By Ariel Worthy
The Birmingham Times
Cassandra Hicks loves working with her hands. In fact, every weekend she does yard work.
And she’s also founder of C & C Kreations, where she makes doll clothes and doll furniture.
Hicks began making doll clothes when she was around 9 years old. It was always a way to bond with her mother, Carolyn Nelson, who is the other C in the company’s name. The doll clothes, doll furniture and hairbows, which are on display at Lee Branch Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.
“I’ve been making clothes for a while, but I just got into the crafting game for the past few years,” Hicks said. “[My mom and I] did it a lot for the Barbie dolls . . . we did a few shows here and there, but we stopped when I got in high school and got involved with other activities.”
Hicks, who lives in North Birmingham, returned to her hobby a few years ago to keep herself busy.
“It was also a way to have some mother-daughter time,” she said. “My mom used to take care of my grandma before she died, and I wanted to get her out of the house more.”
Hicks learned at a young age how to sew from her mother and grandmother.
“As soon as you were old enough she was going to have you cooking and sewing,” Hicks said.
Cassandra said she wanted her mother involved.
“She helps me with setting up, if I need help with a particular way to do something . . . she is enhancing my skills,” Hicks said. “She’ll show me how to do a certain stitch if I can’t figure it out . . . to me it’s a team effort but she calls herself my assistant.”
Hicks said she enjoys spending time with her mother “because we get to bounce ideas off each other,” she said. “It’s a quality time thing … I’ve only got one mother.”
Hicks, 46, said dolls are not just for little girls and her customers come in all ages.
“I’ve had adults who … might have had them when they were younger, some may be holding on to them for heirlooms for their granddaughter or niece. I’ve had older women tell me they’ve had their dolls from when they were younger and they were going to pass them down, or already have. It’s like a generational thing. There are generations handing them down.”
While she does not consider herself a collector, Hicks said she does have a few of her own.
“I definitely keep [the dolls] in good health,” she said. “Some of the dolls I have were from when I was little.”
Her dolls are diverse, Hicks said.
“Instead of just African American dolls I try and have white and Asian, so not focused towards one particular race or ethnicity. I like to have a variation of dolls because I have little girls of all races come up to me,” she said.
