Tag Archives: heirloom sewing

Alastair’s Hurry-up Easter Suit

Posted on April 28, 2014 by | 11 comments
A Easter suit

I know this outfit is crooked on the hanger. There was a stiff breeze blowing and I could not keep the shirt hanging properly.

 

We always talk about how busy we are, but I have never let other things make me cut it so close with Easter outfits for the grandchildren.  Just like when my children were small, I was up until after midnight Saturday before Easter.

 

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But I finished all four outfits.

Alastair’s Easter suit was a very satisfying project.  Like few hurry-up projects, it finished up quite nicely, leaving me  generally pleased.   I learned that sometimes surrendering my picky-ness for a rush project is okay.  It is more important to have an  OK outfit done for Easter than an up- to-my-picky-standards outfit done a week later.  This was made in about a day and a half, and those were busy days aside from sewing.

 

goods A suit Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, serger

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Think Spring Dress

Posted on February 8, 2014 by | 21 comments

UPDATE: There have been several inquiries about the sleeve finish so the process is detailed at the end of this post (below the groundhog eating wolf).

It’s been so long since there has been a new post at  Janice Ferguson Sews that faithful readers might have thought that I was missing in action. I’ve been tending my dear husband who had knee replacement surgery two weeks ago. Post-op he spent a week at the same rehab center where I recuperated from my joint surgeries and gained some valuable insights into life.

So I have been spending time with him, running errands and doing his many, many household chores. Whew! That man does more around here than I ever realized! He’s my grocery shopper, gardener, pool boy, morning feral cat feeder, garbage hauler, very best friend, and more. I have really missed him.

At last, he’s back home, stepping lightly with his gentleman’s cane and walking the fast track to a complete recovery.

That's not really him. And it's not really me.

That’s not really him. And it’s not really me.

And I’m back too, with a finished project to share with you.

This cheerful little dress just makes me grin. Looking at it reminds me of our Florida springtime with raspberry pink azaleas, white dogwoods and the bright turquois waters of nearby Blue Springs.The fabric says spring to me.

think spring dress all recol Continue reading →

21 Comments

Posted in Basic no-embroidery Machine Projects, girls, heirloom sewing, smocking

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Sewing up Foster Love

Posted on September 6, 2013 by | 10 comments

foster-care-kids-need-love-too

NOTE:  Some readers have requested advance warning of an upcoming Nursery Closet Sale, so here it is.  Coming soon, probably Monday morning,  Nursery Closet Sale #8 which includes a linen shadow work burp cloth, pique hand embroidered sunsuit, pink bubble smocked with Scotties, sweet flannel wide brimmed bonnet, and more.~~~

Recently, a reader of this blog sent a heartwarming e-mail which is posted below.  It details the thoughtful efforts of Jennifer, a foster mother, and her husband who have opened their home to foster children.  This couple goes far beyond providing food, clothing and shelter and Jennifer’s sewing contributes mightily to the children’s loving care.

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove . .  But the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” -Forest E. Witcraft

Charity sewing is not a new topic and many of you readers are actively involved in a multitude of worthy, meaningful causes.  But Jennifer takes an entirely different approach than I have ever read or heard about.  She stitches love into garments and goes even further to make permanent photo memories for the children in her temporary care.  Her expression of love for foster children has been a powerful inspiration to me.

“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.” ~ Matthew 18:5 Continue reading →

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Moving on…..

Posted on July 23, 2013 by | 24 comments

all w headband2BR

 

It seemed as though I would never finish this simple little pini-4, but at last it is checked off on my to-do list.  There were no technical complications, but rather just a matter if life getting in the way.  Entire days passed when I did not sew and that makes me cranky.  I feel better now.

The original plan was to add a row of cable under the beaded ribbon, but in my eagerness to finish this up I just forgot.  Of course, it’s not too late and I could still do it.  It  really would look better.  But I am tired of this project.  It’s done. I’m ready to move on.

The pattern is the same one I used for the Liberty of London popover for granddaughter Vivian Rose.  But I look forward to when Lisa at Mommy’s Apron Strings releases her very similar pattern.  She has so many improvements, like sizing.

 

pini4-patt Continue reading →

24 Comments

Posted in hairbows, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, serger, smocking

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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 →

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Posted in baby accessories, heirloom sewing, techniques

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The Lace Dress for Easter

Posted on February 27, 2013 by | 15 comments

Easter-lace-dress-br

 

This is a beautiful, symmetrical dress–not cockeyed as it appears in this photo.   The wind would NOT stop blowing so it kept swinging on the hanger as I  tried to snap it in a moment of calm.  Note also that the hanger is an adult size, so the shoulder appears to be wider than the pattern picture.

But, hurrah!! Laurel’s Easter dress is almost done, lacking only buttons and buttonholes.  The pattern is one of Nancy Coburn’s at Ginger Snaps Designs.

 

lace-dress-patt

 

Laurel’s dress includes absolutely no originality from me.  I copied this beauty as is because I didn’t think there was any way I could improve upon it. Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery

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Smocked Diaper Shirt & Rhumba Pants

Posted on September 7, 2012 by | 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 →

15 Comments

Posted in heirloom sewing, infant clothing, serger, smocking

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Contemporary Heirloom?

Posted on June 23, 2012 by | 13 comments

pillocase br

This pillowcase and its mate will be included in a wedding gift I am putting together for my cousin’s daughter. The first and only time I saw Jordan was when she was 14 and spent a week with us learning to sew. Now she has just graduated from University of Nebraska and will be married next week by her father in the church he pastors.

Sewing for others always requires at least a cursory consideration of their personal taste. When her grandmother (my sweet Aunt Rheeta) told me the wedding colors were black and white, and then the very contemporary invitation arrived, I knew Jordan was a 2012 Thoroughly Modern Millie.

But she is a beautiful young lady, both inside and out, who will be a lovely bride and a loving wife. She is entitled to her own taste. Continue reading →

13 Comments

Posted in heirloom sewing, home dec, machine embroidery

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Heirloom Bow Dress Hand-me-Down

Posted on June 19, 2012 by | 9 comments
"Rebecca's Bow Dress" lengthened

“Rebecca’s Bow Dress” lengthened

It seems that I have spent a lot of time strolling down memory lane lately. This dress is yet another project from the past, 28 years past to be exact. What memories it evokes, what an interesting history it has! This dress has been around the world.

I first saw a version of this pretty thing at the very first SAGA Regional Seminar in Spartanburg, SC, in 1982 (I think). My mother, my dear friend Mary Hale Hoffmann (a PlayGroup Mama) and I attended this life-altering event.It was also the first time that either Mary or I had left our children at home while we “gallivanted” and the first time that we experienced the world of smocking and heirloom sewing outside our circle of three. Lots of firsts on this trip!

But first let me give you the details of the dress itself for those of you who have no interest in ancient history.

The pattern is Rebecca’s Bow Dress, which I did for Martha Pullen.

Bow_Dress

Continue reading →

9 Comments

Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, Second Time Around

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Antique Lace Galloons

Posted on April 16, 2012 by | 4 comments

Sometimes, it seems that all my posts overlap.  This is one of those times.

When I blogged about the shadow smocked Easter dress for my granddaughter, I mentioned that I would tell you about the lace I used.  And I will.

As I was gathering my thoughts, it occurred to me that the most interesting thing about the lace is the use of the galloon as insertion.  So I want to tell you about that and other galloons I have used for both insertion and edging.

 

galoon FI

French Val galloon, with two decorative edges, 1-3/4″ wide

 

 

The antique lace I used for my granddaughter’s Easter dress was purchased at a veritable once-in-a-lifetime estate sale where I still sometimes shop when I am in Dreamland.  The creamy French Val lace is a beautiful ivory color, achieved by age rather than dye. Two  bolts of a classic pattern available yet today came home with me.

 

French Val edging, 1-1/4" wide

French Val edging, 1-1/4″ wide

 

I found the intricacy of  the pattern in combination with the gentle color to be very pleasing.  But I needed insertion for the skirt.

If you look carefully at the scalloped edges on the galloon, you will see how easily it converted to an insertion.  Without the perfectly straight lines of traditional insertion, the galloon requires a little more care when it is stitched to the flat skirt fabric.  But it certainly passed.   The soft curve of the scallops make this do-able. More dramatically curved edges would have been a major challenge.

galloon used as insertion

galloon used as insertion

 

 

I’ve used galloons in other garments.

Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, antique/vintage textiles, heirloom sewing, techniques, Tutorials

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