Category Archives: machine embroidery

What has been keeping me busy!

Posted on March 1, 2019 | 6 comments

My goodness but life has a way of keeping me busy and away from writing blog posts! But I have been sewing. Here us a sampling of some of my projects.

I found this heart headband slider as a freebie (for a short time only) for Valentine’s Day at Tattered Stitch. It makes up quickly and was a big hit with my granddaughter 6 yo Vivian Rose. She wore it to the family’s special Valentine breakfast and then to school.

Vivian Rose at the family’s special Valentine breakfast.

It was so quick and easy to make that I made 18 for the little girls at church. They were delighted. This is just the first batch I made.

Then Aunt Rheeta made her annual pilgrimage to Florida to escape Indiana’s bitter cold winter weather. She sewed and sewed, making 10 mug rugs. Unfortunately, I did not get pictures of all of 12, but she made a set of 4 hunting themed mug rugs for each of two of her sons, one more feminine design for her daughter and one for her house/dog sitter.

Then she made these two for Joanne and Kyle, parents of precious baby Bea. She said she has been praying for them since March so they almost feel like family. She went to our Bible study group at their home and was so pleased to meet this lovely couple and spend time with darling Beatrice. Kyle loves to hunt so one is for him and the fall print seemed to go well with Joanne’s home decor.

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Posted in boys, girls, kitchen, machine embroidery

Back at Last!

Posted on February 8, 2019 | 10 comments

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 →

10 Comments

Posted in accessories, baby accessories, girls, greeting cards, hairbows, Holiday Projects, infant clothing, kitchen, machine embroidery, Tutorials

Angel Lace Cloud Pillow and Unique Technique

Posted on December 11, 2018 | 7 comments

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 PlayGroupMamas.

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!

7 Comments

Posted in antique textiles, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, linen blanks, machine embroidery, PlayGroupMamas

Christmas Fawn Daydress

Posted on December 3, 2018 | 3 comments

Christmas is just around the calendar corner and it’s rush, rush, rush for me and many of you. I’ve just finished this Swiss batiste dress for Baby Beatrice.

I’ve written in earlier posts about Baby Bea, our new granddaughter via our church. Neither of her parents’ mothers is living, so months before she was born they asked me to serve as her official Nana. That was a happy day! And, of course, she is a doll, just now 4 months old, which for me has been at least 120 more happy days.

Her daddy is an avid hunter, especially for deer. Bea’s little daydress is a reminder NOT to shoot Bambi or his antlered father.

But back to the dress……the pattern is Old Fashioned Baby‘s Baby Daydress.

Like all of Jeannie B’s patterns, this one is a delight to sew and offers several design options. I love the Scriptures and embroidery designs she places in the blank space around the pattern pieces.

The shadow work fawn is from Joy Welsh’s Applique for Kids. It stitches just beautifully with her instructions. The greenery beneath the fawn was extracted from another design which I cannot recall right now.

The holly at the neckline is another design whose origin I cannot recall. I need to keep better records of what I embroider.

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Posted in heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, infant clothing, machine embroidery, shadow work by machine

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Give Thanks Decor

Posted on November 4, 2018 | 8 comments

This is a fun and relatively quick project that will be a special reminder of the season of Thanksgiving. A complete step by step tutorial is posted at http://blog.brothersews.com/holiday/give-thanks-tutorial/

Children could be involved in this project and will be delighted to help with pulling burlap threads and stuffing the jars with the fairy lights.

It will be easy for you but I had to struggle with various steps while making this. Double sided tape has always been a staple of my sewing supplies, but now it is my new favorite.

Did you know it is described as permanent? That’s good news for Give Thanks as it beautifies your mantle, piano, bookcase or anywhere.

We always celebrate fall in a big way, but Thanksgiving is the crowning glory of the harvest season. So hop over to Stitching Sewcial and see just how this comes together. If you like it, I would really appreciate it if you would leave a comment there.

FYI, there are so many fabulous ideas and tutorials posted at Stitching Sewcial. You needn’t have a Brother machine to enjoy and reproduce many of the projects. Take a look!

Required disclosure: I am a paid and proud ambassador for Brother sewing machines. I LOVE them.

8 Comments

Posted in Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery

Mug Rugs~What I’ve Learned

Posted on October 28, 2018 | 13 comments

I’ve always thought mug rugs were a great idea and always meant to stitch some. Finally, a need arose and a set of these unusual “rugs” seemed like the perfect hostess gift for a perfectly gracious host and hostess.

The second set was made for the guest of honor and speaker, extraordinary Pastor James of Ghana. So two gift sets of 4 mug rugs were made. I don’t enjoy stitching identical designs again and again, so I changed the thread color of the background stitching and some of the lettering.

At a lovely dinner at the home of members of our church, Pastor James spoke passionately to a large group of guests about the challenging conditions in Ghana. Our host and hostess, a physician and nurse, had gone there on a medical mission trip this past summer. Continue reading →

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Posted in kitchen, machine embroidery

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Halloween Projects~Quick and Easy

Posted on October 19, 2018 | 6 comments

NOTE: This is reposted from several years ago, but still has some good ideas for quick and easy Halloween projects. I hope you find something you like.

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Halloween has never been a favorite holiday of mine but our grandchildren get absolutely giddy with the fun it brings. This year, I’ve joined in the celebration with sewing projects.

This candy jar was so quick and easy. Our grandchildren are all big Disney fans so the iBroidery.com design with Mickey and the pumpkin seemed perfect. It was embroidered on orange felt then glued to a fringed circle of black burlap.  The embroidery was glued to a strip of fringed black burlap  then adhered to the jar with double sided tape (one of my all-time favorite sewing notions).

candy jar alone

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Posted in Disney, Disney projects, Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery, techniques

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FREE Peekaboo Pumpkin Treat Bag

Posted on October 16, 2018 | 5 comments

 

Now here is a quick, easy and fun fall project for you.  Since orange gourd designs are appropriate through Thanksgiving, you can stitch up a whole pumpkin patch of these to share. Even without an embroidery machine, you could trace a pumpkin and stitch the entire project on your sewing machine.

A detailed photo tutorial and the free design in 4×4 a d 5×7 are available at Brother’s blog, Stitching Sewcial. You can be very creative with this little pumpkin, using various colors of felt, burlap or even a sturdy fabric.

I especially liked using my Brother P-touch Embellish ribbon and tape printer  to print BOO! for the black pumpkin tie.

black love the imprinted ribbon

 

There are so many great projects posted at Stitching Sewcial, like Angela Wolf’s lovely burlap jar covers embellished with Scan ‘n Cut letters FALL.

 

 

Having recently purchased a Scan ‘n Cut I was especially interested in this project.  Check out Angela’s post and her tutorial here.  I just love the long fringe at the top and bottom of the jars.

And here is another fall project from Joanne Banko, Fall Wreath–a great post, great project, great tutorial with a great free sunflower swag design.

 

Happy Fall to you all!  Enjoy stitching for this colorful season.

 

 

 

5 Comments

Posted in Basic no-embroidery Machine Projects, free patterns and designs, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, party accessories and ideas, Tutorials

Lacey Heirloom Bonnet

Posted on September 28, 2018 | 6 comments

When I did my stitch rehearsal for the flowers, I couldn’t decide if I preferred the lighter or darker pink. So I alternated them and was pleased with the result.

Who can resist gazing at a baby in a bonnet? The site warms the heart of every mother, grandmother, auntie or friend.

The pattern for this linen confection was included in Simplicity 8024, though it was modified greatly. The addition of lace, embroidery, hemstitching, and sculpted antique pearl buttons on the ties removes this from the realm of boy caps. Embroidery floss was woven through the hemstitching holes to add a little more color.

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6 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, machine embroidery, Tutorials

Church Dress for Beatrice

Posted on August 20, 2018 | 6 comments

OFB Smocked layette dress pattern on white Imperial batiste.

At last Baby Bea’s church dress is finished. So many things I wish I had done differently, but it is done. The pattern is OFB Smocked Layette, made from white Imperial batiste.

I used this pattern with the little bit of smocking because I wanted to focus on the cross embroidered trim at the hemline. It would have looked better, I think, with short sleeves.

Because the cross embroidery is Swiss, I felt compelled to use Swiss for the other trims. Do you ever mix heirloom laces with Swiss on the same garment? I’d like to know your opinion on that.

The tiny Swiss trim at the neckline and smocked sleeves should be short enough to avoid irritating her delicate newborn skin. It has a built in entredeux stitch so I wove that with floss to add a little color higher on the daygown.

The cross trim at the hem was 6″ wide.After attaching it to the entredeux beading there just seemed to be too much blank space. So I removed it, trimmed the cross piece to 4″ and rejoined it to a new piece of entredeux beading, threaded with pink ribbon.

It still looked to plain so I added twin needle “shadow work” in pink on either side of the beading.

This is the first bonnet I have ever made with the ruffle behind the smocking. I’m not sure I like it, but Bea is so tiny, just now 7 lbs. that I thought the ruffle might obscure too much of her precious face.

The twin needle work was repeated on the back of the bonnet near the drawstring ribbon.

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Posted in baby accessories, church projects, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, machine embroidery, smocking

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