Category Archives: boys

It’s Over

Posted on January 8, 2012 | 4 comments
ItsOver F throw

monogrammed fleece throw for sweet daughter-in-law

 

Christmas 2011 is finally over.  I know, I know—-you probably put all your ornaments away before the pumpkin pie was gone and already have your Valentine’s decorations up.  I bet you are set to bake red, white and blue  cupcakes for Presidents’ Day and have a bunting ready to hang on the front porch.

Not me.  Our at-home celebration with our children and grandchildren began Dec. 27th and ended Jan. 3 when they had all left.  So we are a little  lot slower wrapping things up.

The pre-Christmas bug that kept me in bed and, more importantly, out of the sewing room,  is the reason I am still finishing up a few gifts.  The microfleece throw for my sweet daughter-in-law was embroidered with one of my favorite machine embroidery collections, Sandy Jenkins‘ Paisley Alphabet  from Martha Pullen.

 

I especially like to create an applique’ for the solid portion of the design (gold show above).For this projects, a silver gray ultrasuede was substituted for the fill embroidery.  Shelly loves deep, rich colors so I hope she will enjoy this throw.

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Posted in boys, machine embroidery, Nana fun

Christmas Celebration #2 Projects

Posted on December 31, 2011 | 4 comments

After a joyous Christmas Eve and Day on the other side of the state, we’re gearing up for Christmas celebration #2.   At our home this weekend, both of our children and their families will be here.

Things are not going according to plan though.  I had scheduled a 3-day, uninterrupted solitary sew-in this week while Bob was out of town on business.  But my little Christmas gift to me was stolen by a powerful Grinch virus which moved in about an hour after DH moved out for the airport.  Instead of stitching, I was twitching and groaning in misery.

Three days later and 20 minutes after I moved from black suffering to the light of almost normal , our daughter and her little family arrived.  Now, I’m scrambling to sew up a few of the projects I had planned for my abandoned sewing retreat.  Of course, I wanted to enjoy time with Alastair, so most of these were sewn with his…assistance?  supervision? Whatever… We had fun.

In the interim, Laurel joined us for an unplanned overnight, so I threw this outfit together for her to have something clean to wear to her Odyssey of the Mind practice this morning.  I knew I was a desperate woman when I passed it off as an early Christmas present. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in boys, girls, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

Christmas ’11~First Celebration

Posted on December 27, 2011 | 1 comment

I hope you all had a happy, merry Christmas day, filled with family, friends and love.  We’ve just had another joyous celebration with our daughter, Rebecca, Harvey and 2-1/2 year old Alastair.    Regrettably,  I took very few pictures the entire two days.

Christmas Eve was spent with Harvey’s family, who seem like our very own.  At Carol and Alan’s absolutely gorgeous, huge, decorated-to-the-nines country home, we enjoyed a delicious supper of gumbo, homemade slaw, special bakery bread, fresh strawberry pie and bread pudding.  Our son-in-law Harvey grew up just outside New Orleans so it’s no surprise that his mother has significant expertise in Cajun cuisine, not to mention everything else edible.  The company was as good as the food.

 

A-Xmas-suit1

 

Alastair wore his Christmas suit and was, of course, the star of the evening, shining for his adoring grandparents,  89 year-old great-grandmother Ruby, aunts and uncles.   Why didn’t I snap a shot of him charming Ruby or showing everyone how high he can jump?  Why didn’t I take a picture of him alone in the music room playing (well, hitting the keys) on his grandmother’s baby grand piano? Or pulling back the curtains to examine the electric candles and the outdoor lights?  I missed so many photo ops. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, embroidery blanks, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

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Last Minute Flights and Late Night Projects

Posted on December 24, 2011 | 5 comments

UPDATE: Alastair was precious in his Christmas suit and loved the design! None my fears were realized.   I shouldn’t have worried about him not liking it.

burgundy velveteen shorts, ivory linen shirt

I knew I was cutting it very close this year.  One thing and another kept coming up, thwarting my plans to finish up Christmas gifts.  Yesterday, I had the entire day free to finish up.  But then…

 

My pilot son invited us to join him on a shake down flight on his new jet.  Well, it’s not his to own, but his as the captain to fly and schedule. So we were off to Ft. Lauderdale for lunch, except that there were some technical glitches and we had a late supper there.  It really was delightful, but the whole day was used up.

my handsome pilot son and his family

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5 Comments

Posted in boys, embroidery blanks, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, linen blanks, machine embroidery

Overtime in Santa’s Workshop

Posted on December 20, 2011 | 7 comments

I’m not sure if my Christmas workshop effort should be labeled overtime or overdrive, but I can tell you that I am working hard!  There is still so much that I want to make, but I have gotten some gifts sewn up.

Molly and her American Girl  sisters will have a new hand knit sweater.  I’d like to make more pants for the dolls, but that might have to wait until after Christmas.  The colors in the sweater embroidery will coordinate just about any fabric.The letters are the small Diva Dots from Five Star Font and the spray was taken from Amazing Designs Buttonholes 1 collection. Continue reading →

7 Comments

Posted in boys, doll clothing and accessories, machine embroidery

Boy’s Christmas Vest

Posted on December 16, 2011 | 1 comment

Six year-old Robert’s Christmas vest is finally ready.  With dress pants and shoes, he will look very grown up.  Initially,  a vest was not what I wanted for the little guy I have dressed in smocked rompers and Jon-Jons for Christmases past.  Sadly, there will be no more button-on suits for my towheaded boy.

Anyway, his skinny little bird legs don’t look as good in short pants as they did when he was a toddler.  That boy needs to eat more gingerbread and pumpkin pie, which he would do happily if he didn’t have to eat his vegetables first.

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Posted in boys, machine embroidery

Gingerbread Christmas

Posted on December 7, 2011 | 3 comments

I’m scrambling here, working on the grandsons’ Christmas outfits and preparing for tomorrow’s arrival of 2-1/2 year old Alastair.  He will be with us for a few days and will have my undivided attention.  So there is no time for a new blog post. I hope you will enjoy this re-run.

The children’s ages and Christmas garments are not current.  But the upcoming gingerbread house decorating activities will be just as described below–except that Robert may have a little more restraint with the candy.  Then again, he is a little more experienced and might get away with even more this year.

Whatever.  We will have a grand time decorating.  I hope you have a chance to do this with a child.  It is messy, yes, but sooooooo much fun.

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“And I had but one penny in the world, Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.”  William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

 

GingerbreadKids07LRcrop2

Laurel and Robert, wearing the gingerbread John-John now worn by his little cousin Alastair

 

Unlike the character in Shakespeare’s play, I’m not sure that I would spend my last penny on gingerbread. I’d probably go for a scrap of fabric or lace, or a needle …..but I digress. This is about gingerbread and Christmas outfits for my grandchildren.

 

The marshmallow snowman had a short life. And he did not melt, did he, Robert?

The marshmallow snowman had a short life. And he did not melt, did he, Robert?

 

If you have read more than two or three posts on this blog, you will know that gingerbread plays a huge role in our Christmas festivities. Robert and Laurel, at ages 2 and 3, seemed ready to be introduced to this family tradition. They made their first gingerbread houses, received gingerbread ornaments for their personal collection, added a charming book, Gingerbread Land, to their library in Nana’s nursery, and wore smocked gingerbread outfits for various holiday activities and on Christmas day. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, brother-sister, girls, Holiday Projects, ready-to-smock finished projects, smocking

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Thanksgiving and Sewing

Posted on November 26, 2011 | 4 comments

Does anyone actually sew up the turkey today?

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving day.  Just as last year, we joined  our 2-1/2 year old grandson Alastair and his parents at the home of his paternal grandparents.  Though none of the six cooks at our dinner were decked out with starched white aprons,  the food at our harvest feast was gourmet quality.  Each contributed some of their best dishes.

The guest list included Alastair’s 90 year old great-grandmother, Ruby, who baked two divine pecan pies (and drove herself and those dessert delights to dinner!),  both sets of grandparents and a host of aunts and uncles.

I love family gatherings that include all ages, from babies to the elderly.  Two year old Alastair was the only little one and he entertained us as only energetic little boys can.  At the other end of the generation rainbow was Ruby, like the proverbial pot of gold.  Not only is she an excellent cook, but she is witty and entertaining—a joy to engage in conversation.

Even though the day is all about thankfulness and food, as usual, sewing projects were evident amid all the festivities.  Still, no one sewed up the turkey. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in boys, girls, Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery

Haulin’ Pumpkins

Posted on October 31, 2011 | 3 comments

Florida weather has finally reached temperatures cool enough for Alastair to wear his pumpkin pullin’ shirt.  This was made early in October, with hopes that it would be worn for the annual family outing to the pumpkin patch.  But our hot blooded 2 year-old wouldn’t be comfortable in long sleeves when it is 90 degrees in the shade. Especially when he had a heavy gourd to haul.

Choosing just one was hard.  So many pumpkins!

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in boys, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

Too Cute to Spook

Posted on October 21, 2011 | 3 comments

UPDATE: Picture of Alastair in his Halloween bat shirt added.

There are so many darling Halloween designs for machine embroidery that I had a hard time picking out just a few for my grandchildren.  Since these shirts can be worn for such a short time, I didn’t put a lot of work into them.  But the embroidery is so well designed that are plenty cute for this short season of tackiness. Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in boys, embroidery blanks, girls, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery