Baby’s Easter Dress

Posted on April 12, 2014 by | 14 comments
dress pink2

Vivian Rose’s white Easter dress with pink slip

UPDATE:  Finally I have a photo of Vivian Rose in her Easter dress.

VR Easter 14 crop

 

NOTE:  Please excuse the poor quality of these photos. They were taken midday, making it nearly impossible to get a shot without shadows.  The breeze was blowing and the dress kept moving.  And photography is not my strong suit.

Are you all busy with Easter sewing?  Busy, busy, busy has been the status around here for some time and it’s not been all about sewing.  With Aunt Rheeta’s visit,  Rebecca’s 3-day visit with Alastair and Vivian Rose,  and sleepovers with our other two grandchildren, progress on Easter outfits is way behind schedule.  But I loved every minute of these visits and have no regrets.

During that time, however, I did manage to make some progress on  Vivian Rose’s holiday finery and now that things have quieted down, I  have just finished her dress and slip.

 

dress no slip

dress without pink slip

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Posted in hand embroidery, infant clothing, machine embroidery, shadow work, uncategorized

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Rheeta’s Visit ~Sweat Shop or Working Vacation?

Posted on April 8, 2014 by | 26 comments
Rheeta

Aunt Rheeta has fallen in love with my Brother Quattro.

What a fabulous time we have had with my dear Aunt Rheeta.  She and her little apricot poodle, Molly, visited us here in Florida to escape the bitter Indiana winter and do a little sewing.  As it happened, she did more than a little.  In fact, my sewing room was like a sweat shop.  She accomplished so much!  Having an in-house sewing buddy was such fun.

We worked together, with most of the design arrangement done by me and most of the sewing done by her.    She is no newcomer to machine embroidery, only new to my Brother Quattro which she loved.

Rheeta has several major projects under her belt, including a spectacular embroidered linen communion cloth for her church, an exquisitely embroidered Bible cover and more.

Her primary goal was to finish high school graduation gifts for her granddaughter Alexa, a rising freshman at Texas A & M.  Rheeta’s first project was the requisite college fleece throw in school colors.

Edges are finished with a 3-thread wide serge.

Edges are finished with a 3-thread wide serge.  We didn’t worry about the wrinkles as the blanket was soon be packed tightly into her over packed suitcase for the trip home to Indiana.

 

The embroidery is Applique Market’s College Double Applique Alphabet.  As you can see, Rheeta used only the outline.  I love this versatile collection which comes with letters in

Since her acceptance letter,  Alexa has dressed her 4 lb. dog in a tiny, maroon, Texas  A & M shirt.  Certainly, she will be pleased with this fleece blanket.

 

Rheeta's granddaughter is, indeed, Princess of Quite a Lot of Laundry!

Rheeta’s granddaughter is, indeed, Princess of Quite a Lot of Laundry!

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Posted in bags, home dec, machine embroidery, serger

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Expo Inspiration+Free ME Yo-Yo’s

Posted on March 31, 2014 by | 156 comments
Pattern: Flamingo Cove

Pattern: Flamingo Cove    Notice the yo-yo’s on the fish, turtles, crab, pelicans, flamingos, bush and more.  My favorite is the sun yo-yo, surrounded by rick rack.

 

The Lakeland Quilt and Sewing Expo in Lakeland was the highlight of last week for Suzanne Sawko and me.  We were swamped with inspiration!  Our last minute trip was scheduled too late for us to register for classes, but the vendors and quilt displays made the trip more than worth while.

 

Lion's Den

Lion’s Den pattern

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156 Comments

Posted in antique/vintage textiles, embroidery blanks, Holiday Projects, linen blanks, machine embroidery, quilts

Fundraiser Pre-School Cot Sheet

Posted on March 23, 2014 by | 5 comments

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Each of us who sews is asked occasionally to make something for a fundraiser.   It feels good to use our skills for a worthy cause and reminds us that we have the power to make this world a better (if only slightly) place because we can sew.

 

woman sews

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Posted in machine embroidery

I’m not sewing now because……

Posted on March 14, 2014 by | 12 comments

Spring has sprung in central Florida.I’m not sewing now because this is the most glorious time of year in the most glorious place to live.  I’m not sewing now because I love to be outside in the midst of blooming azaleas, dogwood, and roses with the sweet perfume of citrus blossoms in the air.  And I’m not sewing now  because there is just so much gardening that needs to be done!

Az W drive

Orchid pink azaleas border one side of the driveway from the road until it gets to the Confederate jasmine climbing a palm tree.  The leafless shrub to the right is a gorgeous oakleaf hydrangea who is slow to awaken from winter. Those leaves need raking.

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My sewing room looks over this bed of roses, but the view is better from outside. These bushes need fertilizer.

This is what I see from that lattice window in my sewing room. But again, seein the bouganvillea from outside is better. It needs to be tied up to the porch.

This is what I see from the latticed window in my sewing room. But again, seeing the bouganvillea from outside is better. That thorny climber needs to be tied up to the porch.

bouganvillea.jpg

Another bouganvillea grows on the opposite end of the back porch and hangs down to the kitchen windows.  An aggressive climber, it is trying to get into Bob’s upstairs study. It needs to be cut back.

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Posted in my garden

A Happy Little Dress

Posted on March 9, 2014 by | 6 comments
happy dress front

Children’s Corner Katina pattern.   Extra buttons were added so the strap length could be easily adjusted when the dress is tried on. If not needed, the upper MOP buttons will be removed.

 

With its cheerful colors and simple design, this dress just makes me smile. The combination of Liberty of London tanna lawn, blue gingham checks, and yellow whipstitch piping seems to chirp predictions of happy days filled with warm sunshine, blue skies, and colorful flowers.

 

smocking up close

 

A bit of smocking front and back makes Katina just the sort of cute and comfortable  frock I’d like my 14 month old granddaughter to wear all summer long.

 

happy dress back

Katina back

 

I’d like to have added a cute hairbow to the ensemble but Vivian Rose has expressed a very strong dislike for anything on her head—except for strawberries and other food she rubs in.    Sigh…

Of course, a pair of ruffle bottom bloomers was needed to finish the outfit.  The edges of the 2 1/2″ wide ruffles are serged with a 3 thread rolled edge, using wooly nylon in  the upper looper.

 

bloomer ruffles Continue reading →

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Posted in Basic no-embroidery Machine Projects, girls, serger, smocking

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My Mother’s Porcelain Dolls for Sale

Posted on March 5, 2014 by | 22 comments
Bonnie Babe Bow

SOLD

ALL  DOLLS ARE SOLD

My mother, Dollie Manning, was a very talented doll maker.  For several years, she teamed up with Lezette Thomason who sold the Lilliputian dolls at sewing events such as the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion.  Most of the dolls are signed, but a few were missed in the rush to meet a deadline.

 

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This illustration is on the front of an old Needlecraft magazine. I love those old covers.  I’m not sure what the crutch is about, but the image reminds me of my mother surrounded by her dolls.

 

The prices are shown but do not include shipping or insurance.  If you would like any of these babies, just leave your request as a comment or send an e-mail to NCcabin@aol.com.

I’ve held onto these dolls for several years, gifting some to my granddaughters and putting others away for future birthdays and Christmas presents.   But these naked babies need to be liberated from the drawer in my sewing room.  They also need some clothes!

Bonnie Babe Bow (there is another just like her but without the bow, shown further down) is just a precious little girl and so cute when she wears a smocked bishop dress. Continue reading →

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“Git ‘er done” Projects

Posted on February 25, 2014 by | 8 comments
simple, everyday onesie with lamb embroidery

Git ‘er done #1—simple, everyday onesie with machine embroidered lambs from Ultimate Baby Layette collection by Martha Pullen.

 

Though many of us would prefer to spend all of our sewing hours stitching heirloom christening gowns, lacy Easter dresses and smocked bishops,  there are many less exciting projects that demand our time–and I’m not talking about cooking or cleaning.  My “git ‘er done” list has gotten so long that I had to get a few out the door.

DEFINITION for readers living outside of  US South:  It’s southern dialect for “Get her (‘er) done” — an imperative statement expressing a desire to start a job or complete an unfinished task.

Many objects and actions have a feminine persona (like when a farmer refers to his truck as a she, or when a captain of a ship calls his vessel a she). In the same way, a task may be given a feminine context. In the southern American English dialect, something can be “gotten done.” Hence, “Git’r done.” Continue reading →

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Posted in church projects, embroidery blanks, infant clothing, machine embroidery

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Parade Catastrophe

Posted on February 21, 2014 by | 16 comments

parade dress all2

It’s a good thing that I bought 9 yards of  Michael Miller’s Children on Parade fabric, because I think I will need every inch of it to get one dress to look like  Cheryle’s.   I’m sure she is SuperWoman for stitching such a perfect little garment. I won’t bore you with the painful details of the errors made while trying to duplicate her pretty little parade dress.  Most of my mistakes were the result of my jumping in, both feet first, without checking the depth of the water. Continue reading →

16 Comments

Posted in Basic no-embroidery Machine Projects, girls

A Valentine Love Story

Posted on February 14, 2014 by | 11 comments

 

sewIvechosen you

 

Happy Valentine’s Day to dear readers of Janice Ferguson Sews. I am so grateful that you read this blog and for your kind and helpful comments. And I hope today there is a Whitman Sampler and a dozen roses delivered to you by a loved one.

 

vintage-victorian-valentine-card-cherub-messenger-pulling-cart-with-roses

It’s hard to read the writing on the boxes but I’m pretty sure they say Whitman, Godiva, and Russell Stover.

 

A year has gone by since this was originally posted.  Still, it remains the most touching Valentine story I can share with you.  My 94 year old Uncle Richard and his bride, Carmen, have just celebrated their first wedding anniversary.  Well done, Cupid. Continue reading →

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