Category Archives: heirloom sewing

Alastair’s Hurry-up Easter Suit

Posted on April 28, 2014 | 4 Comments
A Easter suit

I know this outfit is crooked on the hanger. There was a stiff breeze blowing and I could not keep the shirt hanging properly.

 

We always talk about how busy we are, but I have never let other things make me cut it so close with Easter outfits for the grandchildren.  Just like when my children were small, I was up until after midnight Saturday before Easter.

 

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But I finished all four outfits.

Alastair’s Easter suit was a very satisfying project.  Like few hurry-up projects, it finished up quite nicely, leaving me  generally pleased.   I learned that sometimes surrendering my picky-ness for a rush project is okay.  It is more important to have an  OK outfit done for Easter than an up- to-my-picky-standards outfit done a week later.  This was made in about a day and a half, and those were busy days aside from sewing.

 

goods A suit Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, serger

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Easter Bunny Lunch~Casual Garments

Posted on April 23, 2014 | Leave a comment

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I hope you all had a joyful Easter.  We had a beautiful weekend-long celebration with a houseful of laughing adult children and grandchildren.  Our daughter, Rebecca, her family and our son Ryan’s family were here.  He is a pilot and, sadly, was unable join us.  We’re happy that he loves his work, but we miss him at so many family gatherings.

 

sandwiches

 

Friday night, while taking a break from my sewing, I made more than 100 little raisin bread/cream cheese/jelly sandwiches for Saturday’s Bunny Lunch at church.  My dear, helpful husband sat with me and cut away the crusts from 5 loaves while I spread the filling.  The sandwiches were topped with cream cheese carrots sprinkled with a little orange sugar which pleased the children.

 

tie design from Linnie Pinnie, with single bunny from

Tie design from is Linnie Pinnie, with single bunny extracted from Bernina’s Warm Wishes from Ingrid collection.

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Posted in church projects, girls, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery, Nana fun, uncategorized

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Baby’s Easter Slip & Tips

Posted on April 16, 2014 | 6 Comments
slip 2

slip for Baby’s Easter bow dress

 

This pink slip was made to be worn under granddaughter Vivian Rose’s white batiste Easter dress.  It create a soft pink shadow effect.

 

dress pink2

 

The slip bodice was monogrammed with white thread. Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, lace tape, machine embroidery

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Think Spring Dress

Posted on February 8, 2014 | 21 Comments

UPDATE:  There have been several inquiries about the sleeve finish so the process is detailed at the end of this post (below the groundhog eating wolf).

It’s been so long since there has been a new post at  Janice Ferguson Sews that  faithful readers might have thought that I was missing in action.  I’ve been tending my dear husband who had knee replacement surgery two weeks ago.  Post-op he spent a week at the same rehab center where I recuperated  from my joint surgeries and gained some valuable insights into life.

So I have been spending time with him, running errands and doing his many, many household chores.  Whew!  That man does more around here than I ever realized!  He’s my grocery shopper, gardener, pool boy, morning feral cat feeder, garbage hauler, very best friend, and more.  I have really missed him.

At last, he’s back home, stepping lightly with his gentleman’s cane and walking the fast track to a complete recovery.

 

That's not really him. And it's not really me.

That’s not really him. And it’s not really me.

 

And I’m back too, with a finished project to share with you.

This cheerful little dress just makes me grin.   Looking at it reminds me of our Florida springtime with raspberry pink azaleas, white dogwoods and the bright turquois waters of nearby Blue Springs.  The fabric says spring to me.

 

think spring dress all recol Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, smocking

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Another Precious Child…

Posted on January 28, 2014 | 22 Comments

precious corner 2X

Our congregation is celebrating the birth of yet another precious baby.  Due to some complications, little Laura Jane came into the world a month before her due date.  At just over 4 lbs., this pocket sized preemie spent her first ten days in the hospital.

Two weeks later and now at home, Laura Jane weighs 5 lbs. 8 oz.  Hurrah!

As a deacon of our church, one of my responsibilities is to welcome new babies with a gift, hence, this blanket.  I love my job, but wish we had more newborns!

The delicate pink color of the ready made 100% cotton flannel blanket is much like the blush color of sweet baby cheeks.  The flannel’s heavy but luxurious texture made the embroidery process a real delight.

The text was arranged in Brother’s PE-Design.  The little angel cherubs are from Petite Designs, Brother’s card #20, one of my most often used collections. The corner embroidery nestled perfectly in my Brother Quattro 8×8 hoop.

 

bib corner Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, church projects, heirloom sewing

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First Birthday Dress~Finished

Posted on January 21, 2014 | 39 Comments
first birthday dress for Minnie fan

first birthday dress for Minnie fan

 

Our precious granddaughter Vivian Rose recently celebrated her first birthday with family and friends at a party in her own back yard.

 

Cousins Laurel and Alastair

Cousins Laurel and Alastair

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Posted in Disney, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, machine embroidery, Madeira applique

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Christmas Baby Doll for Baby

Posted on January 10, 2014 | 23 Comments

 

4 1/2" baby doll

4 1/2″ baby doll

 

For Christmas, one of 11 month old Vivian Rose’s gifts was this porcelain baby doll.  Nestled in a tiny wicker Moses-in-the-bulrushes style basket, the Dream Baby doll antique reproduction was tucked in looking like a classic heirloom clothed infant.

Just 4 1/2″ long, she seemed to be just the right start for our grandbaby’s doll collection.  Of course, it will be some time before she is allowed to handle this tiny treasure.  But it’s not too early to begin collecting. Continue reading →

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Posted in doll clothing and accessories, heirloom sewing, smocking

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Free Brother MCS Design & Pink Baby Blanket

Posted on September 30, 2013 | 58 Comments
Swiss flannel daygown, bonnet and blanket for baby's homecoming

Swiss flannel daygown, bonnet and blanket for baby’s homecoming

NOTE:  The free design can only be used on Brother machines with the My Custom Stitch feature.  You must download the design and then import it to your machine via memory stick or floppy drive.  It cannot be opened on a computer or accessed any way other than through a Brother model which offers this feature.

It has been busy, busy, busy around here.  I’ve embroidered and framed more scripture verses for church, sewn a denim gored skirt for 9 yo Laurel from a fabulous pattern,   embroidered my son’s hiking back pack, altered his “thunderware” (YIKES!) and done a variety of other “utility” sewing projects.

 

This photo has been edited/darkened to better show detail.

This photo has been edited/darkened to better show detail.

While  trying to get some blogging done, I came across the forgotten post below in my draft folder.  Since two earlier post on Brother’s  My Custom Stitch  feature,  Heart Swag Baby Shawl  and  T-Bonnet ,    there have been several inquiries asking about the zig zag feather stitch I created.  So once again, I am offering it to readers.  It can be saved to a memory stick or floppy disk or whatever device you use to transfer information to your sewing machine.  It is not a .pes hooped embroidery design.  This is done on the sewing side of the machine.

Swiss flannel bonnet, blanket and daygown for baby's homecoming

close up of zig zag feather stitch, worked with 30 wt. cotton thread

This  soft pink set was made for granddaughter Vivian Rose’s homecoming in January.  But she was a smaller newborn than our other three grandchildren so the size I chose was too big for her.  Now, 8 months later, the gown has been worn and outgrown.

 

This shows the feather stitch with greater contrast to better show detail.

This shows the feather stitch with greater contrast to better show detail.

Read on about this useful stitch and post your request for it in a comment.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, free patterns and designs, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery

For Sale: Vintage Baby Items from Nana’s Nursery

Posted on September 18, 2013 | 11 Comments

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TO MAKE A PURCHASE: If there is something you would like to buy, simply leave your request as a comment at the end of this post. Be sure to specify the item number. If you have never before posted a comment, I will see it immediately but it will not visible until it has been approved.  After approval, all subsequent comments will be posted immediately. Or send an e-mail to me at NCcabin@aol.com. Payment may be made via Paypal or personal check.  Shipping will be added to all prices.

Each order is eligible for a freebie from the freebie post so check that out.  Just add the item number to your order and it will be included in your package.

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These little dresses, bonnets, and a few others have been displayed in Nana’s nursery for some time now, making me smile every time I stroll by.  When they were first hung, we were awaiting the birth of our first grandchild.  The dainty vintage frocks seemed perfectly suited to a room for our precious, long-awaited baby when she visited our vintage 1926 home.

 

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Each of our grandchildren has worn one or another of these daygowns a time or two.  But now, grandbaby #4, Vivian Rose, is 8 months old and has been declared our last grandchild.  These dresses will be worn by no more Ferguson babies.

Soon the dresses and bonnets will be replaced with a few of the special items I’ve made.  Since neither my daughter nor daughter-in-law have any desire to keep the vintage items or store the things I have made, the items below need to move on.

TO MAKE A PURCHASE: If there is something you would like to buy, simply leave your request as a comment at the end of this post. Be sure to specify the item number. If you have never before posted a comment, I will read it as soon as it is sent,  but it will not visible until it has been approved.  After the approval, all of your comments will be posted immediately. You may also send an e-mail to me at NCcabin@aol.com. Payment may be made via Paypal or personal check.  Shipping will be added to all prices.

Each order is eligible for a freebie from the freebie post so check that out.  Just add the item number to your order and it will be included in your package.

#A1~Round Yoke with embroidery and tucks, $25. For more photos and details, see this blog post.

#A1~Round Yoke with Embroidery and Tucks, $25. For more photos and details, see this blog post, Vintage White Baby Dress.

 

#A2 Silk Bonnet, $30. Near perfect condition except for ribbon ties. Fully lined with a crepe like fabric.

SOLD  #A2 Silk Bonnet, $30. Near perfect condition except for ribbon ties. Fabulous feather stitching, fully lined with a crepe like fabric.  This is gorgeous.

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Posted in antique textiles, antique/vintage textiles, baby accessories, bags, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, Nana's nursery, Nana's Nursery Closet Sale, smocking, uncategorized

Nursery Closet Sale #7

Posted on August 25, 2013 | 14 Comments

URGENT NEED:  Firefighters in Idaho need bandanas.  Shirley G. re-posted a plea from eQuilter  stating that all 6000 previously sent bandanas have been used up and more are needed.  Please check Shirley’s blog  for details and do what you can to help these brave firefighters. 

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The closet clearance sale continues.   As noted before, everything previously and currently posted can be located by clicking on the category Nana’s Nursery Sale category under A STORE on the right side of the page.

Checkout the remaining items from  Nursery Closet Sale #1 ,    Nursery Closet Sale #2,    Nursery Closet Sale #3,   Nursery Closet Sale #4   and  Nursery Closet Sale #5, and  Nursery ClosetSale #6.

TO MAKE A PURCHASE: If there is something you would like to buy, simply leave your request as a comment at the end of this post. Be sure to specify the item number. If you have never before posted a comment, it will not visible until I have approved it. After the approval, all of your comments will be posted immediately. Or send an e-mail to me at NCcabin@aol.com. Payment may be made via Paypal or personal check.  Shipping will be added to all prices.

Each order is eligible for a freebie from the freebie post so check that out.  Just add the item number to your order and it will be included in your package.

And now, Nursery Closet Sale #7.

 

#71 Feather Stitched Bows T-Bonnet, $20. Swiss batiste, French lace. For more photos and pictures click here. http://www.janicefergusonsews.com/blog/2013/06/07/feather-stitched-bows/

SOLD #71 Feather Stitched Bows T-Bonnet, $20. Swiss batiste, French lace. For more photos and pictures click here.

 

#72 Smocked Boy Daygown, 3 months, $20. Easy care fabric, Swiss trim, mother-of-pearl buttons, perfect condition.

SOLD pending payment #72 Smocked Boy Daygown, 3 months, $20. Easy care fabric, Swiss trim, mother-of-pearl buttons, perfect condition. For more photos and info, read blog post Boy Smocked Daygown.

 

#73 Stamps Onesie and Cap, 6-12 months, $15. Made for Creative Needle magazine article, never worn.

#73 Stamps Onesie and Cap, 6-12 months, $15. Made for Creative Needle magazine article, never worn.  For more about “Stamps” read this blog.

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Posted in antique textiles, antique/vintage textiles, baby accessories, Binche Lace, boys, embroidery blanks, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, lace tape, Nana's Nursery Closet Sale, smocking