Sunday, June 29, 2014

A Wee Bit of Love


Time for a Wee bit of stitching. Wee Care stitching. I had used these two gowns in progress for a Wee Care Construction program for my local SAGA chapter. It only took a Wee bit of time to finish them up when I brought them home. They have been finished for quite some time, just waiting to have their picture taken! It is quite cloudy here today so I feel like the photos are a bit dark. That aside, you can still see their sweetness. I love Wee Care. Both gowns are made from Imperial Batiste.


This sweet little pink gown is made using Gingersnaps Baby Daygowns Book IV. Available through Gingersnaps directly or most heirloom shops.


It is smocked with a very simple design with a few pink rosebuds added for extra sweetness. This is the smallest preemie size. I did add a smidge, like 1/2 inch, to the center front to get a few extra pleats on this tiny size.


An extra teeny rosebud at the back closure. And the camera never lies, didn't realize that I had a stitch showing from sewing on the snap. Isn't that rosebud the sweetest thing? Ignore the errant stitch.


The blue gown is made using the "Grady Gown" pattern from the Atlanta SAGA chapter. It is a modified bishop type gown. It is a 3-5# size. Ignore its listing to the side, the stand is sitting on an upturned cereal bowl, the gown was longer than my dress stand.


The hem is embellised with a twin needle tuck using the scallop stitch on my machine. I can take no credit for this idea. Last year the Greater New Orleans SAGA chapter brought some Wee Care gowns to convention with this hem treatment. I think it is so sweet. The skirt embroidery is a small design from Jeannie B's Book of Heirloom Embroidery. I like blue and ecru together. Not a big fan of pink and ecru, but I love blue and ecru together, so that is what I used.


Again a very simple geometric smocking with a few rosebuds. You can see the modified bishop neckline that is achieved with a casing at the top to run ribbon through. This makes for a very adjustable neckline often needed for the tiny babies.


The sleeves on a Grady gown have a tendency to be quite full, just a stitched an inverted pleat and stitched a tiny rose at the join.

If you haven't ever made a Wee Care gown, I encourage you to do so. There are some free patterns available on the SAGA website here. If you don't have a local chapter to donate them to, you are more than welcome to send them to SAGA's National Convention in September. They will collect almost 1,000 gowns to be donated to local Orlando hospitals this year. SAGA donates to the local hospitals where convention is held each year as well as the local chapters donating to their local hospitals. There is even a contest this year, the rules can be found here. Scroll about halfway down the page and look for this heading:

Wee Care Contest


there you will find the rules, entry form and where to send them.

Until next time, back to cherry dresses for now faithful readers.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Be Inspired by Dior


A friend posted one of these on her FB page. It made me go look for others. Amazing attention to detail with a mesmerizing result. Not sure the videos will show on a mobile device. It is so worth watching on a desktop. It takes playing with dolls to a whole new level.

I would love to have the dies you see in this one that they make the flowers out of. Don't you know these silk flowers outshine the ones you would find at Hobby Lobby.



Not sure which one is more beautiful. I loved watching her embroider the skirt with what looks like a tambour needle.



 Gorgeous.



Monday, June 23, 2014

Let It Gooooooo!


Unless you have been living on a deserted island with no services or under a rock, you have heard some version of "*@*Let it Go" from the movie house that sponsors that mouse and a couple of theme parks. So like the rest of the world, *@*Anna and *@*Elsa have come to our house as well. Princess is a fan to say the least. Her mother refused to let her watch it one day, being almost four, she proceeded to recite the entire movie. Entire. Movie. Mom quickly learned it may have been easier to just let her watch it. Certainly less painful. In a weak Mimi moment, I suggested an *Anna and *Elsa dress. Lord have mercy, she was on that quicker than a June bug! A comment I would come to quickly regret. Here is Mimi's version of a *@*Frozen Dress. (The extra punctuation marks are to keep the copyright police of the above mentioned movie house at bay.)


I used an old Children's Corner pattern called "Tracey". I believe it is discontinued, but I found a copy here. If you google, you may find it other places as well. I don't remember purchasing this pattern, a trend I know, but I think I like it. It goes together quickly and I thought I could unobtrusively embroider the characters on it.


I placed the characters on medallions that match the piping. The fabric? Oh geez louise, was this a Mimi moment. I THOUGHT I grabbed the leftovers from the bishop featured here. Notice I said, THOUGHT. After I had it cut out and half embroidered I noticed another large chunk of a darker pink pique in the closet. Come to find out, this &*^% *Freezing dress is made from SWISS pique. SWISS! I nearly croaked. Oh well. The only saving grace is, there is still quite a large bit left to make something a little dressier and more befitting of Swiss pique. The machine embroidery designs were found on Etsy. Do a google search and you will find them and others. Don't want to link because of those copyright police that may be lurking.


I resisted the urge to pipe the armholes and neckline, but I did pipe the back closure and used covered buttons. If I am making a Freezing dress, at least it will be as classy as possible.


The purse? Yes, I have officially LOST MY MIND! Princess spotted that the embroidery designs also included "*Olaf*, I had no intention of adding him. Well she would not be swayed, so I found a FREE tutorial on Moda's blog, Moda Bakeshop called Ruby's Party Bag. It went together quick and my Mimi card is punched for quite some time.

So if you have a four year old in your life, it can be done with a minimum of glitter. And shoot you can even make it from the finest of fabrics.

Now, just in case you haven't heard the anthem of my people, here is an interesting version. This little girl has some pipes!

Friday, June 20, 2014

Heddichoppers



"Heddichoppers" as Wildman says. Wildman has outgrown all of his church clothes. I was given permission for another jon-jon, so that is what I did. This is the second Children's Corner Johnny in a week. It really is a keeper of a pattern.


I have no idea what the fabric is, I THINK it might be a Nashville Cotton, poly/cotton blend. Again the shirt is Imperial Broadcloth.


The smocking is a pre-smocked insert I purchased off of eBay, or off of someone else, who purchased it off of eBay. A real plus when you are crashed for time. Since I bought these when Princess was born, I have tons of girl ones. I wish I had more boys ones. This was it. I will have to be on the lookout for more. This jon jon went together like a dream.

I am pressed for time faithful reader. What is new, huh? Keep stitching.


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Happy Birthday, Peanut



It has been quite a year, little man! It has flown by. We started the year with champagne. (Mom was a brand new mommy here, she only took a teeny sip, she would probably chug a magnum these days! :) )


What a treasure to bring home.


And who could resist kissing those sweet baby toes.


You quickly grew,


and grew,


and grew,


and grew some more.


You learned so many new things.


Your birthday was almost here,


when we found out another surprise, you are going to be a big brother. Baby sister is due in the fall.


You are ready to walk into a new year and new adventures. Happy Birthday precious boy!

And because we know I love to...

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Ready for the Birthday Boy


A quick post and run here. This went out in the mail last week in time for our Peanut to have his First Birthday portraits done. If you didn't know, First Birthday parties have become a big deal. Big Deal! Peanut's party is a Mr. McGregor's Garden theme with full on Peter Rabbit in all its forms.


Gwen Milner has revised her original Peter Cottontail smocking plate and that is what Peanut's Momma chose for his birthday outfit. It was featured in Issue #152, available here.


The fabric came from Farmhouse Fabrics. It is luscious! I wish I had it in every color. It is a gingham pique. Luscious I tell you. This picture doesn't do it justice. A dream to work with, even if the seam allowances are ironed into the front for everything they are worth. The shirt is plain Imperial Broadcloth. My border rows were straight until I inserted them into the front. Now they are wavy as all get out. Shoot. Oh well.

Children's Corner

The pattern used was Children's Corner "Johnny". If you don't have it, I suggest you get it. Goes together in a flash. This is the first of two I did in the past couple of weeks. More on that next time.

It is hard to believe it is his first birthday. Time flies.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Stitching on the Porch


Ahhh, the weather is fine and the pleasures are simple. Peanut's First Birthday is rapidly approaching. His party is a Peter Rabbit theme, (its all about the theme, you know) so this Mimi is smocking Gwen Milner's revised Peter Cottontail from Sew Beautiful Issue #152. I have stitched her original a few times before. Posted here and here. I have been smocking on our screened in back porch. Delightful. That with a cup of tea and I am a happy camper.

I have always loved Peter Rabbit, I had wanted to decorate my oldest child's nursery with Peter Rabbit. The best I could do was a Peter Rabbit Baby Book. Fabrics and home decor items weren't as prevalent then as they are now. I had the good fortune to "shop" in a designer's showroom a few months back. The kind open only "to the trade". They had an embroidered fabric for home dec at almost $200/yard. Peter Rabbit and all of his friends embroidered on silk. I lusted. Badly. My friend slapped me away before I could make a foolish purchase. I searched high and low of a picture of it to share, it is not to be found with my meager resources. Not being "the trade" and all.

Pinterest

Isn't this cake beautiful? You would almost be sad to cut it.

Pinterest
And wouldn't I have loved this Peter Rabbit nursery!

Pinterest is a wonderful and evil thing all at once. It makes you think you can do anything.

So back to the task at hand, only one more bunny to stitch. Portraits are next Saturday. Time is a wastin'!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...