Category Archives: Holiday Projects

Alastair’s Hurry-up Easter Suit

A Easter suit

I know this outfit is crooked on the hanger. There was a stiff breeze blowing and I could not keep the shirt hanging properly.

 

We always talk about how busy we are, but I have never let other things make me cut it so close with Easter outfits for the grandchildren.  Just like when my children were small, I was up until after midnight Saturday before Easter.

 

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But I finished all four outfits.

Alastair’s Easter suit was a very satisfying project.  Like few hurry-up projects, it finished up quite nicely, leaving me  generally pleased.   I learned that sometimes surrendering my picky-ness for a rush project is okay.  It is more important to have an  OK outfit done for Easter than an up- to-my-picky-standards outfit done a week later.  This was made in about a day and a half, and those were busy days aside from sewing.

 

goods A suit Continue reading

Free Big Bunnies Design

3 bunnies

 

As a self-described Only-When-Absolutely-Necessary digitizer/machine embroidery designer, I worked up this design for a Children’s Corner Callie.   It was made in a huge hurry for my granddaughter to wear to the Bunny Lunch at church the day before Easter.

 

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Bunny Dress for Bunny Lunch

bunny callie CR

One more Easter outfit finished.  This is for Vivian Rose to wear to the Bunny Lunch/Easter Egg Hunt at church on Saturday.

The pattern is Children’s Corner Callie, made from some anonymous pink fabric from my stash and trimmed with this sweet vintage Liberty bunny print.  It has been aging in my stash for so long that these playful rabbits are elderly by now.

More details later.  I still have Easter sewing to finish.  Tick  tock tick tock…..

 

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

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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

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Gingerbread Christmas Dress

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Vivian Rose’s first Christmas dress has a gingerbread theme.   With a long standing family tradition of making holiday gingerbread houses, I knew her mother would like it.  Her brother sported gingerbread in his first Christmas outfit.  This is important because Baby Girl doesn’t care one way or another.

 

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trying to climb down off her father’s lap at her brother’s Christmas program

 

It was first worn for Big Brother Alastair’s Christmas program.  She would have looked better with her long sleeve white shirt with a lettuce leaf finish at the cuffs and collar, but it was a very warm day, too warm for long sleeves.  Ahhh,  the joy of winter in Florida! Continue reading

Christmas Dress Embossed

Laurel, fighting off the passion vine

Laurel, fighting off the passion vine which is tumbling down the arbor

 

Hurrah!  The problems with my server seem to be resolved so Janice Ferguson Sews is back!  After all this time, I hope there are still a few readers left.  There are so many things lined up that I want to share with you.  This is the first.

Granddaughter Laurel’s dress was meant to be just a church frock.  But when time got away from me, it was upgraded to her Christmas dress.  Nonetheless, she wore it to church the first Sunday of Dec. because I had nothing else made up for her.

These pitiful pictures were taken in a rush after church and before Laurel had to hurry off to another event.  And if you think this photo is bad, wait until you see the others!  But they do show you the details of the dress.  I should have taken a minute or two to press her dress and sweep the walk.

 

L gate top

bodice embossed with Embossed Frame Monogram Alphabet from Designs by JuJu

The bodice is burgundy cotton velveteen, the skirt a heavy poly silk.  The sleeves and neckline are bound with poly silk bias.  Since I first saw the embossed designs, I’ve been wanting to stitch one.  When planning this dress,  I realized the velveteen was a perfect fabric for this  technique. Continue reading

Stocking Gallery

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a quick charity fundraiser project

Where’s Waldo?  Where has www.janicefergusonsews.com  been?  According to my savvy son-in-law, the problem was with my server. Humphhhh, no tip for this server. But this blog is back and so am I and I have so much to share with you.

While the blog was down, I have been doing a lot of sewing.  Many of the Christmas projects are finally finished and ready for the big day. 

Do you all make a lot of stockings?  Have you made one for each member of the family?  Do you enjoy stitching these?  It seems everywhere I look in the sewing world, stockings are being cranked out in great numbers.  It seems some families like to purchase or make new stockings each year. 

It’s a one-time shot for the Fergusons.  In this family, you get one stocking and you darn well better like it.  Or you can get your own from Cracker Barrel or WalMart. No do-overs from me.

Alastairstocking

Because I make just one, well except for grandson  Alastair’s temporary stocking.  But that was a special situation.

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The stockings were hung…

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by the chimney with care,”  by each of my grandchildren and a few others.  My well-organized, got-it-together daughter and daughter-in-law saw to it.  Both young ladies put the finishing touches on their Christmas trees and decorations the day after Thanksgiving.

Me?   I’ve been busy making stockings and have finally finished.  I’m thinking maybe sometime soon I’ll get around to  packing up the cornucopia on the dining room table and all the fall wreaths at the doors.  Then I’ll decorate.

A few months after Vivian Rose was born, my Rebecca gave a heads up that she decorates the day after Thanksgiving.  Of course, Vivian Rose would need a stocking this year.  Of course, I put that on my to-do list sometime in March, in the midst of Easter sewing.

Tick tock tick tock…..but I lacked inspiration.  Finally, Rebecca suggested a gingerbread theme.  Then I was off and running.

 

VR stocking cuff

 

The body is just an inexpensive cotton with the toe, heel, cuff, and piping made from red featherwale corduroy.    The jumbo chenille rick rack that had been launguishing in my stash for several years nicely mimicked the buttercream frosting we use on gingerbread cookies. 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