Category Archives: Holiday Projects

Happy St.Patrick’ Days Quilt

An Irish Blessing for your table

St.Patrick’s Day has come and gone, I know, but the Irish blessing on this quilted table topper is suitable for any time of the year. And it certainly has the look of spring! Additionally, March is National Quilting Month, and there are still a few March days left.

It’s hard to read circular text. The blessing says:

May the road rise to meet you, may the sun shine warm upon your face.

May the wind always be at your back, and rains fall soft on your fields.

I pray this blessing for all my genuine Irish friends and all those who were Irish in spirit on March 17th. To all I say Sláinte!

This project is not only fun to make, but it is a scrap stash buster! With a different center block and other colors, it could be made to fit any season or holiday. The center Irish blessing design and Celtic knots in each corner both are from San Francisco Stitch Company. https://sanfranstitchco.com/collections/st-patrickss-day/products/irish-blessing-tablerunner?variant=39823176728744

Click here to see my detailed instructions, diagrams and photo at Brother’s blog, Stitching Sewcial.

Continue reading

Valentine Peekaboo Candy Heart

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. The rush of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s festivities is past, giving us time to stitch a little love for dear ones.

Note: I don’t know why the images are all elongated. That’s another thing I’ll have to figure out.

These candy filled felt bags were such fun to make. As I thought of all those I wanted to shower with affection and confections, I just kept making more. With the many Valentine colors of felt in my stash, I couldn’t seem to stop!

In-the-hoop designs for both 4×4 and 5×7 frames are available as free downloads here in my post at Brother’s blog, Stitching Sewcial.

Without an embroidery machine this can be created by drawing or importing a heart design with a second smaller heart. Simply follow the basic directions in the post linked above, but sew your heart rather than embroider it in the hoop. Decorative stitches on your sewing machine could be used on the edge of the heart.

All that is needed to create your own candy filled heart:

Supplies:

embroidery machine
• (2) 5” felt squares for 4×4 frame
• Or (2) 6” squares for 5×7 frame
• 3-4” circle of clear vinyl TIP: The plastic/vinyl from a zippered bag in which new linen or garments arrive is a good substitute.
• Tearaway stabilizer
• small, colorful, individually wrapped candies
• Notions: 18” ribbon or embroidery floss, large tapestry needle, painters masking tape, OPTIONAL: tissue paper
• Thread: embroidery thread
• Downloads: MAShearttreatbag4x4.pes, MAShearttreatbag5x7.pes

You don’t have to wait for the next Valentine’s Day to show your affection for friends and family. Stitch up a candy heart any time of the year!

Required disclosure: I am a paid Ambassador for Brother. Not required: I genuinely love my Brother machines.

Catching up~Christmas Sewing!

In spite of all the stitching that has gone on since my past post, going on in my sewing room I have done no blogging about it. Too many obligations, too little time, and too many projects beckoning me! But now I will begin to catch up with this first post of my earlier projects.

Christmas came and went with Bob and me celebrating alone between doses of antibiotic. Bronchitis struck again so it was a quiet time for us, but no less special. The “reason for the season” was most important.

Our 3 year old granddaughter was given a sheer, white cotton, smocked bishop with a mint green slip. This beauty was purchased on the facebook group, Smocking Destash, smocked but requiring finishing at the neck, sleeves and hemline. What a find! The pictures were taken on a rare, dark, cloudy day with scattered rain. They do not do it justice!

The mint green slip shadows through in person, but does not show so on this cloudy day.
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is BeaBishopClose-12-16-2021.jpg
Geometric smocking is a very pale mint green floss. The plentiful bullion roses were spectacular–not stitched by me!

On the hem lace edging was joined below the pinstitched beading. To keep the mint satin ribbon from slipping, it was secured to the beading with evenly space French knots. The slip was purposely a bit longer to show off more lace edging.

Mint green Imperial batiste slip with it’s laced edged hem can also serve as a sundress.

The machine embroidery design is from Petite Poche’, (Wendy Schoen) Creating Heirlooms for Baby. The bee was added to tickle the fancy of granddaughter Beatrice, nicknamed Bea. The lace at the slip neckline peeks out above the dress neck binding. Beatrice was delighted with the addition of the bee.

I was dissatisfied with the attachment of the slip’s skirt to the lined yoke. The gathers created so much bulk that the yoke would not lie flat. This would have been less of a problem with all cotton fabric. If I were to do it again, I would reduce the skirt’s width.

Again I was reminded of the joy that comes from seeing a child in classic clothing. I’d love to see photos of your Christmas creations.

Required disclosure: I am a paid Ambassador for Brother. Not required: I really do love my Brother machines.

Thanksgiving 2021-It all came together!

table set, ready for dinner

What a joyous, satisfying Thanksgiving we had!  All the cooking and sewing and preparations proved to be worth it as it all came together and our family arrived.

We had some close calls and a lot of tension before that, though.  One week before Turkey Day, the thermostat in my stove died!  It would likely take a week to get a replacement part#$%&!!!!  Dear husband Bob decided we should just get a new stove, but in this era of widespread shortages, that was like a scavenger hunt!  He finally found one that fit our need and it was delivered Sunday morning.  Hallelujah!

While we were waiting on the stove, at 11 p.m.Friday night, we discovered a flood in the dining room coming coming from under the china cabinet!  YIKES!!! We spent the night rotating 4-6 beach towels soaking up the water, spinning them in the washer then drying them while others replaced them with another set of  beach towels.

God bless the wonderful plumber who showed up at 11 a.m.Saturday and fixed the kitchen plumbing which had a 1/4″ hole in the pipe!  All the while I was praying the kitchen stove would be delivered the next day as promised.

Before all that angst, there was so much excitement as we readied everything–new curtains were made for one guest room, new pillowcases were made and embroidered, flower beds were weeded, fresh flowers placed in the guest rooms and front hall.  The dogs and cats were well aware that something was going on.

Sebastian eagerly awaits guests’ arrival

Before everyone arrived, the dinner table was set. I made free standing lace “ornaments” or “dingle dangles.”  They were tied to the burlap napkin rings which coordinated with the burlap table runner.  The burlap rings were wrapped around linen hemstitched napkins.

Burlap napkin ring with free standing lace pumpkin from Embroidery Library’s Fall Favorites collection. I’m going to have to press that burlap runner into flat submission with heavy starch and my press!  UPDATE:All the starch in the world won’t make burlap lie flat.  The trick is to pull a burlap strand just 2 threads inside the fringe, like pulling a gathering  thread.  THEN starch and press the edge flat.

Continue reading

“Thankful for…” dishtowels

 

At Thanksgiving, with so many blessings,  I think it is especially meaningful and important to express your appreciation and love to the important people in your life.  Make a phone call, send a card or make a dishtowel for Turkey Day.

For those who are far away, a towel or a pair of towels can be mailed easily.  Those in town will be delighted to receive this token of gratitude.

For family

for friends

 

for neighbors

and for any others for whom you are thankful–your pastor, mailman, teachers, school bus drivers.  The list goes on.  You can be sure it will mean a great deal to them.

Simply prewash a cotton dishtowel then starch and press it.  Arrange the text over a design, confining it all to a 5×7 frame.  Using water soluble stabilizer saves time that would be spent picking out tearaway behind the text.   Then stitch away and express your thankfulness to the people you appreciate.

There are so many gorgeous designs from which to choose.  The one I’ve used on the towels shown is from Autumn Wreaths Collection by Kreations by Kari.

For more whimsical text designs, the very popular “subway art” is available on several sites. These were made so many years ago that I cannot recall where I got them.  But they were very well received, along with the more traditional design.

Even in this last minute rush before the cooking begins, I encourage you to stitch up a few of these expressions of love and appreciation.  It’s fun and you deserve a little relaxation before the kitchen marathon begins.

I appreciate you, Dear Readers.  I wish I could make each of you a dishtowel that says “Thankful for Blog Readers.”  Happy Thanksgiving!

Required disclosure:  I am a paid Brother Ambassador.  Not required: I LOVE my Brother sewing machines!

Thanksgiving Napkins

Burlap napkin ring with freestanding lace acorn from Embroidery Library’s Fall Favorites collection. I’m going to have to press that burlap runner into flat submission with heavy starch and my press!

Thanksgiving is such a joyful holiday.  Gathering with family and friends, counting our many blessings, retelling stories of earlier celebrations of plenty, remembering loved ones who joined us before, and enjoying delicious food.

It’s always a happy  time.  And it always reminds me of a scrap patchwork quilt, with diners coming from locations all over the map, ages from the elderly to the very young.  This year our table will seat guests from 86 to 18 years old, from Nebraska, Indiana, Florida and we hope from New Jersey.  Conversation will come from a pastor, school teacher, retired missionary, engineer, college student, and me, a babbling needleworker/passionate grandmother/blogger/gardener/etc.

This year we are looking forward to welcoming a crowd of out-of-town family for Thanksgiving week and to our harvest table.  They hail from Nebraska, Indiana, Florida, and perhaps (we do hope!) New Jersey!

So many preparations are being made for this big holiday.  New curtains for 7 windows in one guest room have been sewn as well as new pillowcases, and more home dec projects. A sewing room clean-up has even begun, but that is a years’ long process!

When Embroidery Library posted a photo of a napkin with a freestanding lace acorn resting on a dinner napkin, the image spoke to me.  It was just what I wanted for my Thanksgiving table.  The collection includes a turkey, chrysanthemum, and a maple leaf in addition to the acorn, another leaf and pumpkin which I chose. After my selection of these, 3 of each were made for my 9 napkins.

Burlap napkin ring with freestanding lace pumpkin from Embroidery Library’s Fall Favorites collection. That waffling burlap runner WILL be flat very soon, if it takes a full can of starch!

It is recommended that the same thread be used in the bobbin and needle.  It takes some time to wind matching bobbins, but the finished look is worth it.  DMC 50/2 cotton machine embroidery thread was used for a slightly lighter look. This generates a LOT of lint, so it required very frequent cleaning of my Brother Dream Machine. FYI, 2 ornaments fit in a 5×7 frame.

If you have never done freestanding lace before, Embroidery Library has an excellent free tutorial.  I embroidered on two layers of Brother water soluble stabilizer which worked perfectly. Excess was cut away and the stabilizer washed away easily and completely.

Burlap napkin ring with freestanding leaf pumpkin from Embroidery Library’s Fall Favorites collection. That waffling burlap runner WILL be flat very soon, if it takes a full can of starch!

After folding my napkins, I determined that a 1.5 x 11″ wrap of burlap sufficed.  With three strands of burlap, one vertical stitch was taken through the overlapped ends of the burlap with a tapestry needle.   It was then threaded through the ring at the top of each ornament and tied into a bow.

Looking back at one of my earlier Thanksgiving posts, I came across these images which I think you might enjoy.  Norman Rockwell’s traditional holiday feast reflects my personal preference for the mood and setting for this day of gratefulness.  The other shows a more contemporary observance.

Whichever suits you, I hope on November 25 you will have reasons to celebrate the many blessings we enjoy.

Traditional Thanksgiving

Contemporary Thanksgiving

Required disclosure:  I am a paid Ambassador for Brother USA.  Not required: I genuinely love my Brother sewing machines.

 

2021 Christmas Dress..Oh Well

Are you all set for Christmas?  Cards sent, house decorated, gifts wrapped and sent, sewing finished?  Congratulations if you’ve answered yes to more than one of these questions.

My cards are sent and some house decorating is done, but my greatest accomplishment is finishing my granddaughter’s Christmas dress.

The white lace dress pattern included in the latest Classic Sewing magazine was  made for almost 8 yo granddaughter Vivian Rose.  It is lovely but was just waaaaay too big for her.  She is tiny, though her mother declared she wears a size 8 and I went with it. Big mistake. Even with the accurate and current measurements I had for her, the lace has some stretch.  I should have taken that into account. The silver lining for this disappointment is that now her Christmas dress for 2021 is already finished! I’ve never been ahead of the game like this!

Here she is with the shoulder seams falling off her shoulders, with her handsome 11 yo brother.  He’s had such a growth spurt that his mother just discovered that the only dark shoes that fit his newly enormous feet are his soccer cleats.  So that’s what he wore for this picture. Fortunately, the shoe laces match his vest.  With any luck, Amazon will deliver his new black dress shoes this week.

My two younger grandchildren in their Christmas clothes. It’s likely they will only be worn for at home Christmas dinner with grandparents in their bubble. But they will look spectacular, especially if Vivian has a monumental growth spurt or wears her soon-to-arrive Sugar Plum Fairy dress (see below).

 

Farmhouse Fabrics, as always, came through with the white lace fabric. I ordered a few hours after their on-line Gab and Gush featured this lace and at that time  there were only 6 yards left!  The ever-helpful staff matched up ribbon for the sash with the satiny rose slip fabric I chose.  The hairbow, also ordered on line,  was a perfect match.  Of course, I ordered 3 bows hoping one would match and it did!

Vivian Rose with her beloved rescue dog, Mendel.

This dress was relatively quick and easy to make, with 4-thread serged seams and a Swiss batiste bound neckline.  There was no hemming at the sleeves or on the skirt. In the Farmhouse Live video Sally suggested a crocheted thread loop at the shoulders, attached with a snap to secure the slip shoulders. That was a great tip, especially when the dress turned out to be too big.  That slip would have fallen off the child’s shoulders and annoyed her all day. Another set of crocheted loops was added to the waistline for the optional ribbon sash. Continue reading

Masked Santa Towel

 

The season of Christmas 2020 has been like no other.  With all our social limitations, the celebration of the reason for the season remains unchanged.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t acknowledge the uniqueness of this year’s holiday.

Dishtowels have long been a favorite small gift of mine.  It fits everyone, needs no interior decoration coordination, and implies no obligatory reciprocation.  It just conveys the message of caring at this season of love.

After an extensive search, I found just the design I was looking for here at Rivermill Embroidery. It comes in 4 sizes and a variety of formats. With the addition of the text, the applique’d masked Santa on a black bordered towel perfectly reflected my sentiments of the season. I’ve long been a fan and happy customer of AllAboutBlanks.com where I found  these towels.

The addition of the text to the 4×4 applique’ required my 8×8″ Brother Quattro frame.  Another font or text could easily be arranged in a 5 x 7 frame.  Whatever.  I think it’s a perfect design and a lasting remembrance for this season.

If you would like the text “an unforgettable Christmas” sent in .pes format, just leave your request as a comment at the end of this post.

Wishing you all the real joy of this Christmas season.

Required disclaimer: I am a paid Brother Brand Ambassador.  Not required:  I LOVE my Brother machines.

 

 

 

 

Back at Last!

First, let me wish you a happy Valentine’s Day! My latest post at Brother’s blog Stitching Sewcial is all about embroidered cards, specifically Valentines. I wish you all joy and happiness on this special day of love.

The tutorial gives all the ins and outs of embroidering cards, from choice of cardstock size and attaching embroidery. Check it out and please leave a comment at Stitching Sewcial if you find it helpful or inspiring. Here are a few of the other samples. Details of each are included at Stitching Sewcial:

The front embroidery is covered and inside text is Minnie’s quote. It reads:

This one is for our 6 yo granddaughter. The inside text reads, “Vivian Rose, you are our favorite princess.”

More are posted. I had a hard time stopping, since these are so much fun to make.

But much more has been going on since I last posted here at Janice Ferguson Sews. Of course, Christmas was pure joy, with both of our children joining us with all four of our precious grandchildren. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Many gifts were stitched. Mug rugs caught my attention and I made several for my daughter-in-law, but didn’t manage to get a photo. These are so much fun and make great gifts. She is our nature girl and really liked the apron I embroidered for her with this fabulous bear from Urban Threads. Continue reading

Angel Lace Cloud Pillow and Unique Technique

If you wish success in life, make Perseverance your bosom friend, Experience your wise counselor, Caution your elder brother and Hope your Guardian Angel. Joseph Addison

Very appropriate for the Advent season, this heavenly angel pillow could also serve as a guardian angel baby gift or angel of appreciation. I stitched this on 7 linen hemstitched guest towels which hung as banners as a Christmas gift for each of my beloved PlayGroup Mamas.

Scraps of lace are stitched on a grid and secured with a feather stitch. Grids in two sizes are free downloads at Brother’s blog, Stitching Sewcial. It may make you re-evaluate the size of scraps too small to save.

A detailed tutorial with step by step photos is posted at Stitching Sewcial.

It was fun to use this same technique on a whimsical version on a dishtowel.

Seeing this photo now, an embroidered gingerbread man would have been more appropriate.  Oh well, hindsight and all that.

I hope you are all finished with your Christmas sewing, but I doubt it. We Sisters of the Needle seem to keep on keeping on until the last hour, with more ideas for more gifts for more dear family and friends.

I’d love to hear about your projects and see some photos. So carry on, Sewing Elves! We still have 13 days!