“As pretty as Walt Disney’s dinosaur”

Posted on May 11, 2010 | 2 comments

…….the ultimate compliment from Lucius Jackson, age 7

Judy Day made matching Easter dresses for her 6-year old granddaughters. Though the girls live hundreds of miles apart, the cousins share a camaraderie built largely on their grandmother’s love and sewing creations.

The Swiss batiste bodice of the girls’ Easter dresses are machine embroidered with shadow work monograms from Suzanne Hinshaw. The skirts are an exquisite 27″ Swiss embroidery, purchased a few years ago from www.farmhousefabrics.com Tied at the waist with a pink satin ribbon, the dresses are simple but elegant.

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Posted in clothing, girls, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery

Mickey Mouse Outfit

Posted on May 9, 2010 | Leave a comment

Our son took his family to DisneyWorld on Mother’s Day to celebrate Laurel’s 6th birthday. Her princess shirt was shown in a previous post and, as expected, our little Disney Princess fan loved it.

Laurel’s shirt with added jewels and French knots

Robert’s tee shirt features a 5×7 Mickey from the Big Magic card. The added grass is from Fil Tire’ and Fancywork Elements, a collection done by Suzanne Sawko and me. I use this grass very frequently. Somehow, to my eye, it just doesn’t seem right to have a figure floating on a shirt, walking on air. So I often add the grass as a foothold. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, clothing, Disney, embroidery blanks, machine embroidery

Baskets of Roses

Posted on May 9, 2010 | Leave a comment

“It will never rain roses. When we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses.“George Elliot

 

basketofroseswhole2Brite

 

I’m having a hard time getting out of the potting shed and into my sewing room. Today, Bob and I relocated 3 dogwood seedlings from beds around the dogwood tree to an azalea bed. Almost 3 dozen cuttings of coleus, impatiens, Swedish ivy and purple sweet potato vine were potted up.

 

basketofrosesnetting2Brite

 

From the side yard rose garden, where an oak tree has grown so tall that it casts too much shade,  the first of many rose bushes was transplanted to a sunnier location. And what seemed like miles of wild blackberry vines were dug up from all over the yard…”and miles to go before I sleep.”

 

basketofrosescornerBrite

 

Most of my rose cuttings have rooted and I hope we can get a few planted tomorrow, because according to George Elliot, when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses. And I always want more roses.

basketofrosescan11

 

Which is why I took the photo of this tabletopper in the potting shed. Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, home dec, machine embroidery, techniques

Pincushions & Bumblebees & Free Design

Posted on May 8, 2010 | 4 comments

Maartha pc

 

I can’t seem to get bumblebees out of my mind. Like a song that keeps playing over and over in your head, the bumblebees will not leave me alone.

 

antique heart

vintage 1940

 

As I look over old projects, I realize that Charleen Madsen’s bees are buzzing on more of my creations than I realized. Photos have already been posted of Laurel’s Bee Happy outfit, the bee placemats and napkins and the linen guest towel. But there is more.

The two oval pin cushions were projects for classes I taught in Huntsville for Martha Pullen, in San Juan for Luis Medina, the Brother dealer there. The red yo-yo was included for technique, but also reminds me of the little strawberry that hangs from the most popular pincushion of all time, the tomato.

 

San Juan project

 

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Posted in free patterns and designs, machine embroidery, uncategorized

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Cinderella Fan

Posted on May 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

 

For Laurel’s 6th birthday, the family is going to DisneyWorld.  Like most post-toddler to pre-teen girls, she is fascinated by the Disney Princesses.  Her Cinderella panties are always the first to be selected when the fresh laundry is folded and put in her drawer.

I’ve always made matching outfits for Laurel and Robert to wear to DisneyWorld. They enjoy knowing that no one else in the world has an outfit just like theirs.

For each visit, Laurel wears her latest Minnie dress and Robert his newest Mickey Jon-Jon, the outfits coordinated in fabric and primary mouse colors, red, black and white. Just 15 months apart in age, they are nearly the same size and always draw admiring glances. Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, Disney, embroidery blanks, girls, machine embroidery

Another Boy Shirt

Posted on May 6, 2010 | Leave a comment

Sewing for girls and babies is pure joy. Little boys, however, and even bigger ones, cannot be left high and dry when the girls and babies are showered with stitched delights.

Alastair is too little to care, so long as he has his blankie.   And it is still fun and satisfying to make things for him.

But I try, always, to keep things even between Robert and Laurel. Robert can count, add, subtract and compare amounts. He raced through the “more” and “fewer” work pages in his math curriculum as quickly as he rides his scooter down our sloped driveway.  He would know right away that none  for him is fewer than one for Laurel.  He keeps score, like most children. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, clothing, machine embroidery

Study in Stippling

Posted on May 4, 2010 | 2 comments

26 x 28″

When I saw the tiny 1″ square pattern advertisement in a quilting magazine, I just had to have the pattern for this wallhanging. When it arrived, I was not disappointed.

I’d like to share the name, but the pattern seems to have disappeared from the “quilt patterns” box. Maybe some day it will turn up in my “purses and accessories” or “home dec” box, but for now, it is MIA.

The only modification I made to the pattern was the floral border. This was to be made of 3 pieces of fabric, a stripe, then floral and then another stripe. Instead, I used fabric that included all three, making construction quicker and easier.  I had only to mitre the strip into a rectangle.

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Posted in home dec, quilts, techniques

Out of Retirement Pinafore

Posted on May 2, 2010 | 1 comment

pinafore all

 

After a fabulous weekend with both of our son and daughter and their families, I started pulling out some of Rebecca’s dresses that have been packed away for Laurel. Sadly, many are already outgrown, as I missed the small window of opportunity to pull  them out for a second generation.  But this one is out of retirement.

 

It hurts to see the rippled yoke. I do a better job now.

It hurts to see the rippled yoke. I do a better job now.

 

The Little Sunday Dresses pinafore is just the right size for Laurel now.  Smocked with Ellen McCarn’s monogram, the skirt and shoulder ruffles are Swiss embroideries from Capitol Imports.  The bodice is Swiss batiste.

I had planned to pick out the monogram and re-smock it with Laurel’s initials. But the stitches are  just old enough (25 years) and the blue floss just dark enough that I’m afraid the color may have marked the fabric permanently. So I’m just going to leave it.

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Posted in clothing, girls, heirloom sewing, Second Time Around, smocking

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Babylock Christening Gown

Posted on May 2, 2010 | 3 comments

gown all

This christening gown was the main project for the Babylock school I taught at Martha Pullen’s school in Huntsville, AL, a few years ago.

The ecru and white combination has always seemed the height of elegance to me. Also, since photos had to be posted on the school web site, the ecru embroidery showed up much better than if the embroidery had been white on white.

 

bodice center

 

It seems to me that anytime Swiss batiste, imported trims and heirloom sewing techniques are combined, the result is likely to be something beautiful. In this case, the classic christening gown is a melange of Swiss batiste, French lace and entredeux.

 

full bodice

Elaborately embellished, it includes classic details such as point de Paris, Madeira appliqué, shaped French Val lace, feather stitching, pin tucks, twin needle shadow work, and delicate embroidery. Also incorporated into the gown’s design is Lace Tape, a recently rediscovered heirloom trim, applied as a shadow appliqué on the wrong side of the batiste.

 

back

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Posted in clothing, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, lace tape, machine embroidery, Madeira applique, techniques

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Treehouse Cafe

Posted on April 30, 2010 | Leave a comment
If becoming a grandmother was only a matter of choice, I should advise every one of you straight away to become one. There is no fun for old people like it!~Hannah Whithall Smith
NOTE: It’s all this old English major can do to scratch out “was” and insert “were.” What ever happened to the subjunctive mood in English? But I must respect the quotation marks. See end of post…….

Today, as planned, my little homeschoolers had lunch in the treehouse. Laurel was appropriately dressed in her ladybug knit outfit (see earlier post Frog Ballet), made from an inexpensive blank set from WalMart.

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Posted in clothing, embroidery blanks, girls, machine embroidery, Nana fun