Category Archives: clothing

Ruffled Jungle Skirt

Posted on September 11, 2012 | 8 comments

UPDATE:  Just came across this site with excellent tips about sewing on pre-ruffled fabric.  There are two parts to the tutorial so scroll down to part 1 before reading part 2.

skirt-shirt-flat1

The color is really a coral, more like the photo below.

 

 

I’m trying to make my granddaughter Laurel an occasional contemporary garment.  At eight years old, she sometimes balks at wearing the smocked or heirloom dresses I lay out for her to wear for homeschool or church when she is with us.   This little outfit is my attempt to step into the “cool” zone of kid couture.  If it’s not quilting, smocking or heirloom, I am totally out of my comfort zone.  But this should placate her for a while. Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in girls, machine embroidery, serger

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Smocked Diaper Shirt & Rhumba Pants

Posted on September 7, 2012 | 15 comments

shirt pants

 

One more little outfit is ready for our due-at-Christmas granddaughter.    How I LOVE making baby things!

 

pants back

 

The diaper shirt and ruffle-butt bloomers are Swiss pique, trimmed with candy pink microcheck. The ruffles were made on the serger,  finished with a 3-thread rolled edge. Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in heirloom sewing, infant clothing, serger, smocking

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Kickoff ’12 and 10 Commandments of Football Fandom

Posted on September 1, 2012 | 10 comments

Legendary Tim Tebow spending a little time with Robert, Laurel and two of their lucky friends.

Finally, it’s here. The 2012 SEC college football season started Thursday night with the South Carolina (W) vs. Vanderbilt game. Friday night, Tennessee (W) played  NC State.  Bob and I were hunkered down in front of the tv for those games, our appetites whetted for today’s Gator game against Bowling Green.

For the past nine months, we’ve waited for kickoff. Around the country, and especially in the South,  the date of your team’s opening game ranks in importance way above Halloween, which is now reckoned as the most popular secular holiday in America.

my children and their spouses Swamp bound–off to the game

In the Ferguson family, it is a date to which we have been counting down since  January.

Six year-old Laurel taking a half-time break

Continue reading →

10 Comments

Posted in boys, girls, infant clothing, machine embroidery, sporting gear, uncategorized

Troublesome Diaper Shirt

Posted on August 29, 2012 | 16 comments

 

ztroublesomediapershirt1

 

 

I’m still frantically making  toddler toys for Operation Christmas Child so I haven’t had time to write up a new post.  Getting all 50 of these in-the-hoop stuffed dolls and animals out the door is my highest priority right now.   As soon as they are finished, I can get back to stitching baby girl things for our newest granddaughter, due at Christmas.  So this re-run will have to do for now.

It seems especially appropriate, since it is our daughter Rebecca’s baby we are eagerly awaiting.  Read below to see why.

This little diaper shirt will be pulled out of the special items packed away after granddaughter Laurel outgrew them.  To go with it, I’m going to make a pair bloomers with an eyelet edge.  Do you think yellow gingham or solid?

Oooh, I cannot wait to see this precious, long-awaited baby in smocked and heirloom clothing.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Babies are always more trouble than you thought – and more wonderful. Charles Osgood

Even 5 year old Laurel is well aware of the first part of this sentence.  Babies are, in her words, “a LOT of trouble!” Recently, for a homeschool social studies lesson, Continue reading →

16 Comments

Posted in hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, smocking

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Sewing in the Mountains

Posted on August 15, 2012 | 11 comments

My dear husband and I are enjoying some quiet time here at our cabin  in North Carolina.

Mountainside Cabin on Seven Devils Mountain

Now, the mountains are covered with these flowers that look like yellow black-eyed Susans.  But I don’t know what they are called. Continue reading →

11 Comments

Posted in heirloom sewing, infant clothing, smocking, uncategorized

Beach Portrait Dress #2

Posted on August 13, 2012 | 1 comment

Gorgeous little girl, gorgeous dress, gorgeous photo!

Preparations for the Christmas arrival of Grandbaby Girl #2 has me up to my neck in stacks and scraps of  fabric, patterns and trims.  Pink microcheck, white baby wale Swiss pique, Swiss flannel and the pretty floral that arrived from Chadwick Heirlooms are all in various stages of readiness.  So right now, there is nothing to show you from my sewing room.

But as always, Judy Day is cranking out beautiful projects at breakneck speed and  she is willing to share.

Remember the pretty white beach portrait dress that she made in a workshop with Lezette Thomason? That beauty now hangs in the closet granddaughter  Courtney.   Now, Judy has finished a second one in soft mint  green for granddaughter Kennedy, shown above.

Made of white Swiss batiste or easy care mint green Imperial,  this is a classic dress, especially suitable for older girls. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, Judy Day's creations

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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 →

14 Comments

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

Contemporary Cute~Knot Dress

Posted on August 8, 2012 | 8 comments

Reverse_Knot_-_Jul20_low_res

 

Jo creates the most adorable clothes, like this dress,  for her girls.  She also takes fabulous pictures! Photography is another of her passions.

Often, Jo chooses contemporary patterns, always adding her own classic touches, like the hand embroidery on the apron.

 

Reverse_Knot_Emb_-_Jul20_low_res

 

On this dress, she added an especially unique and clever detail, a label made from the fabric selvage. This is an idea she gleaned from Pinterest.  CORRECTION:  Jo says it was a Flickr idea.

 

selvage tag

How cute is this?

 

Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in doll clothing and accessories, girls, hand embroidery

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Free Precious Preemie Patterns

Posted on July 26, 2012 | 31 comments

as shown in Sew Beautiful issue #118

 

NOTE:  The link for the free pattern from Southern Stitches has been updated.  If you were unsuccessful before, try again.  It works now.

I was just delighted to find free patterns for preemies from Laurie Anderson of   Southern Stitches.  The patterns are included in issue #118 of Sew Beautiful magazine but are also available here at Laurie’s Southern Stitches web site.

 

More preemie garments from Laurie Anderson’s free patterns, as shown in Sew Beautiful issue #118.

At that web site you will find her lovely machine embroidered shadow work designs and lots of other goodies.  By clicking on Sew Beautiful Published Freebies you will find the free downloads of the preemie patterns, as well as free hand embroidery bullion knot designs for bunnies.  Laurie even offers free machine embroidery designs. Continue reading →

31 Comments

Posted in free patterns and designs, infant clothing

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Granddaughter’s Sewing Camp

Posted on July 23, 2012 | 3 comments

 

Kennedy is proudly wearing the sundress she made at her grandmother's ("Mimi" Judy Day) sewing camp.

Kennedy is proudly wearing the sundress she made at her grandmother’s (“Mimi” Judy Day) sewing camp.

Mimi’s Sewing Camp at Judy Day’s house has been a whirlwind of activity.  Before the arrival of 8 year old Kennedy, Judy prepared a variety of projects.  Then they sewed and laughed and had a great time together.

Kennedy, who has sewn with her grandmother before,  stitched some fabulous things.  This sundress was an ambitious undertaking–and didn’t she do a great job?!?   Don’t you love her fabric choices?

See how cute the back is? Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in doll clothing and accessories, girls, Kids Sew

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