Amy’s Sundresses

Posted on April 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

 

They say the acorn does not fall far from the tree,  and for Judy Day’s little acorn Amy, it certainly is  true.  We all hope our daughters will learn to sew and share our passion for for the art.  Amy has the passion and the talent to sew beautiful, creative things.

She took to sewing like the proverbial duck takes to water. While teaching school full time, working on her master’s degree at night and tending to her pre-school daughter, house and husband,  Amy took up sewing.  And then she ran with it.

She began with traditional sewing on a Babylock Decorators Choice, a Christmas gift from her parents and never looked back.  Now that she has an embroidery machine, she is sewing more than ever, while continuing with all her responsibilities, as well as finishing up her Ph.D. 

Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, girls, heirloom sewing

High End Guest Towel

Posted on April 28, 2010 | 5 comments

This linen guest towel was inspired by an item I saw at a very upscale tea room, reservations required, thank you very much. The PlayGroup Mamas were on an outing and had a fabulous tea experience with a variety of dainty delicacies, scones and clotted cream. On our best behavior, we kept our laughter and conversation to a level less raucous than usual.   After our tea, we drifted out to the adjoining the gift shop.

Heavily stocked with both antique and contemporary linens for bed, bath and kitchen, I saw a hemstitched linen guest towel embroidered with two bumblebees. The hemstitching was plain, not the more intricate Gilucci hemstitching on the pictured towel, and the simple embroidery featured two bumblebees buzzing around a white on white gridded square. Their flight pattern was defined by machine straight stitches in black.

None of this was remarkable. However, the $42 price tag was.  Even more remarkable was the queue of shoppers waiting to check out, two of whom had 2 and 3 towels each. Hmmmmm….I thought. I can do this! Continue reading →

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Posted in linen blanks, machine embroidery

Pretty in Pink

Posted on April 26, 2010 | 5 comments

Some time ago, Mildred Turner and I did a series of doll dressing schools around the country. Each student adopted a 20″ porcelain doll, made by my mother, and proceeded to spend 4 days making a wardrobe. Garments included an heirloom sewn dress–always Mildred’s assignment, a bishop dress and/or nightgown–my assignment, and undergarments, or “unmentionables” we called them.

Each doll came with a biography, much like the American Girls dolls, and the wardrobe reflected the lifestyle and time of the porcelain character. In Atlanta, we dressed Melanie, a 20th century Southern Belle. In North Carolina we dressed Millie Lavonia, modeled after Mildred Lavonia Medford Turner herself.

 

Another time it was a fictional mountain girl, Daisy Renee, named for country flowers and the daughter of Capitol Imports vice president. The Mary Elizabeth doll was my Glenwood home town gal, said to have lived the life of Miss Alice’s sister, circa 1915. Continue reading →

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Posted in doll clothing and accessories, heirloom sewing, smocking, techniques

Antique Lace Bonnet

Posted on April 23, 2010 | 1 comment

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Antique laces have so much detail and intricacy.  Today, few laces are made with the cordonnet outline  threads, the elaborate patterns and the variety ofbackground textures that you find in so many antiques.

If you are fortunate enough to have custody of some of these pieces, deciding how best to use them is often a dilemma. After purchasing several yards of a gorgeous, French, ecru galoon, I chose to use some for a baby bonnet. My goal was to make an heirloom piece that would not see heavy use, though the lace is very sound. One of my vintage McCall’s layette patterns was used, chosen for its simplicity.

Only 3 1/2″ wide, the lace was too narrow to meet the required width from front edge to the horseshoe back. So the shortage was made up with 1 1/2″ French ribbon inserted between the body of the bonnet and the front ruffle. Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, baby accessories, heirloom sewing, techniques

Sunshine on My Shoulders

Posted on April 23, 2010 | 5 comments

 

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This spectacular sundress was made by my friend Judy for her granddaughter. The pattern, Sunshine on my Shoulders, is from Kari Mecca’s very popular book, Sewing with Whimsy. Judy, of course, varied the embellishments somewhat to suit her personal taste.

The little ladybug button, the pearls and beads she nestled into the rick rack flowers on the bodice as well as on those that hang from the rick rack bow, add to the charm of the rick rack flowers.

 

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The pattern is unfamiliar to me, but whether or not it included an embellished back yoke, Judy’s trim and cluster of flowers make the dress almost as lovely from the rear as it is from the front.

 

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. Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, girls, Judy Day's creations, machine embroidery, techniques

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Yellow Rose Heirloom Pillow

Posted on April 22, 2010 | Leave a comment
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It’s hard to predict just what sort of things will speak to a child. From toys to food, their tastes differ and often surprise both parents and grandparents.
 
Laurel loves this pillow. It is her special treat to sleep with it when she spends the night. Frankly, neither side pressed against the sweet cheeks of a 5-year old would seem to make for pleasant dreams. With a galaxy of French knots on the front and pearl buttons on the back, it would be far less comfortable than the pima cotton pillowcases in the children’s room.
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But she loves it and asked me if she could have it when she is grown up. I expect she will own it long before that.

Featured in an article in the Heirloom Quilting series I wrote for Creative Needle magazine. Portions of that article are included in this post. In order to keep this post to a reasonable length, I have left out detailed instructions for piping, sharks’ teeth and the ruffle. Continue reading →

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Posted in hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, home dec, quilts, techniques, Tutorials

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Frog Ballet

Posted on April 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Laurel, comparing sizes with her birthday

It’s nice to have a quick and easy little project in answer to the regularly scheduled question, “Will you make me something, Nana?”

This comfortable two-piece knit outfit is just the sort of thing that Laurel likes to wear in the summer.  The skirt features three froggy ballerinas from Sew Many Designs’ (www.sewmanydesigns.com) Feelin’ Froggy applique’ collection.  The shirt is embroidered with a pair of ballet slippers hanging from a floral swag.

Machine embroidered applique’  is especially suitable for knits because the designs are usually not as stitch intensive a filled motif.  Sew Many Designs is one of my favorite sites.   Their collections cover every subject,  are cute as can be and are reasonably priced.  And  they always stitch out beautifully.

 

It is so hard to find children’s wear like this, with no embroidery or screen printing.  I bought a set in blue and red, but wish I had bought one of each color available.  Then the next time she asks me to make her something, I can whip something up in a heartbeat.

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Posted in clothing, embroidery blanks, girls, machine embroidery

One More Pillowcase Monogram

Posted on April 19, 2010 | Leave a comment

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It’s no secret that pima cotton pillowcases are one of my favorite wedding and shower gifts. The king size pillowslip shown is one of a set of six made for a wedding shower gift.

There is nothing very remarkable about them, except that the bride-to-be is a rather tailored young lady whose personal taste does not gravitate to flowery designs or frilly housewares, which is exactly where my preferences lie.

So when I opened my BuzzXplore program and pulled up this monogram alphabet from Martha Pullen’s 2002 Embroidery Club, I was satisfied that it would fill the bill. Continue reading →

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Posted in home dec, machine embroidery

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Spring is Sprung

Posted on April 18, 2010 | 2 comments

Every child is born a naturalist. His eyes are, by nature, open to the glories of the stars, the beauty of the flowers and the mystery of life. R. Search      

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After the coldest Florida winter in memory, spring weather is more than welcome.  The wildflowers are in full bloom, along with all the glories that come with the season.

 

Laurel loves flowers and hats and smocked dresses.

Laurel loves flowers and hats and smocked dresses.

 

Laurel is shown here in a sweet department store smocked dress that I bought for $4.  My friend, Judy Day, says it will be a cold day in***~~~insert “on the equator“~~~when her granddaughters will be wearing retail smocked dresses. I’m neither so proud nor so productive that I can pass up a bargain like this.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Nana fun, smocking

Antique Pink Bullion Baby Dress

Posted on April 17, 2010 | Leave a comment

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It seems that everyone who sews finds special joy in creating dainty baby things. I’ve made my fair share and yet I look forward to making more as I hope for yet another grandchild. Given my enthusiasm for sewing what my friend Janice Kay calls “bitty baby things,” I still cannot resist buying antique dresses when I come across a sweet one.

 

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Posted in antique textiles, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing