Tag Archives: feather stitch

Easter Dress~Oh NO!

Posted on April 4, 2015 by | 12 comments

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See followup post She Wore the Dress.

Happy Easter to you all!  This is such a joyous season, filled with promise of renewal and new beginnings.  Beautiful worship services, inspiring music, egg hunts and family gatherings all make it so special.

I will enjoy all these blessings, but right now I am dealing with major disappointment–the Easter  dress I made for 2 yo granddaughter Vivian Rose.

For this enormously significant holiday, every mother and grandmother tries to outfit her little darlings in beautiful garments.For me, “tries” is the operative word here.  And believe me I did  try.

 

ME Shout

 

This post is not meant to be all about moaning and wailing, though this Mary Engelbreit illustration captures my feelings pretty accurately.  But I do hope listing the details of my failure will be helpful.  Also included are the few (very few!) good things I did.

So, reluctantly, I post this sad photo of the disastrous dress.

 

Alice all

MISTAKES:  (If you are prone to depression, just skip this and go to the few little success at the end of the post.) Continue reading →

12 Comments

Posted in boys, brother-sister, girls, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery

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Christmas Pillow–not ME

Posted on December 13, 2014 by | 6 comments
no embroidery machine needed!

no embroidery machine needed!

 

It’s not too late to whip up a holiday pillow.  Brother asked me to design a simple Christmas project that did not require an embroidery machine and this is what was created.    A dishtowel with a decorative hem is  teamed up with a bevy of buttons to create a whimsical Christmas tree pillow. It’s a quick and easy way to add a fresh look to your holiday décor and have fun doing it.

The template is at the end of this post, but you could just as easily draw your own.  If you download the .jpg and print it, you can resize as needed. Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in Basic no-embroidery Machine Projects, free patterns and designs, Holiday Projects, home dec, linen blanks

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Feather Stitched Bows

Posted on June 7, 2013 by | 8 comments

t bonnet

There are so many projects and ideas I want to share with you, but time is just too short right now. Vivian Rose is the proud owner of a sweet little smocked popover that I will share with you later and another major project is underway. For now, this re-run~fro, 2010 will have to do.

This T-bonnet is a great little project with some interesting techniques, especially for those who do not use an embroidery machine. I hope new readers will find something of value and those of you who have already seen this post will not mind it the second time around.

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Enchanting as I find this T-bonnet to be, the techniques used in its creation hold even greater interest. At an Elna Convention outside Minneapolis, Melissa Stone, daughter of renown Sarah Howard Stone, taught this project to an eager group of students, including me.

Mind you, this was before the advent of the home embroidery machines. So for anyone who does not have an embroidery machine, this technique is gold. For those who do, the technique has applications beyond this project.

The T-bonnet is de rigueur, standard heirloom sewing. For directions and measurements for a basic t-bonnet, refer to my earlier post, unimaginatively entitled “T-Bonnet.”

bonnet side

In the class with Melissa Stone, we used the pattern measurements from her mother’s book, French Hand Sewing. But Melissa’s innovative idea for embroidering the bow, without the use of a water-soluble marking pen, was very creative. Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, heirloom sewing, techniques

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Coming Home Cap

Posted on January 2, 2010 by | 4 comments

…a little child, born yesterday,
A thing on mother’s milk and kisses fed…
~”Hymn to Mercury”  (one of the Homeric Hymns), translated from Greek by Percy Bysshe Shelley

 

Swiss flannel cap with antique silk grosgrain ribbon and it’s-gotta-get-better featherstitching.

This little guy was not born yesterday, but he certainly has thrived on mother’s milk and kisses.  In fact, if the amount of  milk and kisses he has received were accurately reflected in his size, he would be bigger than a four year-old.  But he is a good sized boy at 10 months and has already worn his last heirloom daygown and bonnet.

cominghomeAincap

Alastair, 2 1/2 months old

 

I think few things are sweeter than a baby wearing a bonnet.  This cap is part of my grandson’s coming home outfit and coordinates with the blanket and daygown shown in earlier posts.  Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing

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T-Bonnet

Posted on September 1, 2009 by | 6 comments

T-Bonnet-MCSAll-BR

Just before Laurel was born, I made this T bonnet for her.  Is there any sweeter sight than a baby in a bonnet?  And she did look absolutely precious in it.  Why I have no picture of her wearing it,  I don’t know.  I suppose I was so overcome with the emotion of holding my first grandchild that I missed many photo opportunities.

Like so many of my projects, this T-bonnet incorporates two of  my favorite techniques, heirloom sewing and machine embroidery.  Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, girls, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, techniques

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