Tag Archives: Madeira applique

Penny for Vivi

Posted on April 3, 2016 | 23 comments
Penny by Petite Poche (Wendy Schoen), size 3, is ready to be shipped to granddaughter Vivian.

Penny by Petite Poche (Wendy Schoen), size 3, is ready to be shipped to granddaughter Vivian.

This little summer dress is finally finished. It’s progress was interrupted by a variety of issues, all outside the sewing room, but now Penny has been removed from my UFO list.

bodice back

I have always loved this pattern and finally got around to making it.

nNBst-CloKs-pdtFX-WSPennyI always favor projects with Madeira applique’ and to my eye the best feature is the bodice back. But I doubt I could convince 3 yo granddaughter Vivian Rose to walk backwards to show it to best advantage. Then again, she is usually on the run, so I guess the front and back have equal opportunity to be viewed. Continue reading →

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Posted in girls, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery, Madeira applique

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Seaside Madeira Table Linens

Posted on September 18, 2014 | 9 comments

placemat

Making these table linens was a nice break from sewing for my granddaughters. Fine white linen is paired with lime green and embroidered with a fun blue fish. This color combination reminds me of the beach, just 30 miles away.

Sitting on the screened breakfast porch, looking out over our front yard with this table setting made me just as happy that I was not roasting on Daytona Beach and scanning the waterfront for sharks. It’s very peaceful on my porch. I enjoy pulling out dishes and napkins that coordinate with the setting.

Linen is one of my favorite fabrics and Madeira applique’ is one of my favorite sewing techniques. Add pinstitching and embroidery–well, just let me tell you I was having a big time! I never once missed lace or a girlie angle. If there is any interest, I would be happy to put up a Madeira applique tutorial. Let me know if you would find that helpful. Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, machine embroidery, Madeira applique, Nana fun, uncategorized

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First Birthday Dress~Finished

Posted on January 21, 2014 | 39 comments

UPDATE: And look at it now.

Viv "eating"Aunt Peggy's chocolate pudding. Surely a some got in her mouth.

Viv “eating”Aunt Peggy’s chocolate pudding. Surely some got in her mouth.

first birthday dress for Minnie fan

first birthday dress for Minnie fan

Our precious granddaughter Vivian Rose recently celebrated her first birthday with family and friends at a party in her own back yard.

Cousins Laurel and Alastair

Cousins Laurel and Alastair

Continue reading →

39 Comments

Posted in Disney, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, machine embroidery, Madeira applique

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Sweet Baby Duds

Posted on December 8, 2012 | 4 comments
The scallops and embroidery are a very soft pastel yellow, not nearly like the bright color that shows up on my monitor.

The scallops and embroidery are a very soft pastel yellow, not nearly like the bright color that shows up on my monitor.

I’m approaching the panic mode as my new granddaughter concludes her cozy stay in utero. So few items have been sewn for her! A few smocked daygowns (Liberty of London, striped Swiss dot), a smocked white pique diaper shirt, a Swiss flannel slip, the ho-hum bassinette sheets, and the bassinette skirt.

On my cutting table sits a tall, tottering stack of fabric and patterns which I expected by now would have been stitched into an even taller stack of sweet baby garments.

back w pants

So now, with less than a month to go, I have launched Plan B. rather than begin the elaborate beauties I long to stitch. This plan consists of making ruffled diaper covers to match the precious embroidered diaper shirts I bought in Puerto Rico. On one of my teaching trips to San Juan, almost 9 years ago, these shirts were purchased a few months before the arrival of my first granddaughter, Laurel. Continue reading →

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Posted in baby accessories, infant clothing, serger

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Easter Dresses by Judy Day

Posted on April 18, 2012 | 4 comments
2-Easter-sm1

Judy is as skilled at gardening as she is at sewing. Just look at this spring scene in her back yard!

 

Judy Day has continued her tradition of gorgeous Easter dresses and hairbows for both of her granddaughters and their dolls.  These are very different from the heirloom confections she has always made.   But as we all know, as little girls grow a little older, they like contemporary garments. 

Here is Judy’s tale of how  these dresses came about.

This idea for this year’s Easter dresses for my DGDs actually started last summer when I was asked to make a store sample for B Sew Inn (BabyLock dealer)in Springfield, MO.  I fell in love with the dress from the picture on the front of the book, “Rosie and Me“  by Michelle Griffith.

 

Continue reading →

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Posted in doll clothing and accessories, girls, hairbows, heirloom sewing, Judy Day's creations, machine embroidery

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Blossom Basket Blouse

Posted on January 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

blossom basket blouse

 

I hope 2012 is off to a good start for all of you.  For us, the new year was kicked off in the midst of chaos rather than the cozy family gathering we had planned for our Christmas #2 celebration.

First our pilot son was called away for a last minute flight to Denver. Then after the bonfire and s’mores, the grandchildren’s plans for a loud welcome to the new year were foiled by 6 year-old Robert’s battle with croup and Laurel’s virus.

Finally, after unsuccessfully trying to soothe his cough with the cold air humidifier, my son-in-law and I left at 2 a.m. and drove 40 minutes each way to Robert’s home to retrieve his croup medicine.   The remaining adults tended to Robert and Laurel. Being on the roads at that time was a little worrisome, but we arrived home safely.

The best part of the new year was that our daughter and her family were here for a whole week.  However, this left me not a free moment as 2 year-old Alastair claimed my undivided attention. I loved every minute of it, but there was no time for blog writing, sewing or picture taking. Consequently…

For Faded Charm’s  White Wednesday, this is a rerun of an earlier post. I hope you find a tidbit or two that interest you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, heirloom sewing, lace tape, ladies, machine embroidery, Madeira applique, techniques, White Wednesday

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Madeira Applique’ Hem Pillowcases

Posted on October 6, 2011 | 7 comments

monogrammed-birthday-pc3A

A pair of these pillowcases were stitched for my daughter’s birthday, which is this week. She loves pretty linens and monograms, just like her mother, so this pair of pillow slips should please her.

The “C” monogram is from Martha Pullen’s  2002 Embroidery Club  collection.  I chose this style  because of its angular lines, a nice contrast to all the swirls of the embroidery below.  Years ago, I attended a quilting workshop at which the instructor casually threw out this tip.  She mentioned that when piecing with geometric shapes, she likes to quilt with curves.  Conversely, she thought that curved pieces look best with rectolinear quilting.  I’ve never regretted following her advice for quilts and frequently have applied it to embroidery designs. Continue reading →

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Posted in heirloom sewing, machine embroidery, Madeira applique, White Wednesday

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Re-Run: Alastair’s Little Lamb Daygown

Posted on May 17, 2011 | 8 comments

Alastair_LambsBrite

Things have been incredibly hectic around here for these past few days. My few free hours have been spent working on this blog, enlarging the pictures and trying to insert a custom photo at the top of each page. Apparently, WordPress gremlins are foiling my efforts because sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

I have a pit bull personality. Long after determination and perseverance becomes nothing more than beating my head against the wall, I bang on. But after many of my own wasted hours trying to insert the custom header, then fruitless consultation with my computer scientist daughter (#1 Tech Support), I’ve stepped away from the issue. #2 Tech Support, my computer genius son-in-law, was not even approached as he is up to his USB port designing complicated stuff beyond my ken.

So now that I’ve put it aside, I’ve moved on to getting a “store” up. I’m doing this on my own, without above mentioned tech support, so it will be fairly primitive. But it should work. My original purpose for this blog was to have an outlet for my excessive sewing chit chat and to sell some of my excessive sewing supplies.

As of today, I have written 414 posts. See what I mean about excessive chit chat?!? Surely NO ONE has read all or even most of these. So while I continue to scan, photograph, describe and price store inventory, some of the earliest posts will be re-run.  This is a stroll down memory lane for me. It’s probably a walk down a new path for you.

So here it is—Alastair’s Little Lamb Daygown………… Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in hand embroidery, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, Madeira applique

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Satisfaction~Sewing for Boys

Posted on April 19, 2011 | 7 comments
Alasair's Easter outfit, under construction

Alastair’s Easter outfit, under construction

 

Anyone can go to Strasburg Children www.strasburgchildren.com  and buy gorgeous heirloom clothing.  Their collection of smocked and heirloom sewn apparel for little ones is unrivaled.  But even in Strasburg’s oasis of classic beauty in the world wide desert of classic children’s clothing , the selections for girls far outnumber those for boys.  That’s a realistic reflection of the market.

I could buy their lovely outfits for my two grandsons and they would look so classically handsome.  But that would not satisfy my urge to create unique garments just for them. I want to do it myself.  I want to bring life to my personal, unique vision of beautiful children’s clothing for my unique and beautiful grandchildren.  And I don’t recall ever seeing train duds in the Strasburg catalogue.

So I sew.  The satisfaction of sewing for the boys is even greater than sewing for granddaughter Laurel. The challenge to design classic attire for little guys is greater, given the constraints of practicality, comfort and local standards of acceptability.

 

ATrainE11close

shadow work by embroidery machine design from Suzanne Hinshaw’s Teddies and Toys

 

  For Easter, once again I am coordinating outfits for all three grandchildren- almost 7 year old Laurel, 5 1/2 year old Robert Charles, and just 2 year old Alastair.  This year, the only unifying component is the color blue.

Laurel’s dress and petticoat are standard heirloom, Swiss batiste, heirloom laces, embroidery.  To look presentable, it requires starch, my beloved 1946 Betty Crocker football iron (would you like to hear about it?),  a puff iron, a ham, and about 20 minutes on the ironing board.   Continue reading →

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Posted in boys, heirloom sewing, machine embroidery

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Babylock Christening Gown

Posted on May 2, 2010 | 3 comments

gown all

This christening gown was the main project for the Babylock school I taught at Martha Pullen’s school in Huntsville, AL, a few years ago.

The ecru and white combination has always seemed the height of elegance to me. Also, since photos had to be posted on the school web site, the ecru embroidery showed up much better than if the embroidery had been white on white.

 

bodice center

 

It seems to me that anytime Swiss batiste, imported trims and heirloom sewing techniques are combined, the result is likely to be something beautiful. In this case, the classic christening gown is a melange of Swiss batiste, French lace and entredeux.

 

full bodice

Elaborately embellished, it includes classic details such as point de Paris, Madeira appliqué, shaped French Val lace, feather stitching, pin tucks, twin needle shadow work, and delicate embroidery. Also incorporated into the gown’s design is Lace Tape, a recently rediscovered heirloom trim, applied as a shadow appliqué on the wrong side of the batiste.

 

back

Continue reading →

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Posted in clothing, heirloom sewing, infant clothing, lace tape, machine embroidery, Madeira applique, techniques

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