Category Archives: Holiday Projects

Thanksgiving ’10

Posted on November 27, 2010 | 2 comments

Alastair at home after dinner

We had a beautiful Thanksgiving day with our daughter and her husband’s family.  In addition to the tenderest pork roast this side of the Mason-Dixie line,  standard Thanksgiving fare was offered, including turkey and all the trimmings.

89 year-old Ruby again delighted but did not surprise us with her dee-vine Florida pear cobbler, chocolate pecan pie and blackberry cobbler.  Everything was delicious beyond words, except for the pumpkin cheese cake I made.  The gingersnap pecan crust was burned and I don’t know why.

But with a few of my ordinary but satisfactory pumpkin pies and Ruby’s contributions, there was no shortage of desserts.

In his turkey suit, Alastair, of course, stole the show from the roasted bird.  With his good looks and sweet nature, this little boy does not need cute clothing to win everyone’s attention. But he was precious in his black and white houndstooth check suit, made up from the John-John pattern in Martha’s Favorite Applique’s book by Martha Pullen.

The turkey design from the Autumn Harvest collection by Designs by JuJu was added to the front, enabling the John-John to be worn beyond Thanksgiving day.  I hope to get another button-on embroidered for other occasions. Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, boys, clothing, Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery

Cousin Christmas Tree Dresses

Posted on November 25, 2010 | Leave a comment

 Happy Thanksgiving!

Judy Day's two granddaughters and two granddolls

Judy Day’s two granddaughters and two granddolls

While most of us are likely busy stitching Christmas outfits or gifts, I thought you would enjoy seeing one of Judy Day’s outfits from a Christmas past.

My dear friend Judy Day made these for her two granddaughters a few years ago, along with matching dresses for their American Girls dolls.  And of course, Judy ALWAYS makes hair bows for girls and dolls. How cute are  these little Christmas darlings?

 

CousinChristmasDresses1

 

A few years ago, Judy attended the Martha Pullen’s school when I was teaching.  We  both spotted a dress like these made by master teacher Lezette Thomason.  Judy proclaimed right then and there that she would be making similar dresses for Courtney and Kennedy that next Christmas.  And she did.

Judy started with the jumper pattern in Martha’s Favorite Applique’s by Martha Pullen.  She lengthened it, because the girls’ mothers like the longer, mid-calf length.  Then she drafted a simple Christmas tree for the applique’.

The jumpers and trees are both featherwale corderoy.  The trees are decorated with buttons.   And the girls themselves are cute as a button.

Thanks, Judy!

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Posted in clothing, doll clothing and accessories, girls, Holiday Projects, Judy Day's creations

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Early Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2010 | 2 comments

Saturday was a day of treasured memories.  Norman Rockwell himself never had it so good.  With their families, both of our children  gathered around the dining room table in the home where they grew up.  Bob and I were again grateful beyond words for all of our blessings.

The menu was traditional, with turkey, dressing, pumpkin and mincemeat pies and all the trimmings. A few years ago, we added a new item to the table and due to popular demand, it has become a regular.  Cranberry-orange relish is easy-peasy, can be made in advance and keeps for one week. The recipe is posted below.

 

The day began with everyone watching football as our beloved Gators tried to improve their performance in a disappointing season. At half time, the crowd moved outside for some action in the front yard.  Alastair surprised us with his strong 20 month old arm and both Robert and Laurel ran some pretty good routes.

 

our own sweet Sugar Plum Fairy

Half time also gave me the opportunity to pin up the hem in Laurel’s Christmas dress.  I think she will be prettier than the Sugar Plum Fairy herself when we attend The Nutcracker next month.

All three children clowned around, but as always, Alastair dodged the camera like a wide receiver outrunning a tackle.  Continue reading →

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

Gobble Monogram Shirts

Posted on November 20, 2010 | 3 comments

UPDATE:  Some new photos of all three in their turkey shirts…….

My grandsons’ Christmas outfits are on the back burner. This past week, I was tied up taking care of Alastair across the state.  His mother has been called into work at her job as a computer engineer for a full week, rather than her regularly scheduled two days, so I did daycare instead of holiday outfits.

I returned home Thurs. night, fully intending to plow full steam ahead on Christmas clothes, but now we are having an impromptu early Thanksgiving Saturday.

Ryan and Shelly were already on board because it is a regular football Saturday. We called Rebecca and Harvey Friday at dinner time to ask them to come.  They piled into the car and arrived late that evening with sweet Alastair sound asleep.  Having a baby tucked in the nursery crib is just one more thing to be thankful for.

It will be just like the real thing, though on a slightly smaller scale, as I have just begun cooking.  But with turkey, dressing, lots of trimmings, pumpkin and mincemeat pies and a day rife with college football games, the only difference will be that we are not celebrating on the 4th Thursday of November. Continue reading →

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

Boys’ Christmas Outfits

Posted on November 17, 2010 | Leave a comment

Now that Laurel’s Christmas dress is finished, I am ready to begin  outfits for her brother, Robert, 5, and cousin Alastair, 20 months.  Black velveteen and embroidery designs from The Nutcracker are the common components that will coordinate these garments.

Robert was to have had black knickers but his mother wisely suggested otherwise.  It’s likely that none of the homeschooled boys  attending The Nutcracker matinee have even seen a pair of knickers, let alone worn them.   So I’ve changed the plan and Robert will wear black dress pants. 

His shirt, however, will be as planned–ivory linen with an embroidered nutcracker.  Black lace tape will run vertically along  either side of the embroidery and perhaps some  twin needle pintucks.  I’m not sure just how much width there will be to work with.  I do plan to make him some velveteen shorts for Christmas day.   That’s a photo op that I won’t miss! Now, if I can just keep him out of the tree house until picture time. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, brother-sister, clothing, Holiday Projects

Christmas Dress ’10

Posted on November 15, 2010 | 14 comments

black velveteen

Laurel’s black velveteen dress and pinafore bib are finished, complete except for the hem. It was such a pleasure to plan and stitch this holiday outfit for her. Handling and stitching the goods for heirloom sewing just makes me say ahhhhhh.

Christmas outfits for Laurel and her brother need to be finished in time for family Christmas card photos. Then, they will be worn to The Nutcracker performance in early December. So the rush is on to complete Robert’s clothing. His shirt will be embroidered with a nutcracker.

pinafore bib

The champagne Swiss batiste pinafore bib features the Sugar Plum Fairy design from A Bit of Stitch’s Mini Nutcracker Motifs collection. This is a really lovely design, very delicate. The motif below the dancer is stitched with 80 wt. Madeira Cotona, which makes the design very light.

I was almost finished with the bib when I noticed that the ballerina was not centered. How did that happen? I measured ever so carefully, I thought. But I’ll have to live with it now.

Ecru beading threaded with pink satin ribbon runs on either side of a delicate antique lace insertion. Wide pink satin ribbon ties the bib front and back at the side. Continue reading →

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Posted in brother-sister, clothing, girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, serger

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Back to the Drawing Board~Christmas Dress ’10

Posted on October 31, 2010 | Leave a comment

 

It’s back to the drawing board for Laurel’s Christmas dress.  The day after it was ordered, the luscious black velveteen arrived from The Sewing Studio.  I was already working, full steam ahead, on the ivory Swiss batiste pinafore bib to slip over the black dress (see previous post), when it arrived.  Then disaster struck.

But let me back up a minute.  I like to stitch the shoulder seams before inserting laces, so  the lace is a continuous piece, from bottom of the front yoke to the bottom of the back yoke.  By doing so, there is no break in the lace pattern and no fudging to get the laces to match up absolutely perfectly at the shoulder.

So after inserting one row of  Swiss beading from front to back, nearly 20″, I discovered it was defective.

www.oh no.com

 

There was a gap between the fabric and one of the eyelets for the ribbon.  It had never occurred to me to check for flaws.  Imported trims are expensive and thus, perfect, I foolishly thought. WRONG!   I stand corrected. Okay, so nothing is perfect, right?  Well, except for my grandchildren, of course.

Enlarge to see the defects/gaps beside ribbon carrier eyelets.

Ever so carefully, I removed the tiny zig zag stitches, removed the beading and pulled out another length of this lovely stuff.  Half way through that application, I was heartsick to see not just one but several such defects.  I unrolled the entire 10 yard bold and saw defects no less frequently than every 10″.  I cannot even remember where, several years ago,  I purchased this and the matching insertion.   So I’ve put it away and will have to use it in short lengths.  The partially finished pinafore bib goes in the scrap bag.  Maybe I will make a doll dress to match. But for now,  I was back to square one for Laurel’s pinafore bib. Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

Ingredients~Christmas Dress ’10

Posted on October 29, 2010 | 2 comments

For almost three weeks now I have wrestled with designs and plans for Christmas outfits for all three grandchildren.  I desperately wanted them coordinated, as it seems that my opportunities for brother-sister-cousin holiday clothes are diminishing.  Sweet and cooperative as 5 1/2 year old Robert is, I think the era of easy compliance with “sweet” clothes  is drawing near an end.

But time flies and the outfits need to be finished for Christmas pictures as well as for The Nutcracker Ballet, which Robert and Laurel will be attending mid-December.  So I have finally settled on basic  black velveteen as the unifying factor.

While awaiting the arrival of my mail order shipment of velveteen from The Sewing Studio in Maitland (Florida), I have started a pinafore bib for Laurel.  This will be worn over her black yoke dress. Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, girls, heirloom sewing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery

Thanksgiving Suit in Progress

Posted on October 26, 2010 | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  We have so much to be thankful for and our precious grandchildren are near the top of the list.  My passion for sewing is another blessing that enriches my life.  Grandchildren and sewing are major factors of my happiness that go hand in hand.

Of course, I love making holiday garments for them.  This little suit is a work in progress for 19 month old Alastair to wear Thanksgiving Day when we all gather for thanks and dinner at  the home of his paternal grandmother.  Of course, he is the apple of everyone’s eye and will get more attention than the turkey and pumpkin pies.

Once again, I have chosen one of my favorite patterns, the John-John included in the Martha Pullen book, Applique’, Martha’s Favorites.  I use this so often that I have traced off all sizes of both the John-John and the girl’s jumper.  Each pattern is kept  paper clipped together and stored in an envelope tucked into the book.  It probably took less time to trace off all sizes at one time than it would have taken to assemble the newsprint paper, ruler, marker, etc.,   haul it to the glass topped table on the breakfast porch and trace off  even two patterns.

With the help of an edge stitch foot, a black straight stitch has been worked around the perimeter, top and bottom.  This keeps the white lining from peeking around the black houndstooth check body of the suit.

Rather than embroider on the suit itself, I made a patch that will button onto the front of the John-John.  The turkey is from Designs by JuJu’s Autumn Harvest collection. Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, clothing, Holiday Projects, machine embroidery, techniques

Boo Bouh

Posted on October 22, 2010 | Leave a comment

Making Halloween shirts is just plain fun.  I have little enthusiasm  for  costume making, but a quickie shirt makes the grandchildren as happy as if I had whipped up Spiderman or Cinderella.

Amy Spriggs made the little white cutie on the left, along with the spooky hair bow.   She used the Bouh Bouh font in BabyLock’s Masterworks, CustomWorks and LetterWorks.

I’ve used the same font on a onesie for 18 month old Alastair.  His name is longer than Ashlyn’s and his shirt is smaller, so the ghosts were flocked together more closely. The Happy Halloween text is from Babylock’s Halloween collection.  It comes with a sassy little spider hanging off the bottom of the “y” in Happy, but with all those ghost it just seemed like overkill.  So I left it out. Continue reading →

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