I need some of the lining fabric used on this bonnet.
Most of my last week was spent across the state with my pregnant daughter, Rebecca, and 3 year old grandson, Alastair. Son-in-law Harvey was among the 10,000!!!!! bikers riding in the RAGBRAI500 mile safari through Iowa. On purpose. In July. With no pressure from family or friends. And he loved it! Go figure.
Meanwhile, in those hectic days, Rebecca had a sonogram which gave us the wonderful news–it’s a girl! This little bundle of joy is due to arrive sometime around Christmas.
I am beside myself, whirling around here in high gear. Laurel, our only other granddaughter, is 8 years old now, so my kind of smocking and little girl sewing is slowing down, being replaced (as per her request) by more contemporary, young lady projects.
But now a baby girl–oh my!!!!! I’m pulling out all my Creative Needle Baby Issues, Sew Beautiful mags, baby daygown and accessory patterns and reveling in the options. Precious handlooms, antique laces and unique Swiss embroideries are scattered around the sewing room in stacks for careful review.
There are two minor emergencies, though, with which I hope one of you readers might be able to help me. Continue reading →
The redecorating of the grandchildren’s bedroom at Nana’s house is coming along. But I don’t want to break stride and thought you might enjoy reading this re-run post. Soon, I will have a new post about the projects for the children’s room. Meanwhile, let me know what you are stitching.
I love colored antique laces. Today, imported laces are rarely available in a color other than white, ecru or ivory. But vintage and antique laces came in a variety of hues and have always appealed to me. Much as I love adding unique pieces to my collection, I am loathe to use one unless the project seems worthy of the sacrifice.
When I found this short length of copper colored lace, I knew its use would be limited. The Star of David ground identifies it as a Binche lace, the lovely pattern outlined with a cordonnet thread. Continue reading →
This pillowcase and its mate will be included in a wedding gift I am putting together for my cousin’s daughter. The first and only time I saw Jordan was when she was 14 and spent a week with us learning to sew. Now she has just graduated from University of Nebraska and will be married next week by her father in the church he pastors.
Sewing for others always requires at least a cursory consideration of their personal taste. When her grandmother (my sweet Aunt Rheeta) told me the wedding colors were black and white, and then the very contemporary invitation arrived, I knew Jordan was a 2012 Thoroughly Modern Millie.
But she is a beautiful young lady, both inside and out, who will be a lovely bride and a loving wife. She is entitled to her own taste. Continue reading →
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.
I’ve just finished a two-piece set of communion linens to replace the plain white household tablecloth and napkin that has been in use at our church for some time. But I am very disappointed in the results. I hope one of you may have a suggestion to elevate this potentially beautiful set from “oh dear!” to “acceptable.”
Let me give you the background. A few years ago, I helped my Aunt Rheeta make a spectacular set for her church, using fine linen, this same liturgical lace, and the same design set. The pictures are not good at all, but you can see hers by clicking here.
Of course, I hoped to create an equally beautiful communion set, worthy of it’s sacred purpose, for my church. Continue reading →
I’m busy making spa wraps for Laurel’s 10 birthday party guests and their AG dolls. Then I’ll start embroidering button covers for my Hope Yoder button-up machine. They will be attached to ponytail holders but the girls will do that at the party. Lots of fun, but nothing to show or report now. So once again, I am posting one of Judy Day’s projects.
Her 8 year-old granddaughters are just 3 months apart in age. Making gorgeous, matching birthday dresses, along with gorgeous matching doll dresses and hairbows is an annual challenge for their long-distance grandmother. Of course, there are also matching Christmas and Easter dresses. If you haven’t seen Judy’s lovely creations, click on Judy Day’s Creations in the menu on the right.
As happens so often, Creative Needle magazine provided the inspiration for the birthday dresses. Judy told me that the Sept./Oct. 2001 issue had been waiting its turn on her cutting table since before the girls were born. That’s where she stacks “I definitely want to make that!” ideas. Continue reading →
This is an amazing dress, an example of what I would call heirloom recycling. Whoever made this dress embraced the “green” philosophy–or simply needed a white dress and had a pretty tablecloth. Whatever.
On a yard sale/church bazaar Saturday outing, a mother/daughter duo came across this dress. Well aware of my penchant for antique textiles, the shopping duo decided then and there to gift it to me.  What wonderful friends! And, of course, I was delighted.
front bodice motif
Remarkable for a number of reasons, the dress is made from a beautifully stitched fine linen tablecloth. It was not immediately obvious that the cutwork, surface embroidery and needle lace inserts were not embellishments meant for a special gown.
My first clue that this was a tablecloth was when I discovered the embroidery at the neckline, under the bodice overlay. Hmmmmmmm….no reason to embroider there.
It is pieced together so artfully that the placement of the designs and the needle lace seem well planned for a dress. The skirt was cut so that the cutwork lines up at the side seams. The unusual sleeve style incorporates a corner of the cloth.
At the upcoming mother-daughter church luncheon, a display of vintage wedding gowns and dresses will be featured. So I pulled out the dress and proceeded to launder it. That’s when I discovered the embroidery at the neckline and the non-standard skirt attachment.
Close examination convinced me that the cutwork and embroidery were done by someone other than the seamstress who constructed this garment. There is a noticeable disparity between the workmanship of the handwork and the construction.
This is most noticeable with lace attachment. It is simply straight stitched onto what appears to be a machine rolled and whipped edge at the hem and sleeve edges.
However, on the front and back yoke overlays, which are lined, it is very nicely hand stitched.
The color has been edited to show stitches joining lace to overlay.
It seems to me that the short opening at the center back would make it very difficult to put the dress on. But it’s likely that the seamstress/designer didn’t want break the horizontal line of the lace on the overlay.
Of course, I wonder for what special occasion was the dress made? It could have been a confirmation or graduation dress. It even could have been a wedding dress. Whatever.
Scarlet O’Hara would have found this a welcome, comfortable change from her velvet drapery dress.
Just a few days ago, Lindsay wrote, “ Would you post or share you technique for pin stitching. Needles, setting, fabric and lace prep, thread, machine, etc.?” So this post is dedicated to Lindsay and her inquiring mind.~~~~~
Some time ago, I promised a tutorial post on pin stitch and now it’s time to address this question. In my humble opinion, few machine-made embellishments for classic clothing have as much aesthetic impact as the most common hemstitches, pin stitch and entredeux. So, for those of us who love to create such garments, it is important to know about these two machine made hem stitches.
Since this is a very broad topic, this post will deal only with pin stitch. As a matter of fact, it will take two posts for pin stitch. Some time later, I will talk about entredeux.
Also known as point de paris and Parisian hem stitch, is a stitch made by both hand and machine. This discussion deals only with machine made hem stitches.
First let me give you a brief overview of this stitch. Much of this information is taken from Carol Ahles’ excellent reference book,Fine Machine Sewing.
DESCRIPTION: Pin stitch is described by Carol as a stitch pattern that resembles the letter “L” (or when mirror imaged, a reversed “L”) repeating the vertical stitches and on some machines, the horizontal stitches.
It looks like this in the machine stitch menu. On several machines I have used, this requires 8 stitches for each hole, which appears at the left end of the horizontal stitch. A good starting point for settings is W. 2.5 and L. 2.5. Don’t be tricked into using a stitch that has two horizontal stitches. Those are usually for applique’ and will not give the same look as a genuine pin stitch. Continue reading →
Judy is as skilled at gardening as she is at sewing. Just look at this spring scene in her back yard!
Judy Day has continued her tradition of gorgeous Easter dresses and hairbows for both of her granddaughters and their dolls. These are very different from the heirloom confections she has always made.  But as we all know, as little girls grow a little older, they like contemporary garments.Â
Here is Judy’s tale of how these dresses came about.
This idea for this year’s Easter dresses for my DGDs actually started last summer when I was asked to make a store sample for B Sew Inn (BabyLock dealer)in Springfield, MO. I fell in love with the dress from the picture on the front of the book, “Rosie and Me“ by Michelle Griffith.
Sometimes, it seems that all my posts overlap. This is one of those times.
When I blogged about the shadow smocked Easter dress for my granddaughter, I mentioned that I would tell you about the lace I used. And I will.
As I was gathering my thoughts, it occurred to me that the most interesting thing about the lace is the use of the galloon as insertion. So I want to tell you about that and other galloons I have used for both insertion and edging.
French Val galloon, with two decorative edges, 1-3/4″ wide
The antique lace I used for my granddaughter’s Easter dress was purchased at a veritable once-in-a-lifetime estate sale where I still sometimes shop when I am in Dreamland. The creamy French Val lace is a beautiful ivory color, achieved by age rather than dye. Two bolts of a classic pattern available yet today came home with me.
French Val edging, 1-1/4″ wide
I found the intricacy of the pattern in combination with the gentle color to be very pleasing. But I needed insertion for the skirt.
If you look carefully at the scalloped edges on the galloon, you will see how easily it converted to an insertion. Without the perfectly straight lines of traditional insertion, the galloon requires a little more care when it is stitched to the flat skirt fabric. But it certainly passed.  The soft curve of the scallops make this do-able. More dramatically curved edges would have been a major challenge.
