custom orders ready for delivery—monograms and “Homeschool Rocks”
After learning about economics and business in her homeschool curriculum, my 8 year-old granddaughter Laurel has gone into business for herself.
There was considerable discussion with her mother and me about the commitment and responsibilities this would entail, but she was undaunted.  She designed, printed and distributed a flyer at her Girl Scout meeting and then at a homeschool function. Continue reading
Posted in bags, Kids Sew, machine embroidery
You can’t tell from the photo, but the fabric shows a variety of Girl Scout badges. I was tickled pink (ha!) to find this fabric on-line.
These FIRST AID bags were made for my 8 yo granddaughter Laurel. Next week, she will do a presentation to her Girl Scout troop as part of the first aid badge the girls are working on. At that time, she will hand out the bags and the girls will stock them with supplies.
UPDATE: Girl Scouts with bags:
You can’t tell from the photo, but the pink fabric is printed with images of Girl Scout badges. I had only 1/2 yd. which should have been enough. But there was a wide, brown border with text and numbers to be sewn on for troop identification. That didn’t leave enough badge print to make 6 suitably sized totes. So the pink fabric was serged on the short sides and then centered and zig zagged onto a piece of a homespun sort of muslin.
After I got that done, I realized that the muslin created a plain strip on either side of the zipper, suitable for text.The border hoop for my Brother Quattro made this quick and easy, by hooping just stabilizer, basting the fabric to the stabilizer with the baste feature, embroidering the text, then moving the stabilizer in the hoop for the next bag.
The design is too large for the 4 x 4 hoop, yet by using the 5 x 7 there would have been so much waste of stabilizer–not to mention the time involved in hooping 6 times.The border hoop was a wonderful time saver. Continue reading
Isn’t this a dandy little tea bag case! My friend Suzanne Sawko just made a dozen of these as favors for a tea her daughter is hosting.
Though she made twelve, each was personalized with a monogram, making the gift especially nice.
Many years ago, Mildred Turner and I traveled together a good bit. We both enjoyed a nice cup of Bigelow Earl Grey tea, but few of the airport or hotel restaurants we frequented carried it. I found two small, inexpensive crazy patch ultrasuede zipper pouches that we used to carry our own supply. We used those until they fell apart. This is so much nicer–I should make one for Mildred. Continue reading
Posted in bags, machine embroidery
This image has been darkened to show details of the white-on-white embroidery.
The opportunity to post a White Wednesday blog along with others at Faded Charm motivated me to plunder through my handkerchief collection again. As I said in an earlier post, there are few genres of needlework that include so many wonderful techniques as handkerchiefs.
In a relatively small area, spectacular stitching is often combined with extraordinary edgings. These beauties are tiny treasures.
Note the unusual shaping of the linen and the delicate handmade edge. Continue reading
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.
How cute is this? Jo made this back pack for her kindergartner and he loves it. But what little guy wouldn’t!
Jo says, “The pattern is from the book, Little Things to Sew, by Oliver + S. The pattern is written very well and it wasn’t hard to sew. I did have to order the zipper and the strap adjuster online because I couldn’t find them anywhere locally. Â
The grey fabric is I’m-not-sure-something-bottom-weight-possibly-in-the-wool-family. The yellow and light blue are both from fat quarters. I just about danced out of the store when I found the penguin fabric! Continue reading
This sweet new mother gift set was photographed and sent to me by one of my friends in Puerto Rico, Haydee. Several previous posts on this blog have shown her work or ideas.  As I have explained before, the language barrier prevents me from scoping out the details of these projects. Continue reading
Posted in baby accessories, bags, button machine, machine embroidery
When Laurel and Robert arrived for a two day visit, my little granddaughter was wearing the ladybug dress I made recently. While she was here, we made a matching “purse.”
This is a nice little sewing project for a child, as the purse foundation can be a ready made handkerchief requiring just 4 lines of straight stitch to be finished.  Or it can be more elaborate, like a square with lace edging or bias binding and machine embroidery. Note: I attached the bias binding but Laurel did the remainder of the sewing.
Regardless of your choice, you begin with a finished square. Large squares make large purses, smaller squares make smaller purses. Nothing tricky here. Continue reading
Posted in bags, Kids Sew, machine embroidery, Tutorials
Tagged handkerchief purse, hanky purse, kid sewing, lady bug purse
This is a continuation of the previous post about the exquisite First Communion dress Judy Day made for her granddaughter Courtney. Details of the dress, slip and veil were included there while this post focuses on the extensive accessories–Bible cover, garment bag, hanger and purse–that make the ensemble all the more special. In Judy’s words:
My parents, Courtney’s paternal  great grandparents, gave her the First Communion Bible. It was smocked and beaded by my mother, Wanda Stewart, in the same diamond pattern as the dress. The beaded cross on the Bible was formed by sewing the pearl glass beads  in place  after the smocking was completed. The instructions for the Bible cover can be found in the April, 2007 issue of Creative Needle  magazine. Continue reading
Note the ever popular Happy Birthday tablecloth. Several years ago I made 3 or 4 of these. They have been through more parties than Thomas has been through tunnels.
The birthday boy chugs a cold one as he admires his birthday balloons.
Alastair’s Two-toot birthday party was a big hit with the children and as well as the adults.  The cupcake train delighted everyone and was so easy to make. Typical of Florida spring, the sun shone brightly and a gulf coast breeze kept everyone comfortable.
My daughter Rebecca and I made the cupcakes and built the train cars the night before the party. A Thomas train engine  pulled flatbed cars loaded with cupcakes.
The train cars were  built with a stack of two graham crackers with buttercream frosting holding them firmly together. 
Other graham crackers were broken into “sticks” and stacked three high for the axels, with mini Oreo wheels. Gum drops served as hitches between the cars.
We all enjoyed watching 2 1/2 year old Ethan surreptitiously pull an Oreo wheel from the train and pop it into his mouth. His mother scolded, but Rebecca assured her that the flatbed cars were there for the children to enjoy, just like the cupcakes and their teepee train bags. Continue reading
Posted in bags, boys, clothing, hairbows, home dec, machine embroidery, Nana fun, party accessories and ideas
