Category Archives: uncategorized

Sew Lucky, Sew Beautiful and Sew Much More

Posted on April 25, 2013 by | 2 comments
Vivian Rose, 3 months in her Farmhouse Fabrics bubble.

Vivian Rose, 3 months in her Farmhouse Fabrics bubble.

Farmhouse Fabrics Bubble Sample

This adorable bubble was a sample at Farmhouse Fabrics.  Did you know they are made available for sale periodically, for very reasonable prices?  As luck would have it, this little beauty was a 9 month size, nearly a perfect fit for”chubbalicious” 16 pound Vivian Rose.  She is one well-nourished nursing baby!  I was lucky to snatch up this bubble shortly after it was posted for sale.

The body fabric of the bubble is cotton sateen trimmed with what feels like pima cotton.  It is very well-made and nicely understated.  Vivian Rose’s mother thinks  this will be Baby’s 4th of July outfit, along with a big red headband.  She might even have a little more hair by then!

Sew Beautiful

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The current issue of Sew Beautiful includes a blurb about  this blog, Janice Ferguson Sews.

My Sew Beautiful magazine has not yet arrived, but others who have theirs in hand have let me know that  Janice Ferguson Sews  has been included in a blog list!  The picture, however, is of a dress I have never seen.  Oh well, it’s a pretty dress.  I welcome all you new readers visiting my blog and hope you will stop by often. Continue reading →

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Posted in infant clothing, uncategorized

Lighting Candles, Playing Dolls, This and That

Posted on March 12, 2013 by | 12 comments
DSC06220cry

crying Karoline

My mother, Dollie Manning, was a very gifted doll maker. Years ago, she made the as many as 80 porcelain dolls for each of the Sewing for Dolls events that Mildred Turner, Terri Johnson and I held around the country. Additionally, she provided dolls for several similar schools sponsored by Ellen Nickerson in the San Francisco area. Mom also made tiny 3-8″ dolls that Lezette Thomason marketed and for which Lezette had drafted patterns. Then there were the dolls she made for our daughter Rebecca. That’s a lotta dolls.

When 8 year old granddaughter Laurel discovered that there are 3 storage bins of dolls in the garage, she just had to see them. She was allowed to select one to keep and she chose this very unique baby who had lost a shoe through the years.

You don’t often see a doll crying but Karoline (the name given her by Laurel) had tears that looked real.

tears cr

The sheen on Karoline’s tears is from clear fingernail polish.

Then I told Karoline’s story to Laurel. Continue reading →

12 Comments

Posted in doll clothing and accessories, girls, heirloom sewing, Nana fun, ready-to-smock finished projects, smocking, uncategorized

G’Kid Stuff and Preschooler’s Cot Sheet Pattern

Posted on March 9, 2013 by | 8 comments

 

A sheet

Alastair with his new preschool cot sheet, fresh out of the priority mailer envelope. There is a tiny race car crossing the “t” in his name.

It’s been busy and hectic here with lots of fun with grandchildren and friends.   And some sewing, but there is nothing pretty to show you.

Alastair is 4 now, though the celebration at Nana and Granddad’s is not scheduled until next week.   But to my great surprise, this early birthday cot sheet gift seemed to thrill him only slightly less than a visit from superhero Captain America.  It was made to compensate for the duck fiasco detailed below. Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in button machine, machine embroidery, Tutorials, uncategorized

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Matchmaking~Liberty, Puerto Rican Diaper Shirt and OFB Bubble

Posted on February 9, 2013 by | 6 comments
shirt+patt

Notice thata the front overlap is greater at the neckline than at the hem. That’s an interesting way to add a little flare to the shirt, which has no side seams. I will be replacing the utility buttons with mother-of-pearl.

 

It was like a Match.com encounter in my sewing room.  This little hand embroidered diaper shirt purchased in Old San Juan on one of my teaching trips to Puerto Rico needed a mate–you know, the half that would make it whole.  It was purchased on one of my teaching trips to Puerto Rico.

 

OFB-bibble N patt

 

After plundering through all my patterns, the bubble from Old Fashioned Baby’s Summer Clothes pattern seemed like a good companion.  The shirt and the bubble would work well together and yet could go their separate ways. Here in central Florida where new grandbaby Vivian Rose lives, the weather can be 85 degree in Feb. and then 55 degrees (or colder) in March or April.  The coordinating shirt and bubble offer comfort in a wide range of temperatures.

As I searched my stash for a fabric to bring the bubble to life, this sweet Liberty of London print seemed like a perfect, well, match.  There are a lot of blues in the print, but one of them is the same shade as the embroidery on the diaper shirt.

I’ve been on a roll with OFB patterns, but I especially like the simple design which allows you to add your own embellishments without redrafting the pattern.  Vivian Rose’s mother had specifically requested ruffle bottom outfits.  Adding that feature to this 3 piece pattern (front, back and crotch extension) was easy.  Baby tatting gave an even sweeter look.

 

OFB-bubble-back

 

With a shirt from Puerto Rico, fabric designed in England and produced in Japan, tatting made in China and a pattern from the bayous of Louisiana, this set is like a meeting of the United Nations.

 

OFB-bubbleNshirt

 

I’d really like these pieces to present as a happy couple rather than two random individuals partnered in an arranged marriage.

Right now, the plan is to add the same baby tatting to the bubble neckline and sarmscyes. But I haven’t yet figured out to combine the tatting with the diaper shirt. The tiny scalloped edges are machine made, but very cleanly trimmed.  Perhaps I could cut 3/4″ from each sleeve, reverse it and sew it back on to make a cuff with the scallops at the top.  Then tatting could be added to the seamed cuff edge.   Or should I just leave it alone and omit the tatting?

Any ideas or opinions?

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Liebster Blog Award Tag~too much about me

Posted on January 26, 2013 by | 9 comments

I was so pleased to be tagged by Lisa at Mommy’s Apron Strings for the Leibster Award for new bloggers.

Lisa wrote, “The Liebster Blog Award is an award given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers, most of whom have less than 200 followers (or have been blogging for less than 6 months). It is to show newer bloggers that they are appreciated, and to help spread the word about new blogs. It was created to promote appreciation and recognition among the blog world. Liebster translates to “dearest” (or favorite/best) in German. It is also known as the Love Blog Award.” It’s been fun to get to know some bloggers better and a great way to pass on the love.”

I loved reading Lisa’s post about the award and all of her personal information.  Even though we’ve never met, I like to think we are friends.  But I know her better now.  I hope Janice Ferguson Sews readers think of me as your friend, so here’s “getting to know you.” Continue reading →

9 Comments

Posted in uncategorized

She’s Baaaaack!!!

Posted on October 5, 2012 by | 10 comments

Well, I’m home with my Honey and I couldn’t be happier.  All is well and, as my dear husband Bob declared some time ago, I have a good heart.

And it is a happy heart.  This experience has been both uplifting and annoying, as I am easily annoyed when my hands are idle.  But the overwhelming emotion is gratitude.  I am so thankful for the clean bill of health and for all those dedicated doctors, nurses, and health care workers who work around the clock to care for us. Continue reading →

10 Comments

Posted in uncategorized

Minor Medical Emergency

Posted on October 2, 2012 by | 12 comments

Dear Friends,
There will be no real sewing posts for the next few days. I’ve had a minor medical emergency and have been in then hospital since just before the sermon Sunday morning. It was just a little chest pain so we went to the ER. I’ve been here since then WITH NO HANDWORK!!!! They won’t let me go home for a few minutes to cut out a day gown! And they wonder why my blood pressure is up!!!

I hope to be home by Thursday and will get back with you then.

Gayle and Sue, I will get your orders out ASAP then. Lynette, before this little incident, I wrote to you twice but there must be an error in your address. Is it really @iafrica? Please write again

When this heart catheterization is wrapped up and I get back to my computer I hope to have lots of comments telling me about the wonderful things you are making.

Happy sewing!

Janice

12 Comments

Posted in uncategorized

Quickie Post

Posted on September 4, 2012 by | 4 comments

I am STILL making those little stuffed toys for Operation Christmas Child.  Thirty-nine are finished with eleven still to go. Making these cuties is enjoyable, but I want to make baby clothes!  My beloved  Brother Quattro embroiders a speedy 1000 stitches a minute but even so, it takes a lot of time to select the fabrics for applique and trim away the excess.  Fortunately, a dear lady at church has volunteered to turn and stuff the toys, so it should go more quickly now.

I’ve been really, really busy lately,  with all Saturday spent on the Gator football game 90 miles away, all day Sunday with church and a family get together at our home, and the better part of  Labor Day Monday cooking for that evening’s dinner with the PlayGroup Mamas.  I did manage to smock a few rows on the pique diaper shirt that was started some time ago, but other than that and the stuffed toys, not much has been accomplished in the sewing room. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in recipes, uncategorized

Kickoff ’12 and 10 Commandments of Football Fandom

Posted on September 1, 2012 by | 10 comments

Legendary Tim Tebow spending a little time with Robert, Laurel and two of their lucky friends.

Finally, it’s here. The 2012 SEC college football season started Thursday night with the South Carolina (W) vs. Vanderbilt game. Friday night, Tennessee (W) played  NC State.  Bob and I were hunkered down in front of the tv for those games, our appetites whetted for today’s Gator game against Bowling Green.

For the past nine months, we’ve waited for kickoff. Around the country, and especially in the South,  the date of your team’s opening game ranks in importance way above Halloween, which is now reckoned as the most popular secular holiday in America.

my children and their spouses Swamp bound–off to the game

In the Ferguson family, it is a date to which we have been counting down since  January.

Six year-old Laurel taking a half-time break

Continue reading →

10 Comments

Posted in boys, girls, infant clothing, machine embroidery, sporting gear, uncategorized

A Great Sewing Getaway/School

Posted on August 20, 2012 by | 12 comments

I have always loved teaching in Myrtle Beach for the Stranded Stitchers and Smockers at their annual January Sewing at the Beach event.  The school is well organized, well run and reasonably priced.  The classes are fabulous, the daily table favors are charming and the market is great.

Hope Yoder and her button machine

It is held right on the beach at lovely hotel.

The classrooms are spacious, with uncrowded work areas.  There are always plenty of irons,  press cloths, rotary mats and cutters, and everything you need to have a well set up classroom.

Before class, early risers walk the sandy beach.  The workshop is almost always held over Martin Luther King weekend.  For anyone who grows weary of winter at home, Sewing at the Beach can be a well timed getaway to a mild climate. Continue reading →

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