Exquisitely Detailed Vintage Baby Dress

Posted on September 20, 2012 | 21 comments
circa 1940 organdy baby dress

circa 1940 organdy baby dress

 

The bassinette skirt I’ve been working on is coming along, but it surely takes a lot of time to arrange the designs.  So while I continue working on that,  I thought you might enjoy looking at this sweet baby dress which has so many exquisite details.  It was given to me by a friend but she knew nothing about its history or origin.

The fabric seems to be a soft organdy, if there is such a thing.  It may just be that it’s old and has lost some–but not all–of its crispness.  Labeled Tiny Tots Originals  hand made Philippines, every stitch is done by hand.  I googled Tiny Tots and could only find references to a company by that name in the garment district of New York City.

The search also turned up other Tiny Tots Original garments for sale on etsy or eBay.  The information is not corroborated, but those garments were dated 1940-1960, though every vendor seemed to be giving it their best guess.

But my-oh-my the details! Continue reading →

21 Comments

Posted in antique textiles, antique/vintage textiles, heirloom sewing, infant clothing

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Fluffy Lambs & Happy Chaos

Posted on September 17, 2012 | 5 comments
bassinette skirt~work in progress

bassinette skirt~work in progress

 

I really haven’t dropped off the face of the earth!  I had hoped to post photos of a finished bassinette skirt several days ago, but instead have only a picture of the work-in-progress project and a synopsis of the last several hectic days.

We’ve had a houseful of grandchildren and their parents.  The happy chaos that ensued has been delightful—-and exhausting! Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, machine embroidery, Nana fun, recipes

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Ruffled Jungle Skirt

Posted on September 11, 2012 | 8 comments

UPDATE:  Just came across this site with excellent tips about sewing on pre-ruffled fabric.  There are two parts to the tutorial so scroll down to part 1 before reading part 2.

skirt-shirt-flat1

The color is really a coral, more like the photo below.

 

 

I’m trying to make my granddaughter Laurel an occasional contemporary garment.  At eight years old, she sometimes balks at wearing the smocked or heirloom dresses I lay out for her to wear for homeschool or church when she is with us.   This little outfit is my attempt to step into the “cool” zone of kid couture.  If it’s not quilting, smocking or heirloom, I am totally out of my comfort zone.  But this should placate her for a while. Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, machine embroidery, serger

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Smocked Diaper Shirt & Rhumba Pants

Posted on September 7, 2012 | 15 comments

shirt pants

 

One more little outfit is ready for our due-at-Christmas granddaughter.    How I LOVE making baby things!

 

pants back

 

The diaper shirt and ruffle-butt bloomers are Swiss pique, trimmed with candy pink microcheck. The ruffles were made on the serger,  finished with a 3-thread rolled edge. Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, infant clothing, serger, smocking

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Quickie Post

Posted on September 4, 2012 | 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 →

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Posted in recipes, uncategorized

Kickoff ’12 and 10 Commandments of Football Fandom

Posted on September 1, 2012 | 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

Troublesome Diaper Shirt

Posted on August 29, 2012 | 16 comments

 

ztroublesomediapershirt1

 

 

I’m still frantically making  toddler toys for Operation Christmas Child so I haven’t had time to write up a new post.  Getting all 50 of these in-the-hoop stuffed dolls and animals out the door is my highest priority right now.   As soon as they are finished, I can get back to stitching baby girl things for our newest granddaughter, due at Christmas.  So this re-run will have to do for now.

It seems especially appropriate, since it is our daughter Rebecca’s baby we are eagerly awaiting.  Read below to see why.

This little diaper shirt will be pulled out of the special items packed away after granddaughter Laurel outgrew them.  To go with it, I’m going to make a pair bloomers with an eyelet edge.  Do you think yellow gingham or solid?

Oooh, I cannot wait to see this precious, long-awaited baby in smocked and heirloom clothing.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Babies are always more trouble than you thought – and more wonderful. Charles Osgood

Even 5 year old Laurel is well aware of the first part of this sentence.  Babies are, in her words, “a LOT of trouble!” Recently, for a homeschool social studies lesson, Continue reading →

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Posted in hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, smocking

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AG Doll Spa Wrap Tutorial & Free ME Designs

Posted on August 25, 2012 | 492 comments

Well, I promised this tutorial would be posted today “if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creeks don’t rise.” I have to tell you that I’m not sure the Lord was willing but the creeks did not rise. So I took the normal water level as a reluctant “okay” from above, even though just about everything else that could have thwarted my goal today did.

After the pictures from my granddaughter’s 8th Spa-tacular Birthday Party were posted, the American Girl spa wrap has gotten a lot of attention, as well as many requests for the long promised tutorial. This is a follow up to the Girlie Spa Wrap for the girl doll owners.

So all day and into the wee hours of early morning, I have held on to this tutorial mission with the determination of a Pit Bull (FYI, I love Pit Bulls). Finally, here it is. Please let me know if you find any errors. I didn’t have the luxury of reviewing this for a day or so before posting it. That makes me really nervous.

Continue reading →

492 Comments

Posted in doll clothing and accessories

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Toddler Toys

Posted on August 22, 2012 | 2 comments

Our church is very active in the Operation Christmas Child program.  This meaningful charity gives a shoebox of presents to individual children around the world who would otherwise receive no Christmas gifts.

I was asked to make something for  the 2-4 year olds, an especially challenging age group. Everything in the box must be safe for little ones who regularly put things like buttons in their mouths.

Another consideration is that 2 year olds are still babies while the 4 year olds are likely marching full stride into the big kid category. The box contents must be appropriate for all  the children in this age range.

 

OCC-animal toys

Anita Goodesign’s Baby Stuffed Animals

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, machine embroidery

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A Great Sewing Getaway/School

Posted on August 20, 2012 | 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 →

12 Comments

Posted in uncategorized