Scents and fabrics and stuff

What seems like a hundred years ago, although it was really more like 10, I actually taught some basic aromatherapy classes using essential oils. In the colurse of my study I found some wonderful resources and will highly recommend Jeanne Rose for a few good 'cook' books and creation assistance. At one time I was making scented oils, body lotions and balms. I never got into the sprays, but I believe there are other forms of alcohol bases recommended over vodka.
Essential oils are just that .. all natural distillations from various matter. And thye don't always smell like the plant they are distilled from (And there are many ways to gather that oil as well) A good perfume oil is already based in alcohol and may be an artificial scent created to smell like say .. heliotrope.
An example is honeysuckle .. the plant does NOT distill down to what the flower smells like on the plant. I confess I forget what three essential oils combine to create a honeysuckle scent, but I know it can be done. Lilac is another that needs recreating.

Anyway .. I use a cold-pressed safflower oil to mix my essential oils, cheaper then sweet almond and just as effective. Any oil-based mix will have a relatively short shelf life, however.

I'll bring a few books with me next week.

As to sewing and fabrics I love my middle-of-the-road Janome and am not completely convinced a higher end would do more for me other then up my 'how cool is this stitch" factor.

For fabrics, check out these links:

http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/

http://www.fabricclub.com/

http://www.dollarfabric.com/

Those are just a few I browse through. I also buy fabrics from Ebay. And I have only once been disappointed!

Of course, that said shopping in NYC for fabrics is always a fun trip!

Hope this helped!

Oh, the dolls are made of resin and are fully flexible at each of the usual joints and I sometimes sew for them but not usually.