Category Archives: clothing

Apple of Oma’s Eye

Posted on June 4, 2010 | Leave a comment

 

Alastair, 14 months, with his personal pastry brush at the ready.

Alastair, 14 months, with his personal pastry brush at the ready.

 

When I first saw the machine embroidery design featuring a  rosy red apple with the text, “of Grandma’s eye,”  I thought it would be fun to stitch on an outfit for Alastair  in recognition of  his other grandmother’s love.

As one design in a newly released collection, it tempted me to buy on sight.   But then I realized that it was the idea that appealed to me as much as the design itself. And I could certainly reproduce a satisfactory facsimile of the design. So I did.

 

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Alastair’s paternal grandmother, “Oma,” adores him as much as I do. So I thought this little ready-to-wear set would give her an extra big smile the next time she sees him.

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Posted in boys, clothing, embroidery blanks, machine embroidery, techniques

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DIY Heirloom Upgrade

Posted on May 24, 2010 | 4 comments

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I did not make this dress but I did upgrade it. I think of it as Strasburg Children ver.1.1. , Laurel’s flower girl dress.

Though there are for sale many really lovely ready-to-wear smocked and heirloom garments, for both children and adults, invariably, everything in my price range falls short of my standard of excellence.

 

Lwalks back


Laurel took two steps and then stood like a deer in the headlights. This is the only photo that shows forward progress.

 

Laurel was to be the flower girl at our daughter’s wedding, which took place at our home in 2006. I would love to have made Laurel’s  dress, but I was nearly overwhelmed by the task of getting the house ready. Having sustained major damage from two hurricanes in 2004, the repairs were finished just 2 months prior to the big event. Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, girls, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, uncategorized, wedding

Twin and Triple Needle Work

Posted on May 21, 2010 | 2 comments

 

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Judy Day made this intricately embroidered heirloom dress which showcases decorative stitches. By using a single color for both the stitches and  the satin ribbon sash, the frock exudes a quiet elegance, in spite of the complexity of the embroidery.   Adding more stitches to the skirt balances out all the stitches on the bodice.  The overall effect is just so pleasing.

The dress was a blank canvas for twin and triple needle work, the subject of a sewing club meeting that Judy taught for years at B-Sew Inn, a huge Babylock  dealership in Springfield, Missouri.

As you can see, the use of the twin and triple needle in combination with a sewing machine’s decorative stitches creates complex, perfect patterns. But if you have no experience with their use, you would be wise to read up on the topic.

 

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It is important to note your machine’s maximum stitch width. The width of the twin or triple needle must be subtracted from that in order to determine the maximum width for your decorative stitch. Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, Judy Day's creations, techniques

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Tool Time Boy

Posted on May 16, 2010 | Leave a comment

 

Robert, 5, with the tool caddy he made with his grandfather.

Robert, 4, with the tool caddy he made with his grandfather.

 

 

Since 4 year old Robert joined Laurel for homeschooling 6 weeks ago, shop class with Granddad has been a part of his curriculum. Robert loves it and so does his grandfather.

 

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His first project was the tool box he is holding in the photo. He was so incredibly proud of it  that he carried his tool box around his home, showing and re-showing it to his entire family, all of whom ooohed and awwwwhed appreciatively. Seeing the satisfaction on that little boy’s face  just melted my heart. And Bob’s, too.

 

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Posted in boys, embroidery blanks, machine embroidery

Baby Blue

Posted on May 14, 2010 | Leave a comment

Like so many heirloom sewing enthusiasts, I absolutely love imported lace, Swiss batiste, handlooms, Swiss embroideries and every goody on the heirloom menu. And yet, there is something so appealing about this sweet and simple vintage daygown.

The blue batiste is not Swiss, but it is very good quality. Considering that and the fact that less than a yard of baby French lace is used, the charm is not the result of expensive goods. Perhaps it is the simplicity itself that draws the eye.

Jeannie Baumeister’s very popular Old Fashioned Baby patterns seem to reflect the same sweetness this gown exudes. She relies on simple lines, classic details, minimal lace and a splash of hand embroidery.

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Posted in antique textiles, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing

Bargain Sea Scene

Posted on May 12, 2010 | Leave a comment

“To sell something, tell a woman it’s a bargain: tell a man it’s deductible.” Earl Wilson

Everyone loves a bargain and I am no exception. When I saw these  pants on the department store clearance rack for $4, I snatched them up for Laurel. It was a more than pleasant surprise to find the matching shirt for $3.50.

The white polka dots easily pass for bubbles, so the outfit certainly lent itself to a bottom-of-the-sea setting. The designs are all from Dakota Collectibles. The underwater scene  is from the Seashells collection while the angelfish are from Aquarium Scenes.

One angelfish was extracted from the pair and embroidered  just above the vent at the calf. Since the single angelfish lacked bubbles, I went back to my old reliable collection, Fil Tire’ and Fancywork Elements, and inserted, copied and pasted a simple dot that Suzanne Sawko had digitized. These were just the right size to mimic the dots in the shirt fabric and inside the pants hem. Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, girls, machine embroidery

“As pretty as Walt Disney’s dinosaur”

Posted on May 11, 2010 | 2 comments

…….the ultimate compliment from Lucius Jackson, age 7

Judy Day made matching Easter dresses for her 6-year old granddaughters. Though the girls live hundreds of miles apart, the cousins share a camaraderie built largely on their grandmother’s love and sewing creations.

The Swiss batiste bodice of the girls’ Easter dresses are machine embroidered with shadow work monograms from Suzanne Hinshaw. The skirts are an exquisite 27″ Swiss embroidery, purchased a few years ago from www.farmhousefabrics.com Tied at the waist with a pink satin ribbon, the dresses are simple but elegant.

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Posted in clothing, girls, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery

Mickey Mouse Outfit

Posted on May 9, 2010 | Leave a comment

Our son took his family to DisneyWorld on Mother’s Day to celebrate Laurel’s 6th birthday. Her princess shirt was shown in a previous post and, as expected, our little Disney Princess fan loved it.

Laurel’s shirt with added jewels and French knots

Robert’s tee shirt features a 5×7 Mickey from the Big Magic card. The added grass is from Fil Tire’ and Fancywork Elements, a collection done by Suzanne Sawko and me. I use this grass very frequently. Somehow, to my eye, it just doesn’t seem right to have a figure floating on a shirt, walking on air. So I often add the grass as a foothold. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, clothing, Disney, embroidery blanks, machine embroidery

Cinderella Fan

Posted on May 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

 

For Laurel’s 6th birthday, the family is going to DisneyWorld.  Like most post-toddler to pre-teen girls, she is fascinated by the Disney Princesses.  Her Cinderella panties are always the first to be selected when the fresh laundry is folded and put in her drawer.

I’ve always made matching outfits for Laurel and Robert to wear to DisneyWorld. They enjoy knowing that no one else in the world has an outfit just like theirs.

For each visit, Laurel wears her latest Minnie dress and Robert his newest Mickey Jon-Jon, the outfits coordinated in fabric and primary mouse colors, red, black and white. Just 15 months apart in age, they are nearly the same size and always draw admiring glances. Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, Disney, embroidery blanks, girls, machine embroidery

Another Boy Shirt

Posted on May 6, 2010 | Leave a comment

Sewing for girls and babies is pure joy. Little boys, however, and even bigger ones, cannot be left high and dry when the girls and babies are showered with stitched delights.

Alastair is too little to care, so long as he has his blankie.   And it is still fun and satisfying to make things for him.

But I try, always, to keep things even between Robert and Laurel. Robert can count, add, subtract and compare amounts. He raced through the “more” and “fewer” work pages in his math curriculum as quickly as he rides his scooter down our sloped driveway.  He would know right away that none  for him is fewer than one for Laurel.  He keeps score, like most children. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, clothing, machine embroidery