Category Archives: techniques

Friendship Offerings

Posted on February 23, 2010 | 1 comment

“All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin.”  Lord Byron

This quotes really speaks to  the history of my 20 year friendship with Suzanne. She has always shared her joys and mine with equal enthusiasm .  Of  course, there were the occasional shared sorrows, but our charmed lives have seen precious little of that.  So when her son’s first child was on his way, we shared her joy.

For someone who sews, happiness is often expressed in a needlework project. With a daughter-in-law who loves all things heirloom, Suzanne knew this baby’s mother would appreciate a monogrammed smocked outfit. I got started right away.

Again, I used one of the ready-to-smock bubbles and smocked it with Ellen McCarn’s monogram leaflet. One of the best features of this design is that the height of the letters can be adjusted to almost any size. The 3-month bubbles have only 6 pleating threads, so that requires a short design. Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, infant clothing, machine embroidery, ready-to-smock finished projects, techniques

Angel Fish Dress

Posted on February 5, 2010 | 3 comments

angel fish dress

“Necessity, who is the mother of invention….” Plato

Often, I believe, it is also the mother of creativity.

It was a joy to sew this angel fish dress but the necessity of fixing a big mistake led me to a creative solution. The fabric is a gorgeous 26″ wide Swiss embroidery from Capitol Imports with the matching 5″ piece used for the shoulder ruffles.

The angel fish Swiss organdy insertion is a handloom and had been carefully tucked away with my most special sewing treasures for many years.

 

handloom

 

When it was purchased, the home embroidery machine was not even a figment of my imagination. Now, of course, angel fish could easily be embroidered on organdy to replicate this striking piece. Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, techniques, White Wednesday

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Liberty Tote

Posted on January 25, 2010 | 4 comments
huge Liberty patchwork tote

huge Liberty patchwork tote

 

In Florida, where our day may begin by picking oranges from the back yard and end with walking the dog on the beach, a large tote bag like this is considered essential. It can hold two dozen assorted oranges and grapefruit, 8 yards of quilting fabric from the Presidents’ Day Sale , a sweater, bib, book, diaper and zip lock of cookies  for the grandchildren as well as  a well behaved Labrador puppy who will nap quietly until you are at the beach for his walk. Probably. Maybe more.

Linda McGehee’s Tote, Clutch, Cosmetic Bag #851 pattern was modified for this tote. It required only lengthening the body of the tote to accommodate pleasing placement of the quilt squares.

 

Continue reading →

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Posted in bags, machine embroidery, quilts, techniques

Floral Monogrammed Fleece

Posted on January 11, 2010 | Leave a comment

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 →

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Posted in home dec, machine embroidery, serger, techniques

Machine Shadow Embroidered Pillowcase

Posted on January 10, 2010 | 5 comments

design from Shadowed Bows 2.

 

This pillowcase combines two of my favorite techniques, shadow embroidery by machine and Madeira applique by machine.  I doubt the appeal of either will ever fade for me.

By hand, shadow work  is a soothing needleart that creates stunning results.  By embroidery machine, it is a quick, exciting effort that creates  the very same delicate result.  In earlier posts, I’ve detailed the process by which designs can be worked in a snap with the aid of an embroidery machine.  Suzanne Hinshaw developed the technique and has several collections on the market.  This design is from one of her earlier sets, Shadowed Bows Two.  Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, machine embroidery, Madeira applique, shadow work by machine, techniques

No Machine Embroidery Monogram

Posted on January 9, 2010 | Leave a comment

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.

Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, home dec, techniques

Washaway Tangerine Towel Bag

Posted on December 22, 2009 | 5 comments

Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone. – Charles Schulz

UPDATED 12/23 

There are so many people who touch our lives, though they are not major players. “Something extra,” can be a small remembrance, a gift to acknowledge but not to oblige.

For our family, fresh fruit from our citrus trees has often filled the bill for small presents. But this year I wanted to focus a little more on presentation.

I thought the addition of an embroidered dishtowel would be something extra. I could have just slipped it into the brown paper bag in which I normally pack the citrus. But then I thought of this specialty thread and decided that a washaway bag was just what I needed.

Continue reading →

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Posted in bags, Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery, serger, techniques

Christmas Aprons with Candy Cane Font

Posted on December 7, 2009 | Leave a comment

 

Josie

 

I’m not sure this guy knows what he is talking about.  These four ready-made aprons were embroidered for another doting grandmother who spends significant blocks of time with her two granddaughters and she seems to be aging not at all!

This ageless Granny and her daughter will be making Christmas cookies with the girls. I’m sure there will be some great photo opportunities for the multi-generational baking crew.   And I doubt either Granny or Mommy will look any older when the kitchen is finally cleaned up.

 

Josiebear1

When I embroidered aprons for my grandchildren, I had a hard time finding any appropriate designs. There is a plethora of chef collections, including those by Loralie, Amazing Designs, Adorable Ideas and Hatched in Africa. But none of these are for children.

Then I found Roberta’s Creations Cookie Cutters. www.robertasreations.com Continue reading →

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Posted in Holiday Projects, linen blanks, machine embroidery, techniques

Embroidered Greetings

Posted on November 18, 2009 | 2 comments

In this electronic age of e-mail, beepers and cell phones, very few hand-addressed envelopes make their way to the red-flagged mailbox at the end of the driveway. An electronic message simply cannot generate the warm feelings awarded by an old fashioned handwritten letter.

Continue reading →

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Posted in machine embroidery, techniques, uncategorized, wedding

Stamps

Posted on November 1, 2009 | 4 comments

 

 

This is one of Laurel’s favorite dresses. She loves the butterfly “stamps” and I like the versatility of the sundress/jumper pattern, Hanna, from Collars, Etc.  It can be smocked or not.

Laurel in stamps dress, Robert in rocket shirt. He thinks he got the better deal. A strip of that same ribbon, measuring the exact width of the armhole, has been stitched down at either end of the casing. The ribbon is simply whipped with thread in the center, mimicking the knot of a bow, and tacked through the elastic and casing. This gives the illusion of a bow.

Made from brown Imperial broadcloth, the neckline and shoulder ruffle are edge stitched with pink thread. Stitched to wide pink grosgrain ribbon is a brown grosgrain with pink polka dots.

The design concept of “stamps” came from Dianne Boney, associate editor and contributor to Creative Needle magazine.stamp dress components Continue reading →

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Posted in Disney, girls, machine embroidery, techniques