Pooh and CC Charlotte

Children’s Corner “Charlotte” pattern embroidered with pooh in Field of Flowers at ibroidery.com

This project was posted at Brother’s blog, Stitching Sewcial. A step-by-step photo illustrated tutorial can be seen there.

http://blog.brothersews.com/embroidery/pooh-and-a-field-of-flowers/

It’s a cute, cool and comfortable outfit for summer. Children’s Corner Charlotte is one of my favorite patterns–quick and easy, fully lined and a blank canvas for unlimited embroidery or applique’ designs. I’ve made several and each is well received by my granddaughter. Continue reading

Friendship Gift

This adorable outfit which I call “Raining Cats” was gifted to me from my sweet friend Lisa at Mommy’s Apron Strings. She knew my 5 yo granddaughter Vivian Rose is crazy for cats. When Lisa saw his fabric and had new patterns she wanted to try, she whipped it for Vivi.

Ever so skillfully, Lisa coordinated the fabrics with the cats and the rick rack to come up with a uniquely interesting and kid friendly outfit.

The pattern for the top is Pickle Toes Tulip Tie Top PDF

The shorts pattern is Cole’s Corner Ruched Shorts.


Read details about this wonderful gift here, at Lisa’s blog. You will want to visit it frequently because she has wonderful projects and ideas. And she is such a dear lady. Lisa is also the administrator of Smocking Destash, a facebook group in which you would surely enjoy being a member. Check that out too!

Live, Love Life

This pillow was made for our precious granddaughter, Laurel.

enjoying our visit to a New Jersey tea room

She just turned 14 and I couldn’t resist offering some grandmotherly advice to mark the occasion.  Putting that advice where she could read it every day seemed like a better idea than delivering a “Things to Remember” lecture. Continue reading

Great On-line Class with MaggieB!

This is the first Ode to Joy Border Tunic  I made working through an on-line class offerred  by Maggie Bunch. It is a fabulous class for everyone from  beginners to experienced smockers.  Maggie takes you from border print fabric selection, to pleating, to construction and smocking.  But she throws in so many little informational gems and tips.  I learned so much. You may provide your own fabric or she offers some darling kits.  She will even pleat for you if you like.

This class is a bargain at $30. Maggie practically holds your hand through the whole process and answers any questions promptly. To the best of my knowledge, this is just the second time in the last 12 months that it has been offered on-line. She did teach it at that great sewing event, Sewing at the Beach.

Maggie said on-line.This is an online sewing and smocking lesson, held in a private group, here on FB. The fee for the lesson is $30.00. Kits are optional. You can sew from your stash! I post a lesson a day for about 2 weeks. The Group stays open for about 8 weeks after the lesson is complete for you to sew at your own pace. Sizes are 1/2 3/4 5/6 and 7/8

The first time round, I didn’t print out the instructions and files. So when I made my second dress, a lot of mistakes were made. Note the sloppy neck binding.

So I am repeating the class and you can be sure that I will keep notes and files. Now you, too, can take this class! The pattern is not available for sale, just as part of the class.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ode to Joy Smocking Group is taking members. This Group is an online smocking class, lead by me, for the play top using quilting cottons or border prints.
This is a work at your own pace lesson. The lessons will be posted one a day for about two weeks starting June 1. Join now so you have time to get the list and order your supplies.
The fee $30.00 includes membership in the Group and all lessons from fabric choice to smocking to hem.
Please private message me your PayPal information for the lesson. Registration will close May 18.

Image may contain: text
Through the years, several readers have commented on my smocked garments, saying they wish they knew how to smock. Few live within easy driving distance of classes so this is a great option.
Other than wanting to learn more, I have no vested interested in this class. I just want to share a great learning opportunity with you all.

Bicycle Bag

The bike bag is a perfect match to my granddaughter’s bike. What a lucky coincidence! Detailed instructions are available here.

For that special biker (your child, your grand, your mother, yourself?) who has everything, how about a pretty quilted bike bag.

This was a fun project, made for Brother’s blog, Stitching Sewcial, in celebration of National Bike Month. Detailed photo instructions are included in the tutorial post.

I’ve loved this design since it was first included on a Brother card, EDB LG1. Now it is available as a single design at iBroidery.com for 5×7 frames.

Continue reading

Elegant Table Linens and Precious Memories

This project and a detailed tutorial are posted here at Brother’s blog, Stitching Sewcial.

I loved embroidering this elegant set of table linens for Brother’s blog, Stitching Sewcial.  Aside from the sewing details in the tutorial posted  there,  many “back stories” go with it that I just have to share with you.

First, I have loved these designs since I first saw them on my Dream Machine.

Like the design used on the quilted bed footwarmer, I was so eager to find the perfect project for them.  Then….I did! Continue reading

Quick Baby Gift Personalization

Balloons seem to say happy.

I just love being able personalize items for special friends. With two ready to wear onesies, two caps and a white tee for cover up, machine embroidery turned turn plain Jane into special so quickly.

Pooh with balloons is a built in Brother machine design from. The balloons on the shirt and inserted into Johnathan’s name on the cap are from a discontinued Dakota Collectibles Toddler Trio collection, of which I found only one copy available on-line. The designs are tiny, arranged in groups of three and are  wonderful to extract when you need a small design. I often wonder why such collections are discontinued when they could be made available individually by digital download. I’m just glad I have this one in my design library. Continue reading

Baptismal Towels

Do you have more than one project in progress? I have stacks– some must be done NOW, some are handwork for when I watch tv with my husband, some are mindless chores like hemming for when I’m on the phone, some I put aside for one reason or another.

Still, in the midst of a looming deadline and other pressing matters, I took the time to embroider 6 hemstitched linen guest towels for upcoming baptisms at our church. I had customized the design sometime ago for a newly ordained pastor. So it was just a matter of hooping up my stash of linen guest towels and embroider them. It was so satisfying to stitch something simple and meaningful in the midst of all the sewing busy-ness.

You might recall my story that our church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground several years ago. Continue reading

Easter ’18 Week

Vivian Rose at Oma’s house, decked out in her mother’s Rebecca’s Bow Dress.

I hope you all had a joyous Easter. The Ferguson family had a fabulous week of Easter celebrations! We saw both of our children with all four of our grandchildren, but not at the same time. A good bit of sewing was done before and after their arrival.

Saturday we joined our son-in-law’s family for Easter dinner.  5 yo Vivian Rose was resplendent in her mother’s 35 yo Rebecca’s Bow Dress, with her curls confined to elaborate, elegant French braids.

The original slip has been lost through the years so this white Imperial batiste slip was made.  Because it really can be worn as a dress, a bow was embroidered on the yoke. To avoid it shadowing through the dress, it was stitched in a very pale pink and white.

The same yoke pattern was used with 1/2″ removed from the top half of the armscye.

Ever obliging 9 yo Alastair wore his bow tie made from the Little Boy Bowtie:the Quick and Easy Version pattern which I have used so often.

The color matched the green leaves in his sister’s fancyband.

The bows alternated with 3 vertical strips of lace.

I love this picture taken as Vivian was ready to put on her heirloom dress. Alastair was proud that he was already dressed and ready for the egg hunt.

The bunny was tied at the top with a bow, but Vivian HAD to open it.

See the felt candy-filled bunny in Vivi’s hand? That was such a fun little project. I made 20 of these for the children at church, as well as for these two. Vivian had a bunny filled basket and loved handing them out. I so regret that I did not get a photo that or of all the pink, blue, yellow and white bunnies together. They were a big hit with all the children. Continue reading

Happy St. Pat’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day outfit for Vivian Rose

I couldn’t let St.Patrick’s Day go by without a fun little outfit for 5 yo granddaughter Vivian Rose. This isn’t the traditional “wearin’ o’ the green,” but it combines her favorite color, purple, with her favorite fabric print “rainbow.” So I thought it would do.

It was given to her at Alastair’s birthday party.

Earlier, she had lamented to her mother that Alastair had a party in a few days and her birthday wouldn’t be for sooooo long (January).  Rebecca replied, “But you will have fun at Alastair’s party.” Vivi boo-hooed, “but I won’t get to open the presents and they won’t be for me!” I thought this little outfit might help assuage her grief.

She doesn’t look very sad now.

I hope you all have a great St.Patricks’s Day. We’re enjoying a quiet day at home. My hard working husband was hard at work early on, then rushed in for a quick shower. Now he is parked in front of the tv, simultaneously watching baseball and March Madness. He deserves to relax. So..

And I am off to the sewing room. YEAH! I’ll be listening to some Irish classics like this.

https://www.facebook.com/PeterHollensMusic/videos/1431323636919962/