The stockings were hung…

VR stocking all

by the chimney with care,”  by each of my grandchildren and a few others.  My well-organized, got-it-together daughter and daughter-in-law saw to it.  Both young ladies put the finishing touches on their Christmas trees and decorations the day after Thanksgiving.

Me?   I’ve been busy making stockings and have finally finished.  I’m thinking maybe sometime soon I’ll get around to  packing up the cornucopia on the dining room table and all the fall wreaths at the doors.  Then I’ll decorate.

A few months after Vivian Rose was born, my Rebecca gave a heads up that she decorates the day after Thanksgiving.  Of course, Vivian Rose would need a stocking this year.  Of course, I put that on my to-do list sometime in March, in the midst of Easter sewing.

Tick tock tick tock…..but I lacked inspiration.  Finally, Rebecca suggested a gingerbread theme.  Then I was off and running.

 

VR stocking cuff

 

The body is just an inexpensive cotton with the toe, heel, cuff, and piping made from red featherwale corduroy.    The jumbo chenille rick rack that had been launguishing in my stash for several years nicely mimicked the buttercream frosting we use on gingerbread cookies. Continue reading

FREE Thanksgiving Designs Alert and Thankful Sewing

3 aprons

Precious, decades old friendships are near the top of the list when I count my blessings.   So when Catherine (one of the PlayGroup Mamas) asked me to embroider three apron blanks for Thanksgiving, I was happy for the opportunity to do something for her. Both of her sons and her only grandchild live in far-off Colorado where she will be spending Thanksgiving.  The aprons are for her two daughters-in-law and one of their sisters, all three of whom will  be cooking.  All the while, Catherine will be grinning ear to ear as she revels in the joy of grandmotherhood with one year old Jay.

 

Apron Hildie

The FREE wreath design (plus a cute FREE turkey through November 30) design is available at Embroidery Library.  I enjoyed playing with different colors, including some variegated threads so each apron is a little different from the others.  The alphabet used for the names is Loralie’s Loralesque.   Continue reading

Quick Christmas Toys~OCC

OCC table banner

 

What a wonderful organization Operation Christmas Child is! Shoe boxes filled with age/gender appropriate gifts are given to children who might otherwise receive no gifts on this most special holiday.  These are children in war torn areas, in refugee camps, and in areas of disaster like the Philippines.

 

OCC stuffies

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Free Design for Music Lovers

sings well Fred cr

For free design~TEXT ONLY~leave your request as a comment.

At a recent church supper, Bob and I were seated at a table with Fred, our beloved Minister of Music, along with vibrant Rabelle and Harold, a  couple who has been involved in nearly every community musical event in the past 60 years.

In the dinner conversation, of course there was much discussion about music.  Rabelle brought up St. Augustine’s quote, “He who sings prays twice.” All the music gurus knew it well, while neither my dear husband nor I had ever heard this phrase.  Maybe that was because neither of us sings and the only way we know to pray twice is to pray twice.

In anticipation of Fred’s retirment last week, I wanted to make something which showed appreciation for all he has done for our church.  For 12 years, he has directed spiritually uplifting choir music and arranged church events with details and pageantry to enrich our worship experience.  Fred has orchestrated moving music and drama for memorable Christmas Eve services,

 

Christmas 12

Christmas Eve ’12

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Spectacularly Made by Cheryle Cole-Bennett

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Rosey Alphabet from Hang To Dry is the source of the “P” and the flowers. The font for Page is Sweet Tart from 8 Claws and a Paw. The bib is an ITH design from FiveStarFonts.

Have you ever seen a sweeter combination of fabric and design?  Like everything Cheryle Cole-Bennett makes,  it is perfectly stitched and perfectly coordinated.  Any new mother who received a set like this would likely be dancing on the ceiling between each feeding and diapering session (if she weren’t too exhausted).

This set and everything featured here was made by Cheryle, an incredibly talented designer.  I happened upon her projects while surfing the very active, broad spectrum SewForum.com site which is graciously sponsored by AllBrands.com.  The forum is one you must join in order to have access.  Just do it–you’ll be glad you did.

 

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Here’s a close up of the onesie.  Cheryle mentioned a modification she made. “The P was edited to use the flower component from a different letter.” Can you see that the flowers are 3 dimensional?

After downloading many of my favorite photos from SewForum into my computer file called “pics inspiration,” I noticed that several were  “ccb” (Cheryle) submissions.   When I saw her preciously pink Roses for Page,  I had to know more about this person. Continue reading

Washaway Thank You Gift

apple bag-001

 

 

When you need to give a little thank you gift, this quick, fun little item is just the ticket.  It’s the kind of thing  that won’t make the recipient feel beholden, like the offer of a kidney or your  firstborn.   It’s a dishtowel, sewn with washaway (water soluble) thread into a bag that holds apples or whatever, but only temporarily.

My friend Pat did me a great favor and I needed to thank her.   Your lives are probably as tightly scheduled as I mine, so you will understand that when I decided at the last minute to take a trip to North Carolina, there were complications.  One of these complications was that I had to find someone to take my turn to bring dessert for 20 ladies at my monthly church circle Bible study.  My friend Pat was that someone.

As a thank you, I brought some crisp North Carolina apples for her.  But I needed a nicer presentation than a plastic WalMart sack so I embroidered and sewed this bag from my oh-so-handy stash of vintage gingham trim dishtowels from All About Blanks.  I keep a hefty supply all washed, starched and pressed in my sewing room and find so many uses for them. Continue reading

Good Times~Autumn Leaves, Mountains, Grandchildren

The tiny red dot is Alastair 4, just in front of our cabin.

The tiny figure in the road just in front of our cabin is Alastair, 4, examining a fuzzy caterpillar.

 

What a delightful week we just spent at our cabin in the North Carolina Mountains.  Except for grandson Alastair, it was a girls’ getaway.  With my daughter Rebecca,

 

Rebecca and Alastair

Rebecca and Alastair

her 9 month old daughter Vivian Rose,

bunny profile

Vivian Rose in her warm bunny jammies, protecting her from the bitter 34 degree weather.

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Down the Mountain~Sewing Store

At the last minute, I decided to join my darling daughter Rebecca on her trip to our family cabin in the mountains of North Carolina.   We loaded the car with her  four year-old Alastair, 9 month old Vivian Rose and the children’s  great Auntie Jeannette who is younger-than- springtime even though she is almost my age.   We  drove through the night while the children slept.

Amid the glorious fall colors, we are enjoying fabulous fun and quality family time.

When we arrived, I was pleased to see this  fall pumpkin pillow nestled on the couch,  announcing the season.

fall pumpkin pillowLW

I’ve managed to get a little smocking done but will share that project with you later.  Meanwhile,  I came across this post draft  written earlier in the summer and want to share it with you.  This shop might have something you’ve been looking for.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After several days of quiet at the cabin, we drove down the mountain and into Boone, about 10 miles away.  I always like to stop at the only sewing spot in the area, a great shop called   Sew Original.

Quilting seems to be their main focus, but they also have have lovely heirloom fabrics and smocking supplies.  There were racks of new patterns but also some old classics that I rarely see in other stores, like Sarah Hoard Stone’s Basic Yoke in every size.  This is one which I have used very frequently, for Rebecca years ago and recently for granddaughter Laurel Cade.

Sew Original also has the optional pattern packages for her second book, French Handsewing for Infants.

I treasure these patterns.

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Halloween for Baby

Candy Corn all

 

I’m packing for a trip to our cabin in North Carolina for some quality time with daughter Rebecca and her two children, 4 year old Alastair,  9 month old Vivian Rose and  Auntie Jeannette (Alastair’s NanNan).  We’re looking forward to a week of fall color and relaxation.  Actually, I’m not sure any  relaxation is possible with two little ones running around all day and Vivian Rose nursing 2-3 time through the night.  But with three adults, at least one of us should be relatively free at any given moment.

Post Trip UPDATE:  WRONG!!!!  It required one adult per child and one to cook meals and prepare Alastair’s non-stop snacks.  He must be having a growth spurt.

Our Florida baby girl would need some warm clothes, so I teamed up off-the-rack fleece pants and leggings with a few tops.  One, of course, had to have a Halloween theme. Continue reading

New Little Sewing Enthusiast and Free ME Design

aurel encouraged Alyssa. The girls sewed in their pajamas until long past bedtime.

Laurel encouraged Alyssa. The girls sewed in their pajamas until long past bedtime.

 

What a fabulous weekend we had!   Two grandchildren are a bundle of fun, but including a third child added so much to the equation.

Additionally,  I had that pleasure of introducing that child to the wonders of sewing!

When my granddaughter learned that her good friend Alyssa had been asking  for sewing lessons,  Laurel asked if she could invite her to spend the weekend with us. We all had a grand  time.

 

A N finished emb

If you would like this Scripture, post your request as a comment. The design will be e-mailed to you.

 

We started with embroidery because she had a specific project in mind for her pastor father.  He recently answered a call to another church and she wanted to embroider one of his favorite Scripture verses to hang in the new office.

Psalm 19:14 was not in my now very extensive collection of Bible verse designs—thank you Designs by JuJu and Sew Bird’s Stitches–so I worked up the text quickly and easily with my Brother PE-Design.   It certainly is appropriate for a preacher. Continue reading