Finding Dory~Another Fun Disney Dress

Posted on August 19, 2016 by | 9 comments
image 1 close finished p

My step-by-step tutorial for this dress is posted at Brother’s Stitching Sewcial blog. Please take a look and leave a comment . I’d really appreciate your feedback.

 

It seems like forever since there has been a new post here, but My! Oh! My! have I been busy!  Highlights include time in NC with family, a week at home with 2 younger grands, including hurricane Vivian Rose (good news,  we have finally recovered. Whew!), several days of sewing with the two older grands and so much more.   It’s been a wonderful summer.

But I’m back in the saddle now and have a really fun little project to share with you.  I do believe this sweet child’s dress would qualify for the “Modern Projects for Old Fashioned Nanas” category.  Don’t you?

It started with this cute pattern

image-2-Dory-patt

and the Finding Dory machine embroidery designs at iBroidery.com.  The fabrics are a solid soft aqua Swiss cotton pique’ and a blue Disney Finding Dory quilting cotton. Continue reading →

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Posted in Disney, Disney projects, girls, machine embroidery, Nana fun, techniques

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Alice Tea Linens Tutorial

Posted on August 5, 2016 by | 9 comments
image 1 panned set all shadowed

This child sized tea linen set features Alice in Wonderland characters. With the heavenly scented Confederate Jasmine in full bloom on my front porch, a sweet tea party could be held, if only I had a few grandchildren in house.

Making this linen tea set was such a pleasure. The project and accompanying tutorial were just posted on Brother’s Stitching Sewcial  blog.  This is especially timely with the recent release of Disney’s new movie, Alice through the Looking Glass. A whole new generation of children will meet the characters through this movie.

The tutorial includes .pdf downloads for the corner templates (a smaller one for the napkins and a larger one for the tablecloth). It also includes a link to download the zig zag feather stitch which I created in My Custom Stitch, available on many Brother machines. I find this stitch useful for many projects–baby bonnets,   baby shawls,  blankets and more.

If your machine has this feature, you might want to download the zig zag feather even if you are not planning to whip up an Alice tea linen set. Instructions for getting this stitch from the download to a memory stick to your machine are included in the tutorial.

When I began this project, my biggest challenge was to select the designs from the 13 designs available at iBroidery.com. Somehow, they would be have to be color coordinated with sweet Alice’s dress because the Madeira tablecloth corners just had to be blue.

Alice napkin close

Finally, I decided that the napkin corners would have to coordinate with its many colored embroidered characters. Continue reading →

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Posted in accessories, Disney, Disney projects, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery, Nana fun, Tutorials

Baby Shrek’s Christening Gown~A Work in Progress

Posted on August 1, 2016 by | 12 comments

Now this is FUN!  And even more than that, it’s a meaningful challenge.   For a family friend of more than 40 years, I am lovingly adapingt a 100+ years old family christening gown.  Requiring many special considerations,  this baptismal robe is for an especially precious baby boy.

 

UFO bodice

UFO bodice + one sleeve

 

His mother, whom I have known and loved since she was 4 years old, grew up a mile from our home.  Her parents are two of our dearest friends.  But now this young mother  lives in New Zealand with her French husband.  They were blessed with this beautiful son after many disappointments.

beautiful Baby Shrek

beautiful Baby Shrek

 

His parents want him to be surrounded by family and close friends at this milestone in his life.  So in a few weeks they will be making the long trip from Down Under all the way to Florida, then on to France.  Their son will be christened at one of these locations.

Here is the complication.  The heirloom family gown, like most, was made for a 0-3 month old baby.  But this baby will be 9 months old when he is baptized. Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, antique/vintage textiles, hand embroidery, infant clothing, machine embroidery, Second Time Around, techniques

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Kid Sew Monogrammed Scarf

Posted on July 20, 2016 by | 4 comments

R quattro 2xx

 

Our 11 yo grandson, Robert, gets such a kick out of machine embroidery.  He is very, very savvy about technology so my Brother embroidery machines fascinate him.

 

R quattro 3a xx

 

Recently, he monogrammed a polar fleece scarf for his mother, thoroughly enjoying the process of selecting, setting up and transferring the design to the machine.  Curious about the need for water soluble stabilizer on top, about why  we don’t hoop polar fleece, about how the machine knows which hoop is in place, etc. etc. etc.

He even made some design decisions, choosing to alternate the fill and outline colors between each letter.

R finished scarfxx

 

But he really wants to know just how the machine does what it does.  I just tell him to be grateful for its capabilities and DO NOT TRY TO TAKE IT APART!!!  If he tries, I threaten that I will cut his hair while he sleeps.  I almost wish he would make an attempt so I could shear those blond locks.

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Posted in accessories, Kids Sew, machine embroidery

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Straw Hats and Frog Pee

Posted on July 13, 2016 by | 11 comments
B hat stand

Rebecca’s hat

Embroidered straw hats seem to be turning up everywhere–at the beach, in the park, even at church.  Stitching them must be tricky, I thought.

But while shopping, I spotted two nice hats marked way down and thought, why not try?  If I ruin  them, the loss is small.  If they finish nicely–well, great!  Our daughter would like one.  She always wears a big hat when she hits the beach with the children and they go very often.   So with two hats taking up room  in my crowded sewing room, I thought it was time to have a go at it.

The monogram is from Loralie's Loralesque collection.

The monogram is from Loralie’s Loralesque collection.

Just an hour or two before Rebecca arrived with her two children and her good friend Zahra with her two, I decided the time had come.  (Remember Dr. Suess’s Marvin K Mooney?  “The time has come, the time is now, just go go go. I don’t care how.”  I read that book  at least 500 times to my son and can quote most of it verbatim even now.)

I recalled that there was a tutorial at Embroidery Library about embroidering on straw hats.  It’s a GREAT tute.  After reading through the comprehensive instructions, the hats met my Brother Dream Machine which performed flawlessly.  In a very short while, I had a hat ready for each of the young mothers. Continue reading →

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Posted in machine embroidery, Nana fun

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One FF Cat with One Finally Finished UFO

Posted on July 5, 2016 by | 16 comments
FF (formerly feral) Rusty with CC Jane for Vivian Rose

FF (formerly feral) Rusty with FF (finally finished)  CC Jane for Vivian Rose

 

This little outfit has been sitting at the back of my cutting table for almost a year now.  Why?  Because after embroidering the tricycle I thought a lighter pink applique fabric would have looked better.  I got as far as cutting out another front, but never got to the re-embroidery.  So it sat. Until last week.

 

allegria bodice

Children’s Corner Jane, one of my go-to-patterns for wiggly Vivian Rose, with an added angel sleeve ruffle. The pattern is so simple, perfect for embellishing one way or another.

When I took it outside to photograph because the lighting is so much better, my ever-loving, always-seeking-affection feline fella Rusty jumped into a pot of geraniums to be near me.  It was a cat photobomb. But I  just kept shooting as sunset was approaching.

Some readers might remember this photo of grandson Alastair with kitten Rusty, who was discovered with his recently feral mama in our old vacant chicken house.  That was in an earlier post, Sew Lucky, Sew Beautiful, .

Alastair and tiny Rusty kitten

Grandson Alastair is wearing his Big Brother shirt and holding tiny Rusty.   Mama Alina is keeping close to her kitten. He never was camera shy.

 

A most unusual cat, he has grown up to be as social, loving and attentive as any dog we’ve had.

 

Rusty tail w dress

Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, machine embroidery

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Tsum Tsum Toddler Outfit

Posted on June 30, 2016 by | 22 comments
Simplicity 1475 with Brother iBroidery.com Tsum Tsum embroidery

Simplicity 1475 pattern with Brother’s iBroidery.com Tsum Tsum Disney embroidery

Tsum Tsum? “What’s that?” I said when Brother asked me to create a project using the new collection of Disney Tsum Tsum embroidery designs.  So I did some research and this is what I learned.

According to Wikipedia:  Disney Tsum Tsum is the name of a range of collectible stuffed toys based upon popular Disney characters….. The name is derived from the Japanese verb tsumu meaning “to stack”, because the toys are designed to stack on top of each other, forming a pyramid shape………[1]

For a toddler’s grandmother, this is important information!  Since my first grandchild came of age recognizing commercially promoted characters, it’s been a steep learning curve for this Nana.  I’ve struggled to become conversant  about Wiggles, Backyardigans, Pokemon Ninjas and more.  Now it’s Tsum Tsum which covers Disney characters  from Frozen to Mickey’s Gang and still more!  Whew! Continue reading →

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Posted in Disney, Disney projects, machine embroidery

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Summer Camp Sewing

Posted on June 24, 2016 by | Leave a comment
items embroidered for Alastair's summer camp

items embroidered for Alastair’s summer camp

 

MY-OH-MY!  This summer is just flying by.  Among other activities, I have been busy embroidering gear for our 7 yo grandson Alastair’s first sleepaway camp experience.  Each item in this huge pile carries the camp logo.

I have to say again how much I love machine embroidery for so many reasons.  Saving money is just one. Participating in his camp preparations is another.

 

Watitoh entrance

 

A long list was issued with required “logo-ed” screen printed items, such as a minimum of four $17.99 tees from the camp store.  After getting approval for the substitution of machine embroidery over printed, Alastair’s clever mama (my darling daughter) ordered blanks for all required gear and much more.  At a 24-hour, on-line flash sale, she purchased his things for less than $70 from the same manufacturer as items from the camp store.   Meanwhile, I got to work preparing the machine embroidery design. Fortunately, it is a simple logo. Continue reading →

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Posted in accessories, boys, machine embroidery, sporting gear

BIG News!

Posted on June 10, 2016 by | 6 comments

ME news

 

Dear Readers,

I am so excited to share my big news with you— I have been invited to be a member of Brother’s new  Stitching Sewcial   blogger team.  Humbly, I join several expert celebrity sewists who have packed the blog with inspirational projects, tutorials and videos on topics from quilting, serging, sewing, embroidery, and more! On this site, I am in some pretty esteemed company!

Two of my projects are posted now, the first of which is the Ariel sleeping bag for 18″ dolls such as American Girl.  This would be a very popular accessory for youngsters who want comfort and style for their dolls.

 

Do you recognize my granddaughter's Kit wearing her smocked lace tape nightie?

Do you recognize my granddaughter’s Kit wearing Mollie’s Lace Tape Nightie?  Ariel’s name is embroidered on the pillow under Kit’s head.

 

The second project is a Zootopia themed knapsack.  It was such fun to read and familiarize myself with the movie. I needed to know something about this Disney cartoon delight to stitch.  Before the movie was released and after some research, I came up with a handy bag for the junior crime-stopping deputies of Zootopia’s police department.

The designs for each project are available at iBroidery.com.

These Stitching Sewcial assignments are helping me keep up with the grandchildren and what they are chattering about.  Do you know who Judy Fox is?  Officer Clawhauser? Chief Bogo?  Look them up.  The children will respect your in-the-moment savvy.  They will LOVE you if you make this knapsack for them.

Image #15 close--both ribbons through grommets

 

Each month another of my posts,  complete with a detailed tutorial, will appear as the machine embroidery post.  Working up projects and tutorials for Stitching Sewcial has keep me pretty busy for the last few months.  And I have loved every minute working on these Disney-themed assignments.

Please take a look at this new sewing venture.  If you have a moment and are so inclined I would reeeeeally appreciate any comments posted to Stitching Sewcial.

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Alice in Wonderland Tea Party

Posted on May 27, 2016 by | 12 comments

napkin panned AliceCR

It’s busy, busy, busy in the sewing room. My current project is an Alice in Wonderland linen tea set and I’m loving every minute of it. The new Alice designs at Brother’s iBroidery.com got me so excited that I had to make this. Soon there will be a tutorial for the project which includes a 30″ tablecloth, and 4 napkins.

Baby tatting edges the Madeira applique’ on each corner of the tablecloth which features a Brother My Custom Stitch zig zag feather stitch.  The same corner embellishes each napkin. All four sides are pinstitched.

Along with Alice, the tea party guests include the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, three different Alices, TweedleDum and his twin TweedleDee.

napkin panned White Rabbit

I love having tea parties with my grandchildren. It’s a great situation for talking about manners and etiquette, proper table linens and more. There’s nothing like cookies to motivate a child to hang around the tea table and chat.

Laurel started partying when she was very small. As she grew older and we had a little tea time break during the 3 years I homeschooled her and her brother.  I even managed to work the Boston Tea Party into the conversation. It was just too good an opportunity to miss giving a little history lesson.

Lteaparty1

We often tea partied on the back porch. Apple juice and cookies were always served. For more photos and info about this set click here.

Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, party accessories and ideas

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