Category Archives: brother-sister

Latin Shirts

 

Translation: I am fine. How are you?

Though sometimes called a dead language, Latin is very much alive in our homeschool classroom. Five year old Robert and 6 year old Laurel are literally singing their way through Song School Latin, a simple,  entertaining, age-appropriate curriculum, and loving every minute of it. In fact, it is Robert’s favorite subject and very close to the top of Laurel’s list.

Robert's shirt. Translation: Hello. What is your name?

Some people have commented that Latin is too difficult for children.  But it is a foreign language, much like Spanish which is taught routinely in Florida schools.  Roman children mastered Latin.  Why shouldn’t my grandchildren?

Recently, the children had to make a presentation at the weekly gathering of homeschoolers which they attend. They chose to report on their study of Latin. Of course, I wanted them to have something wear other than a toga so I made these shirts for that event.

The children wore their show-and-tell clothing proudly.  The Latin shirts were a big hit with the other students, most of whom were older.

The text for the shirt designs was created in PE-Design using the Gothic looking font #9. At Embroidery Library, one of my favorite sites, I found a design of the coliseum.

Making a volcano.

It included a tourist riding a bike which I deleted in order to make room for the text. The stepping stones had to be rearranged in BuzzEdit2 www.buzztools.com for the same reason.

I know, I know—I have gone on ad nauseum (see? You probably know Latin already!) about my love affair with machine embroidery, most especially about the ability to personalize items so specifically. Where, I ask, could you find Latin text children’s shirts in sizes 5 and 6 except in your own sewing room? Continue reading

Re-run: Smocked Brother-Sister Frogs

LaurelRobFrogs21

This post is a rerun.  I’ve spent most of every day this past week tending to my dearly loved  89 year-old aunt.  She has been hospitalized and has suffered a rather dramatic fall into dementia, so I have been trying to arrange a move from her assisted living facility to a higher level of care in a nursing home.

Between dealing with her needs and tending my 2 year old grandson Alastair, I have run out of time and decided to re-run some old posts until I can get caught up.   I doubt if any readers have read all  or even most of the 386 posts from the birth of this blog.  So here it is……

I love to see siblings in coordinating clothes.  My son and daughter are fully 4 years apart in age, so I was only able to indulge in this practice for a very short time.

But my granddaughter Laurel is just 15 months older than her brother Robert so I have made them many “matching” outfits.  Laurel loves it, her mother loves it and Robert, frankly, doesn’t care one way or the other.

Continue reading

Christmas 2010

Our Nutcracker Sweets. Robert’s black pants got left behind at home when they packed to come to our house. He doesn’t match, but he still looks handsome.

What a fabulous Christmas celebration we had!  Both of our children and their families were here Christmas Eve day, as well as another special young family who joined us with their 3-month old baby and 3 year old. With 8 adults and 5 children, it was glorious mayhem.

I bought this leather strap of 4 antique sleigh bells (2 hang on the back of the wreath) at our church bazaar in 1972, when Bob and I were newly weds. They had been donated by a family who removed them from the old family barn before they moved to Glenwood 25 years before that. At the time, I never dreamed that hanging them on our front door every Christmas would be a family tradition. Nor could I have known that they would become a family treasure.

Our son-in-law, Super Chef Harvey, brought two enormous to-die-for lasagnas for dinner.  Even Robert, the pickiest eater in the world, ate two servings.  With hot-from-the-oven gingerbread and whipped cream for dessert, everyone dined in holiday style.

After the children were “nestled, all snug in their beds,”  we plucked the antique sleigh bells from the greens at the front door and rang them loud and long, passing  below all the children’s windows.  Laurel rushed down the stairs declaring that she had HEARD them!!!!!  Santa was coming!  It was just magical.

The greenery, however, looked a little bedraggled after the bells were put back in place so hurriedly.

At 6:45 Christmas morning, Alastair wailed “Hi!”   “Mama!” again and again until everyone was awake.  This was an early reveille for the adults who had been up until 1 a.m. stuffing 5 stockings all “hung by the chimney with care” and assembling Robert’s pyramid and Egyptian army soldiers.  Continue reading

Is it too late to be good?

"Is it too late to be good?"

Tick-tock-tick-tock…..time is short.  But if I can squeeze out 30 minutes between now and the weekend, I am going to embroider two shirts like these, made by Judy Day for her grandchildren. They just make me smile and I’m certain they would have the same effect on others.

It may not be too late for any of my grandchildren to turn over a new leaf, but it certainly will be too late for Alastair to wear the shirt by the time I mail it to him.  So perhaps Laurel and Robert will get some cute duds like these.  Continue reading

Robert’s Christmas Shirt

RobertsChristmasShirtwhole

 

Finally, 5 year-old Robert’s Christmas shirt is done.  His long black pants are pressed and ready to wear as soon as I buy a belt to keep them up.  Then he will be ready for The Nutcracker.

After all the interruptions and delays, I am glad to have this project finished.  The fabric is Martha’s Favorite Linen from Martha Pullen and  shirt pattern Hudson’s Sunday Suit  is from Ginger Snaps.  Like all Nancy Coburn’s Ginger Snaps patterns, the directions are very clear with great photo illustrations and many design options.

 

emb close

That crooked embroidery design drove me crazy. But it was too late to redo it.

 

The nutcracker design from A Bit of Stitch  is surrounded by a candy cane frame from Adorable Ideas, narrowed in my heavily used BuzzEdit2 program.

Black lace tape, run vertically on either side of the embroidery, is embellished with a decorative stitch from my Brother Duetta 6500D.  The same stitch is worked on the back , around the collar and on the mock sleeve cuffs. Continue reading

Gingerbread House Party 2010

Rebecca, Alastair and the house he wants to get his little hands on!

The day after Thanksgiving, my precious daughter hosted her annual family gingerbread house party and what a party it was!

Rebecca was especially excited about Cousin Robert’s hand-me-down John-John.  Smocked with gingerbread boys and candy canes, it  looked just as good on Alastair as it did two years ago on Robert.

Like so many of the brother-sister outfits I have made for them, these garments were both ready-to-smock.  It’s very rewarding to see this outfit have a second life with my second grandson. Of course, Robert and Laurel have been raised in our family’s gingerbread tradition and made their first  houses that year.

Laurel and Robert, wearing the gingerbread John-John now worn by his little cousin Alastair

Since my children were little, we’ve always made gingerbread houses for Christmas.  For several years, the PlayGroup Mamas gathered to make houses for the children, before they all left home. But that was before the handy kits with pre-baked walls and  roof panels, frosting mix and a generous supply of candies.  Continue reading

Early Thanksgiving

Saturday was a day of treasured memories.  Norman Rockwell himself never had it so good.  With their families, both of our children  gathered around the dining room table in the home where they grew up.  Bob and I were again grateful beyond words for all of our blessings.

The menu was traditional, with turkey, dressing, pumpkin and mincemeat pies and all the trimmings. A few years ago, we added a new item to the table and due to popular demand, it has become a regular.  Cranberry-orange relish is easy-peasy, can be made in advance and keeps for one week. The recipe is posted below.

 

The day began with everyone watching football as our beloved Gators tried to improve their performance in a disappointing season. At half time, the crowd moved outside for some action in the front yard.  Alastair surprised us with his strong 20 month old arm and both Robert and Laurel ran some pretty good routes.

 

our own sweet Sugar Plum Fairy

Half time also gave me the opportunity to pin up the hem in Laurel’s Christmas dress.  I think she will be prettier than the Sugar Plum Fairy herself when we attend The Nutcracker next month.

All three children clowned around, but as always, Alastair dodged the camera like a wide receiver outrunning a tackle.  Continue reading

Gobble Monogram Shirts

UPDATE:  Some new photos of all three in their turkey shirts…….

My grandsons’ Christmas outfits are on the back burner. This past week, I was tied up taking care of Alastair across the state.  His mother has been called into work at her job as a computer engineer for a full week, rather than her regularly scheduled two days, so I did daycare instead of holiday outfits.

I returned home Thurs. night, fully intending to plow full steam ahead on Christmas clothes, but now we are having an impromptu early Thanksgiving Saturday.

Ryan and Shelly were already on board because it is a regular football Saturday. We called Rebecca and Harvey Friday at dinner time to ask them to come.  They piled into the car and arrived late that evening with sweet Alastair sound asleep.  Having a baby tucked in the nursery crib is just one more thing to be thankful for.

It will be just like the real thing, though on a slightly smaller scale, as I have just begun cooking.  But with turkey, dressing, lots of trimmings, pumpkin and mincemeat pies and a day rife with college football games, the only difference will be that we are not celebrating on the 4th Thursday of November. Continue reading

Boys’ Christmas Outfits

Now that Laurel’s Christmas dress is finished, I am ready to begin  outfits for her brother, Robert, 5, and cousin Alastair, 20 months.  Black velveteen and embroidery designs from The Nutcracker are the common components that will coordinate these garments.

Robert was to have had black knickers but his mother wisely suggested otherwise.  It’s likely that none of the homeschooled boys  attending The Nutcracker matinee have even seen a pair of knickers, let alone worn them.   So I’ve changed the plan and Robert will wear black dress pants. 

His shirt, however, will be as planned–ivory linen with an embroidered nutcracker.  Black lace tape will run vertically along  either side of the embroidery and perhaps some  twin needle pintucks.  I’m not sure just how much width there will be to work with.  I do plan to make him some velveteen shorts for Christmas day.   That’s a photo op that I won’t miss! Now, if I can just keep him out of the tree house until picture time. Continue reading

Christmas Dress ’10

black velveteen

Laurel’s black velveteen dress and pinafore bib are finished, complete except for the hem. It was such a pleasure to plan and stitch this holiday outfit for her. Handling and stitching the goods for heirloom sewing just makes me say ahhhhhh.

Christmas outfits for Laurel and her brother need to be finished in time for family Christmas card photos. Then, they will be worn to The Nutcracker performance in early December. So the rush is on to complete Robert’s clothing. His shirt will be embroidered with a nutcracker.

pinafore bib

The champagne Swiss batiste pinafore bib features the Sugar Plum Fairy design from A Bit of Stitch’s Mini Nutcracker Motifs collection. This is a really lovely design, very delicate. The motif below the dancer is stitched with 80 wt. Madeira Cotona, which makes the design very light.

I was almost finished with the bib when I noticed that the ballerina was not centered. How did that happen? I measured ever so carefully, I thought. But I’ll have to live with it now.

Ecru beading threaded with pink satin ribbon runs on either side of a delicate antique lace insertion. Wide pink satin ribbon ties the bib front and back at the side. Continue reading