Tag Archives: hemstitching

Catching up~Christmas Sewing!

In spite of all the stitching that has gone on since my past post, going on in my sewing room I have done no blogging about it. Too many obligations, too little time, and too many projects beckoning me! But now I will begin to catch up with this first post of my earlier projects.

Christmas came and went with Bob and me celebrating alone between doses of antibiotic. Bronchitis struck again so it was a quiet time for us, but no less special. The “reason for the season” was most important.

Our 3 year old granddaughter was given a sheer, white cotton, smocked bishop with a mint green slip. This beauty was purchased on the facebook group, Smocking Destash, smocked but requiring finishing at the neck, sleeves and hemline. What a find! The pictures were taken on a rare, dark, cloudy day with scattered rain. They do not do it justice!

The mint green slip shadows through in person, but does not show so on this cloudy day.
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Geometric smocking is a very pale mint green floss. The plentiful bullion roses were spectacular–not stitched by me!

On the hem lace edging was joined below the pinstitched beading. To keep the mint satin ribbon from slipping, it was secured to the beading with evenly space French knots. The slip was purposely a bit longer to show off more lace edging.

Mint green Imperial batiste slip with it’s laced edged hem can also serve as a sundress.

The machine embroidery design is from Petite Poche’, (Wendy Schoen) Creating Heirlooms for Baby. The bee was added to tickle the fancy of granddaughter Beatrice, nicknamed Bea. The lace at the slip neckline peeks out above the dress neck binding. Beatrice was delighted with the addition of the bee.

I was dissatisfied with the attachment of the slip’s skirt to the lined yoke. The gathers created so much bulk that the yoke would not lie flat. This would have been less of a problem with all cotton fabric. If I were to do it again, I would reduce the skirt’s width.

Again I was reminded of the joy that comes from seeing a child in classic clothing. I’d love to see photos of your Christmas creations.

Required disclosure: I am a paid Ambassador for Brother. Not required: I really do love my Brother machines.

Fil Tire’ and Fancywork

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fil tire’ oval surrounded by pinwheel roses and greenery ~~situated above serpentine entredeux woven with threads used for leaves…5.12″ x 7.9″

The Fil Tire’ and Fancywork machine embroidery collections created by Suzanne Sawko and me have been mentioned in several posts.

There are three sets, Elements, Combinations and Frames and Phrases. The stitched samples make the post very image intensive, so each collection will be posted separately. They will appear in succession,as quickly as I can scan sew outs and write the descriptions.

A few of the free designs offered here have been from one of the three sets.I am sorry this is more tedious than the one click purchase option on other upscale sites. This is more like yard sale bargain prices, changing inventory, and limited quantities. You might be surprised at some of the unique items I have in my stash/hoard/collection!

These designs are from the Fil Tire’ and Fancywork Combinations Collection.The cost is $25 if delivered electronically or $30 + postage if delivered on a cd.

3.85" x 2.07"
3.85″ x 2.07″ Another useful design for monograms is this design
called monogram swag.The flowers look very much like hand embroidery.

For sale: Fil Tire’ and Fancywork Combinations machine embroidery collection. $25 downloaded or $30 + postage on CD. Designs require hoop sizes from 4 x 4 to 6 x 10″. This is the second of three Fil Tire’ and Fancywork collections.

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6.63″ x 2.02″ ~~very sweet on a baby blanket with a monogram or name above the swag.

See a Swiss flannel blanket with this design.

NOTE: These sew-outs were stitched to card stock and kept in a notebook. This caused  the puckers in the fabric.The designs stitch out perfectly flat.

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3.94″ x 3.94″~~nice under monograms or names

This collection was designed and digitized by my close friend Suzanne Sawko and edited by me.

6.75" x 1.92" Baby pillowcases are so pretty with this design.
6.75″ x 1.92″ Baby pillowcases are so pretty with this design.

Suzanne is an innovative digitizer with a great sense of design.

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2.68″ x 2.69″~~~fil tire’ basket

See this design on a tabletopper.

She was the first to digitize fil tire’ and, in my opinion, no one has ever duplicated the crisp, light, hand stitched look of her machine embroidered version of this classic hand stitching technique.

2.59" x 0.63"~~I've used this on either side of a button front yoked daygown.
2.59″ x 0.63″~~I’ve used this on either side of a button front yoked daygown.

There are 3 collections, Elements, Combinations and Frames and Phrases. Elements has individual designs that can be combined as you choose. Many of those “elements” are included in the Combinations designs. The other two collections will be offered and displayed in another post.

cluster
3.94″ x 3.94″~~Replicated from a 1930’s boudoir pillow.

There are also designs that look very much like hand embroidery. Some were copies from antique embroideries, like this one which was featured on a ’30’s boudoir pillow. There is a single coordinating  flower in the collection.

When she first told me many years ago that she was digitzing fil tire’, I might have been skeptical had I not known her. Suzanne had already digitized so many hand look stitches like chain stitch for redwork, machine embroidered French knots, lazy daisy, pinwheel rose and more that I expected she would do it and do it well.

1.69″ x 1.34″

See this design on a little quilt, “If apples were pears….”

There are 35 different designs, but 54 design files. Many identical designs are offered in two versions, like the two below. The first features web roses (shown unfinished–see the 5 legged cross at the very center of the fil tire’ and along the sides) which need some hand work, explained in the information file.

8.54" x 5.54" This would be pretty on a round collar or yoke. It requires some handwork on the web roses shown as stars.
8.54″ x 5.54″ This would be pretty on a round collar or yoke.The collection includes another version of this design which includes web roses, requiring some handwork.
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Other design are offered with slight variations, such as a row of entredeux with three pinwheel roses at right. It can be stitched vertically with what might be ribbons or, if stitched in green, tendrils. This same entredeux design with pinwheel roses is also offered horizontally.

1.2″ x 0.48″ The dainty, wide V design is sweet on collars or as brackets around a tiny monogram. See this design on zig zag bonnet.

3.26" x 1.55"
3.26″ x 1.55″ If rotated, the corner below also works for a monogram or name. It was also used on the sides of a Swiss flannel baby shawl. A handkerchief corner is another place for this small design.

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3.94 x 3.94″ As is, it looks sweet on a handkerchief corner or on either side of a yoke. This design was used on a set of child’s tea party linens.

3.94″ x 3.94″ I use this little floral spray frequently on baby blankets, to break up a line of feather stitching around the perimeter.

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.54″ x 6.9″ floral serpentine This can be stitched continuously with a border hoop. One of my favorites in this collection is the floral serpentine. It can be connected to a continuous line around a skirt or down a blouse front.

1.56″ x 1.33″ fil tire’ oval See this on a doll dress bodice.For those of you patient enough to read through all this and still eager to sample a design, please leave your request as a comment. I will e-mail the fil tire’ oval, one of the most frequently used designs in the collection, to you.

Madeira Applique’ Tutorial

Joanne Banko hosted me on her live YouTube show December 9 for a fun and informative tutorial on Madeira applique’. This is one of my favorite heirloom techniques.

May be an image of 1 person and text that says 'fet with Joanne Banko go sew! Time for Tea & Tutorials! LIVE show Friday December 9th, 2pm Eastern Standard Time Learn Madeira the art of Appliquel With sewing, embroidery, & embroidery, heirloom Ferguson expert, Janice www.lanioefersasorsews.com Join us! Sip some tea and learn some new sewing tips and tricks! xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx'
You can watch the replay here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Dw119fJJg&t=455s

Joanne is a dear friend of mine, who was described by another sweet friend who has never met her in person as “a genuinely warm, nice person.”

Her Friday live “Tea and Tutorials” are always a treat with various guests. Each show offers a unique sewing talent and special technique. Tune in to Joanne’s YouTube channel for entertaining and fun learning.

Getting back to Madeira applique, the video shows many of my finished projects that feature this technique and then goes on to show how-to step by step. Here are some of the projects shown, but the real meat of the video is the instructional story boards.

This little baby pillowcase was not shown, as there were time constraints. But I love this project.

I would rather have used a softer blue for the Madeira hem but for tv, I knew a darker color would show up better. The fil tire’ hearts and the swag are designs by extremely talented designer and my good friend Suanne Sawko.

This pillowcase is another project that was not included in the video. It was a birthday gift for my daughter a few years ago.

Details are included in this earlier bloghttp://www.janicefergusonsews.com/blog/2009/10/05/madeira-monogram-pillowcases/

Madeira mono green

This little bishop dress was included in the video.

It shows a traditional Madeira hem as well as a Madeira treatment on the sleeve. The sleeve didn’t show up very well on the video as with that Ipad camera I am as clumsy as a gorilla with a tatting shuttle. So prease be forgiving. Here is a close up.

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That tiny rosebud at the peak of the Madeira is a free download here. It is so very useful. Just ask for it in the comment section and it will be sent to your email.

It’s time to get back to Christmas preparations. It love this joyous season. The house and tree are almost decorated (I know it’s late but I’ve been crazy busy), the staircase is lovely and my favorite holiday ornament is hanging on the front door wreath. It is an antique sleigh bell I purchased at the church bazaar 50 years ago.

With a houseful of family arriving from New Jersey, Nebraska and Lakeland, Florida, it will be a chaotic, wonderful time of love and laughter. Above all, it will be a time of celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. More on Christmas sewing later. Happy last minute holiday stitching to you!

Christmas Fawn Daydress

Christmas is just around the calendar corner and it’s rush, rush, rush for me and many of you.  I’ve just finished this Swiss batiste dress for Baby Beatrice.

I’ve written in earlier posts about Baby Bea, our new granddaughter via our church. Neither of her parents’ mothers is living,  so months before she was born they asked me to be her official Nana.  That was a happy day!  And, of course, she is a doll, just now 4 months old, which for me has been at least 120 more happy days.

Her daddy is an avid hunter, especially for deer. Bea’s little daydress is a reminder NOT to shoot Bambi or his antlered  father.

But back to the dress……the pattern is Old Fashioned Baby‘s Baby Daydress.

 

 

Like all of Jeannie B’s patterns, this one is a delight to sew and offers several design options.  I love the Scriptures and embroidery designs she places in the blank space around the pattern pieces.

 

 

 

The shadow work fawn is from Joy Welsh’s Applique for Kids.  It stitches just beautifully with her instructions.  The greenery beneath the fawn was extracted from another design which I cannot recall right now.

 

 

 

The holly at the neckline is another design whose origin I cannot recall.  I need to keep better records of what I embroider.

 

Continue reading

1st Birthday Dress

birthday dress

Made 11 years ago, this first birthday dress was for now 12 yo granddaughter Laurel. Of course,  I still love sewing for her.

It’s birthday time for our older granddaughter, Laurel, so I’ve been spending some time reminiscing about her birth and infancy. So here is a re-run of a post about her first birthday dress.

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Laurel was our first grandchild, and a girl at that.  Our son had been married for 9 years and our daughter was still a single career gal. After nearly 15 years of Granny Lust, mitigated only by gathering fabric, patterns and trims for my Grandmother’s Really Hopeful Chest, I was ready to sew as a genuine Nana.

That first year went by so quickly! Smocked daygowns and bonnets, embroidered diaper shirts and onesies, monogrammed bibs and baby Gator duds flew out of my sewing room. It seems that for almost 12 months, I did nothing but sew and snuggle that baby.

birthday dress cf

center front embroidery

As her first year drew to a close, I did manage to pull myself away from the enchanting child long enough to make her first birthday dress. Of course, it was made with my finest Swiss batiste, carved pearl buttons, treasured Maline lace and other hoarded trims. Continue reading

Christmas Outfits Past Part 2

I hope you have all finished your Christmas sewing.  I’ve moved on to baking and gift wrapping and hope to finish up in time for our big family celebrations.

Here are a few more Christmas outfits from the past.  These gingerbread outfits for my  two older grandchildren were favorites of mine.   A few years later, new grandson Alastair wore Robert’s suit.

 

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Ready-to-smock gingerbread outfits were paired up with a Creative Needle smocking plate.

 

One year I planned to make matching Thanksgiving outfits for the children.  The Viyella brown plaid garments were made but before I began the bibs, plans changed and the older two would not be with us that day. So I decided to use the garments for Christmas.  But that was a stretch—brown plaid for Christmas.  I made it work.

 

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Alastair’s Christmas outfit, Children’s Corner Glenn with linen bib embroidery from OESD’s Current Critters Continued.

 

Laurel’s basic yoke dress was trimmed with tatting, as was her linen bib.

 

 

yella

Laurel also had a tie-on bib with a Current Critters Continued design.

 

These Current Critters embroidery designs are so charming. Continue reading

Exquisitely Detailed Vintage Baby Dress

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

Help!!! Communion Cloth Disappointment

back center 2crop

 

I’ve just finished a two-piece set of communion linens to replace the plain white household tablecloth and napkin that has been in use at our church for some time. But I am very disappointed in the results.  I hope one of you may have a suggestion to elevate this potentially beautiful set from “oh dear!” to “acceptable.”

 

corner cross

 

Let me give you the background.  A few years ago, I helped my Aunt Rheeta make a spectacular set for her church, using fine linen, this same liturgical lace, and the same design set.  The pictures are not good at all, but you can see hers by clicking here.

Of course, I hoped to create an equally beautiful communion set, worthy of it’s sacred purpose, for my church. Continue reading

Shadow Smocking How-to

shadow-dress

 

My granddaughter’s shadow smocked Easter dress was inspired by Kay Guiles’ article in Sew Beautiful, Easter, 1998.  In fact, the dress is nearly identical to one of the sample garments shown in that article.  I take no credit whatsoever for the design or technique.

 

SB pic

 

The only changes made to Laurel’s dress are the addition of lace insertion in the skirt and the substitution of a different embroidery design that included both silk ribbon and DMC floss.

Shadow smocking is a very unique technique and not at all difficult.  But I learned a lot that I would like to share with anyone considering such a project. Continue reading

Lace Tape Wedding Ring Dress~White Wednesday

Note:  This was posted some time ago, but I have 2 year old Alastair underfoot and there is no time.  It’s 11 p.m. and he just went to sleep!#$%*! His parents are out of town so we have our sweet grandson for four days.  There is a reason why God gives babies to the young!

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This is one of my favorite projects.  It’s not really a modern project for this old fashioned Nana, but it could have been!  With only a few changes, this dress could be easy care.  As a matter of fact, if my daughter gives us another granddaughter in the next few years, I will probably make an easy care version of this frilly frock.  I’ll detail my suggestions for a wash-and-wear version at the end of this post.

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There is a lot to love about the dress: Chery Williams graceful Wedding Ring Dress pattern, Capitol Imports champagne Swiss batiste, champagne Swiss beading, peach lace tape, miles of hemstitching, both pinstitch and entredeux, and a nylon French lace which requires almost no ironing.

The pattern calls for lace insertion and is beautiful when made up as directed. But my infatuation with lace tape and an urge to market this product which I developed led me to use it rather than lace. There are several advantages of this substitution.

One is the addition of soft color to the monochromatic palette of the champagne fabric, beading and lace edging. Another advantage is that the foundation fabric need not be cut away behind the lace tape, as is normally done with lace insertion.  By leaving the fabric intact,  the structural integrity is not compromised. This makes the garment much sturdier and less likely to tear when there is stress on the fragile lace.

Yet another advantage is that lace tape is far less expensive than heirloom lace.  And yet, lace tape meets many of the heirloom characteristics: it is imported, 100% cotton, has pull threads on either side for shaping and is of fine quality.

 

 

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I did have some trouble with the collar pattern. Mine is an old version and it may have been revised by now. But placing the lace or lace tape on the line indicated allowed no space whatsoever where the rings overlapped. So I redrafted the collar pattern and then all was well.

 zLTwedringovalintersection (2)Brite

This dress shows quite clearly the difference between the pinstitch and the entredeux stitch. The top of the lace tape ovals or “footballs” at the hem and the rings on the collar were pinstitched. At the bottom of skirt, which was straight with the footballs hovering above, the entredeux stitch was worked.

Next the fabric was cut right to the edge of the entredeux stitches, just as is done with commercially made entredeux. The gathered lace was then butted up against it and joined with a tiny zig zag. The collar was worked in the same manner, with entredeux worked only on the bottom where lace edging would be joined.

zLTwedringlaceBrite

The lace is one of my dearest treasures. Mr. Russell, owner of the renowned lace wholesaler M.E.Feld Co. in New York City, always generously shared his wealth of knowledge about the kinds of lace and its history. Without fail, he patiently answered my multitudinous questions as I placed my order.

It was his practice to send customers a huge box of lace from which to choose. The unwanted lace was then returned, though in my case almost none of the lace was “unwanted” but simply over budget.   In one of these boxes, which usually put me into a state of hyperventilation, there was a bolt of lace, wrapped on a blue card and marked “Made in France,” just like the others. But this one read “100% nylon.”  What?

Mr. Russell explained that these were called “levers” lace (though I have since seen it spelled “leavers”) and were just as fine as the cottons, but intended for lingerie or other items which would be subjected to heavy and/or frequent laundering.

Now, this is something with which I could build an entire wardrobe of easy care heirloom clothes!  I wish I had bought more.  As you can see,  this galloon has no gathering thread.  I simply butted 30 wt. cotton thread to the picot edge and did a tiny roll and whip over the thread.  This gathered the lace perfectly.

I have a few pieces of such lace, but this is my favorite. It is technically a galloon, with a decorative edge on both sides. But the pattern is straight enough that it also can be used as edging or insertion. The color is a true ivory and works just as well with white as it does with the champagne color.

When the dress was new, there were no hand embroidered bullions. I didn’t have time and kept putting it off. But the dress cried out for something more and I was much happier with it after I had finally done this. Now, I wish I had used more bullion knots to make a prettier rose, but the effect of this rose is certainly is better than nothing.

 

The web rose in the entredeux vine has its spokes laid down in the design. Several strands of thread are twisted then woven around the spokes. This is much easier and quicker than a hand embroidered bullion rose. Even a hand stitched web rose requires time to lay down the spokes.

 

If it had been available at the time, Suzanne Sawko’s web rose in the machine embroidery collection  Fil Tire’ and Fancywork Elements  would have been used.  The dress would not have been plain Jane for so long.

Using the machine embroidery would have taken this dress into the realm of “modern projects” for this old fashioned Nana.  By substituting rice colored Imperial batiste for the champagne Swiss and using the same lace, the dress would have been easy care.  With the polycotton blend fabric the hemstitching would have to be eliminated.  But a narrow zig or machine feather stitch  would give a satisfactory look.  Adding the embroidery machine worked web roses would be the finishing touch for a thoroughly modern heirloom.

This “old fashioned Nana”  is getting excited thinking about making up this  “modern project!”  Maybe that could be a later White Wednesday post.