Category Archives: heirloom sewing

Free ME Fil Tire’ Heart Design

Posted on January 28, 2012 | 124 comments

To receive the free machine embroidered heart design, state your request as a comment at the end of this post. The .pes design will be e-mailed to you.

fil tire’ hearts on Swiss flannel baby shawl

The previous post which showed Judy Day’s Valentine outfits for her granddaughters reminds me that this celebration of affection is just around the corner.

For Laurel, my 7 year-old granddaughter, I am smocking a pink bishop nightgown with a matching one for her AG doll.  But I have left a small section at the center front with no pleats.  Machine embroidered in this area is the fil tire’ heart.

 

I’ve used this design several times for Laurel, most recently on last year’s Easter dress.

My overly ambitious plan was to have these nighties finished by now, feature them in this post and offer the design free to readers.  I thought this might give you enough time to use it on some Valentine project.

This is just a very small token of my gratitude for those of you who read this blog, those who have made purchases to help me in my de-stashing efforts, and those who have offered your friendship.  I do so appreciate each one of you.

Well, neither gown is done but ….tick*tock*tick*tock…time passes by.  So I am re-running this  Pink Diamond Baby Pillow post and a photo above from the Heart Swag Baby Shawl post to show you what the heart looks like.  It also includes detailed instructions for stitching it out.

fil tire’ heart in winter colors, 1.56″ x 1.92″

So, Dear Readers, happy Valentine sewing to you.  Just leave a comment requesting the design and I will e-mail it to you in .pes format. Continue reading →

124 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, free patterns and designs, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, techniques

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Blossom Basket Blouse

Posted on January 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

blossom basket blouse

 

I hope 2012 is off to a good start for all of you.  For us, the new year was kicked off in the midst of chaos rather than the cozy family gathering we had planned for our Christmas #2 celebration.

First our pilot son was called away for a last minute flight to Denver. Then after the bonfire and s’mores, the grandchildren’s plans for a loud welcome to the new year were foiled by 6 year-old Robert’s battle with croup and Laurel’s virus.

Finally, after unsuccessfully trying to soothe his cough with the cold air humidifier, my son-in-law and I left at 2 a.m. and drove 40 minutes each way to Robert’s home to retrieve his croup medicine.   The remaining adults tended to Robert and Laurel. Being on the roads at that time was a little worrisome, but we arrived home safely.

The best part of the new year was that our daughter and her family were here for a whole week.  However, this left me not a free moment as 2 year-old Alastair claimed my undivided attention. I loved every minute of it, but there was no time for blog writing, sewing or picture taking. Consequently…

For Faded Charm’s  White Wednesday, this is a rerun of an earlier post. I hope you find a tidbit or two that interest you.
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Posted in clothing, heirloom sewing, lace tape, ladies, machine embroidery, Madeira applique, techniques, White Wednesday

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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

Continue reading →

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

Christmas Dress Upgrade

Posted on December 13, 2011 | 4 comments

Laurel before church with lace added to sleeves.  That collar is just too big.

DGD Laurel’s Christmas dress just fell short of my expectations for a variety of reasons.   Originally, the sleeves were simply bound, but it just seemed too plain so I have added gathered lace which helps.

plain, bound sleeves

unadorned sleeve binding

It also fell short of the desired length.   After we attended the Stetson Christmas concert, the dress returned to the sewing room so the generous hem could be dropped.  Several holiday dresses ago, I learned that asking a non-sewing mother to measure a child for length was risky–also ridiculously unnecessary since I see Laurel 2-3 times a week!   But I had not taken the measurement so I took the precaution of adding several inches to the turned up hem.  Whew!   Three more inches added to the length gave a more pleasing fit. Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects

Christmas Dress~Sleeve Tip

Posted on December 5, 2011 | 3 comments

Having just returned from North Carolina last night, I’ve hardly unpacked.  But the exquisite Stetson Christmas Candlelight Concert was this afternoon, so that took priority over properly settling in at home.  Last night I pulled a long session in the sewing room finishing up Laurel’s dress so she could wear it for this, the first Christmas-dress-worthy event of the holiday season.

She looked as sweet as any Christmas treat, though I am not completely happy with the dress.  For a rather small 7 year-old, her Sarah Howard Stone collar is rather large, even though I reduced the size considerably.  After putting the dress, collar and sash all together, I really think I need to put lace on the sleeves.  There just wasn’t time before we left for the concert but I’ll tend to that this week. Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

Shadow Work Christmas Collar

Posted on November 28, 2011 | 13 comments

Christmas 11 collar whole

 

Good grief!!!!  Less than a month until Christmas and I am just now getting the grandchildren’s holiday outfits together!  I’m sewing in the fast lane now.

 

center

 

The collar for 7-year old Laurel’s burgundy velveteen dress is finished.  Swiss cotton organdy has been tinted with coffee.  The collar pattern is from Sarah Howard Stone’s Basic Yoke Dress.

The collar is lined so that the embroidery stitches will not show and also so that  the effect of the strong burgundy color shadowing through the ivory organdy is diminished.  The lining covers only the spokes, not the insertion.  The contrast of the lace spokes against the dark velveteen is very pleasing.

 

Christmas 11 collar side2

 

The machine embroidered shadow work designs are from Suzanne Hinshaw’s Charming Embellishments collection.  Though the set was marketed for placemats and linens,  the designs are appropriate for many other purposes.

I really choked using metallic thread to outline the holly leaves.  But I thought Laurel would love it and I’m trying to mix a little contemporary in with my old fashioned Nana style.

 

xmas lace scan0001

 

Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, shadow work by machine, techniques

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Antique Tabletopper Reproduction

Posted on November 8, 2011 | 2 comments

 

reproduction tabletopper

 

White Wednesday seemed like a good excuse to re-run this post.  You might enjoy viewing this lovely antique textile even more if you enlarge the photos by double clicking.  ~~~~~~

Antique textiles have long been a weakness of mine. The extensive handwork and intricate details routinely stitched in an earlier era are almost impossible to find in contemporary  household linens. Some of the design elements, however, can be duplicated for a very nice effect, if not the elaborate, luxurious look of the antiques.

The ho-hum tabletopper shown above is patterned after a special linen treasure, shown below. Made of linen like the original, the reproduction was stitched as a project sample for a 6 hour class, so the elaborate embroidery was necessarily minimized to what could be completed in that short period of time.

 

antique table topper

antique table topper

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Posted in antique textiles, heirloom sewing, home dec, machine embroidery, White Wednesday

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Children’s Hankies

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 4 comments

UPDATE–see update at the end of this post.childrens hankies L all 10-14-2011 12-32-00 AM
“He had no little handkerchief to wipe his little nose.”  Rev. R.H. Barham

And I surely don’t want that to be said of my granddaughter, Laurel.  The poor child has allergies and without warning, her  little freckled nose can run amuk. Having a handkerchief in her pocket gives a measure of confidence, now that she is, in fact, seven years old.  She does NOT like to be embarrassed.

This week, Laurel sang the national anthem with the Orlando Symphony, along with several other children.  Each represented a school or group and was invited to sing at a special performance for children.

And what does this have to do with handkerchiefs? Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, machine embroidery, uncategorized

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Madeira Applique’ Hem Pillowcases

Posted on October 6, 2011 | 7 comments

monogrammed-birthday-pc3A

A pair of these pillowcases were stitched for my daughter’s birthday, which is this week. She loves pretty linens and monograms, just like her mother, so this pair of pillow slips should please her.

The “C” monogram is from Martha Pullen’s  2002 Embroidery Club  collection.  I chose this style  because of its angular lines, a nice contrast to all the swirls of the embroidery below.  Years ago, I attended a quilting workshop at which the instructor casually threw out this tip.  She mentioned that when piecing with geometric shapes, she likes to quilt with curves.  Conversely, she thought that curved pieces look best with rectolinear quilting.  I’ve never regretted following her advice for quilts and frequently have applied it to embroidery designs. Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, machine embroidery, Madeira applique, White Wednesday

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Alastair’s Butterfly Baby Blanket

Posted on August 31, 2011 | 2 comments

Alastair taking his nap

Two things I dislike about my granddaughter–when she won’t take her afternoon nap, and when she won’t let me take mine. ~Gene Perret

In a few hours, our grandson Alastair will arrive with his parents for a short visit.  We haven’t seen him for more than a month, so we are really looking forward to seeing the changes that come so quickly in a 2 year old.
The photo above reminded me how sweet an infant he was and how much I enjoyed making pretty things for the newest member of the family.

This Swiss flannel blanket is one of my daughter Rebecca’s favorites for her baby boy.  It is embroidered with designs from Hatched in Africa.  The floral ”C”  is from their Daisy Monogram and the butterflies are from Daisy Heirlooms.


The blanket is edged with a fabulous English lace that is sturdy enough to hold up to serious laundering and yet delicate enough to look good with flowers and butterflies.   The embroideries are interspersed with feather stitching.


The lace header is very wide, but I just trim it down to half its size.  The lace was placed on the blanket, with the right side of the blanket to wrong side of the lace,  matching the raw edge of the blanket to the decorative edge of the lace. A straight stitch was sewn  in the narrow header.

The raw edged fabric under the lace is pressed toward the blanket center and away from the lace.  Then the lace is  pin stitched over the fold, usually with a width of 2.5 and length of 2.5.  Finally, I cut away that 1/2″ raw edged excess fabric and give a final press.   This makes for a very secure lace attachment.  This lace is  available at the JaniceFergusonSews store (see “A STORE” at the top of the menu on the right).

When I made this blanket, I thought it would be for a little granddaughter.  But ultrasound pictures made it clear that a baby boy was on the way.  That didn’t concern my daughter, God love her.  She adores the blanket and thinks, as do I, that it is just fine for her beautiful little guy.  Wisely, Rebecca did not feel the same about the pink, lace trimmed daygown that awaits her someday daughter.  There is still more fun in years to come!


Swiss flannel is a marvelous fabric for babies.  The weight is perfect year-round here in Florida.  The dainty nap is just enough to give a snuggle factor to the heirloom blanket.  It looks best when ironed, but neither of my girls (Rebecca and Shelly,  Laurel and Robert’s mama)  iron them every time and still they look neat and sweet.

Butterfly Blanket

Baby blankets are just a joy to make–no fitting, no buttonholes, no plackets, just all the lace and embroidery you want.  I’m eager to make another, but I keep eyeing the flannel receiving blankets with the crocheted edge on Jeannie B.’s blog.  Maybe it’s time for this crochet novice to try  something new.

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Posted in baby accessories, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery, White Wednesday