Category Archives: heirloom sewing

Nursery Closet Sale #5

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Janice| 6 Comments
Lace Tape Christening Gown, $70. Swiss batiste, lace tape, tatting, entredeux, feather stitching. Read more Lace Tape Christening Gown.

#51 Lace Tape Christening Gown, $70. Swiss batiste, lace tape, tatting, entredeux, pintucks, feather stitching. Read more Lace Tape Christening Gown.

 

And the beat goes on, but it is slowing down.  There are still a few dozen items to list but I’m tired of this sale and expect that you readers must too.  But I am so grateful to those of you who have shopped here and welcomed my old treasures into your home.  The absence of these things has opened up the nursery closet and dresser, making room for more creations.

For almost two weeks now, we’ve had grandchildren in various combinations  and have another two weeks ahead.  So ending this sale will give me a few more precious hours with them.

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.

Of course, the sale is ongoing but there will be no more new listings for a while. Checkout the remaining goods from  Nursery Closet Sale #1 ,    Nursery Closet Sale #2,    Nursery Closet Sale #3 and Nursery Closet Sale #4.   Each order is eligible for a freebie from the previous post so check that out.

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 me an e-mail at NCcabin@aol.com. Payment may be made via Paypal or personal check.  Shipping will be added to all prices.

fancyband with tucks, feather stitching and hemstitched lace tape

skirt fancyband with tucks, feather stitching and hemstitched lace tape

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Posted in antique/vintage textiles, baby accessories, boys, girls, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, infant clothing, machine embroidery, Nana's Nursery Closet Sale

Moving on…..

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Janice| 24 Comments

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It seemed that I would never finish this simple little pini-4, but at last it is checked off on my to-do list.  There were no technical complications, but rather just a matter if life getting in the way.  Entire days passed when I did not sew and that makes me cranky.  I feel better now.

The original plan was to add a row of cable under the beaded ribbon, but in my eagerness to finish this up I just forgot.  Of course, it’s not too late and I could still do it.  It  really would look better.  But I am tired of this project.  It’s done. I’m ready to move on.

The pattern is the same one I used for the Liberty of London popover for granddaughter Vivian Rose.  But I look forward to when Lisa at Mommy’s Apron Strings releases her very similar pattern.  She has so many improvements, like sizing. Continue reading →

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Posted in hairbows, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, serger, smocking

Shadow Embroidery by Embroidery Machine

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Janice| 24 Comments

I just can’t seem to catch up with my must-do’s so that I can write a new post.  I won’t bore you with ALLL the details, but one obstacle is time spent supervising 7 year old grandson Robert as he works the book he has written, Football Frenzy (soon I HOPE to be for sale @ $7, at least until Amazon or BooksAMillion pick it up ;-)). After I printed up two copies for his perusal, he decided that it is too short. So he is back to composing, adding a chapter on recipes for football watching snacks and more.

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Additionally, I have been substitute teaching Sunday School for 1st-5th graders, a satisfying but time consuming task.

So until I finish the little popover pinafore (Pini-4) which is almost done, I resort yet again to putting up a post from the past.

Shadow embroidery by machine continues to be of great interest.  Though you probably have a greater chance of winning the lottery than of laying hands on any one of Suzanne Hinshaw’s to-die-for collections, you just might get lucky.  There are other designers mentioned below with sets or individual designs.

So here is the old post, with a few photos of projects done since putting this one up.  A  real, new, fresh post should be up very soon.

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grandson’s Easter outfit with shadow embroidery from Southern Stitches’ Shadow Work Baby Collection

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Posted in heirloom sewing, home dec, machine embroidery, techniques

Desperation Bubble

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Janice| 27 Comments

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Have you ever been  desperate to smock and thwarted in the effort?  Desperate to stitch hand embroidery and been hampered? Desperate to sew in a power outage?  I bet the answer is yes.

It reminds me of my crazy friend Catherine who, 25 years ago, had taken her boys to the beach.  Settled down in the sand on an old quilt, under her beach umbrella, she pulled out her smocking only to discover that she had everything but a needle!  Desperate, like me, she walked up and down Daytona Beach asking each sunbather if she might have a #7 crewel needle that Catherine could borrow or buy.  That, my friends, is desperation.  To no one’s surprise but Catherine’s, she came up empty handed.

How this bubble came to be is a result of such desperation.  It didn’t turn out as planned, it didn’t turn out great,  it didn’t really please me.  But it did scratch my itch  for some form–any form!– of needlework. Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, infant clothing, ready-to-smock finished projects, smocking

Smocked Pini-4 for Vivian Rose

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Janice| 19 Comments

Coming soon! Grandbaby Closet Sale–All those special items too small too soon or just plain outgrown need to go to a new closet  At least one of Vivian Rose’s daygowns has never been worn.  Also coming soon (we hope), hair on her pretty head!

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Rebecca, baby Vivian Rose and I are quite pleased with this little Pini-4.   The smocked skirt is Liberty of London and the machine monogrammed, self-lined bodice is hot pink microcheck.

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There are no buttons or buttonholes, only ties at the neck, center back and underarms.   With a little careful planning or by following the pattern exactly (I just can’t do it!), this super quick and easy pattern COULD be a joy to stitch.   So I neeeeeeded to add piping, sure and how about some  tatting–oh yeah!  And I wanted to line it with my preferred method rather than as directed. Continue reading →

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

Feather Stitched Bows

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Janice| 8 Comments

There are so many projects and ideas I want to share with you, but time is just too short right now.  Vivian Rose is the proud owner of a sweet little  smocked popover that I will share with you later and another major project is underway.  For now, this re-run~fro, 2010 will have to do.   This T-bonnet is a great little project with some interesting techniques, especially for those who do not use an embroidery machine.  I hope new readers will find something of value and those of you who have already seen this post will not mind it the second time around.

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Enchanting as I find this T-bonnet to be, the techniques used in its creation hold even greater interest. At an Elna Convention outside Minneapolis, Melissa Stone, daughter of renown Sarah Howard Stone,  taught this project to an eager group of students, including me.

Mind you, this was before the advent of the home embroidery machines. So for anyone who does not have an embroidery machine, this technique is gold. For those who do, the technique has applications beyond this project.

The T-bonnet is de rigueur, standard heirloom sewing. For directions and measurements for a basic t-bonnet, refer to my earlier post, unimaginatively entitled “T-Bonnet.”

In the class with Melissa Stone, we used the pattern measurements  from her mother’s book, French Hand Sewing.   But Melissa’s innovative idea for embroidering the bow, without the use of a water-soluble marking pen, was very creative. Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, heirloom sewing, techniques

Another Contemporary Heirloom?

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Janice| 12 Comments

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Four-month old Vivian Rose is growing like the national debt, so I am busy, busy, busy sewing for her.   The pink Imperial broadcloth “apron” is paired with bloomers of black floral lawn, which was a stretch for traditional me.  Black for a baby???  I keep reminding myself  that this blog’s subtitle is “modern projects for old fashioned Nanas.”  But can an Old Fashioned Baby pattern be  a modern project?

 

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Coming soon–black buttons and buttonholes.

 

The pattern is Baby’s Summer Clothes by Old Fashioned Baby, the largest size of which is 6-12 months.  The sleeveless apron with the scalloped hemline is the version I chose. Surely, I thought, it would fit a 4 month old baby for a few months.  But not this queen-sized baby girl. Continue reading →

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Posted in hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing

Alysha’s Birthday Dress

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Janice| 6 Comments

happy-mothers-day

Happy Mother’s Day to each and every one of you who has mothered a child of your own or a child of another. (Frankly, I cannot imaging anyone who sews or reads this blog who has not reached out to children and grandchildren of their own and/or others.) The love and attention showered on our precious children is the best use of our precious time.

I’m at that happy time of life when I can enjoy my beloved adult children as well as the beloved grandchildren they have given us. My daughter Rebecca and daughter-in-law Shelly are both incredible, wonderful mothers whom I admire and love dearly. I wish each of you a happy day filled with appreciation from and for your loved ones.

Around here it has been busy, busy, BUSY!!!! We’ve been blessed with almost back to back and overlapping visits from our four grandchildren and even more happy chaos.  In a future post I’ll tell you all about Laurel’s luau 9th birthday party, new fleece blankets for each grandchild and the progress of our newly tamed feral cats and the kittens.

So once again, I am rerunning an old post, though I do have a few new thoughts and plans.  I hope  to make a very similar dress for new granddaughter Vivian Rose before her first birthday.  FYI, Alysha is almost 5, adorable and the apple of her grandparents’ eyes.

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1st birthday dress

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, ready-to-smock finished projects, smocking, techniques, White Wednesday

Baptism

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Janice| 7 Comments

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What a joyful day this was!  Our two older grandchildren, seven year old Robert and eight year old Laurel, were baptized.

 

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Cousin Alastair, 4, loves a photo opportunity so he stepped up to be included.

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Posted in church projects, girls, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery

Jo’s Family Easter

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Janice| 3 Comments
Jo's family in their Easter finery. Every one (except Jo!!!!) is wearing one of her creations.

Jo’s beautiful family in their Easter finery. Every one (except Jo, unless she made the lavender sweater) is wearing one of her creations.

I just love seeing what you all have sewn up for holidays–or everydays!  So it really pleased me to see photos of Jo’s family all decked out in the Easter garments she made.   They are all color coordinated in lavender and yellow, with a paisley print used on several outfits.  Living in the cold, cold north, Jo chose corduroy for the little ones in the family.

As so often happens, in the midst of her rush to finish up, there were complications.  Most of the family came down with a terrible virus requiring huge amounts of laundry, at the exact time that her dryer died.  So while she tended to the sick, she was running back and forth to the home of a good neighbor whose dryer was put at Jo’s disposal.  All the while for those several days, Jo awaited delivery of her own new laundry appliance.

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In spite of these roadblocks, she finished everything up–dresses for the girls, a smocked Children’s Corner Johnny for little Gideon and ties for the big boys and her husband. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, brother-sister, girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, men, smocking