Category Archives: smocking

Gallery of Readers’ Easter Projects

 

Children's Corner Johnny

Julie’s Children’s Corner Johnny–how many French knots do you think there are?

 

It seems like forever since there has been a new post at Janice Ferguson Sews.  Busy, busy, busy is what I’ve been but only some of that busy-ness has been sewing. Sigh….

Now the distractions and other responsibilities are mostly behind me so I can share more sewing projects and chat.  Before the joyous Easter celebrations are even further in our past, I want to share some of the Easter outfit photos I received from our creative and talented readers.

Julie shared these photos and information about the precious, classic Johnny she made for her nephew.  She also smocked a dress for her niece.  I’d love to see that. Continue reading

A Happy Little Dress

happy dress front

Children’s Corner Katina pattern.   Extra buttons were added so the strap length could be easily adjusted when the dress is tried on. If not needed, the upper MOP buttons will be removed.

 

With its cheerful colors and simple design, this dress just makes me smile. The combination of Liberty of London tanna lawn, blue gingham checks, and yellow whipstitch piping seems to chirp predictions of happy days filled with warm sunshine, blue skies, and colorful flowers.

 

smocking up close

 

A bit of smocking front and back makes Katina just the sort of cute and comfortable  frock I’d like my 14 month old granddaughter to wear all summer long.

 

happy dress back

Katina back

 

I’d like to have added a cute hairbow to the ensemble but Vivian Rose has expressed a very strong dislike for anything on her head—except for strawberries and other food she rubs in.    Sigh…

Of course, a pair of ruffle bottom bloomers was needed to finish the outfit.  The edges of the 2 1/2″ wide ruffles are serged with a 3 thread rolled edge, using wooly nylon in  the upper looper.

 

bloomer ruffles Continue reading

Think Spring Dress

UPDATE: There have been several inquiries about the sleeve finish so the process is detailed at the end of this post (below the groundhog eating wolf).

It’s been so long since there has been a new post at  Janice Ferguson Sews that faithful readers might have thought that I was missing in action. I’ve been tending my dear husband who had knee replacement surgery two weeks ago. Post-op he spent a week at the same rehab center where I recuperated from my joint surgeries and gained some valuable insights into life.

So I have been spending time with him, running errands and doing his many, many household chores. Whew! That man does more around here than I ever realized! He’s my grocery shopper, gardener, pool boy, morning feral cat feeder, garbage hauler, very best friend, and more. I have really missed him.

At last, he’s back home, stepping lightly with his gentleman’s cane and walking the fast track to a complete recovery.

That's not really him. And it's not really me.

That’s not really him. And it’s not really me.

And I’m back too, with a finished project to share with you.

This cheerful little dress just makes me grin. Looking at it reminds me of our Florida springtime with raspberry pink azaleas, white dogwoods and the bright turquois waters of nearby Blue Springs.The fabric says spring to me.

think spring dress all recol Continue reading

Christmas Baby Doll for Baby

 

4 1/2" baby doll

4 1/2″ baby doll

 

For Christmas, one of 11 month old Vivian Rose’s gifts was this porcelain baby doll.  Nestled in a tiny wicker Moses-in-the-bulrushes style basket, the Dream Baby doll antique reproduction was tucked in looking like a classic heirloom clothed infant.

Just 4 1/2″ long, she seemed to be just the right start for our grandbaby’s doll collection.  Of course, it will be some time before she is allowed to handle this tiny treasure.  But it’s not too early to begin collecting. Continue reading

Moving on…..

all w headband2BR

 

It seemed as though I would never finish this simple little pini-4, but at last it is checked off on my to-do list.  There were no technical complications, but rather just a matter if life getting in the way.  Entire days passed when I did not sew and that makes me cranky.  I feel better now.

The original plan was to add a row of cable under the beaded ribbon, but in my eagerness to finish this up I just forgot.  Of course, it’s not too late and I could still do it.  It  really would look better.  But I am tired of this project.  It’s done. I’m ready to move on.

The pattern is the same one I used for the Liberty of London popover for granddaughter Vivian Rose.  But I look forward to when Lisa at Mommy’s Apron Strings releases her very similar pattern.  She has so many improvements, like sizing.

 

pini4-patt Continue reading

Busy-ness and Sewing

That’s what I’ve been up to, mostly being busy and doing some sewing. But there hasn’t been a minute to photograph or record my life in “the fast lane.”  Ha!  I guess I’m like (or I actually am!) the little old lady who drives down the interstate in the left lane going 10 mph below the speed limit.  But she is in the fast lane and it feels like that’s where I am, cruising but not moving as fast as I should be in this lane.

pini4 parts vertCR

I’ve spent a precious little time in the sewing room. Another of those Pini-4’s, like the one made earlier for 6 month old Vivian Rose, is in the works.  Oh, and I’ve bought yards and yards of fabric, totally blowing my fabric starvation diet. Drat those irresistable sales at Martha Pullen and Farmhouse Fabrics!  But the yardage is lovely and will be so much fun to sew up.

I’m looking forward to finishing the outfit above for Vivian Rose.  The yoke and bloomers will be lavender microcheck and the bloomer ruffles will be cut from the print fashion fabric with Swiss dots.  Instead of piping, I plan to use the wide beading across the yokes and edge the perimeter with the Swiss trim shown.

An 18″ length of the perfect color grosgrain ribbon was in my stash, but that is not nearly enough.  The ribbon shown was purchased because it fit the beading and is purple, though it looks more blue in the photo.  But I’m not happy with it.  I hope to find a better match before it’s time for construction.

In an earlier post (or was it in response to a post comment?) it was mentioned that Lisa at Mommy’s Apron Strings is working on a very similar pattern with some improvements.  She expects to release it soon, so any fans of this look might want to keep an eye on her blog.  Click here to see her darling prototypes.

We’ve had lots of delightful time with grandchildren and Football Frenzy, 7 year old Robert’s book, is going to press this weekend.  He has worked hard  researching interesting facts, statistics and quotes and has written and typed it all himself.  As his editor, my involvement has been primarily to lay it out for printing. Robert very excited about it, though so far, Amazon has expressed no interest in carrying it.  But family and friends are feagerly reserving their $7 copies. Here are a few excerpts. Continue reading

Desperation Bubble

bubble front all

 

Have you ever been  desperate to smock and thwarted in the effort?  Desperate to stitch hand embroidery and been hampered? Desperate to sew in a power outage?  I bet the answer is yes.

It reminds me of my crazy friend Catherine who, 25 years ago, had taken her boys to the beach.  Settled down in the sand on an old quilt, under her beach umbrella, she pulled out her smocking only to discover that she had everything but a needle!  Desperate, like me, she walked up and down Daytona Beach asking each sunbather if she might have a #7 crewel needle that Catherine could borrow or buy.  That, my friends, is desperation.  To no one’s surprise but Catherine’s, she came up empty handed.

How this bubble came to be is a result of such desperation.  It didn’t turn out as planned, it didn’t turn out great,  it didn’t really please me.  But it did scratch my itch  for some form–any form!– of needlework. Continue reading

Smocked Pini-4 for Vivian Rose

Coming soon! Grandbaby Closet Sale–All those special items too small too soon or just plain outgrown need to go to a new closet  At least one of Vivian Rose’s daygowns has never been worn.  Also coming soon (we hope), hair on her pretty head!

VR close

Rebecca, baby Vivian Rose and I are quite pleased with this little Pini-4.   The smocked skirt is Liberty of London and the machine monogrammed, self-lined bodice is hot pink microcheck.

pini4 front all3

There are no buttons or buttonholes, only ties at the neck, center back and underarms.   With a little careful planning or by following the pattern exactly (I just can’t do it!), this super quick and easy pattern COULD be a joy to stitch.   So I neeeeeeded to add piping, sure and how about some  tatting–oh yeah!  And I wanted to line it with my preferred method rather than as directed. Continue reading

Alysha’s Birthday Dress

happy-mothers-day

Happy Mother’s Day to each and every one of you who has mothered a child of your own or a child of another. (Frankly, I cannot imaging anyone who sews or reads this blog who has not reached out to children and grandchildren of their own and/or others.) The love and attention showered on our precious children is the best use of our precious time.

I’m at that happy time of life when I can enjoy my beloved adult children as well as the beloved grandchildren they have given us. My daughter Rebecca and daughter-in-law Shelly are both incredible, wonderful mothers whom I admire and love dearly. I wish each of you a happy day filled with appreciation from and for your loved ones.

Around here it has been busy, busy, BUSY!!!! We’ve been blessed with almost back to back and overlapping visits from our four grandchildren and even more happy chaos.  In a future post I’ll tell you all about Laurel’s luau 9th birthday party, new fleece blankets for each grandchild and the progress of our newly tamed feral cats and the kittens.

So once again, I am rerunning an old post, though I do have a few new thoughts and plans.  I hope  to make a very similar dress for new granddaughter Vivian Rose before her first birthday.  FYI, Alysha is almost 5, adorable and the apple of her grandparents’ eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~zAlyshabdbishop2

Continue reading

Ruffled Smockable Bubble

V bubble front

The six month size fits her perfectly with a crotch extension.

This past week with our grandchildren has been delightful—and exhausting!  Laurel wants to teach two of her friends to sew, so she did a practice lesson.   Robert spent an entire afternoon with his grandfather assembling a free standing basketball hoop.  Alastair spent time with his cousins handling and socializing the feral kittens we have housed in the old chicken house.

A orange kitten 1

Alastair with one of his favorite kittens and one of his favorite bandaids.

Each day, I thought surely tomorrow this bubble would be completed!  Finally it is, after this special time with Robert, Laurel, Alastair and baby Vivian Rose. Continue reading