Category Archives: embroidery blanks

Christmas Apron How-to

apron

Don’t you love my vintage painted sifter and the kiddie sized rolling pin?

It’s time to bake everyone’s favorite Christmas cookies.  Children love to “help” though even with youthful assistance, really delicious holiday treats CAN be made.

We all know that if you start too early, the goodies are all eaten up before Dec. 25.  (Be sure to read the cookie storage tip at the end of this post.)  “Helpers” often love to be “tasters,” and require great quantities of cookies to be certain they are fit to serve.

A special child’s apron, whether plain or gussied up with embroidery, will make the experience even more fun.  Plain, personalized or embellished with embroidery–whatever–a child will love it.

Here’s how this one was made. Continue reading

Summer Fun Sewing

flower top

 

 

Busy, busy, busy!  What ever happened to the “lazy, hazy,  crazy days of summer?”  Is that another thing of the past?  We’ve had crazy but no hazy or lazy.

In addition to lots of sewing, I’ve enjoyed  two weeks at our cabin in the mountains of North Carolina, one  week with our daughter, sweet Alastair and whirling dervish Vivian Rose, as well as one week with Bob. What great getaways from Florida’s hot summer!

This floral top was made for dgd Laurel, 10.  The quick and easy commercial pattern lent itself to a variety of embellishments.  In addition to piping and rick rack,  crocheted flowers  purchased from  Farmhouse Fabrics were added into the mix.

 

floral top crochet

 

Continue reading

Expo Inspiration+Free ME Yo-Yo’s

Pattern: Flamingo Cove

Pattern: Flamingo Cove    Notice the yo-yo’s on the fish, turtles, crab, pelicans, flamingos, bush and more.  My favorite is the sun yo-yo, surrounded by rick rack.

 

The Lakeland Quilt and Sewing Expo in Lakeland was the highlight of last week for Suzanne Sawko and me.  We were swamped with inspiration!  Our last minute trip was scheduled too late for us to register for classes, but the vendors and quilt displays made the trip more than worth while.

 

Lion's Den

Lion’s Den pattern

Continue reading

“Git ‘er done” Projects

simple, everyday onesie with lamb embroidery

Git ‘er done #1—simple, everyday onesie with machine embroidered lambs from Ultimate Baby Layette collection by Martha Pullen.

 

Though many of us would prefer to spend all of our sewing hours stitching heirloom christening gowns, lacy Easter dresses and smocked bishops,  there are many less exciting projects that demand our time–and I’m not talking about cooking or cleaning.  My “git ‘er done” list has gotten so long that I had to get a few out the door.

DEFINITION for readers living outside of  US South:  It’s southern dialect for “Get her (‘er) done” — an imperative statement expressing a desire to start a job or complete an unfinished task.

Many objects and actions have a feminine persona (like when a farmer refers to his truck as a she, or when a captain of a ship calls his vessel a she). In the same way, a task may be given a feminine context. In the southern American English dialect, something can be “gotten done.” Hence, “Git’r done.” Continue reading

Quick and Easy Gifts

Nana Fun:  This is 9 yo Laurel’s note to Santa. With grandchildren, there is always something to smile about.  Like the fact that her house does have a fireplace and a chimney.  Was she messing with ol’ Santa?

L santa note~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3 towels jars

recipe designs from Embroidery Library, raspberries from Ace Points Raspberries, strawberries from Ace Points Strawberry Delight

Many of you know this blog was down for almost two weeks before Christmas.  Because of that, there is a backlog of sewing projects waiting to be shared.

With a long list of recipients and a month-long variety of unexpected demands on my time, it was apparent that the gifts must be quick and easy.  Nothing is faster than machine embroidery on a  ready made item so most of my gifts were of that kind.  Many were towels from All About Blanks.

 

gingerbread  towel

gingerbread recipe design from Hatched in Africa’s Winter Recipes

Continue reading

FREE Thanksgiving Designs Alert and Thankful Sewing

3 aprons

Precious, decades old friendships are near the top of the list when I count my blessings.   So when Catherine (one of the PlayGroup Mamas) asked me to embroider three apron blanks for Thanksgiving, I was happy for the opportunity to do something for her. Both of her sons and her only grandchild live in far-off Colorado where she will be spending Thanksgiving.  The aprons are for her two daughters-in-law and one of their sisters, all three of whom will  be cooking.  All the while, Catherine will be grinning ear to ear as she revels in the joy of grandmotherhood with one year old Jay.

 

Apron Hildie

The FREE wreath design (plus a cute FREE turkey through November 30) design is available at Embroidery Library.  I enjoyed playing with different colors, including some variegated threads so each apron is a little different from the others.  The alphabet used for the names is Loralie’s Loralesque.   Continue reading

Quick Christmas Toys~OCC

OCC table banner

 

What a wonderful organization Operation Christmas Child is! Shoe boxes filled with age/gender appropriate gifts are given to children who might otherwise receive no gifts on this most special holiday.  These are children in war torn areas, in refugee camps, and in areas of disaster like the Philippines.

 

OCC stuffies

Continue reading

Washaway Thank You Gift

apple bag-001

 

 

When you need to give a little thank you gift, this quick, fun little item is just the ticket.  It’s the kind of thing  that won’t make the recipient feel beholden, like the offer of a kidney or your  firstborn.   It’s a dishtowel, sewn with washaway (water soluble) thread into a bag that holds apples or whatever, but only temporarily.

My friend Pat did me a great favor and I needed to thank her.   Your lives are probably as tightly scheduled as I mine, so you will understand that when I decided at the last minute to take a trip to North Carolina, there were complications.  One of these complications was that I had to find someone to take my turn to bring dessert for 20 ladies at my monthly church circle Bible study.  My friend Pat was that someone.

As a thank you, I brought some crisp North Carolina apples for her.  But I needed a nicer presentation than a plastic WalMart sack so I embroidered and sewed this bag from my oh-so-handy stash of vintage gingham trim dishtowels from All About Blanks.  I keep a hefty supply all washed, starched and pressed in my sewing room and find so many uses for them. Continue reading

A Sweet Story about a Child, Kindness and Hope

Kind hearts are the gardens,
Kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the blossoms,
Kind deeds are the fruits.
~19th century rhyme used in primary schools

Robert finishing up a dishtowel for his mother.

Robert finishing up a dishtowel for his mother.

Like every grandchild, our 8 year old grandson Robert is beautiful, brilliant and extraordinary in every way. Let me share a story about this little guy, his kindness and his hope.  Never fear, as you can see from  this photo, there is a sewing connection.

Some time ago in Sunday School the children filled clay pots with paper flowers made with their own little hands.  Additionally, each child made a card to accompany his floral arrangement. The next Sunday, these were delivered next door to residents of the senior apartment complex, which is a mission of our church.  Robert and his sister Laurel were not in town with us that weekend, so they did not participate in the delivery or meet the recipients.

A week later, a thank you note for Robert was received at the church office.  An office volunteer reported that “a little old lady shuffled all the way over here with her walker” to deliver the note.  The carefully printed card expressed thanks for the flowers and especially for the message which Robert had chosen,  “God is always with you.”  Each child had selected his own greeting without suggestion. Most said “Have a nice day,” or “God bless you,”  but Robert had another thought.

He was absolutely delighted with the note which was signed “Miss Charleine, #752.”

The next week he decided to bring Miss Charleine a bouquet of real flowers after church. He was excited about meeting his new friend.  I did not call ahead for fear Miss Charleine would feel obliged to offer cookies or whatever.  We would just stop briefly. Continue reading

Thanks for Fun and Sun

3 sun

hostess gift part 1

 

Our family has just enjoyed a fabulous week of fun and sun at the beach.

 

perpetual motion beach babies playing with their new friends

perpetual motion beach babies playing with their new friends

 

With friends at church we traded a week at their oceanfront condo for a week at our cabin in the mountains.  Just 30 miles from home, the condo was conveniently located and the perfect place for a family gathering.

One reason it is so relaxing was that cars are not allowed on this section of the waterfront,  unlike most of Daytona Beach.   The children were able to run around and dig anywhere that seemed deserving of a deep hole.  Meanwhile, I sat under the beach umbrella with my daughter Rebecca and baby Vivian Rose who was mesmerized by the waves and  the pelicans.

 

 

2 kitch

The designs are from Dakota Collectibles Shell collection.

 

As a thank you/hostess gift, I embroidered some kitchen and fingertip towels for the condo. Continue reading