 70s craft book (Splendid Soft Toys) I got from the library or the bunnies which were from a vintage McCalls pattern (Forest Family, #5369). The rest of my projects are from patterns I design and draw up myself, like the kitty dolls, the robots, Betsy and Daisy, the bunny doll, pointy kitty, these guys, Oscar's bunny, the quilted bag, etc. I always say in my posts whether the pattern I use is one I created or from somewhere else. For the patterns that are not mine I'm sorry but I can't send out copies because they are copyrighted and I can't distribute them like that. Sorry to be so uptight -- it's the librarian in me -- but also I do feel that artists, crafters and designers deserve credit and compensation for their work.

Are your patterns for sale?
Patterns are for sale in the shop and the make-a-long patterns are available here. Free patterns are also available here in the downloads section.

What about dolls and toys for sale?
Items up for sale will be in the shop. You can sign up for the mailing list if you'd like to be notified when new items are added.

Creative Commons License:
So the deal is, anything I create is copyrighted by default. I feel the standard copyright laws are too rigid so I'm putting my site under a Creative Commons license. This means that others can modify, improve, recreate, etc. entire designs or elements of my designs to their heart's content for personal use but not for commercial use. You can read more about the details, restrictions and requirements here. I think the Creative Commons licenses are a really great way to create a community of sharing and building on each others ideas without robbing people of their original work.

Creative Commons License

Where to start if you want to design your own patterns
I started at the library. I'd never made a stuffed animal or doll before last summer when I checked out some vintage craft books from the library. I just started following patterns and then after making a few was able to start altering them and then drawing them up on my own. Get yourself a pile of muslin and just jump in!

Where do you find the time?!
When Oscar's at school... when I can distract him buttons in the craft room... at night after he goes to bed ...and then whenever else I can steal a few minutes...while Tim feeds him dinner, in the car, out at Grandma and Grandpa's while he's being entertained. The real key for me to getting stuff done is being set up for it. I have an excellent craft room in this apartment with my sewing machine set out all the time, the ironing board always up, and a big craft table that my dad made me. My fabric is stored on shelves so I can see it all. This really helps me jump from project to project. I've never had this much room before and it makes such a difference. I'm not living out of my knitting bag anymore!

Sewing lessons or self taught? How long have I been sewing? Any recommendations of books or of a good sewing machine.
Unfortunately I'm pretty useless in this aspect. I learned how to use a sewing machine in Home Ec in 7th grade. Since then I've just been teaching myself, following the instructions in patterns and then now making my own patterns. Lots of trial and error! The only class I've taken is the basic quiltmaking class I just took. As far as sewing machines go.. I'm using a hand-me-down Bernina from my Grandma. It works really well most of the time. Everyone in my quilting class was very fond of Berninas. Other than that, I'm pretty clueless. And I don't really have any one craft or sewing book that I use. Most of the time I just fake my way though and hope for the best!