Category Archives: home dec

Rebecca’s Watercolor Quilt

Blessed are the children of the piecemakers,  for they shall inherit the quilts. 

 

The quilt is actually flat. But in order to get good lighting, the photo was taken outside with the quilt draped over the Confederate jasmine that covers the front porch rail.

 

But my daughter, a quilter in her own right, couldn’t wait that long.  She absconded with this one when she went away to college and it wasn’t missed until I spotted it hanging in her dorm room. She explained that she knew I wanted her to have it, and of course, she was right.

Later, it was displayed in her sorority house room, then in her first apartment and next in the first home she bought as a career girl.  Only now, as “Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady” (remember Barbra Streisand singing this in Funny Girl?), having moved into Harvey’s house,  has Rebecca relegated this little quilt to her cedar chest for lack of a properly barren wall.

I love to quilt.  When watercolor quilting hit the piecemakers’ world,  I was singing, “Getting to Know You,” (The King and I) eager to learn all about.  My dear friend Suzanne and I signed up for a workshop in North Carolina and waited in eager anticipation.  Well, actually, Suzanne waited.  I cut 2″ squares.  Thousands of them.  When we finally headed north, I had cutter’s cramp. Continue reading

Antique Lace Crazy Patch Pillow

In the crazy quilt of life, I’m glad you’re in my block of friends.  ~Author Unknown

I love crazy patch.  It’s been a while since I’ve done any, since there’s not much call for crazy patch clothing for grandchildren.  But I came across this pillow while plundering through Rebecca’s cedar chest and recalled fondly the fun I had stitching it.

Many years ago, my dear friend  Suzanne Sawko and I sat down one day with bags and bags of scraps, two women on a mission to learn crazy patch.  We sewed for almost 7 hours and each finished a piece about 8″ square.  But we loved it.  Later, Suzanne made hers into a checkbook cover for my birthday.  I treasure and use it still.

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Valentine Variety

Valentine L

 

My daughter-in-law, Shelly, is such a wonderful mother.  This week she hosted a little Valentine party for the neighborhood children.  They exchanged homemade cards, decorated heart cookies, dipped strawberries in chocolate, chased balloons and had a big time.  It was pouring down rain, so the other mothers were happy to have a fun indoor activity for the children.  These Florida kids are usually outside playing, so one rainy day gives them cabin fever.

 

elephants

 

There has been a lot of Valentine activity in my sewing room this past week.Laurel and I worked together to embroider a red tee shirt knit dress, a blank from my stash,  for her to wear to the party.  This is just one of the delightful designs from the Zundt Design Valentine collection.  We also stitched a few others on dishtowels because Laurel couldn’t choose just one.

 

Valentine Fabric

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2-Way Guest Towels

Few things are prettier than linen guest towels, embroidered and hemstitched, hanging demurely from the bathroom towel rack.

Most guests, however, are loathe to use them, reluctant to wrinkle the beauties and leave them hanging in the disarray that results when linen is handled.

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Pool Table Cover

“But I believe that there are marriages where you can have your pool table and she can have her scrapbooking room or garden or whatever it is. But when everyone has what they want, it’s not funny. There’s no conflict.” Brad Garrett

 

Judypooltable

 

From my observations, there is no conflict in the Day marriage and now Brad Garrett has suggested one of the reasons.  Brent has his pool table and bass boat, Judy has her sewing and embroidery machines.  Most importantly, they have each other, wonderful children  AND grandchildren!  It appears that they have everything they want.

 

Judypooltableclose

 

I doubt there is anything Judy Day cannot or will not embroider.  This pool table is just one more example of the beautiful, creative things she makes.  Her husband is an avid fisherman so the customization goes beyond the monogram.  Wouldn’t this make a great Valentine’s Day gift for your favorite guy?

Judy wrote:
 Since our den is done in a fishing lodge theme, I decided I did not want a basic “store bought” pool table cover. 
The cover is made from heavy twill fabric.  It took awhile to find the right color, in the right fabric that was wide enough to cover the top so there would be no seams as I did not want a seam to detract from the embroidery. 

Special Occasion Tablecloths

wedding side yard tables

 

Making special occasion tablecloths is one of the easiest, most satisfying and cost effective projects you can undertake.   For weddings, birthdays or showers, you can make tablecloths for a very reasonable price and in less time than it would take to locate just what you want, if ever you could.  The splash of color and coordination with the decorations or color theme makes the affair seem a bit nicer.

The use of a serger certainly streamlines the process, but with a sewing machine and a little more time, you can still achieve the same satisfactory, economical results. Continue reading

Butterfly Towel Sundress

butterflysundressL

Children’s Corner Katina pattern

Using linen towels for sewing is not a new idea, but it is one which I think is worthy of repetition. The sundress Laurel is wearing is made from an Irish linen bath towel. Measuring 29″ wide by 42″ long, it is a generous size for a skirt front. These imported towels are such a bargain. Not only does the buyer get a lot of linen for a relatively small price, the extensive handwork is quite lovely.

The towel was cut in half, rendering two pieces each 29″ x 21″. Cut from Children’s Corner Sissy/Katina pattern, the size 4 sundress uses the embroidered half for the front and the plain half for the back. Scraps of linen from other projects were used to cut the narrow front and back yokes as well as the straps. Blue piping outlines the yokes.

 

butterflytowel

 

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Minimum Daily Requirement

Mine used to be 20 minutes of sewing or smocking. Given that, my mental health was good, my flower beds were weeded pretty regularly, the laundry was done in a timely manner and I cooked dinner at least three times a week. Don’t roll your eyes. I never claimed to be a domestic goddess.

But here of late, with three adorable grandchildren to enjoy, some Christmas decorations to put away, plants to protect from the freeze, Laurel to homeschool and a daily blog to write, my MDR is not being met. It has been nearly a week since I’ve been in my sewing room to do anything but iron a shirt to wear to a funeral. Continue reading

Floral Monogrammed Fleece

My 5 year old granddaughter, Laurel,  keeps asking when it will be summer again. It is so cold here in central Florida that all we can think about is warmth, where to get it and how to keep it. Polar fleece is the first thing that comes to my mind.

Since this miracle fabric was first introduced to  consumers, I’ve made a lot of fleece projects, including this throw for my daughter. It’s really pretty ordinary and ho-hum but I can share some tips about such projects and how to improve this one, which I will do when Rebecca brings this home to be remodeled. Continue reading

No Machine Embroidery Monogram

This monogrammed pillowcase was made so I could use one of my treasured vintage crocheted  edgings.  Long after the fabric of the pillowslip was worn thin,  many of the sturdy American made lace trims survived unscathed.  They were routinely removed and put aside for a second life on another pillowcase.The pink variegated filet crochet edging on this pillowcase is enjoying at least its second life on my daughter’s bed.

The pillowcase is made of linen and the back of the design was covered by the 5″ hem which was pinstitched in place.  Both the hem and the crochet edging were attached with a pinstitch, worked in pink Madeira Coton 80 wt. thread.  A #90 needle was used instead of a wing needle which might have damaged the crochet edging.

Fond as I am of monograms, I enjoy trying different techniques.  This “R” was taken from an alphabet for hand embroidery, copied and resized on my printer/copier, then traced onto the linen fabric with a blue washaway marker.

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