![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/theyhaveArake1.jpg\" "\\"theyhavetaughtmeArake")
<\/a>Alastair, a 2 year-old doing yard work.\u00c2\u00a0 Is\u00c2\u00a0 this legal?<\/p><\/div>\n
Two\u00c2\u00a0year-old\u00c2\u00a0Alastair is here for a few days.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m busy making sure\u00c2\u00a0the little guy\u00c2\u00a0does not fall in the pool or get himself into the dangerous trouble that toddlers are likely to find.\u00c2\u00a0 But last night, after he was asleep, the mindless\u00c2\u00a0 task of \u00c2\u00a0pulling threads for the puffing strip fancyband\u00c2\u00a0on Laurel’s Easer dress allowed me the rare luxury of contemplation.<\/p>\n
Of course, I\u00c2\u00a0 thought about\u00c2\u00a0Laurel and the joy she has given me.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 I thought about sewing and all the joy it has given me for the 31 years\u00c2\u00a0since I fell in love with heirloom sewing.\u00c2\u00a0 I thought about all the dear friends I have made and all the wonderful people I have met, and all the joy they have given me. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0I thought about all I have learned and all of the fine ladies who taught me and what joy this knowledge has given me.<\/p>\n
Sewing is all about sharing–sharing your knowledge, sharing your projects as gifts, sharing your sewing supplies with others.\u00c2\u00a0 I have been blessed beyond my merit on all counts.<\/p>\n
Tonight, I thought I would share some of the\u00c2\u00a0most\u00c2\u00a0useful sewing tips\u00c2\u00a0I have learned through the years from women I will never forget. It would be sad to think I could include all I have learned in one post. So I’ve limited myself to only those\u00c2\u00a0 techniques used on this dress!<\/p>\n
<\/a>The blue floss is has been repeated in French knots, lazy daisy flowers and the surround of the pinwheel roses.<\/p><\/div>\n
embroidery colors<\/strong>–At one of our weekly luncheon dates, Suzanne Sawko once said that to her eye, too many colors made an embroidery look cluttered. She prefers to use only as many as is necessary for the integrity of the design.<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 I hadn’t really\u00c2\u00a0 thought about it in that light, as often I tried to emulate nature’s unlimited palette.\u00c2\u00a0 With at least 42 shades of green embroidery thread at hand,\u00c2\u00a0I\u00c2\u00a0was tempted to use them\u00c2\u00a0all or at least many, in order to emulate nature’s palette.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Of course, shading is desirable and pleasing to the eye.\u00c2\u00a0 But I reuse colors when possible and avoid a riot of color in embroidery designs.\u00c2\u00a0 mitre lace–<\/strong> Mildred Turner taught me (and thousands of others as she taught around the world), that to have a pretty mitred corner, you do not cut through the point.<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0Stitch to it but do not cut through it.<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0The nature of heirloom lace allows it to reconfigure the ground pattern slightly to accommodate turns and twists.\u00c2\u00a0 So by stopping short of the point when mitre-ing.\u00c2\u00a0 Note:\u00c2\u00a0 Just what is the correct spelling for this?\u00c2\u00a0 Does anyone know?\u00c2\u00a0 This English major strives to be correct and spell check has no knowledge of heirloom vocabulary!<\/p>\n I have probably learned more from (and had more fun with) Mildred than any other teacher.\u00c2\u00a0 She is a master of the art of heirloom sewing and has developed a library of techniques, many of which are recorded in the three volumes she has written.<\/p>\n Margaret’s method was to straight stitch the lace in place.\u00c2\u00a0 Then split the\u00c2\u00a0fabric behind the\u00c2\u00a0insertion and press it away from the lace.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Work the pin stitch with a wing or 100 needle and fine thread.\u00c2\u00a0 Finally, very close to the pin stitch, trim away the fabric that was initially under the lace.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n I actually have more to share, but it’s late.\u00c2\u00a0 Alastair will be up early and Hannah is barking, likely to awaken him now.\u00c2\u00a0 So I’ll add to this in the future if you are interested.<\/p>\n I cannot close without expressing my thanks to these wonderful teachers for sharing their knowledge.\u00c2\u00a0 There is still so much to learn, but they have given me a good foundation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two\u00c2\u00a0year-old\u00c2\u00a0Alastair is here for a few days.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m busy making sure\u00c2\u00a0the little guy\u00c2\u00a0does not fall in the pool or get himself into the dangerous trouble that toddlers are likely to find.\u00c2\u00a0 But last night, after he was asleep, the … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>inserting lace securely<\/strong>–In one of the first classes I took from Margaret Boyles, she\u00c2\u00a0demonstrated her method.\u00c2\u00a0 At the time, most instructions directed that lace was to be zig zagged in place and then the fabric cut away behind it.\u00c2\u00a0 This only works for doll clothes.<\/p>\n