Gingerbread Christmas Dress

Posted on December 22, 2013 by | 6 comments

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Vivian Rose’s first Christmas dress has a gingerbread theme.   With a long standing family tradition of making holiday gingerbread houses, I knew her mother would like it.  Her brother sported gingerbread in his first Christmas outfit.  This is important because Baby Girl doesn’t care one way or another.

 

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trying to climb down off her father’s lap at her brother’s Christmas program

 

It was first worn for Big Brother Alastair’s Christmas program.  She would have looked better with her long sleeve white shirt with a lettuce leaf finish at the cuffs and collar, but it was a very warm day, too warm for long sleeves.  Ahhh,  the joy of winter in Florida! Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

Christmas Dress Embossed

Posted on December 19, 2013 by | 13 comments
Laurel, fighting off the passion vine

Laurel, fighting off the passion vine which is tumbling down the arbor

 

Hurrah!  The problems with my server seem to be resolved so Janice Ferguson Sews is back!  After all this time, I hope there are still a few readers left.  There are so many things lined up that I want to share with you.  This is the first.

Granddaughter Laurel’s dress was meant to be just a church frock.  But when time got away from me, it was upgraded to her Christmas dress.  Nonetheless, she wore it to church the first Sunday of Dec. because I had nothing else made up for her.

These pitiful pictures were taken in a rush after church and before Laurel had to hurry off to another event.  And if you think this photo is bad, wait until you see the others!  But they do show you the details of the dress.  I should have taken a minute or two to press her dress and sweep the walk.

 

L gate top

bodice embossed with Embossed Frame Monogram Alphabet from Designs by JuJu

The bodice is burgundy cotton velveteen, the skirt a heavy poly silk.  The sleeves and neckline are bound with poly silk bias.  Since I first saw the embossed designs, I’ve been wanting to stitch one.  When planning this dress,  I realized the velveteen was a perfect fabric for this  technique. Continue reading →

13 Comments

Posted in girls, hairbows, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

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Precious Boy Child Blanket

Posted on December 13, 2013 by | 8 comments
cotton flannel blanket with machine embroidery

cotton flannel blanket with machine embroidery

This blanket was made for the newest, cutest addition to our church family.  Much as I have always wanted to make a Precious Child of God pillow or blanket, I couldn’t resist emphasizing that this baby is a boy child.  Born to a family with adorable two daughters, I would guess that they are extremely  pleased to welcome a baby made of  “snips and snails and puppy dog tails.”

The blanket is a lovely, soft, 36″ x 50″ plush 100% cotton flannel, one of several I bought on clearance a long time ago (does that surprise any of you?).   The border hemline is embellished with the zig zag feather stitch I created in the My Custom Stitch feature on my Brother embroidery machine.   For those of you who have this capability, I would be happy to send the stitch.  But it can not be opened or read by anything but a Brother machine with this feature. Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, machine embroidery

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Stocking Gallery

Posted on December 11, 2013 by | 5 comments

stocking gina all

a quick charity fundraiser project

Where’s Waldo?  Where has www.janicefergusonsews.com  been?  According to my savvy son-in-law, the problem was with my server. Humphhhh, no tip for this server. But this blog is back and so am I and I have so much to share with you.

While the blog was down, I have been doing a lot of sewing.  Many of the Christmas projects are finally finished and ready for the big day. 

Do you all make a lot of stockings?  Have you made one for each member of the family?  Do you enjoy stitching these?  It seems everywhere I look in the sewing world, stockings are being cranked out in great numbers.  It seems some families like to purchase or make new stockings each year. 

It’s a one-time shot for the Fergusons.  In this family, you get one stocking and you darn well better like it.  Or you can get your own from Cracker Barrel or WalMart. No do-overs from me.

Alastairstocking

Because I make just one, well except for grandson  Alastair’s temporary stocking.  But that was a special situation.

AlChristmastockingwhole Continue reading →

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Posted in Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, Nana fun, serger

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The stockings were hung…

Posted on December 4, 2013 by | 24 comments

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 →

24 Comments

Posted in Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

FREE Thanksgiving Designs Alert and Thankful Sewing

Posted on November 21, 2013 by | 10 comments

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 →

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Posted in boys, embroidery blanks, free patterns and designs, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

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Quick Christmas Toys~OCC

Posted on November 18, 2013 by | 10 comments

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

Continue reading →

10 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, church projects, embroidery blanks, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, Nana fun

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Free Design for Music Lovers

Posted on November 12, 2013 by | 36 comments
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

Continue reading →

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Posted in church projects, machine embroidery, recipes

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Spectacularly Made by Cheryle Cole-Bennett

Posted on November 8, 2013 by | 26 comments
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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 →

26 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, infant clothing, machine embroidery

Washaway Thank You Gift

Posted on November 3, 2013 by | 15 comments

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 →

15 Comments

Posted in embroidery blanks, linen blanks, machine embroidery

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