Ms. Waverlene "Petey" (Miller) Wingo is a Registered Tryon Doll Maker. Born in 1967 in Tryon, North Carolina, Ms. Wingo's nickname "Petey" began at an early age. "I'm named for the Little Rascals dog is what my mother said." Ms. WIngo has been sewing all her life.
"We grew up in the country in Mill Spring [in the African-American community of Stoney Knoll]. When we where little girls, our Grandmother made bedspreads. We watched her and learned and she would even let us do it, and my Auntie [Karen Twitty] she sewed too -- machine or hand, anything. And she made our church choir dresses too. My Grandmother use to cut out circles for bedspreads and we got the needle and we did and went all the way around it and pulled it to close it up. We'd get a whole bunch made up and she would connect it to the quilt. This was the first time I ever learned to sew. I was probably about ten."
WW 12/21/08
Grandmothers always seemed to know how to make much with little. I have nothing but admiration for Waverlene and her unique dolls! Very creative! The fight against poverty is contagious! What a wonderful role model you are! I'm sure there are little ones watching you. They will learn not to give up, but to perservere!
Posted by: Angela Logan | February 28, 2009 at 02:59 PM
You write very well.
Posted by: Kyra | April 23, 2009 at 10:53 PM