Few things are prettier than linen guest towels, embroidered and hemstitched, hanging demurely from the bathroom towel rack.
Most guests, however, are loathe to use them, reluctant to wrinkle the beauties and leave them hanging in the disarray that results when linen is handled.
“But I believe that there are marriages where you can have your pool table and she can have her scrapbooking room or garden or whatever it is. But when everyone has what they want, it’s not funny. There’s no conflict.” Brad Garrett
From my observations, there is no conflict in the Day marriage and now Brad Garrett has suggested one of the reasons.  Brent has his pool table and bass boat, Judy has her sewing and embroidery machines. Most importantly, they have each other, wonderful children AND grandchildren! It appears that they have everything they want.
I doubt there is anything Judy Day cannot or will not embroider. This pool table is just one more example of the beautiful, creative things she makes. Her husband is an avid fisherman so the customization goes beyond the monogram. Wouldn’t this make a great Valentine’s Day gift for your favorite guy?
huge Liberty patchwork tote
In Florida, where our day may begin by picking oranges from the back yard and end with walking the dog on the beach, a large tote bag like this is considered essential. It can hold two dozen assorted oranges and grapefruit, 8 yards of quilting fabric from the Presidents’ Day Sale , a sweater, bib, book, diaper and zip lock of cookies  for the grandchildren as well as  a well behaved Labrador puppy who will nap quietly until you are at the beach for his walk. Probably. Maybe more.
Linda McGehee’s Tote, Clutch, Cosmetic Bag #851 pattern was modified for this tote. It required only lengthening the body of the tote to accommodate pleasing placement of the quilt squares.
Posted in bags, machine embroidery, quilts, techniques
What a great time I had collaborating on this project with my dear friend, Suzanne Sawko! The little boat tote and its crew were designed and stitched for an article we did for Creative Needle magazine. With dolls as toys for quiet entertainment, the bag is actually a child’s purse.
When almost no one was doing in-the-hoop projects (machine embroidery hoop, that is), Suzanne was off and running. She designed and stitched the 7″ dolls as well as their clothes, all done in the 5 x 7 Brother hoop.
There is an incredible amount of detail in the garments. Under her dress, Cherry wears a white “combination” suit, panties and undershirt, embroidered with a tiny flower at the V-neck, as well as a white slip with a tiny Swiss edge. A blouse sporting a peter pan collar is worn under her jumper with faux smocking and even a slip with a tiny Swiss edge. Of course, she wears Mary Janes. Continue reading
Wing needle fil tire’ hearts and floral swag are from Fil Tire’ and Fancywork Combinations machine embroidery collection.
I make a lot of Swiss flannel baby blankets. They are easy, they always fit and they make me so happy when I see our grandbabies wrapped up all snug and pretty. Many were made for baby gifts and young mothers are always very pleased. Another reason that I’ve made so many is that I’ve taught many classes making Swiss flannel blankets and each class project must be a little different from the others.  Here is another of those sweet, cozy wraps.
Wing needle fil tire’ hearts and floral swag are from Fil Tire’ and Fancywork Combinations.
I think it’s important to edge a baby blanket with a trim sturdy enough to hold up to the heavy laundering that these items require. My three favorites are the English lace shown here and another English lace show in the second photo. It is almost like a very delicate faux crochet. Not only can both of these laces endure countless, rigorous cycles in the washer and dryer, but also they are not too delicate for the wing needle used for pinstitching.
The machine embroidery design is a pair of fil tire’ hearts joined with a floral swag. The Swiss flannel is wonderful for wing needle work and the hearts stitch out beautifully with 80 wt. Maderia Cotona thread. The design is from Fil Tire’ and Fancywork Combinations by Suzanne Sawko and me.
The swag is a perfect setting for a name or monogram, which all mothers seem to like. Depending on the timing of the baby shower, I have sometimes given blankets like the first photo and then embroidered the name when it is chosen.
In the previous post, as well as a few others, I have mentioned Brother’s My Custom Stitch (MCS) program. As you might guess from its name, it allows you to design or copy a stitch. It goes into the machine memory and can be called up at any time and even altered for length.
note zig zag feather stitch
The zig zag feather stitch that I designed has been so useful to me. It looks especially nice done in 30 wt. cotton thread. It is shown on the Blossom Basket Blouse and T-Bonnet post. If any readers have a Brother machine with this option and would like to have this stitch, I would be happy to e-mail it to you. Just post your request as a comment. The baby shawl does have some color, but it is basically white, suitable, I hope, for my White Wednesday post at Faded Charm. Check out all the lovely white eye candy there.
Do you ever need a quick little present, maybe a gag gift or just something to make your hostess smile? This is the ticket. Time is short tonight so I this is all I’ve got.
The design is from Fil Tire’ and Fancywork, Frames and Phrases, by Suzanne Sawko and me.  Or you can just copy the text into your software and stitch it out in a configuration that will fit whatever frame or even a wooden embroidery hoop. This is has been very popular at bazaars. And it always makes me smile.
In case you cannot enlarge the picture, here is the text, a well known Irish blessing.
May the light always find you on a dreary day,
When you need to be home, may you find a way.
May you always have courage to take a chance
And never find frogs in your underpants.
I bet it made you smile.
Posted in machine embroidery
Mine used to be 20 minutes of sewing or smocking. Given that, my mental health was good, my flower beds were weeded pretty regularly, the laundry was done in a timely manner and I cooked dinner at least three times a week. Don’t roll your eyes. I never claimed to be a domestic goddess.
But here of late, with three adorable grandchildren to enjoy, some Christmas decorations to put away, plants to protect from the freeze, Laurel to homeschool and a daily blog to write, my MDR is not being met. It has been nearly a week since I’ve been in my sewing room to do anything but iron a shirt to wear to a funeral. Continue reading
Posted in home dec, machine embroidery
Being asked to break out of your comfort zone, in terms of needlework, is usually an unwelcome challenge. But often accepting that  challenge can make your zone a bit larger while stretching your creative ability.
When my first grandchild was on her way, my daughter-in-law respectfully requested that I make nothing in pink. She preferred browns and greens and the colors of nature, but not necessarily flower colors.
And she wasn’t crazy about lace, either—too scratchy, she thought. When I assured her that the imported laces were cotton and would not irritate the skin of a newborn, she reluctantly acquiesced. But I knew full well that lace would not be her trim of choice.
OUCH! I had a cupboard full of imported laces and drawers of pastel Imperial and Swiss batiste that for years had lain in wait for this grandchild. And now I needed browns and greens for a baby girl.
I managed to make Laurel’s coming home smocked daygown and bonnet from yellow Imperial batiste and trimmed it with tatting (see post Coming Home Daygown and Bonnet in smocking category), but after that I had to find a way to reconcile my creative needs with my daughter-in-law’s personal taste.
Posted in baby accessories, infant clothing, machine embroidery, smocking
My 5 year old granddaughter, Laurel, Â keeps asking when it will be summer again. It is so cold here in central Florida that all we can think about is warmth, where to get it and how to keep it. Polar fleece is the first thing that comes to my mind.
Since this miracle fabric was first introduced to  consumers, I’ve made a lot of fleece projects, including this throw for my daughter. It’s really pretty ordinary and ho-hum but I can share some tips about such projects and how to improve this one, which I will do when Rebecca brings this home to be remodeled. Continue reading
Posted in home dec, machine embroidery, serger, techniques
design from Shadowed Bows 2.
This pillowcase combines two of my favorite techniques, shadow embroidery by machine and Madeira applique by machine. I doubt the appeal of either will ever fade for me.
By hand, shadow work  is a soothing needleart that creates stunning results. By embroidery machine, it is a quick, exciting effort that creates the very same delicate result. In earlier posts, I’ve detailed the process by which designs can be worked in a snap with the aid of an embroidery machine. Suzanne Hinshaw developed the technique and has several collections on the market. This design is from one of her earlier sets, Shadowed Bows Two. Continue reading
