Tag Archives: Swiss handloom

Easter ’18 Week

Vivian Rose at Oma’s house, decked out in her mother’s Rebecca’s Bow Dress.

I hope you all had a joyous Easter. The Ferguson family had a fabulous week of Easter celebrations! We saw both of our children with all four of our grandchildren, but not at the same time. A good bit of sewing was done before and after their arrival.

Saturday we joined our son-in-law’s family for Easter dinner.  5 yo Vivian Rose was resplendent in her mother’s 35 yo Rebecca’s Bow Dress, with her curls confined to elaborate, elegant French braids.

The original slip has been lost through the years so this white Imperial batiste slip was made.  Because it really can be worn as a dress, a bow was embroidered on the yoke. To avoid it shadowing through the dress, it was stitched in a very pale pink and white.

The same yoke pattern was used with 1/2″ removed from the top half of the armscye.

Ever obliging 9 yo Alastair wore his bow tie made from the Little Boy Bowtie:the Quick and Easy Version pattern which I have used so often.

The color matched the green leaves in his sister’s fancyband.

The bows alternated with 3 vertical strips of lace.

I love this picture taken as Vivian was ready to put on her heirloom dress. Alastair was proud that he was already dressed and ready for the egg hunt.

The bunny was tied at the top with a bow, but Vivian HAD to open it.

See the felt candy-filled bunny in Vivi’s hand? That was such a fun little project. I made 20 of these for the children at church, as well as for these two. Vivian had a bunny filled basket and loved handing them out. I so regret that I did not get a photo that or of all the pink, blue, yellow and white bunnies together. They were a big hit with all the children. Continue reading

Baby’s Easter Slip & Tips

slip 2

slip for Baby’s Easter bow dress

 

This pink slip was made to be worn under granddaughter Vivian Rose’s white batiste Easter dress.  It create a soft pink shadow effect.

 

dress pink2

 

The slip bodice was monogrammed with white thread. Continue reading

Baby’s Easter Dress

dress pink2

Vivian Rose’s white Easter dress with pink slip

UPDATE:  Finally I have a photo of Vivian Rose in her Easter dress.

VR Easter 14 crop

 

NOTE:  Please excuse the poor quality of these photos. They were taken midday, making it nearly impossible to get a shot without shadows.  The breeze was blowing and the dress kept moving.  And photography is not my strong suit.

Are you all busy with Easter sewing?  Busy, busy, busy has been the status around here for some time and it’s not been all about sewing.  With Aunt Rheeta’s visit,  Rebecca’s 3-day visit with Alastair and Vivian Rose,  and sleepovers with our other two grandchildren, progress on Easter outfits is way behind schedule.  But I loved every minute of these visits and have no regrets.

During that time, however, I did manage to make some progress on  Vivian Rose’s holiday finery and now that things have quieted down, I  have just finished her dress and slip.

 

dress no slip

dress without pink slip

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OFB Daygown with Petit Point Handloom

OFB yellow all

Baby’s First Daygowns pattern by Old Fashioned Baby

 

I absolutely love this pattern.

 

patt cover

 

It is versatile, with three distinctly different views.  All the hand embroidery designs are included.   The directions are clear and specific.  Scattered between the pattern pieces on the blank tissue are sweet notes and Scripture. Continue reading

Heirloom Bow Dress Hand-me-Down

"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

Lemon Meringue Pie

zLemonMeringuewslip

 

Frothy and yellow and sweet, this dress reminds me of lemon meringue pie, which, incidentally, is on my Easter dinner menu.  Laurel will look like dessert!

I know that too many pictures of this garment have already been posted.  From gathering supplies, to slip construction,  and even the complications, it has been posted and discussed endlessly. And yet, seeing it complete with the yellow underdress and the added rows of lace at the hemline, I feel compelled to show the overall effect.

 

zLemonMeringueslipyoke

 

From the planning stage, my vision of this frock presented a white dress with yellow shadowing through the sheer batiste.  The yellow shadow beneath the lace was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.  Continue reading

Easter Bubble Done, almost

A bubble

 

Alastair’s Easter outfit is almost done. As soon as I get his thigh measurement, I can put the elastic in the legs and it will be ready to wear.

 

flowering plum

wild flowering plum tree

 

It was a gorgeous spring day in central Florida and I so enjoyed being outside to take these photos.  My wild flowering plum tree is in full bloom and was full of busily buzzing bees.  The azaleas are all showing off in orchid and pink, the dogwood tree is ready to burst open its buds and the orange blossoms will scent the air in a few days.  Spring in Florida is a glorious time.

Aside from taking these few pictures,  planting some impatiens and cooking dinner, I have done nothing but sew. After dinner, I stitched the buttonholes, sewed on the buttons and gathered up my materials for Laurel’s dress.   It has been a sewing extravaganza for me.  And, as always, I learned a few things. Continue reading

Lemon Drop Doll Dress

zlemondropdollbishopBrite

 

Doll clothes are always fun to make. This smocked, lemon yellow bishop dress will be part of the petite wardrobe I am making for my granddaughter’s Christmas doll Molly, one of Pleasant Company’s American Girls.

Made of Swiss batiste, with French lace on the sleeves and in the fancyband, the color reminds me of lemon drops. The tiny yellow rosebuds in Bear Threads  Swiss embroidered insertion,  reinforces the lemon drop image it generates for me.

Continue reading