Category Archives: baby accessories

Baby Slip

Posted on August 11, 2012 | 14 comments

Swiss flannel Old Fashioned Baby slip with hand embroidery—yes, I embroidered this by hand!  Here at the cabin, this quilt was the only thing I could find to use as a background.

While we at here our cabin in North Carolina, I am enjoying some uninterrupted sewing time.  This is the first project I have finished (except for buttons and buttonholes) for Grandbaby Girl #2, due around Christmas.   December weather in Florida could be 28 or 90 degrees.   So for a start, I am planning several daygowns and at least one Swiss flannel slip for cool days.

This should have been a quick and easy project, but it has taken me several days.  Once again I am actively pursing the achievement of an acceptable feather stitch.  I think I just barely made the grade this time, but it took me FOREVER!!!!  First, I had to study all my embroidery books and then go to on-line tutorials and finally YouTube demonstrations. Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, uncategorized, White Wednesday

S O S ~It’s a Girl!!!!

Posted on August 3, 2012 | 20 comments

I need some of the lining fabric used on this bonnet.

Most of my last week was spent across the state with my pregnant daughter, Rebecca,  and 3 year old grandson, Alastair.  Son-in-law Harvey was among the 10,000!!!!!  bikers riding in the RAGBRAI 500 mile safari through Iowa.  On purpose.  In July.  With no pressure from family or friends.  And he loved it!  Go figure.

Meanwhile, in those hectic days, Rebecca had a sonogram which gave us the wonderful news–it’s a girl!  This little bundle of joy is due to arrive sometime around Christmas.

I am beside myself, whirling around here in high gear.  Laurel, our only other granddaughter, is 8 years old now, so my kind of smocking and little girl sewing is slowing down, being replaced (as per her request) by more contemporary, young lady projects.

But now a baby girl–oh my!!!!!  I’m pulling out all my Creative Needle  Baby Issues, Sew Beautiful  mags, baby daygown and accessory patterns and reveling in the options.  Precious handlooms, antique laces and unique Swiss embroideries are scattered around the sewing room in stacks for careful review.

There are two minor emergencies, though, with which I hope one of you readers might be able to help me. Continue reading →

20 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery

Daygown in Waiting

Posted on June 26, 2012 | 5 comments

pinkdaygownBrite

More than this daygown is in waiting.  My daughter and her husband are expecting their second child and I can hardly wait to find out the baby’s gender.  We will be delighted with a baby boy or girl, but I desperately want to know which it is!

When Rebecca was pregnant with her first, Alastair who is now 3, I sent her a package every Monday to help tick the weeks off.  Sometimes it was a complete outfit, like this daygown and bonnet, and other times it was just a bib.  But every week something was sent.

It’s a very long story about how Alastair was expected to be a girl, but that’s why there were so many pink and frilly gifts sent and which now lie in waiting.  So this  time, I am waiting for confirmation of gender before I begin any pink or blue projects.  That news may come as early as next week.

Meanwhile, we are tied up with our other two grandchildren, six year old Robert and 8 year old Laurel who are spending the week with us.  They are attending Vacation Bible School at our church and it will be a hectic week.

 

DSC05362-crop

 

So until I finish and can show you the cute little French dress (see Lulu in Paris designs) I’m working on, I hope this re-run of the Daygown in Waiting will serve to notify you that I am still alive and kicking and blogging.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Continue reading →

5 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, infant clothing, smocking

Zig Zag Bonnet

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

zbonnetzigzag4

 

In November, 1995, when this bonnet was featured in Creative Needle magazine, I was absolutely enchanted. Chery Williams’ reproduction of this 1920’s simple, unique and charming chapeau screamed “MAKE ME!! MAKE ME!” so loudly that it went to the top of my grandmother’s hope chest project list. But life got in the way and it was only recently that I was able to get to it.

Basically, the pattern consists of a single piece of batiste 15″ X 9″ with deep zig zags along the front and back. This measurement allows a little excess around the edges for hemstitching.

My Brother Duetta 4500D does beautiful hemstitching, even through the two layers of Swiss flannel and lawn.   This  bonnet shows off the pretty entredeux stitch, worked with a reduced width setting.

Embroidery, by hand or machine, is worked into the front points and then the entire perimeter is hemstitched, either commercially or with a machine made entredeux stitch. Lace edging is joined all around.

 

 

The embroidered points are folded back to serve as a brim and the back zig zags are hand stitched together. Ribbons are attached at the sides and, bam! You’ve got a dynamite baby bonnet. Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, machine embroidery

Baby Bunny Bubble

Posted on February 18, 2012 | 6 comments

It’s time to get started on Easter outfits for the grandchildren. In fact, I woulda/shoulda started before now but I am busy working up a design and embroidering tee shirts for Robert and Laurel’s Odyssey of the Mind competition next week.

I’m especially grateful for the 1000 stitches per minute that my Brother Duetta puts out.  The shirts are pretty ugly, but beautifully embroidered (film at 11, or after the competition).  There are other must-do’s but very soon I MUST at least have a plan.

For sewing mothers and grandmothers, there is no greater thrill than to see their little darlings decked out in their most elaborate and special garments, created with love in every stitch.

Those of us who have labored long and hard on these very special holiday garments often find that specific recollections of each Resurrection Sunday are tied more closely to the Easter outfits made that year than to the calendar year. Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, Freckled Laundry, girls, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, machine embroidery, techniques

Free ME Fil Tire’ Heart Design

Posted on January 28, 2012 | 124 comments

To receive the free machine embroidered heart design, state your request as a comment at the end of this post. The .pes design will be e-mailed to you.

fil tire’ hearts on Swiss flannel baby shawl

The previous post which showed Judy Day’s Valentine outfits for her granddaughters reminds me that this celebration of affection is just around the corner.

For Laurel, my 7 year-old granddaughter, I am smocking a pink bishop nightgown with a matching one for her AG doll.  But I have left a small section at the center front with no pleats.  Machine embroidered in this area is the fil tire’ heart.

 

I’ve used this design several times for Laurel, most recently on last year’s Easter dress.

My overly ambitious plan was to have these nighties finished by now, feature them in this post and offer the design free to readers.  I thought this might give you enough time to use it on some Valentine project.

This is just a very small token of my gratitude for those of you who read this blog, those who have made purchases to help me in my de-stashing efforts, and those who have offered your friendship.  I do so appreciate each one of you.

Well, neither gown is done but ….tick*tock*tick*tock…time passes by.  So I am re-running this  Pink Diamond Baby Pillow post and a photo above from the Heart Swag Baby Shawl post to show you what the heart looks like.  It also includes detailed instructions for stitching it out.

fil tire’ heart in winter colors, 1.56″ x 1.92″

So, Dear Readers, happy Valentine sewing to you.  Just leave a comment requesting the design and I will e-mail it to you in .pes format. Continue reading →

124 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, free patterns and designs, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, techniques

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Church Bazaar Projects

Posted on November 11, 2011 | 5 comments

church bazaar sign

 

I love church bazaars–never met one I didn’t like.  To see such a concentration of women’s creative efforts is inspiring.  From baked goods, knitting,  quilts, crochet and sewing to  plants and crafts, the variety is enormous.  The effort put forth for such good purposes is proof positive of the kindness and compassion of women.

Doing my little part for our church bazaar is always such a pleasure.  I like to drag out unused items and try to make them marketable.  Then it’s always fun to try something new.  This year I did both.

 

church bazaar potpourri

Christmas sachet

Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, church projects, Holiday Projects, infant clothing, machine embroidery

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Vintage Baby Laundry Bag

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 5 comments

baby-laundry

 

Antique baby things always enchant me.  I hope you are not bored with them because I have several I’d like to share with you.

This little white laundry bag is one of my favorites.  It makes me wonder how a young mother, with all the responsibilities of raising children and running a house, could find the time to make this sweet sack for soiled baby clothes.  Of course, there is the possibility that a resident grandmother or other relative could have made this elegant little accessory for the family’s newest member. At any rate, it is charming.

This is truly a modern project for old fashioned Nanas.  A sturdy, 15″ x 18″ drawstring bag is a useful item appreciated by young mothers.  My daughter kept one folded in the diaper bag for the soiled clothing inevitably generated on outings with baby Alastair.

My friend Suzanne Sawko used this vintage bag for inspiration when she designed and stitched these for an article in Creative Needle magazine.

 

article

 

Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, baby accessories, bags, hand embroidery, White Wednesday

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Wool Butterfly Sacque

Posted on October 23, 2011 | 2 comments

antique baby butterfly sacque–hand embroidered

Winter is just around the corner and it is expected to be a cold one.  Wool is classic fabric for brrrrrrr season. For sewing, smocking, and hemstitching,  it is divine.   For jackets, skirts, blouses, shawls,  baby blankets or any winter wear, quality wool is just luscious.  The possibilities are endless.

When I first learned smocking and heirloom sewing, more than 30 years ago, hemstitched, lace edged,  woolen baby blankets were very popular.  That was when I learned about hemstitching and attaching tatting or lace to it, and decided to learn embroidery.  So long ago, so much joy and beauty to behold since then….. Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, hand embroidery, infant clothing

Free ME Baby Design

Posted on October 10, 2011 | 77 comments

UPDATE: I’ve just edited the design to fit the 4×4 hoop. Please indicate in your request if  you would like 4×4,  5×7 or  both.

Baby Pillow

 

It’s been so hectic here these last few days that I haven’t had a minute to write up a post.  We had two of our grandchildren, Robert, 6, and Laurel, 7, for two days of homeschool, county fair projects.

The culmination of those two days was a family gathering for Saturday’s football game.  We enjoyed every minute of our time together, except for the Gator loss to LSU.  Just into the second quarter of the game fiasco,  my DIL received this text message from a friend, “I don’t know what is more painful, watching this game or having my wisdom teeth extracted without Novocaine.”

Usually, Louisiana gal pal Linda McGehee calls during the game to congratulate or gloat, offer predictions and give  Jack’s read on the game.  This time, she was sensitive enough to just send a consolation e-mail, though her “Geaux Tigers” message title was less than sympathetic.   But today we have moved on and I’m ready to blog about sewing.

I  love stitching baby things, just like everyone.  The idea of a precious new life, a sweet new member of the family, often inspires us to get out needle and thread.  Whether we pick up a handsewing or machine needle, the urge to create something special for an innocent babe drives us to sew.

 

design scan

design scan

Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, free patterns and designs, hand embroidery, linen blanks, machine embroidery

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