Category Archives: girls

Baby Bunny Bubble

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Janice| 3 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, girls, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, machine embroidery, techniques

Valentine Pettiskirt Ensemble

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Janice| 3 Comments

Judy Day made these darling Valentine outfits for her granddaughters. As my granddaughter, Laurel, would say, these are “cool!” Judy has a knack for seeing one thing and envisioning another. The Valentine ensembles clearly demonstrate that ability.  Here are the details from Judy.~~~~~~

I typically don’t make Valentine specific outfits, as I want my granddaughters to wear the things I sew for them longer than this short season.

Purchased “blank” items can be transformed into personal outfits with just a little embellishment here and there, as these outfits attest. Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, hairbows, Holiday Projects, Judy Day's creations, machine embroidery

Christmas Dress Upgrade

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Janice| 4 Comments

Laurel before church with lace added to sleeves. That collar is just too big.

DGD Laurel’s Christmas dress just fell short of my expectations for a variety of reasons.   Originally, the sleeves were simply bound, but it just seemed too plain so I have added gathered lace which helps.

plain, bound sleeves

unadorned sleeve binding

It also fell short of the desired length.   After we attended the Stetson Christmas concert, the dress returned to the sewing room so the generous hem could be dropped.  Several holiday dresses ago, I learned that asking a non-sewing mother to measure a child for length was risky–also ridiculously unnecessary since I see Laurel 2-3 times a week!   But I had not taken the measurement so I took the precaution of adding several inches to the turned up hem.  Whew!   Three more inches added to the length gave a more pleasing fit. Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, uncategorized

Gingerbread Christmas

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Janice| 3 Comments

I’m scrambling here, working on the grandsons’ Christmas outfits and preparing for tomorrow’s arrival of 2-1/2 year old Alastair.  He will be with us for a few days and will have my undivided attention.  So there is no time for a new blog post. I hope you will enjoy this re-run.

The children’s ages and Christmas garments are not current.  But the upcoming gingerbread house decorating activities will be just as described below–except that Robert may have a little more restraint with the candy.  Then again, he is a little more experienced and might get away with even more this year.

Whatever.  We will have a grand time decorating.  I hope you have a chance to do this with a child.  It is messy, yes, but sooooooo much fun.

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“And I had but one penny in the world, Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.”  William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

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

Unlike the character in Shakespeare’s play, I’m not sure that I would spend my last penny on gingerbread. I’d probably go for a scrap of fabric or lace, or a needle …..but I digress. This is about gingerbread and Christmas outfits for my grandchildren.

The marshmallow snowman had a short life. And he did not melt, did he, Robert?

If you have read more than two or three posts on this blog, you will know that gingerbread plays a huge role in our Christmas festivities. Robert and Laurel, at ages 2 and 3, seemed ready to be introduced to this family tradition. They made their first gingerbread houses, received gingerbread ornaments for their personal collection, added a charming book, Gingerbread Land, to their library in Nana’s nursery, and wore smocked gingerbread outfits for various holiday activities and on Christmas day. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, brother-sister, girls, Holiday Projects, ready-to-smock, smocking

Christmas Dress~Sleeve Tip

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Janice| 3 Comments

Having just returned from North Carolina last night, I’ve hardly unpacked.  But the exquisite Stetson Christmas Candlelight Concert was this afternoon, so that took priority over properly settling in at home.  Last night I pulled a long session in the sewing room finishing up Laurel’s dress so she could wear it for this, the first Christmas-dress-worthy event of the holiday season.

She looked as sweet as any Christmas treat, though I am not completely happy with the dress.  For a rather small 7 year-old, her Sarah Howard Stone collar is rather large, even though I reduced the size considerably.  After putting the dress, collar and sash all together, I really think I need to put lace on the sleeves.  There just wasn’t time before we left for the concert but I’ll tend to that this week.

The ivory ribbon sash is an especially lovely 1-1/2″ wide antique silk which my friend Suzanne Sawko shared with me.  It is not as stiff as grosgrain and has no apparent “grain,” though it doesn’t roll at the waist.  It almost reminds me of a heavy organdy.

The dress was made from Ginger Snaps’ Lace Dress pattern.  It is a slightly raised (1-1/2″ above waist) yoke dress with several collar options and skirt variations.  Though I had never used it, I foolishly thought my years of experience made it unnecessary to read the directions. Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, uncategorized

Embellished Ralph~White Wednesday

Posted on November 29, 2011 by admin| 7 Comments

There are so many wonderful opportunities for children to wear their holiday outfits, from the hometown Christmas parade to Santa’s lap pictures to church services and Christmas dinner.  Some of these events are casual while others require more formal wear. Given enough time, I like to make seasonal garments for my grandchildren to meet more than one of these occasions.

We all know the time saving benefits of starting with ready made fleece or tee shirts. But when I found this monotone smocked Ralph Lauren dress, marked down by 75%, I began to look at ready-to-wear with a broader view. I knew that with the addition of a little red and green hand embroidery, it would make a great Christmas dress for my 5 year old granddaughter.

Personally, I love tone-on-tone embroidery. But the ivory smocking, ivory silk ribbon embroidery and ivory bullions were just lost on this little ivory dress. Unless you viewed the child at her eye level, you would probably not even notice that the dress was smocked. Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, hand embroidery, smocking, White Wednesday

Shadow Work Christmas Collar

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Janice| 13 Comments

Good grief!!!!  Less than a month until Christmas and I am just now getting the grandchildren’s holiday outfits together!  I’m sewing in the fast lane now.

The collar for 7-year old Laurel’s burgundy velveteen dress is finished.  Swiss cotton organdy has been tinted with coffee.  The collar pattern is from Sarah Howard Stone’s Basic Yoke Dress.

The collar is lined so that the embroidery stitches will not show and also so that  the effect of the strong burgundy color shadowing through the ivory organdy is diminished.  The lining covers only the spokes, not the insertion.  The contrast of the lace spokes against the dark velveteen is very pleasing.

The machine embroidered shadow work designs are from Suzanne Hinshaw’s Charming Embellishments collection.  Though the set was marketed for placemats and linens,  the designs are appropriate for many other purposes.

I really choked using metallic thread to outline the holly leaves.  But I thought Laurel would love it and I’m trying to mix a little contemporary in with my old fashioned Nana style.

Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, techniques

Thanksgiving and Sewing

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Janice| 4 Comments

Does anyone actually sew up the turkey today?

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving day.  Just as last year, we joined  our 2-1/2 year old grandson Alastair and his parents at the home of his paternal grandparents.  Though none of the six cooks at our dinner were decked out with starched white aprons,  the food at our harvest feast was gourmet quality.  Each contributed some of their best dishes.

The guest list included Alastair’s 90 year old great-grandmother, Ruby, who baked two divine pecan pies (and drove herself and those dessert delights to dinner!),  both sets of grandparents and a host of aunts and uncles.

I love family gatherings that include all ages, from babies to the elderly.  Two year old Alastair was the only little one and he entertained us as only energetic little boys can.  At the other end of the generation rainbow was Ruby, like the proverbial pot of gold.  Not only is she an excellent cook, but she is witty and entertaining—a joy to engage in conversation.

Even though the day is all about thankfulness and food, as usual, sewing projects were evident amid all the festivities.  Still, no one sewed up the turkey. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, girls, Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery

Winners!

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Janice| 1 Comment

Does this child look excited or WHAT? Seven year old Laurel was thrilled beyond words when  she saw her polka dot A-line jumper had earned a Best in Show award in the junior sewing category.   The matching teepee bag is part of her “ensemble.” The matching, lined teepee bag is on the hanger with the ribbons.

In September, after she had finished on a rainy day in North Carolina, she proudly checked it off her fair entry list. Continue reading →

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Posted in doll clothing and accessories, girls, Kids Sew, Nana fun, turn tube hem, uncategorized

Too Cute to Spook

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Janice| 3 Comments

UPDATE: Picture of Alastair in his Halloween bat shirt added.

There are so many darling Halloween designs for machine embroidery that I had a hard time picking out just a few for my grandchildren.  Since these shirts can be worn for such a short time, I didn’t put a lot of work into them.  But the embroidery is so well designed that are plenty cute for this short season of tackiness. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, embroidery blanks, girls, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery