Category Archives: girls

Christmas Celebration #2 Projects

Posted on December 31, 2011 | 4 comments

After a joyous Christmas Eve and Day on the other side of the state, we’re gearing up for Christmas celebration #2.   At our home this weekend, both of our children and their families will be here.

Things are not going according to plan though.  I had scheduled a 3-day, uninterrupted solitary sew-in this week while Bob was out of town on business.  But my little Christmas gift to me was stolen by a powerful Grinch virus which moved in about an hour after DH moved out for the airport.  Instead of stitching, I was twitching and groaning in misery.

Three days later and 20 minutes after I moved from black suffering to the light of almost normal , our daughter and her little family arrived.  Now, I’m scrambling to sew up a few of the projects I had planned for my abandoned sewing retreat.  Of course, I wanted to enjoy time with Alastair, so most of these were sewn with his…assistance?  supervision? Whatever… We had fun.

In the interim, Laurel joined us for an unplanned overnight, so I threw this outfit together for her to have something clean to wear to her Odyssey of the Mind practice this morning.  I knew I was a desperate woman when I passed it off as an early Christmas present. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, girls, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

Christmas Dress Upgrade

Posted on December 13, 2011 | 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

Gingerbread Christmas

Posted on December 7, 2011 | 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

 

GingerbreadKids07LRcrop2

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?

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 finished projects, smocking

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Christmas Dress~Sleeve Tip

Posted on December 5, 2011 | 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. Continue reading →

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

Embellished Ralph~White Wednesday

Posted on November 29, 2011 | 8 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 | 13 comments

Christmas 11 collar whole

 

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.

 

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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.

 

Christmas 11 collar side2

 

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.

 

xmas lace scan0001

 

Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, shadow work by machine, techniques

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Thanksgiving and Sewing

Posted on November 26, 2011 | 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 | 3 comments

1-Winners L dress

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.

 

1-L-sews-jumper1

 

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

Too Cute to Spook

Posted on October 21, 2011 | 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 →

3 Comments

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

Pillowcase Dress–Haydee’s Extras

Posted on October 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

The red gingham bias binding for the armholes adds a perfect contrasting balance to the top of the dress.

Ever since learning about the Little Dresses for Africa, I’ve been intrigued by the pillowcase dresses.  A ” blank canvas” sort of pattern has always appealed to me, but very few styles offer as many opportunities for creativity as does the simple pillowcase dress.  The pattern is a free download.

 Made by my Puerto Rican friend and former student Haydee,  this sweet little ladybug delight is probably destined for a granddaughter rather than for Africa. But it certainly shows the pattern’s potential, as well as just how much punch my Puerto Rican friend Haydee can add.  She is especially gifted when combining fabric and color, particularly in applique’.

Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, machine embroidery