Category Archives: Holiday Projects

Molly’s Christmas Dress

Posted on December 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

December 25th,  Laurel will find her new American Girls Molly doll under the tree, wearing a dress nearly identical to Laurel’s Christmas dress.  As I sewed, I kept imagining the delight in my granddaughter’s big, hazel, doe eyes.

Much as I hoped to  embroider the bib with miniature Sugar Plum Fairy, just like Laurel’s, it was apparent that it was too risky to reduce the design to doll size.  So I hunted and hunted through my designs, searching for a fairy in a scene that could be extracted.

Finally, I came upon Martha Pullen’s Mother and Child Embroideryscapes from Amazing Designs.  This fairy isn’t exactly like the graceful ballerina on the child’s bib, but she is tiny and fit nicely. With BuzzToolsV2 I added little ballet slippers, but the design is so small that it was wasted effort.

Tiny as the design was, I did reduce it by 10%.  In order to compensate for reduction, I used 50, 60 and 80 wt. threads. Continue reading →

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Posted in doll clothing and accessories, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

Is it too late to be good?

Posted on December 16, 2010 | Leave a comment

"Is it too late to be good?"

Tick-tock-tick-tock…..time is short.  But if I can squeeze out 30 minutes between now and the weekend, I am going to embroider two shirts like these, made by Judy Day for her grandchildren. They just make me smile and I’m certain they would have the same effect on others.

It may not be too late for any of my grandchildren to turn over a new leaf, but it certainly will be too late for Alastair to wear the shirt by the time I mail it to him.  So perhaps Laurel and Robert will get some cute duds like these.  Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, brother-sister, clothing, embroidery blanks, girls, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

Alastair’s Stocking

Posted on December 13, 2010 | 4 comments

zAlChristmastockingwhole

 

At last, Alastair’s Christmas stocking is finished.  I’m generally pleased with it, but as always, if I were to do it over I’d make some changes.

The Santa in flight embroidery design is from Babylock’s Christmas Collection II. The intricacy and shading has tremendous appeal to me, but the real clincher was the inclusion of Rudolph in the sleigh’s team of  reindeer.

I have always enjoyed adding details to an embroidery and this one gave plentiful opportunity.  A seed bead has been stitched to Rudolph’s nose, a detail that will be overlooked by most, but not Hawk-Eye Alastair.

 

zAlChristmastockingSantaFI

He will also finger the tiny bells stitched to the reindeer harnesses.  They were a little large, but just how realistic do you have to be with a design like this?

Another addition is a tiny soldier button to Santa’s pack.  I’d like to have included more toy buttons, but only the soldier was a suitable size.

Edging the black ultrasuede stocking body is red and white double mini piping.  The ultrasuede was purchased years ago to make wine bags for my oenophile brother.

 

zAlChristmastockingsoldier

Continue reading →

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Posted in Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery, uncategorized

Christmas Kid Towels

Posted on December 12, 2010 | Leave a comment

Pillowcases have always been my extra touch for my grandchildrens’ holidays.  Judy Day goes a step further and makes seasonal towels for hers.

She doesn’t spend a lot of time on these.  Judy simply personalizes the towels with their names and adds a little holiday motif to the letters.  These motifs might be extracted from other designs or they might be independent miniature designs.

The children, of course, enjoy having some holiday decoration in their bathroom.  And Judy, of course, enjoys knowing they think of their grandmother “Mimi” every time they wash their hands.

I could do this!  On my computer, I maintain a folder of miniature design sets as well as designs from which I could extract elements for such uses as this.  Brother, Babylock, Viking, Martha Pullen, Amazing Designs, Cactus Punch, OESD and Embroidery Library all have miniature collections.   And they are not the only ones.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, Nana fun

Mouse King Shirt

Posted on December 9, 2010 | 1 comment

Alastair’s Christmas outfit is almost finished.  The pattern is Ginger Snaps Hudson’s Sundy Suit,  with side vents. Few little guys can keep their shirts tucked in so this pattern offers a nice solution to that problem.

Paired with the shirt are black velveteen short pants with straps that should hold the ruthless Mouse King securely in place. But if the shirt still fits Alastair next year, it’s nice to give him the option of wearing it without tucking.  

Like Cousin Robert’s shirt  the fabric is Martha’s Favorite Linen.  This is not my favorite linen, but it is just right for the boys’ shirts.  Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, serger

Heirloom Ornament

Posted on December 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

I would love to have a  tree loaded with heirloom Christmas balls.  But it is already loaded with ornaments made by my children and grandchildren and other special keepsake decorations.  Still, I enjoyed making this one by hand while  taking a break from holiday machine sewing.

The styrofoam ball was simply divided into four parts, then three quarters were filled with puffing.  The fourth features a shadow embroidery design done by hand.  Continue reading →

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Posted in hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, home dec

Generic Gifts

Posted on December 6, 2010 | Leave a comment

In addition to all the gift giving for family and friends, the Christmas season always brings occasions where a small gift is needed for teachers, the office party, club or other group gift exchange.  I’ve finally come up with a few generic gifts, appropriate for just about anyone.

My stash includes a stack of linen guest towels, ready and waiting for holiday embellishment.  I’ve just begun working on a few, two for specific gatherings and a few more to have on hand for a last minute need.

Usually, my  time saving goal is to embroider the same design on all  towels.  But there are so many gorgeous Christmas designs that I cannot help but sample from several collections.  I’ve started out this year with a holly wreath from Sparkling Christmas by one of my favorite designers, Sue Box www.suebox.com.  As expected, it stitched out perfectly with almost no jump stitches.

Bob will take this to his office party next week.  I feel rather smug to have this done in advance.  Now, I’d better get back to Alastair’s almost-done Christmas outfit.

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Posted in embroidery blanks, Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery

Little Santa Workshop

Posted on December 3, 2010 | Leave a comment

 

turn-tube Christmas pillowcase for Cousin Mikey

Today was the official opening of our Little Santa Workshop.  Newly empowered by success in the workshop and at the sewing machine and puffed up with confidence,  Robert and Laurel have composed a very long list of friends and family members for whom they intend to make gifts.  Trying not to put a damper on their enthusiasm and generosity, I suggested that we prioritize the recipient list and begin right away.  So we did.

There are so many quick and easy sewing projects that I think Laurel just might be able to check off most of the names on her list.  Coming up with comparably simple projects for the 5 year old “shopper,” Robert’s title for  his woodworking persona,  presents a greater challenge.

Today, Laurel made a Christmas pillowcase for one of her cousins.  The turn-tube decorative hem technique is detailed in an earlier post  Even with her little Brother set at a very low speed, Laurel finished this pillowcase in less than an hour.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Holiday Projects, home dec, Kids Sew, turn tube hem

Robert’s Christmas Shirt

Posted on December 1, 2010 | 2 comments

RobertsChristmasShirtwhole

 

Finally, 5 year-old Robert’s Christmas shirt is done.  His long black pants are pressed and ready to wear as soon as I buy a belt to keep them up.  Then he will be ready for The Nutcracker.

After all the interruptions and delays, I am glad to have this project finished.  The fabric is Martha’s Favorite Linen from Martha Pullen and  shirt pattern Hudson’s Sunday Suit  is from Ginger Snaps.  Like all Nancy Coburn’s Ginger Snaps patterns, the directions are very clear with great photo illustrations and many design options.

 

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That crooked embroidery design drove me crazy. But it was too late to redo it.

 

The nutcracker design from A Bit of Stitch  is surrounded by a candy cane frame from Adorable Ideas, narrowed in my heavily used BuzzEdit2 program.

Black lace tape, run vertically on either side of the embroidery, is embellished with a decorative stitch from my Brother Duetta 6500D.  The same stitch is worked on the back , around the collar and on the mock sleeve cuffs. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, brother-sister, clothing, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, lace tape, machine embroidery

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Gingerbread House Party 2010

Posted on November 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

Rebecca, Alastair and the house he wants to get his little hands on!

The day after Thanksgiving, my precious daughter hosted her annual family gingerbread house party and what a party it was!

Rebecca was especially excited about Cousin Robert’s hand-me-down John-John.  Smocked with gingerbread boys and candy canes, it  looked just as good on Alastair as it did two years ago on Robert.

Like so many of the brother-sister outfits I have made for them, these garments were both ready-to-smock.  It’s very rewarding to see this outfit have a second life with my second grandson. Of course, Robert and Laurel have been raised in our family’s gingerbread tradition and made their first  houses that year.

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

Since my children were little, we’ve always made gingerbread houses for Christmas.  For several years, the PlayGroup Mamas gathered to make houses for the children, before they all left home. But that was before the handy kits with pre-baked walls and  roof panels, frosting mix and a generous supply of candies.  Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, brother-sister, clothing, girls, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, Nana fun, party accessories and ideas, ready-to-smock finished projects