Sew Blessed

January Around My Home......

2012-01-27T14:58:00.006-06:00

It's been busy but quiet around here lately. I've been trying to fit a bit of smocking in here and there. I am so in love with this precious little floral fabric. I bought it last year at our local heirloom shop knowing it would make an adorable bishop.

I also found a more tidy way to keep my floss while stitching. I am only using three colors for this project and a folded index card with holes punched in it is working out perfectly.

My three older children are deep in creating stop-motion movies right now. Emily and Elisabeth have been making movies with their 18" dolls and Ethan has been making some with his new Legos he got for Christmas. It's so fun to see them learning and enjoying the process. I have done nothing but encourage them and enjoy the finished movies. They have done all the rest. And Sweet Ean is just as fun as ever. Right now he is deep in his books. He loves to sit and look through books.....he is so serious about it. Sweet times!!!

Sewing For the Dolls...

2012-01-10T21:36:00.009-06:00

You know it's been too long since your last post when Blogger requires you to re-sign in. And then I wasn't sure I remembered my password. That is pretty sad folks!!! Nothing major going on here to prevent me from blogging....I've just been enjoying the little ones and not sewing too much the past few weeks.

The week before Christmas I did get these cute little blue scrubs made for Elisabeth's doll. This was the only 18" doll item that she asked me to make her this year. She specifically wanted "blue scrubs" for her doll. I lucked out because I was able to use the scraps leftover from her Pippi outfit.

I'm not the only one that's been stitching up some doll clothes. The picture above shows some of Emily's work. She made the skirt a few weeks back using her own pattern and then she made the t-shirt the other night using an old t-shirt from her dad. She is SO good with sewing now that she requires no supervision on my part. She even put velcro up the back of the shirt...again without any help from me. Not that I "wouldn't" help her....she just is capable and competent and didn't need any help. I think she is planning to make more soon! She did a great job. She also crocheted a cute little shirt to match this skirt....I'll have to get a picture of it too.

Hope you all are enjoying the new year!!!!

Christmas Eve.....

2011-12-24T11:17:00.010-06:00

I still can't wrap my brain around the fact that it's Christmas already. I always vow to start preparations earlier each year...but the fact is...I never do. I can't seem to get motivated to work on Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving...but somehow by that time I am already behind. One day I will be prepared...I hope.

In the meantime, I did finish the two full-size quilts I mentioned before. I was happy with the final products. If you remember a friend from church asked if I could take her deceased grandmother's shirts and make them into two quilts that she was going to then turn around and give to her mother and aunt for Christmas. Most of the shirts were of the sweatshirt variety which at first caused me concern. But with my trusty walking foot on the machine I did not encounter too many problems. There was some stretching that occurred...but not enough to bug me. Not everything matched up as a result...but again, I was still happy. She also supplied with me her grandmother's sheets to use as the backing and she picked out what color she wanted for the bindings. My friend seemed happy with the end result, and I was happy to have been able to use my talents to minister to this family.

I also was able to sew one small little gift for my Elisabeth. I won't post pictures until after she opens the gift tomorrow though. I am happy with the outcome though. Let's see...I also started a cute little Christmas jon-jon for Ean. But I am still not quite finished with it. I'm not sure if I'll get the opportunity to finish it up tonight or not. We'll see.

My four little ones have been taking their turns having a little bug going around. Basically it's a fever, headache, sore throat and stuffy nose that lasts anywhere from 1 to 3 days or so. Sweet Elisabeth is in the midst of it now. I'm hoping she feels fine by tomorrow. She was sick last year on Christmas day too. This same sweet little girl also had the nerve to turn 9 last week. They are all growing up WAY too fast!!!

I'll leave you all with one of my favorite songs (it has nothing to do with Christmas though.) If you have ever heard of the videos by Homestead Blessings then you know the West Ladies. I just love this song written by Ce Ce, one of the daughters (the one playing the guitar in the video.) Whenever I need a smile I just listen to this song. The video is even better though. I bet you can't watch this video without smiling! Enjoy!!! Oh, and Merry Christmas!!!

Recycle Those Christmas Cards......

2011-12-09T11:14:00.011-06:00

Recycle those Christmas cards and get some sewing experience for the little ones at the same time. This is one of our all-time favorite Christmas crafts! We do these every year! And every year this craft really speaks to one child or another at our home.

This year it was Ethan's year. From the first moment I pulled the supplies out he was READY! He had so much fun making them and has shared several with church friends already!

They are very simple to make. Take a Christmas card and cut the front and back apart. You will only use the front piece. Then take a hole punch and punch holes all around the four sides. Then using a coordinating piece of yarn (or two pieces like above) have them work a whip stitch all around the card. (I don't tell them they are doing a whip stitch.) I stay close by and help to make sure the yarn doesn't get knotted...because it does happen. We also use a plastic darning needle to make it go faster...but it can be done with no needle or you could wrap a piece of clear tape around the yarn tip to make it stiffer and therefore make it easier to "sew" in the holes. Then using a tail that we left at the top center when we started, and the leftover yarn, we make a hanger.

I don't think you can mess these up. They are so forgiving and yet so fun! The smaller ones can be hung on your tree but we generally hang them on interior doors or furniture like above. And the little ones LOVE to give these as gifts! They are always SO proud of their accomplishment and how can you not LOVE that!???

Free Smocked Christmas Ornament Pattern.....

2011-11-29T19:58:00.011-06:00

I have had quite a few people contact me recently about this smocked Christmas ornament pattern I made last year for a Smocking Guild meeting. Most people have asked if it's for sale and if so, for how much. I do not have it for sale...but I have been sending it to anyone that has asked. Therefore, I thought I would make it available to anyone else that is interested. So if you would like my very basic directions on how to make these fun smocked ornaments feel free to email me (sewblessed {at} mchsi {dot} com) and I'll be happy to send you the pdf handout I gave to the guild members last year. (The smocking plate I used was from Sew Beautiful Holiday 1988 and so it is not included in my directions.)

I hope your Thanksgiving Day was wonderful!! We had a fantastic day here with just the six of us!!! Now we are heading towards Christmas at full speed. I'm dreaming of dresses to make for my Elisabeth (who still enjoys wearing my dresses) and little jon-jon's for my Ean....but right now I am working on two, yes two, full-size quilts for a church friend. The goal is to finish them by Christmas. Wish me luck!!!

Wee Care Workshop.......

2011-11-17T15:21:00.012-06:00

Have you all been wondering if I've fallen off the face of the earth? Sometimes I start to think that myself. However, I have been stitching a bit here and there since halloween. This past Saturday a couple of ladies from our Smocking Guild and I got together and constructed some Wee Care gowns. All was going great until we ran into pleating issues. I am telling you, sometimes pleating is almost effortless and other times.....well let's just say this was one of the other times. We had three pleaters and until we found our groove we had lots of problems! But we were finally successful and pleated 13 gowns. Now comes the fun part....the smocking!

I've also been working on a few crochet projects for a friend of mine. Her mom passed away and was in the middle of about 8 crochet projects for various family members. Emily and I agreed to finish them for her. So even though I've been quiet....I've still been quite busy. I hope you all are enjoying the fall and stitching a bit here and there as well!

Halloween 2011.....

2011-11-01T14:02:00.006-05:00

Another halloween has passed by my sewing machine. The kids made their final decisions last week sometime. Elisabeth was Pippi Longstocking. Emily was Priscilla Mullins from the Mayflower. Ethan was Peter Pan.

Let's see. Ethan's was a bit tricky because I could not find a commercial pattern for Peter Pan. Finally on Sunday morning I googled some Peter Pan images and made a quick trip to the fabric store. Sunday night, late, I hand drafted a pair of pants for him. Then Monday afternoon I hand drafted his top. For his hat I took a piece of felt and worked with it and stitched it until we all agreed on the shape we liked. He loves it and hasn't taken it off yet! Yes, he even slept in it.

Emily was pretty easy because she decided she wanted to use her base dress from last year. To that we added a bonnet, collar, and apron that I made Saturday night. Not bad and she likes it.

A few months back I read Pippi Longstocking to Elisabeth, Ethan and even Ean. They all loved it! We talk about Pippi all the time around our house. So Elisabeth was sure that she wanted to be Pippi for halloween. I used the Madeline pattern from The Handmade Dress for the dress but did not add the elastic and coordinating fabric around the chest area. I made the dress on Sunday night and Emily stitched a few patches on it for me yesterday. But don't you love Pippi's hair? I do! And everyone that saw her last night had to comment on it. I told Elisabeth we should do her hair like this next summer to keep her neck cool. :o)

We had a ton of trick or treaters last night and I did not see one homemade costume in the mix. That's kind of sad, I think. I was surprised when I was looking at patterns while at the fabric shop. There are not many costume patterns available anymore, and hardly none for boys.

Oh, and I forgot to mention why there are no pictures of Ean. He decided to take a late nap and he missed out on most of the festivities. If he had been awake he would have been dressed up like Mr. Rogers. He loves Mr. Rogers! Ethan dressed up as Mr. Rogers one year too. So much fun!

Halloween Sewing....

2011-10-31T12:28:00.004-05:00

Today I am knee-deep in halloween sewing. I have Emily and Elisabeth taken care of...well pretty much anyway. However, I am working on Ethan's now....and it's all green!!! I'm sure it will be easy for you to guess what he is dressing up as.

I'll be back with finished costumes soon. I hope! It feels great to be sewing again...but I could do without the quick deadline. :o)

Sewing....How I Miss You.......

2011-10-13T16:01:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately, for the past few months, sewing has been pretty scarce around here! And I really miss it. It is my therapy! My sanity! A few weeks back I pulled out this cotton fabric I purchased this past spring to make myself a skirt. After one night cutting it out and one night at the sewing machine it is finished except for a hem. I am really hoping to get the hem completed tonight if all goes well. I really enjoy wearing long skirts in the fall and winter months....maybe no one will notice that it is so spring-y looking!

And I know I say this ALL the time...but I can't wait to share Emily's latest project with you all. It is adorable!!!

We are Back Home.....

2011-09-28T20:53:00.008-05:00

Thank you for all the warm thoughts. My mother will surely be missed by many!!! For her memorial service we went to the Knoxville, TN area and met up with various family members. The service was very nice and it was great to see people I had not seen in years.

A fun part of the trip was were we stayed. We stayed in Pigeon Forge, TN at the Inn at Christmas Place. It was the first time we stayed there and it was wonderful. All of us had so much fun. We only wish we could have stayed longer!!!! Our room was even decorated like Christmas with this beautiful tree on top of the tv hutch.

This is ONE of trees from the main lobby area. The lobby also had several types of coffee available day long. I don't drink coffee but they had fresh lemonade available too. It was delicious!!! Oh, and at night they had fresh baked cookies.

This is another area that was beautiful. This is where we saw the Singing Santa one night. He played the guitar and sang....and was very talented. After the singing they had milk and cookies for everyone. They also had Christmas movies at the front desk you could check out and watch in your room. Did I mention the kids LOVED this place???

The outside was as beautiful as the inside. As we were leaving I snapped this picture of these gorgeous purple flowers. I am hopeful that someone can tell me what they are. They had hot pink geraniums mixed in with these purple flowers and the color combination was amazing!!!

The day after we got back home, the girls had a piano recital. That went very well and everyone did great. The neat part was that the recital was outside at a gazebo. The teacher had a baby grand piano delivered to the gazebo. So much fun!!! The day was clear and the music was perfect. Ean and Wayne both ended up with sunburns...but it was worth it, I think.

Then the next day, we had the opportunity to meet IN PERSON the Duggar family!!!! That was incredible!!! I'll tell more about that next time!!! I hope your week is going well.

Out of the Mouth of Babes....

2011-09-16T16:09:00.008-05:00

Emily's precious writing on the white board today sums it up. My mom passed away earlier this week. She was 80 years old and had a blessed life. Emily and she had a very special bond from day one. She will definitely be missed. We are making plans and will be traveling to visit with family. Please pray for our family as we celebrate her life and move forward. Thanks friends!!!

xoxo,

Cindy

2011-09-07T19:24:00.004-05:00

Someone got a haircut today. I would show a "before" picture but honestly I did not even take one because it was so long and crazy looking. I don't think I've trimmed it since last November...so it was a bit long. But it's looking better now...and cuter too! But remember, I am a bit biased! Ean is my baby after all!

And this sweet boy sure loves his bananas!

I'm wrapping up some more homeschool lesson plans and then I'm back to some sewing. I can't wait...it's been way too long!

*Excuse the poor quality of my phone photos. The girls have been using my regular camera to make movies with their dolls, so I am unsure of its location.*

Labor Day Blessings......

2011-09-05T16:55:00.005-05:00

I hope you are all having a wonderful day!!! It's a bit rainy here but that is quite alright. We are enjoying a slow kind of day with a late breakfast, late lunch and a bit of painting thrown in just for fun. The girls are doing extra chores to make some money, Ethan is building a wooden railroad track, and Ean is playing with crayons. Wayne is supervising all the above and I'm sipping on a yummy smoothie while thinking about what to cook for dinner. Now if only I can get dinner made and cleaned up early....maybe I can work on a quick sewing project. Hmmm....sounds like a plan!!! I hope your day has been fantastic too!!!

Southern Plate Anyone?.......

2011-08-31T14:23:00.009-05:00

How many of you are familiar with Southern Plate...the wonderful website as well as a fantastic cookbook? I came across Christy Jordan's website about a year ago and quickly purchased her cookbook. I cook almost entirely from scratch and so her cookbook really speaks to me. I am not a huge meat-eater but that's ok too. I think my family's favorite recipe of hers is the chili...and I am able to make mine without meat and make theirs with meat. Easy peasy! I also love her hoe cake recipe because my mom used to make the same thing but she called it "biscuit bread." Delicious!!! Plus Christy is all about family and family stories!!! Her cookbook is worth it alone just for the stories about her family!!! But the recipes are an added bonus!!

(I knew we were in the right place.)

Anyway, this past weekend I had the opportunity to listen to a talk given by Christy Jordan. I thought Christy was pretty amazing already...but after sitting and hearing her speak about her family history and the legacy she hopes to leave for her children, I am an even bigger fan!!! She is so down to earth I think I could have talked with her all day if I'd been given the opportunity.

(Emily and I were still waiting patiently in line for our turn. It came about 30 min. later.)

In the end Emily and I were able to visit with her for about 5 minutes or so while she was signing my cookbook. She even sent me home with little gifts for all four of my little ones!!! She is truly so genuine and precious. And I know you won't be surprised to hear that she SEWS too!!!! See I told you she was amazing!!!

And no, I am not affiliated with her or her company in any way....but just wanted to share about meeting her. Now maybe next time we can swap sewing stories!!!! I can hope right?

Hand Knit Dish Cloths....

2011-08-24T12:40:00.007-05:00

I mentioned before I would be back with a finished knitted project.....meet my new dish cloths. Have you ever used hand knit or hand crocheted dish cloths? We love them. We've been making them and using them for several years now. I usually just make very basic ones like this pattern. But awhile back I came across this pattern and made these two pictured above. I am slowly phasing out and throwing away all my old store bought dish cloths and replacing them with only hand knit or crocheted ones.

Here is a better idea of what these look like. Each one is folded in half here. And they are pretty big too. Almost too big for me....I like a dish cloth I can easily hold in my hand....but I will still be using these and probably making more. I really like the design as well as the stripe.

I must really be on a knitting and crocheting kick lately....because I have stopped by the yarn shop several times lately and I've picked up the above yarns for upcoming quick projects.

I am almost finished planning the first few months of school for the little ones. I am trying to fit in some stitching here and there but it isn't working too well. Once we get back on schedule I have several items I am hoping to sew. Hopefully you all are enjoying the last few weeks of summer too!!!

A Fabulous Find......

2011-08-15T13:53:00.006-05:00

The girls and I have been waiting months for the local annual doll show. Saturday morning we woke up excited and ready to go. It was held in a new location this year and we just about walked our legs off! In the end I did not find any dolls I could not live without...but I did find this awesome book!!! I could not find a copyright on it....but the information inside is wonderful....especially for $5.

I know I've been a bit quiet this past week. I've mostly been working on school curriculum/lesson plans for this fall.....plus we've had a few strange things pop up this week. Hopefully I'll be back to my normal stitching self soon!!! Although some of that stitching might have to take place while I'm sitting outside in the sun because I was also informed this week that my vitamin D level is WAY too low!!!! Back soon with a recently finished knitting project.

Bean Bags.......

2011-08-05T15:51:00.012-05:00

The other day I mentioned I had started a new project. I like the ideas you all had of what it might be. I really should take the time to make a picnic quilt one day. And I really want to make a quilted tablecloth to go on our kitchen table! I have always wanted one and I think that would make our kitchen table look so charming. Maybe another year....actually, I think that would be a great winter project.

Anyway, I was making bean bags for the kids and Ethan picked out the fabrics for me. We will use them in all sorts of ways! One is it is a great technique to reinforce math facts with the little ones. We will toss a bean bag back and forth while calling out whatever math facts we are working on. For example, counting by 2's, 3's.......12's, etc. I have found that getting the kids active while working on math is very helpful for their memory retention.

Emily is desperately trying to teach herself to juggle using them. I taught myself to juggle oranges underneath our orange tree in Florida when I was about 11 years old. The kids think it is a riot that I can juggle and they beg me to perform for them all the time. I guess I should be glad they are so easy to amuse!!!

You all have a great weekend!! I am hoping to visit a new yarn shop I recently found out about.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Egg-Free).....

2011-08-04T15:40:00.008-05:00

Since we found Ean is allergic to eggs I've been trying to modify some of our favorite recipes to accommodate him. For these muffins I took our favorite chocolate chip muffin recipe, that I've tweaked over the years, and removed the egg and added in the banana for a binder. I wasn't sure how they would turn out the first time, but fortunately all of us love them.

I find I am making these muffins several times a week now. I actually have a batch in right now and I can't wait until they are finished!!!

Here's the recipe:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Egg-Free)

1 3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup sucanat (or sugar)

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 small banana, mashed

1 cup rice milk (or cow milk)

1/4 cup butter, melted (or oil)

handful of chocolate chips (you can omit for plain banana muffins)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Mash banana in another bowl. Add milk to banana and mix well. Stir banana/milk mixture into dry ingredients alternating with melted butter. Add chocolate chips and stir lightly. Fill muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Then find someone to enjoy them with you!!! Or four little someones!!!

New Project......

2011-08-02T11:49:00.006-05:00

Yesterday found me cutting out fabric squares. Any ideas what I might be working on? Here's a hint...the kids will love it!

All is well here after a round of summer colds last week. The kids are getting a little stir crazy inside all day...but the temps have been way too hot to spend much time outside. I was planning on a visit to the library and a new yarn shop today....but Ean decided to get up a bit too early today, so I'm thinking an early nap for him may be a better idea. The library and yarn shop can wait until tomorrow. Other than what you see above I don't think I've been sewing much the past week or so. I need to decide what my next big sewing project will be.

And every time I download pictures from my camera I am in for a surprise. The kids are forever borrowing my camera to capture life from their angle. Today I found this little gem on there. The boys doing what they do best....playing around and being silly! I already miss these days, even though I am still in the thick of them. And that surely doesn't mean it's all easy....trust me....some days I'm not sure I'll make it until their father gets home. But all in all...it's a blessed life I lead!!!

A Sweet New Dolly......

2011-07-26T15:52:00.011-05:00

A sweet new dolly that needed a sweater. That is what I was knitting the other day. I started making this Waldorf-inspired doll when I was pregnant with Ean. That was like 2.5 years ago! While I was sick last month I got inspired to finish some projects that were still outstanding, and this cute little girl was one of them.

This is a 12" doll which is one of the standard sizes of Waldorf dolls. I have always loved using all natural materials for projects. This doll is stuffed with wool stuffing so she "warms"up as you hold her, making her perfect for little ones, and big ones!!

I crocheted a cap for her head and then stitched it on. Then I latch-hooked her hair all around her head. I think I put a bit too much hair on her....but my girls are really enjoying giving her all sorts of different hair styles.

She still needs a pair of shoes but I haven't made a pattern for them yet. And I could not commit to only one dress so I have another one cut out and ready to sew.

These dolls are very labor-intensive....but oh so worth it! I think she is just precious! My girls want me to make another one already. We are still discussing potential names for this one....some possibilities are Rebecca, Holly, Faith, and Hope.

P.S. The sweater is a free pattern from Ravelry and I basically knit it in two sittings. It goes very fast!!! And it's cute to boot!

New Project.......

2011-07-23T20:48:00.004-05:00

Yep, it's 100 degrees outside and I have a new knitting project on the needles using 100% wool. I am crazy I tell you!!!

A Finished Day Gown.......

2011-07-17T21:04:00.013-05:00

It's finished!!! And I am so happy!!! And I think it is so pretty!!! Not that I am patting myself on the back....it's just that Jeannie B. of The Old Fashioned Baby creates such great patterns with wonderful instructions!!! Last fall Jeannie B. posted a day gown sew-a-long. At the time I did not have too much going on so I jumped in, especially when I found out she was encouraging us to stitch the entire gown by hand. I had never done that before and so I thought it would be a great challenge for me. Somewhere about halfway through I got busy with other stuff and put the gown down for a bit. A week or so ago I pulled it out and decided to finish it. And I am so glad I did! I am smitten with this little gown!

I love the neck embroidery and the gathered lace along the neck edge. And I put 5 sweet little mother of pearl buttons on the back and each button has its own hand stitched buttonhole.

I even got inspired last week to add some more stitching along the front bottom. I love the entire thing. It is so delicate and beautiful!!! If I had a dedicated sewing room I think I would hang it on the wall so I could admire it daily. I still might have to find a way to do that!

A Little Peek.....

2011-07-12T14:32:00.004-05:00

It's amazing what a bit of rest will do for you! I have been back to the doctor two times over the past three days....but I find I am finally feeling better!!! I'm praising the Good Lord and hoping it continues!!!

In the meantime since completing the sweet bishop, I have now pulled out two projects that have sat for far too long waiting to be finished! The first item is my daygown from Jeannie B's OFB sew-a-long last fall. This precious daygown has been stitched completely by hand....no machine was used. Even the buttonholes were stitched by hand. I have so enjoyed working on this little garment. I find hand stitching so relaxing. It makes me wonder why I don't do it more often. Who knows....maybe I will now!

The stitching above is on the neck of the daygown. I have to stitch the hem in and then I'll show the entire gown. It is so pretty....I love white stitching on white fabric.

Back soon!

Finally....A Finished Bishop.......

2011-07-06T12:01:00.010-05:00

Thank you all so very much for the kind words surrounding my kidney infection. This has really been crazy. I've never had anything like this in my entire life and I hope I never have it again. I was in bed for a solid 6 days! Finally on Monday I was able to move around a bit and actually had a bit of motivation in me to sit and hand stitch for a minute or two. During that time I made the button loops and stitched the buttons on this dress. I am so happy to be finished with it. Inside I am jumping up and down....but if I were to really do that I would have to hold my side which still hurts. (Seven solid days on antibiotics and my side still hurts....strange!)

Anyway it seems like I've been working a few minutes here and there on this bishop forever! I am so glad to be finally finished!!!

This little dress completes my requirements for the SAGA Correspondence Course I am taking. I will happily put it in an envelope tomorrow and send it to the instructor for her honest and experienced critique. I know I like it.

And although I still don't feel great, I am better. Last night I even picked up my OFB gown from last summer to work on. I can't believe I have let it sit this long unfinished....but I think some more hand stitching sounds like a good thing!

The Un-Vacation......

2011-07-02T22:32:00.008-05:00

I sure wish I could say I had a great reason why I have not posted in a week. Like maybe I've been gone on a fantastic vacation or something. But unfortunately that would be pure dreaming right now. Instead I've been in bed for five straight days. Monday I had the worst headache of my life. Tuesday I had the worst stomach/mid-body aches of my life and finally Wednesday I went to the doctor. I was absolutely shocked when he told me I had a kidney infection. Really? Then he proceeded to tell me kidney infections are really serious matters and that if the antibiotics he gave me did not generate improvement within 48 hours he was going to put me in the hospital! Yikes!!! Since I have four little ones and a husband that is currently working 12 hour days and Saturdays....I quickly realized that would not be a good idea.

So....here I am, not great but at least functioning. I keep telling myself that at least I don't feel worse. Actually today is the first day I could even think about interacting with the computer, so I guess that is progress. Plus I never watch daytime tv...so that has been mildly entertaining for the past five days. But I'm not sure how much more of it I can take.

But my Emily......she never ceases to amaze us all. She really stepped up to the plate and took care of everything when her daddy wasn't here. Fortunately, he was able to stay home two of the days and he is always such a huge help. He is great with housework and the kids!!! A true treasure!

In all the commotion, Emily had a birthday too. She is now my sweet 12 year old. She is becoming quite the young adult! Sometimes I wish I could make my kids stop growing, but you know what? I actually enjoy seeing what the next age/phase is going to bring. They are all such wonderful kids. Yes, we all have our moments...but in the grand scheme of things...they are great kids!!!

I hope your weekend is a great one! I'm hoping my belly/appetite is up for some yummy picnic-type foods by Monday. It's kind of crazy...but the 4th of July is one of my absolute favorite holidays!! I hope I'm out of the bed by then....but at least I'm not in the hospital! It's all a matter of perspective!

P.S., You'll have to excuse my lack of cohesiveness...my brain is still a bit fuzzy and not functioning at full capacity!

Fun Fabrics.....

2011-06-24T23:15:00.004-05:00

I stopped by the heirloom shop Wednesday....and some adorable fabrics may have followed me home!!! I can't wait to wash them and decide what I am going to make.

P.S., Thanks for all the sweet birthday wishes for Ean. You all are always so thoughtful!!!

Can You Believe He Is Two???? I Can't!!!!

2011-06-21T12:56:00.007-05:00

Someone had a birthday this past week! I can't believe Sweet Ean is now two years old. I think this will take a few months to sink in. And by then he'll be pushing three. We had a nice and quiet evening with egg-free cupcakes (you may remember he is highly allergic to eggs), a few gifts, and lots of fun! I will put more birthday pictures up on our family blog here.

Hopefully by the time I finish my bishop I'll also have found my camera. It somehow found a life of its own and walked off recently. My phone camera works in a pinch...but I like my other camera better.

I am close enough to being finished with the bishop that I am already trying to figure out what I am going to work on next. Will it be something that is already started and needs to be finished? Or something brand new? I saw some adorable fabrics at the heirloom shop yesterday...but I did not get any. Can't decide what to make yet. Decisions...decisions!

P.S., I forgot to mention...I did make Ean a birthday outfit....but he refused to put it on. I'll have to get pictures another day.

Still Stitching.....

2011-06-16T17:50:00.009-05:00

I am happy to report the smocking part of this little dress is complete! And today while at piano lessons for the girls...and chasing Ean around....I was able to hand hem the sleeves too. Forward progress is always good! I still have most of the dress construction ahead of me...and I hope to get that done over the weekend.

In the meantime, I've been working on finishing a crocheted blanket for a friend of mine. Her mother was making several blankets for her great granddaughter and then passed away. So my friend asked me if Emily and I would finish crocheting these blankets for her so they can still be given to the little girl. Of course, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I declined. So Emily and I have been doing a bit of crocheting here and there too. What are you all working on? Any special summer projects???

Remember This.......

2011-06-09T09:36:00.011-05:00

I mentioned awhile back I was taking a Correspondence Course through SAGA. With all the craziness this Spring I almost forgot about this bishop and let it slip through the cracks. Not good. However, I am now actively working on it as you can see below. I have a few more rows to go and then some flowers to add. Plus then I have to construct the sweet little dress.

I am pleased with it thus far! And I'll be really happy when it is finished!

What have you all been up to? We are staying cool and keeping busy. Today we are headed to the library....it is truly one of our most favorite destinations! I haven't been able to squeeze much sewing in lately, although I did make the girls skorts for their church Spring program a few weeks back. I'll have to remember to take some pictures. Do you notice the trend here? I have lots of projects finished....I just can't seem to get my act together and get pictures taken and then posted. I must work on that!

Enjoy the day, friends!!!! And try to work in a bit of stitching here or there!

Memorial Day Weekend.....

2011-05-31T18:38:00.006-05:00

I disappeared again! But this time instead of taking care of sick little ones....we were off on a family adventure. We went to the Smoky Mountains for the long weekend! I posted some more pictures on our family blog if you are interested. It was so nice and so relaxing!!!

I am posting this picture of Emily because you have to see this backpack she made last week. Yes, just last week and in about 2 days. She knitted it with wool worsted weight yarn and with circular needles. She used the pattern from this book and it came out so cute!!! The straps are braided and are laced through the top so that the backpack stays closed while wearing it. I thinks she wore it the entire time we were in the mountains. I need to get a better picture close up so you can see it better...but believe me when I say it is adorable. She also has two or three other things she has knitted and/or crocheted the past month or so...but I still need to get photos. Hopefully I can do that soon!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend too. I am so thankful for all the men and women who so unselfishly serve for this country. We are mighty blessed to be Americans!!!

Random Wednesday Thoughts.....

2011-05-25T18:47:00.020-05:00

Hi Friends! Long time, no blogging! The kids have been sick again....boo hiss! But the upside is this: Ean started poking in his ears last Friday evening. I took him to the on-call pediatrician the next morning and he said Ean had a double ear infection. But I so did not want to give him antibiotics. This is the first ear infection my littles have ever had...crazy, I know! Anyway, I did some research and decided to try a home remedy first. So I made up some garlic-mullein oil and started putting that in his ears twice daily. He immediately acted like he felt better. So I kept it up. On Monday I took Ean to see our normal pediatrician....whom I really like! He said Ean did have an ear infection but that it was getting better!!! Yeah!!! He said to keep up the oil and not to worry about any antibiotics! I love when I can find alternatives to standard medicines.

Before the kids came down with this cold, I was working on this sweet tatted edging. I taught myself to tat when I was about 11 years old. I had been wanting to pick it up again but just haven't taken the time. But when we evacuated our home because of the tornado aftermath, I went to a needlework shop in TN and picked up a new shuttle. It is so relaxing to tat and I am really enjoying it again. I have a little bag in my purse and whenever I have a few minutes I pull it out and tat a ring or two. I am hoping to put this edging on a wee care gown once it is finished.

In other thoughts, we are going to be under tornado warnings again tonight and tomorrow. Please pray for all the people that have been affected the past month, and are still being affected by these deadly tornadoes. I have read some blogs where people are almost kidding about the tornadoes. Trust me, if they could only see the destruction left behind they would not be kidding about anything tornado related. It is going to take some people, and towns years to recover. The roads in our neighborhood are still piled high with debris, and that is only from trees and fences. However, within about a 15 minute drive, some entire neighborhoods are gone. Gone. I am trying not to take anything for granted these days. And I am thankful for your time and the fact that you stopped by for a visit...thank you! I hope you have a great weekend and you are able to fit a little stitching in! I hope to get some pictures soon so I can show you several things I have finished recently!

Good Times.....

2011-05-14T13:20:00.000-05:00

It's good to know my sewing supplies are coming in handy for the little folks around this place. The other day I found that Ethan had created this "sled" and was taking Ean for rides. It was all fun and games until Ean fell off backwards and bumped his head. Fortunately Ean wasn't too disturbed because he quickly climbed back on for another go around the living room. Never a dull moment around here!

Easter Frocks, Part 2....

2011-05-13T14:06:00.015-05:00

I am back with Ean's sweet Easter romper. This outfit has quite a story....seems like that is a trend with me. I can't condense things well....I always want to give every last detail. That can be annoying for some. But anyway, that's just the way it is with me. I hope it doesn't bother you too much.

So here is the outfit Ean wore for Easter this year. I hope to get a picture of him wearing it for you soon. But by the time we got home on Easter afternoon all he wanted was lunch and a nap and neither involved his outfit or a camera. Next year I've decided I'm going to take pictures the day before Easter....when everyone is still nice and fresh and in a great mood! :o)

I built this entire outfit around this "Easter Train" smocking plate that I picked up at our local heirloom shop sometime last year. The plate only has 6 rows of smocking so I started looking for a romper pattern that would accommodate just 6 rows of smocking. I looked through every pattern I have and finally decided to just make my own. Of course, I used my favorite blue/white gingham and it is fully lined. That should be no surprise for those of you that know me.

I was so happy to have this sweet little romper finished early. Then just a few days before Easter I realized I did not have a shirt for him to wear under it. So I quickly made a little shirt. It looks fine on Ean but this mannequin is a bit big for this small garment, therefore the collar is sticking out and looking all sorts of wonky. But trust me, on Ean it was looking just fine. Adorable even! But I am a bit biased!

And for extra exciting news, I won a gift at church this past Sunday (Mother's Day). They gave out three gifts. One for the mom there that had the most children and grandchildren combined (none had to be present). The sweet lady that won had 25 all together! Amazing. I hope I am so blessed down the road. The second gift was for the mom with the youngest baby....which was one of our sweet friends and her precious baby boy! And then the last gift was for the mom with the most children, and they had to be present with her....my row was over half-filled with my four little ones, plus Wayne, of course! The gift was a book about Moms!! I was so surprised and feeling blessed! I hope your days have been blessed too.

Happy Mother's Day......

2011-05-08T19:36:00.008-05:00

(Ethan - in his sister's boots, playing in the sunshine)

A Mother can read all the child-rearing books and can subscribe to any theory of parenting, but what gets passed along to her children is something far more intimate and mysterious than anything contained therein. What gets passed along is her character, and it enters into her children as surely and as inexorably as water flows from a fuller vessel into a less full one.

--Laurence Shames--

Isn't this the truth?! Happy Mother's Day Friends!!! I hope your day is full of love!!!

Checking In.....

2011-05-04T11:03:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends! Thanks for the emails full of concern for me and my family. I finally have internet access after quite a week.

One week ago today terrible tornadoes came through our state leaving behind a path of destruction. The kids and I were at home doing our usual mid-morning routine when we noticed storms were rolling in. We already had one storm that morning and now another was rolling in. We were in no way prepared for the storm after storm that rolled through our area the entire day.

I turned the television on to get weather updates and then noticed the sky was getting dark and debris was swirling all around. The kids and I jumped in a bathtub just as the power went out. From my position in the bathtub I could look out a north-facing window. The sky went almost black. We have since been informed that an F1 tornado came right down our street.

The sky lightened up a bit and after a few minutes we came out to see what had taken place. Almost every tree on our street was either snapped off or uprooted. We had debris stuck to all of our windows all the way round our house. Some homes had minimal damage. Fences on the street were down. Our 100 lb. gas grill out back had been twisted backwards and up against our back door. Screens were off of windows. Our plants in huge pots were gone...we have still never found them. I called Wayne to tell him (from the cell phone because we still had no power). He watched the radar and found a good time to come home because the tornadoes continued the rest of the day and into the evening.

We fared well into the night and the next day with no power. Then we were told it could be 5-7 days before our power returned. We decided to pack up and head out to find power, gasoline, food, etc. Luckily we had enough gas in our vehicle because when the power is out gas stations can't pump gas. I had never thought of this before.

We returned home last night to full power in our home. Our phone lines are still out but I am not complaining. I feel blessed for us all to be alive and well. While we were away we did not have access to television or internet so we are seeing it all for the first time. (Strangely I was able to post on FB while we were away but nothing else.) The destruction is horrible! So many innocent people lost their homes, property, possessions, and some even their lives. It's crazy. I know our God is in complete control. But I am still trying to digest it all. I'm praying for those that have lost so much and I hope you will too!!! I will be back soon but I think I'm going to spend a few days holding my little ones extra close!

Easter Frocks, Part 1....

2011-04-26T18:37:00.012-05:00

I hope you all had a fantastic Easter weekend. We sure did. So much fun in fact, that it seems like it has taken me 2 days to recover. Actually that is probably because I stayed up late for so many nights sewing. So I guess it is time for me to post some pictures.

First up is Elisabeth. She is wearing a dress made out of periwinkle blue Imperial batiste. She picked out the fabric and I picked the pattern.

The pattern is Larkin by Maja's Heirlooms. I have wanted to make this dress for years and now I have. It was a lot of fun to put together and smock. It seems to appeal to the older girls because it has some shaping with darts and a little different silhouette. But it appeals to the mamas because it is still modest and sweet. Plus we get to add a bit of smocking and embroidery to it. Oh, and some beautiful lace too!

Even the sleeves are sweet. I am crazy in that I enjoy stitching bullion roses. I had thought about stitching them completely around the neckline, and I still may. But I also like just a few in the center front and then on the sleeves.

Overall I thought the pattern ran pretty true to size. I did measure the pattern pieces before I started and compared that to Elisabeth's measurements. I tend to do that all the time now when I use an unfamiliar pattern. It can really save some grief later on....especially since I do most of my sewing at 11 pm. Elisabeth loves the dress and says she can't wait to wear it again. That makes it a winner in my book!

Sewing....Sewing....Sewing....

2011-04-21T16:34:00.011-05:00

Yep, I realize Easter is only 3 days away. Well actually I only have two sewing days left. Hopefully I can knock out everything between now and then. Ean's romper is done. I would like to make a shirt to go with it...but we'll see if that happens or not. Elisabeth's dress just needs the buttons finished. I might put some embroidery on it....or I might not. I think it looks good without...but I know it would look good with some too. Emily's skirt is on my machine right now. I started it about an hour ago....then had to get Ean down for a nap. Ethan? Well, I am still not sure if I'll be making him anything. I'm leaning more towards khaki pants and a white long sleeve shirt...maybe a tie? And I had really wanted to make myself a new skirt and top....but I can laugh that one off already. I can guarantee there won't be time for that at this point.

Even with Easter so late this year....I can't seem to find enough time to get it all done. Then throw in dental check-ups for the kids, a belly bug for one of the kids, weekly piano lessons for several of the kids, weekly violin lessons for one of the kids, etc...etc...etc. Not to mention the daily schooling, meals, cleaning, laundry, etc! Wow, I'm tired just thinking about it all!!! But it is all good...and it's all just what God ordered. Isn't it amazing that nothing surprises God? He is in complete control at all times. The Master Orchestrator!!! I can relax knowing He is in control and I am not! And that His ways are so much better than my ways!

Flower Pot Pin Cushion......

2011-04-14T15:45:00.014-05:00

I had a commenter ask yesterday about the pin cushion in yesterday's post. Yes, I did make this fun little pin cushion. About two years ago our local Smocking Guild was hosting Claudia Newton for a day workshop. I really wanted to make some sort of sewing favor to give all of our attendees. This is what I came up after a bit of daydreaming. I was VERY pregnant at the time and what should have taken a few hours to make took a week or so. But I am so glad I did make them. I use mine ALL the time. A while back I had thought about creating a tutorial to make them. But I never got around to it. Maybe one day I will. But they are very simple to create.

I made twenty-some of these in two different color ways and let the ladies choose which one they wanted. I thought they looked so bright and happy. Well, actually I still think that. I think that is one reason why I still use mine on a daily basis....it makes me smile when I look at it! And isn't it nice to have another reason to smile? I believe so!!!

Cutting Out Small Pattern Pieces.......

2011-04-13T04:24:00.003-05:00

Am I the only one that does this?

Sometimes if I have just a few small pattern pieces to cut out, I will put my fabric down on my ironing board with my pattern pieces on top. Then I stick my pins straight through the pattern pieces, my fabric and the ironing board. Then I cut it out...being extra careful not to cut my ironing board cover, of course!!! I know this isn't the smartest thing to do...but sometimes I really like quick and easy!

Garden Delights.....

2011-04-11T13:59:00.010-05:00

Look who I found in our blueberry bushes yesterday!

Elisabeth loves to be outside, so after church and lunch it was no surprise when she went out to explore. All the kids love to check the progress of our four blueberry bushes we planted last fall. They should yield fruit this summer and we are thrilled!

Elisabeth is wearing her Easter dress from last year. It still fits her perfectly and is wonderful for the hot weather we've been having already.

Two Little Blue Dresses......

2011-04-08T16:45:00.016-05:00

Some how in the day-to-day-ness I forgot to mention these sweet little blue dresses again. I did get them sent off to two very sweet little sisters and they did receive them. Judging from my friend's response, I believe they like them. There is something so innocent about these precious little dresses. I pray the little girls have lots of fun running and playing in them.

That's one thing I should mention....since I don't think I ever have before. I don't make clothes to hang in the closet. I honestly want my dresses...smocked or not smocked...to be worn and to be played in. All the dresses I've made for my girls have been washed and dried over and over again. And I don't mean on delicate cycle and hung dry. I toss them into the dirty clothes basket and they have a complete ride through the washer and dryer with all the other dirty clothes. I have never had a problem. And if one did get a stain....trust me, it's not the end of the world. I would rather the child enjoy wearing the dress and not worry about if it gets dirty...then to wear it and fear that it might get dirty.

Ok, enough already. Let's get on with this!

(The wind kept blowing...so that's why it's hanging strange)

Since I knew I was going to make two dresses I wanted the pattern to be relatively easy....i.e., no set in sleeves to deal with. So I picked this pattern by Creations by Michie. It is pattern #132 Sunsuit/Sundress. I also put 4" hems in the dresses so they can be let down as the little girls grow.

And I used a smocking plate from Michie's new book titled "Beginning Smocking." I was lucky when I pulled out all my floss choices and I had three colors that I thought looked good with the fabric. All in all, I really like the final results. Two sweet little blue dresses for two precious 2 year old twin girls!!! I really enjoy sewing for others!!!

I Am Constantly In Awe.......

2011-04-06T17:13:00.013-05:00

When I started blogging almost five years ago....yes, I said five years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. What I did know though was that I loved my family and I loved sewing. This blog was to be my way to document what we were doing as a family to share with our extended family and friends. Plus, as a mom of several young children, I always feel like I'm not getting anything done. Like I tend to forget that I actually do get some sewing projects completed here and there. But posting pictures of the item and some additional information, I thought would be proof that I did get the kids in bed early enough so I had time to work on a sewing project. And it worked.

And then guess what happened? Other people actually started visiting my blog. I was surprised and thrilled. Then some of these visitors started asking me questions about sewing. So then I kept doing what I was already and started trying to teach some in my blog posts. I tried to add in some tips, techniques, tutorials, patterns, etc. Sewing brings me so much joy that I honestly think everyone should love to sew.

So trying to teach and inspire my blog visitors has been my mission for awhile now. And you can only imagine how amazed I still am when you all come and visit, send me emails, add me to sewing lists, etc.

Most recently I was honored when Careers in Fashion listed me on their Top 50 Stylish DIY Blogs. I am so humbled!!! I have looked over the list and I am in very good company. If you have a few minutes I urge you to do the same. You may find another sewing blog you would like to visit. But I do hope you will continue to visit with me as well. Because I have come to like you and look forward to your visit. If only I could just have you all over for a little sewing bee. Wouldn't that be great. I'd love to sit and troubleshoot all your questions and praise you for your projects.

Actually through this humble little blog, God has brought me many wonderful friends. I can now send off an email or pick up the phone and call a good number of people that enjoy chatting about sewing just as much as I do. God is so good. Even though I am choosing to stay at home to raise and educate my children, God has been so kind to bring friends right into my home. Incredible, isn't it? God always meets us right were we are. I am definitely amazed and will continue to be I am sure!!!! Now let's get back to stitching, shall we? I have an Easter train waiting for a few more stitches!

Back to Business.....

2011-03-31T22:14:00.006-05:00

Yeah, it's time to start stitching Ean's Easter outfit. I've spent the last week editing our church cookbook and not only did it consume all my time....it made my eyes sore. I'm hoping I can smock tonight once I get all the house chores completed. After I post this I am going to start on a big pot of minestrone soup for tonight and some yummy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies too. Then I'm going to do a quick clean up around the house. Then, hopefully, I'll be able to smock a bit. I find that sewing or hand stitching is so therapeutic for me. Do you find the same? I know sewing frustrates some and therefore that can't be relaxing for them. But I do love it and it relaxes me.

Today is my Emily's favorite day of the year, I think. April Fool's Day. She spends her entire year thinking about various pranks to pull on us. This morning was funny though because she had one pulled over on her. She loves the Jumble in the daily newspaper...and she has gotten really good at them too. Well today it said they were going to discontinue the Jumble effective immediately. I heard her yelp across the house. It was funny when she realized it was an April's Fool joke. She is a funny girl.

Oh, and that funny girl has been busy. I can't wait to take a picture and show you what she has been working on. She has more tenacity than some adults I know. You just wait...you won't believe it either.

Ok, must get busy chopping veggies and making cookies!! My smocking is calling me!!!!

A Little Cooking/Cleaning Tip....On A Sewing Blog...

2011-03-25T15:15:00.003-05:00

Today I have a little cooking/cleaning tip for you. I've been doing this for years and I assumed everyone else did too. But lately I've mentioned it to others and they say they have never heard of it. Since this is mostly a sewing blog and not a cooking blog, you can look at it this way.....this little tip will get you finished quicker in the kitchen so you can get back to your sewing. So here goes......

Anytime I cook something that yields a really messy pan....like today I made homemade stove-top mac and cheese for part of our lunch. The pan is always cheesy and sticky afterwards. Or, if we have to eat dinner and then head out the door somewhere....like church. I hate leaving a sink full of dishes but sometimes it happens. Or, if you are steaming vegetables and all the water boils out and your pan and its contents burn and get all yucky. I am sure that never happens in your house....but it does in mine from time to time. Or whatever else that happens to create dishes in your house that you really don't want to waste time cleaning.

Well here is what I do.....I take my box of baking soda from my pantry and sprinkle it on the messy pan, my stack of dirty dishes, my burnt pan, etc. Then I add just a bit of water and I leave it. Yes, I just turn my back on it or walk out the door and I give it not another thought. Then when I either get back home or I am ready to tackle that burnt pan or stack of dishes, I turn the faucet on and run the pan/dishes/whatever under the water. I am telling you that whatever it was stuck to your pan or dishes will literally wash off underneath the flow from the faucet. Sure you can use your dishrag just to make you feel better...but it is rarely needed.

You can even keep a sprinkle bottle of baking soda on your counter for this purpose...but most times I just grab my box out of the pantry. I am never without baking soda for this reason alone. And I hope you remember this little tip the next time you have messy pans or a stack of dishes you have to leave in the sink. Then you can get back to your sewing that much faster!

*I have no affiliation with Arm & Hammer....just a happy consumer!*

Purses, Bags & More Blog Tour.....

2011-03-22T00:00:00.018-05:00

(Front cover of book)

Imagine my surprise when I was contacted about participating in the Purses, Bags & More Blog Tour!!! I was thrilled. What an honor! Really!

So ok, let’s get on it with already!!! This brand new book is called Purses, Bags & More by Pearl Louise Krush. The photo above is the front cover of the book.

(Sweet and Sassy p. 13)

And the purse I am reviewing is called Sweet and Sassy. And I must admit up front that I love to sew...but I don’t always love to sew bags. But this book has honestly made me reconsider that thought. The bags and purses in this book are so adorable and stylish. There are at least two that I will definitely be stitching, including this one called Sweet and Sassy.

To start with, no strange supplies or materials are needed. I think that is one reason why I rarely stitch bags...I never have the wooden handles, magnetic closures, etc. needed. BUT I have everything needed RIGHT NOW to stitch this bag, and I bet you do too (i.e., fabric, thread, buttons, quilt batting, and elastic). See, I told you this is a great book! And it gets better!

The author has done a fantastic job writing the directions. Some of you know that I edit sewing patterns for a handful of independent designers/friends. I have been doing this for several years and I do it because I really enjoy it....no other reason. So I actually had fun looking through the directions. What did I find? The directions are wonderful! The author has broken the construction down into bite-size steps that anyone can do without feeling stressed. The cutting directions use a rotary cutter which I find to be very efficient. And the actual quilting of the fabric and sewing of the bag, are in small chunks so as not to overwhelm you. Plus, if you have several little children like I do, the small steps make it easier for me to remember where I left off when I get up from the machine. (I’ve mentioned before that often I will sit down just to stitch one seam even if I only have a few minutes here or there.)

Another thing I look for when editing patterns is if I could construct the item from the directions alone (no pictures), and also from the pictures alone (no words). I honestly can tell you that I could construct this bag either way. The directions are clear and to the point. And the pictures are in color and detailed enough that my Emily (she’s 11 years old) could follow.

I know you are going to want to hear/read more about this book, so I’m going to include the other stops on this Blog Tour so you can see what others are saying:

Monday, March 21 Tara of Tinkerfrog

Tuesday, March 22 Me....you are here!

Wednesday, March 23 Stephanie of Unfinished Project Party

Thursday, March 24 Ruth of Sew Chic

Friday, March 25 Julie of From These Hands

And of course, the book is available from Clotilde here. Really, go check it out! You will be glad you did!!!

This Little Bunny.....

2011-03-21T11:19:00.011-05:00

This little bunny was so much fun to stitch. See his bushy little tail.....basically a mess of french knots....so cute! The outline of the bunny came from Michie's Embroidery book. And the reason I needed this little bunny was because I made a sweet little romper that needed something precious on the front of it.

The romper was another fun story. I wanted a small romper to give as a gift...but guess what? Out of all the patterns I have...and I have many....I did not have one romper pattern that would fit a baby less than about 6 months or so. So I pulled out my pattern drafting paper (which was really leftover Christmas wrapping paper this time since I ran out of the real stuff!) and drafted out a romper pattern. I think it came out great.

I used baby blue pique for the fabric with a light blue batiste for the lining. And I used white piping to give it a tailored look. I was very pleased with the end result. Oh, I also put these teeny tiny white buttons on the shoulder and crotch. I have used snaps on baby items before, but I don't really like using them with heirloom-type fabrics. I always worry about ripping the fabric.

I'm off to prepare for Smocking Guild tonight. I have the two smocked dresses finished so I will take them for Show and Tell. Then tomorrow they will be in the mail to two adorable little twin girls. I also still need to finish the embroidery on Elisabeth's Easter dress, plus make a final decision on what to make the boys for Easter. Also did I mention I am working on two new patterns? Lots of fun things going on these days!!!!

A Bit of Smocking.....

2011-03-16T17:44:00.010-05:00

Thank you all so much for the warm wishes for my little ones. The three older kids are feeling better....just have a lingering cough (two of them also have a sinus infection - just for fun). Saturday evening Ean started getting sick. He has been miserable. Well it's hard to feel well when you are keeping a 104.7 fever for hours and hours. We have had a few rough nights but I am hopeful he will be better soon. He still has quite a cough but he is trying so hard to maintain a good attitude. A few minutes ago a neighbor came to our door and surprised us with dinner. In the process of thanking him I noticed that Ean fell down and sunk his top tooth right through his bottom lip. Sweet baby...he is really having a rough day!!!

Before the kids got sick I was working on a gift for a precious friend of mine. I met this sweet friend last year through this humble little blog. She has offered me so much encouragement, wisdom, etc over the months. She is definitely the kind of person I would love to have live next door. But since we live a few states away from each other, I'll take her friendship via e-mail.

Anyway, this friend of mine has three beautiful grandchildren. Two of them are twin grand-daughters and they will be two this month. I so wanted to make them something special for their big day. So I dug out patterns and fabrics to decide what to make them. I won't share all the details yet...but here is a sneak peek. I only lack hemming them (yes "them", remember there are two of them!) But what a joy it has been sewing for these precious little girls!

Sick Little Ones.....

2011-03-09T20:32:00.006-06:00

My family has been introduced to the less than wonderful world of RSV the past two weeks. And my reaction...I don't like it, not one bit!!!! First Elisabeth came down with fever, sniffles, and a horrific cough. Several days later Ethan joined her. Then the very next day Emily went down the same path. Fortunately Ean is still healthy. We are praying he stays healthy because after all this coughing I can see how so many infants end up in the hospital with this ugly stuff. And it is ugly!!! My kids have never coughed so much in their entire lives....combined.....as they have over the past week and a half!!! I am hopeful we are almost finished with this mess, although our pediatrician says the cough may last a full 27 days!

As a result of the family being sick...little sewing/smocking has been completed. I do have one little project started though....with hopes to wrap it up this coming weekend.

I hope you all are enjoying the little signs of Spring popping up all over the place. Our daffodils bloomed last week and we saw our first bunny today. We love Spring!!! Now if only we can all get better and start enjoying it!!!

A Tucked Hem Tutorial...

2011-03-03T14:04:00.024-06:00

(This jumper has a 3" hem and a 1" tuck)

I had several people email me about how I made the tuck on Elisabeth's last jumper. Actually this is one of my most favorite techniques. And it is SO easy!!!!

(This dress has a 4" hem and a 1" tuck - it's my favorite combination)

I also incorporated it into Elisabeth's Easter dress last year. Do you see it? On this dress it would have stood out more if I had had enough purple rick rack to go around the tuck...but I am still happy with the way it turned out.

(This jumper has a 5" hem and a 1" tuck)

And here is a jumper I just finished this week. My Elisabeth has a bad cough this week so I haven't had the heart to ask her to try on clothes for me. Hopefully this weekend she'll be back to normal and we'll get pictures. Until then....let me show you how easy it is to create a tucked hem.

First you need to decide on your desired hem amount and your desired tuck size. For this jumper I decided I wanted a 5" hem and a 1" tuck. (I am hoping it will last her several years so I can drop the length in a year or so.)

To determine how much fabric to allow for the hem and tuck - add the desired hem (mine is 5") and three times the tuck size (mine is 1" times three which translates to 3"). I ultimately allowed 8" for my hem.

To get started on your fabric, take your desired hem amount (mine was 5") and add one tuck amount (mine was 1"). So I turned the bottom edge of my jumper up 6 " with wrong sides together. Pin and press as you go working along the entire bottom edge.

This is the same step here...I just moved the ruler and relocated the pins so it would be easier to do the next step. You can see the raw edge of my fabric on the left side.

Now again using your ruler, do the exact same thing. I turned my fabric up another 6" because remember I ultimately wanted a 5" hem and a 1" tuck. But whatever your first measurement was...do the exact same thing again. And please use your ruler. I always *think* I can do this without a ruler....but it really helps to have it completely straight and on grain. That way your tuck will hang better in the end. And don't forget to pin and press as you go too.

Now carry this to your sewing machine. Prepare your machine to stitch a straight stitch. And then stitch your tuck. Again I wanted a 1" tuck so I stitched 1" from the edge of the fabric. Straight stitch all the way around removing pins as you go, of course. As a side note....when I was in high school I remember that I never removed pins as I went. I always stitched over them. But machines are much more temperamental these days and a silly stunt like that might land your machine in the repair shop...or worse! So remove pins as you go.

After you stitch all the way around head back to the ironing board and press the tuck and hem down. Now wasn't that easy? And are you ready for the bonus???

This is the inside of the tucked hem. No exposed hand stitches to get caught on your little one's toes or shoes. Everything is very tailored looking on the inside and outside. Just a nice little bonus if you ask me....and all you had to do was make one line of stitching!!! And as your child grows you can take the stitching out and lengthen the dress/jumper. Try this on one of your next jumpers, skirts, etc and see what you think. And if you have any questions let me know and I'll do my best to answer them! Happy Stitching Friends!!!

More Smocking......

2011-02-25T08:03:00.000-06:00

It seems I always have multiple sewing projects going at any given time. Currently I'm working on the Larkin and a few other things....but I'm also getting started on a bishop. I mentioned before that I am taking a Smocking Correspondence Course through SAGA. I have so enjoyed this course! I taught myself to smock about 11 years ago so I've always wondered if I am doing things correctly. This course has reassured me I am doing it right.....and it has given me a few tips along the way too. The first three lessons involved creating a sampler and the final two lessons start and complete a bishop. I've made many bishops over the years and I've always enjoyed the process. Actually my first ever smocked project was a bishop.

Last year I realized I had a shoe box full of embroidery floss. Some of it was purchased the week before and some of it had been with me for 20+ years. I made a split decision to throw it all away unless I knew it was new. As a result I now have very little floss at any given time. So today when I went digging for floss, I was surprised that I actually had some that matched this floral fabric. The colors above look like they don't match...but they really do. I honestly do use the same floss colors over and over again. I bet you thought I was really kidding when I mentioned it before.

Ean's New Overalls.....

2011-02-20T18:58:00.006-06:00

It's hard to get past those big eyes and long eye lashes isn't it? Ean has the most beautiful eyes and such a sweet smile!!! I could spend my entire days kissing on his cheeks...and sometimes do!! He had sweet potatoes for dinner which is why his face is a bit orange....it's always better if you spread it around a little on your face while you are eating! Don't you think?

Last week I made these cute overalls for him. I used some corduroy I had from last Fall and a sweet little plaid cotton to line them. I should have taken some extra time and embroidered something on the front...but oh well, maybe next time. I always love a project that goes together in less than two hours! This one certainly fit the bill!

The weather has been so warm and wonderful this past week that corduroy has almost been too heavy to wear. But I am not complaining. I am ready for the 90 degree weather!!! Bring it on!!!

Our Annual Valentine's Day Tea Party......

2011-02-15T21:34:00.012-06:00

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day. We sure did. The kids and I decided to make rolled sugar cookies this year for our tea party and I am so glad we did because we had a lot of fun and they were yummy!!!

We all took turns rolling out the dough and cutting out the cookies. And of course, we all participated in the decorating too. Some were a little more heavy-handed than others.

We swapped handmade Valentine cards, ate yummy cookies and drank warm peppermint tea. And so another wonderful year with this sweet little bunch has been celebrated!!!

Here is sweet Ean during the tea party. We recently found he is violently allergic to eggs....so unfortunately he did not get to enjoy the yummy cookies. Ethan asked me last night if I could find a recipe for cookies without eggs so that Ean can have some next time. I thought that was so thoughtful of him!!! And I will definitely dig up a recipe next time for our Sweet Ean. He is such a blessing to all of us.

And if you look real close you will see he has been busy cutting his first molar this past week. He stayed up many nights working on this tooth. I remember telling my dad once that I hated when the kids were teething because they were in so much pain. His answer was short and sweet and to the point...."Well having teeth is better than the alternative." He was right as always!!!

I have actually worked in little bits sewing here and there lately. I have lots to share as soon as I get a few pictures taken.

Baby's New Wardrobe.......

2011-02-08T16:24:00.009-06:00

Emily (my 11 yr. old) has been having so much fun dressing this 5" baby doll of hers!!! I think she has 5 outfits completed now. I mentioned another one a bit ago. Today I jokingly asked her how long it takes to complete an outfit...."1 day?" She quickly corrected me with......"no...2 days!"

And so there are no concerns...baby has all her proper undergarments on too. Isn't she adorable? Emily uses size 10 crochet thread in various colors and a size 6 crochet hook to complete these little gems. She also has one or two that she knitted with size 3 needles. I'll try to get photos of the rest of the fun little outfits in the next few days or so.

In the meantime, I am thinking on a new tutorial. Hopefully I will get it started and finished in the next few days. It's been awhile since I've added any tutorials to the blog. It's not for lack of ideas but rather a lack of time. Ean is very mobile now and as a result my sewing time has come to a screeching halt. I'm hoping he'll slow down and become interested in his toys at some point...and then I'll be able to sit at the machine and sew again. Right now if I want to sew I have to wait until everyone is tucked into bed and hope that I am not completely exhausted...which is usually the case. I am smocking though, whenever a few random minutes come my way. I'm really curious to see how this dress is going to turn out for my Elisabeth.

Alright...time to finish dinner and get this family fed!

New Project......

2011-02-02T16:24:00.003-06:00

I think I have decided on one of my next projects.......a sweet little dress for my Elisabeth. The pattern is Larkin from Maja's Heirlooms and I am going to follow the variations that were in issue #105 of Sew Beautiful magazine back in 2006.

Thankfully my Elisabeth is still ok with smocked garments. I was thinking she might not care for another bishop dress so I started looking at Maja's patterns. She has several that are adorable. This particular dress I remember seeing in person at Maja's booth at the SAGA Market in Atlanta a few years back. It is beautiful!!! I tried so hard to talk Emily into letting me make it for her at that time...but she was already past wanting smocked dresses at that time.....(sigh). But...like I said, Elisabeth is anxiously looking forward to wearing this dress.

I've never used a Maja pattern before...so I figure I'll be doing some pattern measuring to try and make sure it fits well. But I think it's going to be fun! Now to get the pattern cut out and started!!!

Sewing For Elisabeth......

2011-01-27T18:00:00.014-06:00

Sewing for Elisabeth is always a treat. She is very easy to please and likes just about anything I make for her. So imagine my thrill when she told me a few weeks back that she would like me to make her a new jumper....{insert scream here!}

My "go-to" jumper pattern is almost always Libby by Children's Corner. I have made this pattern so many times I could probably make it in my sleep. I had Elisabeth look through my fabric that I had and she pulled out this piece of floral corduroy that I've had for a bit over a year.

I asked her what she thought about putting her monogram on the bodice.....and she agreed....{insert another scream here!}.....and so I did!!!

I love little girls in jumpers! I think they are just so sweet and innocent looking in a jumper.

And if you look really close you will see that I put in a growth tuck as well. This way as she grows I can drop the hem down a bit so it will fit longer. Jumpers are so much fun to sew, but even better is seeing a sweet little girl wearing the jumper!!!

Ean's New Outfit.....

2011-01-17T10:58:00.006-06:00

Wow! These pictures make me realize that my Sweet Ean is growing up. He's a toddler now. He can walk when he chooses...but if he wants to get somewhere fast he drops to his knees and crawls like a maniac!

In these photos Ean is wearing the cute little outfit I made him this past weekend. The pattern is Baby Lyric by Pintucks and Pettiecoats. Also in these photos Ean is sporting unruly hair...forgive him...and me.

I amazed myself when I actually decided to embroidery his monogram on the front. Well actually I did not amaze myself until I actually DID it. I think about all sorts of things I want to do....but I am thrilled when I actually follow through and do it!

The machine embroidery font is called Kiddy Font and came from The Embroidery Font Shop. I have had this font for several years and also used it for an outfit for Elisabeth awhile back.

I made the 18 month size for Ean so he would have some room to grow. The 12 month size fits him perfectly...but I really wanted the extra room. I think the pattern runs true to size because Ean is very petite and is just starting to outgrow the 12 months size in ready to wear clothes.

For the main fabric I used a piece of denim. I buy this at my local heirloom shop and I love it!!! For the lining I used a piece of blue/white/khaki plaid that I had also. I love the combination of these colors. Now if I can only remember to have my camera on the correct settings next time I want to take pictures...all will be good!!!

I hope you have time to work a few stitches this new year! I have a jumper ready to cut out for Elisabeth and two tiered skirts ready to start for Emily. Plus....I am thinking of making a sweet baby outfit for a girl at church who is pregnant with her first little one.

Happy Stitching Friends!!!

Look What Came In The Mail........

2011-01-13T17:48:00.000-06:00

Last week (before all the snow came) my good friend Paige, of Pintucks and Pettiecoats, sent me a copy of her newest pattern. It is for an adorable lined romper that is perfect for a little boy or girl. I am so excited to make one for sweet Ean. I decided I am even going to put some machine embroidery on it, hence the light brown thread in the above photo. I don't do a bunch of machine embroidery...but I do like to have the option.

Anyway, I am going to use the blue denim for the romper and the plaid for the lining. I don't think I've even sat down to stitch since the halloween sewing marathon....so this will be fun!!!

Staying Put.......

2011-01-10T00:17:00.000-06:00

(Ethan digging in the snow ~ Jan. 10, 2011)

I think we'll be staying put for a few days. And I'm not sure I'm thrilled about it. I had to cancel a chiropractor appt. for this morning, a dental appt. for tomorrow afternoon, and our food co-op pick-up which should have been this Wednesday has been slipped until next Wednesday. Life comes to a screeching halt when it snows in the South!!!

Overnight last night we had about 10 inches of snow settle all around us. The kids had a blast playing outside this morning. It is a wet snow though and they all came in freezing and wet. After changing clothes and warming up with some hot chocolate, I was surprised but they never asked to go out again. Emily even told me tonight that the snow was beautiful but she was ready for it to be gone. The problem is that the temps are not going to be above freezing until Thursday.

After a very lazy and unproductive day I decided to pull out the embroidery module for my sewing machine. I actually stitched out four different items....once I started I couldn't stop!!! Hopefully I really will have something to show in the next few days...if cabin fever doesn't get the better of me!!!!

Crocheting......

2011-01-06T22:48:00.009-06:00

Although I haven't been sewing lately....I did manage to squeeze in a bit of crocheting over the past few weeks. I have made several of these precious angels and I must say they are mildly addictive!!! I have not kept any...but rather given them to some of my favorite people!!! I also hope to make several more and hopefully at least one for myself.

I think we all are finally feeling better. We were all SO sick the week between Christmas and New Year's. It was either a really bad cold + croup thrown in for good measure for Sweet Ean OR it was the flu. Either way....it was terrible and I wouldn't wish it on anyone!!! So if you are out there reading this and have the same thing.....I'm sending you {{{big hugs}}} because I know you are miserable!!!!

I hope to be back soon with some actually sewing to share!!!

You May Remember....

2010-12-27T17:46:00.005-06:00

Ean ~ Recycled photo from Fall 2009

You may remember this sweet hat I made for Ean last Fall. Well it doesn't fit anymore as you would expect since baby heads grow pretty fast the first year. So for my next sewing project, hopefully later this week, I am going to make him another hat. I have to do some closet diving (that's where I keep my stash) for the perfect fabric...and I hope I come up with something good. This fun hat requires such a small amount of fabric that I really don't want to have to purchase any....surely I already have something that will work.

Ean ~ Recycled photo from Fall 2009

In other news....Christmas was wonderful even if.....everyone was sick with a cold and/or croup...including the big people! Then I broke a crown in my mouth (1/3 of it is now gone!) while eating a pretzel. Wayne tried to one-up me by breaking his big toe while playing with the kids. It's been an action filled weekend around here I tell you!!! Now hopefully things will calm down and I can get some good cleaning and organizing done with a little bit of sewing thrown in just for fun!!!!

It's A White Christmas After All......

2010-12-25T14:57:00.003-06:00

We really did wake up to snow today!!! I think it may be the first White Christmas I ever remember. Wow!!! The kids are thrilled...well except for Elisabeth and Ean, who are both feeling a little under the weather. Yuck! Not fair to be sick on Christmas...that is what Elisabeth keeps telling me anyway. Fortunately, when she felt well enough to sit up at the kitchen table we brought in a tub of snow for her to play with and explore. Even with sickness, this Christmas will yield lots of precious memories for each and every one of us.

Wayne, Emily, Ethan and our beloved across-the-street-neighbor, Mr. Tom, built this snowman in a matter of minutes. They had so much fun and came in with rosy cheeks!!!

I hope each of you is experiencing the peace and joy of Christmas today!!! Merry Christmas from our house to yours!!!!

Christmas Preparations....

2010-12-20T21:50:00.001-06:00

Wow, talk about laziness!!! I did not mean to be absent for the past two weeks...but it is that time of year when things can get crazy, and often do.

Christmas preparations are taking place in our house at quite a frantic pace. The gifts have mostly been ordered and I am waiting for their arrival so I can spend an evening wrapping them.

We've had lots of activities with our new church family. I don't think I've mentioned it before but we have found a wonderful new church home. We've been looking for a new church for awhile now...and we have finally found one and it is only 2 miles down the road from our house. It sure makes things easy and convenient.

Our Smocking Guild had our annual Christmas Dinner tonight and it was wonderful!!! Our hostess this year really out did herself and spoiled every single one of us. It was such an enjoyable evening!!! I did take Ean with me....fortunately he was pretty well behaved!

I have only made one gift so far this Christmas. And I can't show a picture yet...because the recipient hasn't received it yet. I'm hoping to make a few more things to add to the stockings for the kids...but we'll see how much time I have available as the week progresses. The ladies at Guild laughed at me tonight when I told them I hoped to do some sewing later this week.

My girls had their ballet recital last week. They both did extremely well, as did all the girls in the recital. It was a busy day, but fun.

Oh, last week we also took the photos for our Christmas cards. The kids were at the front end of a cold and we did not know it at the time. But it sure explained the lack of cooperation we received while trying to get a few pictures to work with. The photo at the top of this post is from that night. It's a little blurry....but if you squint at it just right...you won't notice so much.

Alright, I think you all know as much, or more, than I do now. The rest of the week is going to be busy too. We have a friend coming over for dinner Thursday night....we are so thrilled. We are also going to visit with a potential new piano teacher for the girls and a violin teacher for Emily. Then a Christmas Eve candle light service Friday evening and lots of cooking, baking and wrapping gifts thrown in as well. It's going to be a great week!!!

I hope Christmas preparations are going well at your home too!!!

xoxo,

Cindy

P.S., I also forgot to mention that Elisabeth had a birthday last week. See it really has been busy around here!

Pure Pleating Laziness......

2010-12-07T15:28:00.009-06:00

Yesterday it hit me that Christmas is just over two weeks away! And my sweet Elisabeth also has a birthday between now and then....just to add a little more stress to the equation! But my hands still desire to have something to work on in the little bits of time that present themselves here and there. So I did the unthinkable....I stopped by the local heirloom shop and bought two pleated panels! I know, crazy (and maybe lazy?) when I can easily pleat them myself! But my Ethan really wants tractors smocked on a jon-jon...and honestly this is the last year he will be able to wear jon-jon's and get away with it. So I really do want to make this for him. But I knew if I waited to get the pleater out and ready I would postpone it for several more weeks. Why do I do that?

So I bought two pleated panels in hopes of stitching them for my sweet little boys. I'm not sure what I'll put on Ean's yet....I'll think about that. But in the meantime I can start stitching tractors for Ethan.

And do you see the colorful quilt in these two pictures? Well guess what? That is another bargain I got at the Martha Pullen Warehouse Sale. It is a baby crib-sized quilt (a very generous size) and gorgeous. You can't see the edges but they have large rick rack stitched on them, and the back is the same fabric as the block on the front with all the little cars and such...precious. You won't believe it when I tell you I paid $3 for this amazing quilt. I could not even purchase the supplies for that amount....plus add in the time for construction and such. I love this quilt for so many reasons!!!

And about the sleeping baby, Ean, in the top photo....I could just about kiss his cheeks off!!! That's all I'm saying!!!!

And the Winner of the Give-Away is........

2010-12-06T19:24:00.007-06:00

Hallie!!!

You can thank Emily, she had the honor of drawing the winning name out of the mason jar.

Please send me your full name and address and the package will be on its way to you....in time for Christmas even!!!

Thanks everyone for playing. It was so fun to hear from each and every one of you. I have more items for more give-aways....so as soon as I get caught up with Christmas shopping and such I'll pull another one together, so check back!!!

It's Give-Away Time.....Call Your Friends......

2010-12-01T15:46:00.007-06:00

I've been trying to remember to post this give-away for awhile now.....but life and holidays have gotten in the way. But that's ok....because now it is official!!!

I mentioned awhile back that I was able to go to the Martha Pullen Warehouse Sale and had a great time. Well dear readers, I was thinking of you all while I was there. I picked up a few extra things just to be able to share with you. (And no, Ean is not part of the giveaway...but he is just so cute I had to share!!!)

First up....I got three Martha Pullen DVD's that are full of wonderful ideas and techniques. I have all of these and a few others from years ago, and I often sit down and watch them. I tend to forget what is on them and so when I watch them again....it's like the first time all over again.

I also picked up an extra Sew Beautiful Issue #80. I love this issue because it has the pattern by Laura Jenkins Thompson for the precious dress Pascale. I love this dress!!! The pattern pieces go together so well and the directions are well-written. Those are two big pet peeves of mine when it comes to patterns.

I have made the dress several times over the years for my girls. Here is Elisabeth in one.

And I always put piping on it and covered buttons....but you don't have to. Actually if you don't put the piping on it it would probably work up in one evening. Really! It's a great pattern!

Ok, back to the goodies. I am also including this beautiful piece of fabric. It would be perfect for Christmas sewing!!! It is red, green, and white herringbone (I guess that's what you would call it). I can see a simple little A-Line with a white collar. Or little boy pants or a bubble....it would be wonderful for just about anything you can imagine. This piece of fabric measures 2 yards and it is 60" wide. Lots of potential there!

Alright...there you have it! 1 Give-Away that includes the following items: 3 Martha Pullen DVD's, 1 Sew Beautiful Issue #80, and 2 yards of gorgeous fabric!!!!

If you are interested.....leave me a comment telling me your favorite item to sew....it can be anything....I am always curious about what others like to sew.

You can enter through Sunday evening and then I will randomly draw a name and announce it Monday morning. Good Luck!!! And happy stitching!!!

Happy Thanksgiving...

2010-11-25T21:44:00.006-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

from our house to yours!!!

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through all generations."

Psalm 100:4-5

Emily made us an adorable turkey center piece for our dinner table.

She also made place cards so everyone knew where to sit.

And I made the meal and the two yummy pie crusts and pies...pumpkin and apple!!!!

I hope your day was blessed and delightful!!!

Smocked Christmas Ornament.....

2010-11-23T16:16:00.009-06:00

Here is the cute little ornament I mentioned before. I have come across lots of directions for these ornaments....but none that really seemed to work for me or that used the size styrofoam ball that I had. So two weeks ago I spent any free time I had working on creating my own version. I think it came out well. So well, in fact, that I was able to write up the directions and demonstrate how to construct it at our last Smocking Guild meeting. The smocking design I used is from a Sew Beautiful 1988 Holiday Issue.

(bottom of ornament)

The "end caps" seem to be what give people the most grief. I tried to think out of box and do something different. I gathered this pleated trim I found at the local heirloom shop. I also covered a button and stitched it in the middle and then stitched the entire "end cap" to the ball.....twice, once at the top (with a ribbon hanger added) and once at the bottom. You could also use a lace rosette, a ribbon rosette, a yo-yo, etc. You get the idea.

It's funny but Ethan loves this ornament and was worried when I took it to the Smocking Guild meeting that I would leave it there. I guess he had reason for concern because the ladies there wanted me to use it for the door prize that night. Sorry ladies....maybe next time!!! But I did give them the directions to make their own!

Another Week.....

2010-11-21T21:41:00.012-06:00

It seems crazy that I can't manage to update much more than once a week....but that's the season of life I am in right now, I guess. But it's a good season! I get to spend all my time with these sweet little ones....plus precious little Ean (not in the above picture)! Who was very sick last night! I won't go into details but rather just say he was really sick with either food that did not agree with him or a belly bug. But 24 hours and 4 loads of laundry later....he is much better. Plus I sat up and held him all night.....I have come to treasure that time when it does happen.

We did have our Smocking Guild meeting earlier this past week. It went very well. I need to take a picture of what I demonstrated at the meeting....hopefully tomorrow I can get to that. I thought the final item came out pretty cute. You can tell me what you think.

The kids have kept me busy with lots of fun stuff this week. We've, of course, been doing school work each day. Plus a few of the days they decided it was warm enough to have a picnic lunch outside...(that is what they are doing in the above picture) and play badminton . However, yesterday and today have been even warmer! So warm, in fact, that they all went and bought some pansies today and planted them around the house. They look great. They also picked up supplies for blueberry plants we ordered that should be in this week. It sure will be nice to have our own blueberry bushes......we consume blueberries in our daily smoothies! Yum!

Today the kids also talked their father into getting Christmas lights to string outside the house. They beg to do this every year....but we just never have....until today. They were so excited it was the first thing they did once they arrived home from the store. We lit them up for a test tonight and our neighbors even came out to admire the view. Now if we can make them wait another few days to put up the Christmas tree....we'll see!

I kept thinking I would have some time to work on a smocking project this week...but it just never happened. I also need to clean up and organize all my sewing paraphernalia. I am thinking it's about time for a giveaway......we'll see what I can come up with!

This coming week brings Thanksgiving! We are so looking forward to it and I am sure you all are too. We don't have any family nearby so we make the best of it with just us. Although we might have a few friends over this year that don't have family nearby either. I am making my grocery list and preparing to make our favorite Thanksgiving meal. I have so so much to be thankful for each and every day!

Blessings!!!

Today.....

2010-11-15T12:35:00.003-06:00

Today I am frantically getting my stuff together for Smocking Guild tonight! I'm packing my bag and finishing my samples. I'm also schooling the little ones, preparing lunches, and wondering what to fix quickly for dinner tonight.

Right now though, I'm enjoying a snack. Sourdough pumpkin bread slathered with yogurt cheese and a healthy drizzle of local honey!!! It truly is as yummy as it looks!!!

I wish you all could come to our meeting tonight....it would be a lot of fun to visit with each of you!

Some Smocking Has Actually Taken Place This Week....

2010-11-13T21:58:00.007-06:00

I know this picture is terrible! But it is my proof that I have been doing a tad bit of smocking this week. I am working on the program for our next Smocking Guild meeting. I'll show the finished ornament after the meeting. I'm sure most of you know that it's the top and the bottom of the ornament that cause the most grief. This design is from the Holiday 1988 issue of Sew Beautiful....and fortunately it is a quick stitch!

Week in Review.....

2010-11-06T21:26:00.011-05:00

I don't know how this can be but it seems I blink and another week quickly passes by! This appears to be the norm around here lately. So for those two loyal readers still here I thought I'd share the highlights of our week with you.

Wayne was out of town all week which always makes for a hectic week. He is so good to help out around the house, especially around dinner time when things can get chaotic. I've mentioned before that I cook almost entirely from scratch so I always allow an hour for dinner prep each and every night. It is wonderful when Wayne is home and is able to be with the little ones during that time. They find all sorts of fun things to do together! However, this week I was on my own and I still managed to put nourishing meals on the table, and for that I am grateful!

Emily delivered both of her custom-ordered baby blankets this week. The purple one you see above was for a sweet baby girl that has already been born. Emily decided she liked this particular stitch and then just decided how big she wanted the blanket to be. Finally she experimented for days to find an appropriate edging for it. She finally decided on this loopy edging that I think fit the open-ness of the blanket well. She wrapped it up in a piece of lavender lace and delivered it. No word from the mom yet, but I am sure she will love it!

The second blanket was for a baby boy that has not yet been born. The baby shower was actually today and the guy that asked Emily to make it called her tonight to tell her how much the mom loved it. We delivered this blanket yesterday and forgot to take a picture before we left home. Emily took this quick picture in the car. I wish we had a good picture of it though because it was really pretty. It was basically a large granny square because the guy that ordered it wanted her to use both green and yellow for the colors and we thought this would work out well. And it's interesting but both blankets were custom-ordered by guys for friends of theirs. I think that is kind of neat! And Emily really came through and did a great job. I am continually amazed by her abilities and her tenacity!

Let's see....there has been NO sewing this week since I wrapped up the halloween costumes. It's not that I did not want to sew....but that the time just hasn't been there this week. Although I am working on the program for our November Smocking Guild meeting. I am hoping to get the prototype finished up in the next few days so I can write up directions and such before our next meeting.

While pleating the sample I had quite the run-in with my pleater. It was acting very cantankerous and that did not please me at all! And then it had the nerve to break a needle! I was not a happy smocker at that moment. But after I completely dis-assembled the pleater, found all three broken pieces of the needle, removed the fabric that was partially pleated and completely mangled, and re-assembled the pleater, I decided to persevere and try again. Fortunately luck was on my side the second time through! Thank you Lord for caring about the little things as well as the big things in my life!!!!

Halloween 2010......

2010-10-31T17:37:00.006-05:00

Another year of Halloween sewing is behind me. I should have known not to silently cheer when the kids kept telling me over the past few weeks that they did not want to dress up. Then yesterday when the realization hit them....it trickled down and hit ME too. They quickly decided they in fact DID want to dress up. So around 2 pm yesterday I visited the local H*bby L*bby with three little ones in tow. At first they could not decide what to dress as. Finally Elisabeth and Ethan agreed on Woody and Jessie from Toy Story. And then Emily decided on Clara Barton. We tried to brainstorm fabrics and patterns while standing there...and this is what we came up with.

I quickly drafted a pattern for a vest for Woody. I have not finished the edges but I will in the next few days. I can already tell this is going to be a favorite costume for Ethan...he insisted upon wearing it out to lunch today!!! For Woody's shirt I used the Luke pattern by my friend Paige. I drafted out the long sleeves on the fly...but it turned out great. What you don't see here is that I also drafted out long sleeves for Elisabeth's size too...and MADE the shirt....but Elisabeth decided last minute that Jessie should wear a white shirt....**sigh**. I also drafted out the chaps for Elisabeth on the fly....I used thin elastic around the back of her legs to hold them on and 3/4" wide elastic around the waist to hold them up. Too cute!!! And we know that Jessie usually has a red hat...but we could not find one on such short notice!

And Emily has already said this is her most favorite costume EVER! She has always loved learning about Clara Barton. She picked out a beautiful blue fabric for the dress. And she also picked out a pattern by one of the big four companies...it actually wasn't too bad. I rarely ever use them anymore because I really don't like them....but this one worked out fine. Although I did have to sew in 6 darts...even the sleeves each had a dart!

So there you have it.....Halloween 2010. I don't even like Halloween! My kids do not like scary stuff...and so they have always been good about dressing up in fun stuff or even as historical figures. One year Emily dressed up as Betsy Ross....that was still my favorite!!!

Ok, gotta run now. I'm worn out from all the sewing in such a short time frame. Now I need to clean up my mess and get working on the program for our next Smocking Guild meeting. Hope you all had a great weekend!!!

Week in Review.....

2010-10-30T09:53:00.007-05:00

It has been a busy week but a great week, nonetheless! Ethan had his fifth birthday so we went to a Train Museum for a visit. The kids loved the trolley ride!

And the caboose you could explore!!

Of course, opening gifts is always high on the list of fun!!!

Especially when one of the gifts is an awesome airplane!!! (I love this picture!!!)

But Ethan wasn't the only one having fun this week. The girls had a blast on this rock climbing wall!! Emily got up pretty high!

Elisabeth had fun too. They both are ready to go back already. Ethan had to wait and watch patiently since he doesn't quite weigh enough to participate yet.

Now it's time to start the frantic halloween sewing. All of the kids told me they thought they wouldn't dress up this year....and then today....that all changed! So I am just back from the fabric store and the sewing machine is just about to start humming. Can I do it? Three costumes in 24 hours? We'll see!!! Maybe I'll post on facebook as I go!

Hope your weekend is splendid!!!

Martha Pullen Warehouse Sale....

2010-10-22T08:41:00.004-05:00

Oh my! After like 25 or 30 years in business, I can't remember which, the Martha Pullen Company is having their first Warehouse Sale. If you live within a 2 hour radius of their business located in Huntsville, AL you might want to jump into your car and start driving! The sale started yesterday and will go through Saturday at 12 noon. Amazing I tell you!!! They had advertised the prices would be below wholesale prices and I had my doubts....but let me tell you...they really were serious!!! Ean and I drove to the sale yesterday while Wayne and the other littles stayed home sick still. I was so overwhelmed that I was almost speechless....almost! I also ran into my friends Paige and Penny....they were as equally impressed as I was! I have to take some pictures to post and you'll see what I mean! (Blogger is not letting me post pictures today anyway!)

Hope you all had a great week and are getting some stitching done. Halloween is just over a week away and my little ones are not even sure what they want to dress up as.....decisions...decisions!

Smocking Plates....

2010-10-17T18:19:00.009-05:00

As much as I love to smock I have very few smocking plates. So when I stopped by my local heirloom sewing shop the other day I made it a point to glance at the smocking plates in stock. I'd really like to work on perfecting my picture smocking so I decided to purchase the above plates. I think the two "boyish" ones will look adorable incorporated into outfits for Ean. And I honestly just thought the duck one was too cute to leave at the store. I can definitely see it on a sweet little bishop for a precious little girl.

When I smock little wee care gowns I have a tendency to make up a pattern as I go. However, if you prefer more directions, you can go to the SAGA Cactus Cabler's Chapter website. There are many different smocking plates to choose from just for these precious little gowns.

As a side note...thanks for the well wishes for my sick little ones. The fevers have all broken and now they all have runny/stuffy noses. Hopefully they will all be back to normal soon!

Week in Review....

2010-10-15T22:54:00.011-05:00

(Those huge stitches are only basting stitches...so don't panic!)

Last Saturday afternoon our local Smocking Guild hosted a class with Claudia Newton. Claudia taught us how to do drawn thread work and the project was a precious little baby diaper shirt. I am about 50% complete with my embroidery at this point and I am loving it. I can't wait to finish it. I have consciously avoided drawn thread work for awhile now. Mostly because I thought it would be too fiddly and would put a major strain on my eyes. I am happy to say...I didn't find it too fiddly....but it is definitely a strain on the eyes! But I do think it is going to be well worth it!! Have you ever had the pleasure of taking a class with Claudia? She is such a wealth of knowledge and her kits are incredible...she thinks of everything!!!

While I was enjoying such a wonderful Saturday, my Elisabeth was at home developing a fever and a sore throat. That's never good.

On Monday Wayne had to travel to Virginia for most of the week. That brings me to the above picture. It probably doesn't look like much....but it's the raw ingredients for homemade cooked playdough. I surprised the kids and made some. Playdough is a staple in our house...but unfortunately we had none. So we made some. I used to make this recipe all the time when I used to teach. It is a little grainy compared to the store-bought stuff....but it is cheap and fast.

And it makes a lot so all three little ones can play and have fun....for hours!!! And that is VERY helpful when the daddy is out of town!!! I do not keep food coloring around the house...so we had naked playdough...no color added.

Unfortunately, Emily and Ethan are now sick too. And Elisabeth is still sick. Fortunately, Wayne is back home to help out and Sweet Ean is still his pleasant self...even if he doesn't like to sleep much. Hopefully this weekend everyone will get back to normal and I'll get some stitching done....we'll see!

Hand-Me-Downs Are Great....

2010-10-10T21:17:00.006-05:00

The time has come....Ean can now wear some of the outfits I made for Ethan. I made this little outfit for Ethan 4 years ago. And I used my (then new) embroidery machine for the first time when I stitched this cute little car on the front pocket. Ean will be able to wear it this Fall until it gets too chilly outside....that will probably be another month or so. It was pushing 90 degrees here today....funny since our highs were in the 60's a week or so ago. Fall is fickle like that.

Baby Blanket by Emily.....

2010-10-06T19:23:00.004-05:00

I told you Emily had several projects she has been working on. Here is one of the other projects....a baby blanket that a friend ordered. A friend of ours needs a baby gift for a shower and he asked Emily to make a blanket. This has started a trend of somewhat because today another friend asked her to make another baby blanket for a shower he needs to attend next month.

Emily picked up this lilac yarn and then started experimenting with different size needles and stitches. She finally decided on this stitch and was able to work up this blanket in a week or so. She still hopes to put a border around the edge but she hasn't decided how she wants to do it yet. As of right now the blanket measures 26" x 34". We think it is a good size for a snuggly new baby.

Today the owner of our local heirloom shop saw Emily's baby doll dress and asked Emily if she would make a dress for a little doll of hers. I think she is going to be a busy girl this Fall!!!

I, on the other hand, have not touched a needle, thread, yarn or other for the past two weeks. I really need to make Sweet Ean some long pants....and Ethan is begging me for some jon-jons with a John Deer tractor on them. I am hoping to finish up a few things so I can get busy on new ones!!!

An Outfit For Emily's Doll....

2010-10-01T17:38:00.005-05:00

I mentioned that Emily had been hard at work on another project. I have received several emails and phone calls from sweet people wanting me to post the projects already because the suspense was getting to them. I promise I haven't been withholding pictures just because...but rather this past week has been busy and I honestly just haven't taken the time to do so. But at long last...here is one of her recent projects.

For her birthday a few months back, Emily asked for one of these cute little dolls and a book of crochet patterns for outfits that fit the doll. We got the book with no problem but the doll was back ordered. (Emily wasn't too upset she also asked for a new violin and that was her main gift.) So she started crocheting this little outfit and had it finished in about 3 days...really! But we still did not receive the doll. Finally the company sent me an email telling me they could not get the doll in. So I found another company to order the doll from....I really should have been a researcher....I love it!!! The doll finally made its way to our house and Emily was so excited to dress it up. It is so adorable!!!

I am amazed that Emily really needs no help interpreting patterns anymore. She never asked me for help and she was increasing, decreasing, picking up stitches and the like. She really just has a way of working with yarn. Incredible!!!

So here is her sweet baby doll in her fun little outfit. She has already started working on a couple more outfits but has them on hold right now because she received a custom order that she is currently working on. I'll show you that next.....

I've Been Smocking.....

2010-09-27T23:37:00.009-05:00

A few months ago I told my friend Penny that I was thinking of taking some SAGA Correspondence Courses to earn some Artisan points. She recommended I take the Beginning English Smocking course because she had heard it was wonderful. I taught myself to smock when Emily was 1 year old. I've continued to smock for 10 years now....but I'm always wondering if what I am doing is correct. I mean it looks ok...but am I missing any critical information? So I thought taking this correspondence course would be the perfect way to learn how to do things the right way.

The smocking course consists of 5 lessons....the first 3 will start and complete the above sampler. The final 2 lessons start and complete a bishop dress. I have loved the course so far. I have realized that I really do know how to smock...even though I kind of taught myself along the way. But I will tell you the course has some wonderful little tips and tidbits that I have found to be very helpful and well worth the cost of the course. The literature that comes with this course is the best smocking information I have ever seen!!! Plus I can work on the course in the privacy of my home (with 4 little ones) and on my own time schedule (like at 1 am). However, I should mention that you have to finish the course in one year from the time you receive it.

I have finished the above sampler except for some backsmocking. When I finish that I will send it and my bishop fabric back to the instructor and she will critique my sampler as well as send me the bishop directions and smocking plate to use. I find the whole process fascinating and liberating!!!

These courses are just another reason why it is great to be a SAGA member!!! If you are interested in becoming a SAGA member you can go here. If you already are a SAGA member and would like to check out the Correspondence Course offerings, you can go here. And remember these courses count towards your Artisan Program too.

2010-09-25T18:02:00.009-05:00

(A-Line Dress I made last month-my own pattern)

Sluggish....that's how I've felt this week. You know how when you have so much to do that it consumes your every thought...and then when you finally complete it all you are just worn out? That's how I have felt this past week. Lots of things on my plate and all at the same time. And I've mentioned before that I try hard to not let misc. things impact my time schooling and being with my little ones. So you know what that means, don't you? That means that I stay up WAY too late after they are safely tucked into bed. It is then that I finally try to get a few things done each and every night. But guess what? The kids still get up at 7ish in the morning no matter what time I go to sleep the night before. Tired...yes, that is what I am.

But this week has been fun. I had Smocking Guild earlier this week...that was great. Plus I still need to show you a peek at what Emily has made and what she is currently working on. It is going to knock your socks off. This little girl is amazing!!! Plus the kids and I also went to some local children's museums. It's always fun to act like a tourist in your own town. I'm always cooking...but the past few weeks I've REALLY been cooking. I've re-introduced meat into my life for the added protein benefit. So I've been making lots of chicken and homemade broth and other stuff. Oh, and I even decided to try my hand at sourdough. I made a starter last week and coddled it for awhile. Then one morning this past week I used it to make some sourdough pancakes....my oh, my were they yummy!!! The kids and Wayne were gobbling them up like crazy!!!! Perfect with some maple syrup to get your day started!! I've also been working on a few pattern edits for some friends of mine. I know it's hard to believe...but I enjoy technical writing and am glad to be able to help out friends.

Oh, and I almost forgot....we spent all yesterday afternoon in the ER with sweet Ethan. He went from fine to screaming, holding his belly, and sweating in the matter of about 5 minutes while heading into town yesterday. Of course, it was during lunchtime so our pediatrician was unable to be reached. I did the next best thing and drove us straight to the ER. Nothing major was the verdict 4 hours later. He is fine and back to normal today. Praise God!!! (And I promise you...it had nothing to do with my cooking!! :o)

I think that sums up our week. I have a few things I want to finish up sewing-wise and then I have a few more things that I want to start. Why is it so much fun to start things...and not always so much fun to finish them? That is the question!

Later friends!!!

New Fabric......

2010-09-21T18:36:00.007-05:00

I am so ready for some fun sewing!! I was in my local heirloom shop on Saturday and they were having a sale on some summer fabrics. I picked up both of these for practically nothing!!! And they are plaid and gingham...my favorites!!! People used to ask me what my favorite color was and I would reply "anything plaid." I still feel the same way, but have also added gingham to my answer. In my world everything looks better with plaid or gingham added!!!

This week Emily has asked me to draft out a new skort for her, plus I am hoping to draft out a new shirt for Elisabeth. I don't think I'll be using either of these fabrics.....yet. But maybe soon!!!

We had our Smocking Guild meeting last night....I can't wait to show you what Emily had to share. I need to take pictures and then I'll be back to show you.

Do You Ever Wonder......

2010-09-14T22:18:00.005-05:00

Do you ever find yourself wondering what goes on at my house? Well let this picture answer some questions for you! My three older kids love to play with and entertain Ean. They found these goggles from a science kit and their entire week was spent trying to get Ean to keep them on. It's good that he appears to have a great sense of humor!!! He actually likes them now!!

And in case you are wondering if I am still sewing? Yes, I am, but it's the "behind the scenes" type of sewing. The last few weeks I've been working non-stop on samples of my patterns. I also have a couple other projects I've been working on....as well as just enjoying these little ones God has blessed me with. I am hoping to get back into some fun sewing very soon. And when I do...you'll be the first to know!!!

Our Sunday.....

2010-09-13T22:42:00.006-05:00

We took a little drive yesterday to the Creative Needle-Work Market in Birmingham, AL. This is a wholesale market geared towards heirloom sewing. Besides the fact we had four children in the car for several hours....we had a wonderful time. And it's always fun when we get to see good friends!!! Our sweet friend Samantha, and her husband Ben were there and it was a treat to spend a little bit of time chatting with them. My little ones stood in line waiting to hug Samantha! I love this cute picture of her and Ethan!!!

Armchair Pin Cushion.....

2010-09-10T00:54:00.003-05:00

A few weeks back I mentioned that I had participated in an on-line pin cushion swap with a group of homeschooling moms. My new friend has received her gift so I thought I would show you what I sent her. She had mentioned that she liked the colors pink and green. So I had a very nice excuse to visit my favorite quilt shop to look through all their glorious fabrics. The fabrics you see above were my final choices and I like them.

The next challenge was to decide on a pattern. I wasn't sure what type of pin cushion would be beneficial for her.....but I thought one to hang over an armchair would be pretty unique and hopefully useful. I could not find a pattern I liked so I worked this one up and I really like how it turned out. You can't really see it in this picture but I quilted the base piece and then attached pockets on both sides. And the pin cushion is, of course, in the center. I like this one so well that I am hoping to make myself one soon. What do you think? Do you ever stitch while sitting in an armchair?

The Week in Review......

2010-09-04T18:07:00.008-05:00

Wayne was gone all week this past week...from Sunday morning until Friday evening. It was for work and I am not complaining. But it does make for an exhausted momma towards the end of the week. That is where the strange sprinkler seen above comes into play. One day the kids and I ran up to the drugstore and they had all their summer items on sale. This little gem was about $5 and let me tell you.....it might be silly looking but the kids love it!!! Quick and easy fun....just add water!!! I could not believe I snapped this picture of Emily in mid-air. I tried several mores times after this one.....but never got another. It was pure luck...no skill involved!!

Elisabeth lost another tooth while her daddy was away. She can't stand to have a loose tooth. She will work at it unmercifully until it gives up and comes out.

Ethan feel in love with this pair of glasses while we were picking out glasses for Emily. Yes, Emily has her first pair of glasses now (Ethan doesn't...he was just playing!). Both Wayne and I wear glasses/contacts so I figure they will all wear glasses before too long. Apparently Ethan is thrilled about the prospect. We have an awesome eye doctor too and he only lives two streets over from us!!

For the past week Ean worked on growing more hair. But he is so stinking cute!!! He is just on the edge of walking too. All of our little ones have been late walkers....so I figure in the next month or so....he will be on the run.

As for me, I had several big projects I was finishing up this week. And honestly, by the time I got the kids in bed each night it was all I could do to go around and double check door locks and turn all the ceiling fans off. I was so tired. But it was that good tired. As a result though, I am a little behind in emails. So if I owe you an email....just know I am catching up now that Wayne is back home and I will be getting back with you soon!!! I still have lots of pictures to share and I'm still sewing up a storm when I get a free minute. There just haven't been many free minutes this past week.

Meet Kissy......

2010-09-01T21:01:00.008-05:00

I mentioned a few days back that the girls, Ean and I recently went to a Doll Show. We have been the past two years and each time there was this sweet little girl looking at me, begging me to bring her home. I kept resisting the urge, not because she was expensive, I just did not know what I would do with her. This year I warned Wayne that if she was still there she was coming home with me. And can you believe she was still there? At first I convinced myself that there must be something wrong with her. But fortunately we ran into Penny, my friend and doll show expert!!! She looked this sweet girl all over for me and told me she thought she was a great deal!!!

So meet Kissy! (That is really her name). I read a little about her on the net and it seems she was made by Ideal between the years of 1961 and 1964. I was always a doll lover, but I never remember seeing her before. She is still wearing her original outfit (not the shoes) and it is in good condition except the elastic has lost its stretch. The girls are begging me to make her some new clothes, and I am sure I will when I get past the projects I am currently working on. Isn't she just adorable? And to make her even cuter....when you "clap" her hands together she puckers her lips...hence the name "Kissy."

And in case you are wondering....Emily purchased a huge bag of doll clothes for $5 and Elisabeth picked out a large Raggedy Ann for $5. We are already looking forward to next year!

Have You Seen......

2010-08-30T15:29:00.007-05:00

Have you seen the latest issue of Sew Beautiful? My sweet friend Khristal did an article on pinch pleats. For one of the outfits she used my Pleated Skort pattern for the skort and my friend Samantha's Madeline pattern for the shirt. I love the way she made box pleats and then pinched them together and secured them with precious flower buttons. Cute!!! I really like the colors she used too. She has such an eye for colors and details!!! Thanks again Khristal...You do great work!!!

The kids and I were in Publix earlier today and I saw the new Sew Beautiful on the magazine shelf. I wanted to grab it and run through the store showing everyone that my name was in it. But I restrained myself.....and tried to act like an adult. But it was hard!!!

Bias Strips.....

2010-08-27T17:28:00.006-05:00

I have a pet peeve....I can hardly stand to cut bias strips. I have the rotary cutter, ruler and mat....but I have to keep them stored and the thought of dragging them out every time I need them doesn't appeal to me. Instead I usually lay the fabric out and using a ruler and a blue water-soluble marker outline the size strip I need and then cut with scissors. But...if I get a wild hair and pull out the rotary cutter, ruler and mat...then I cut a bunch of bias strips just to have when I need them. I do this a lot with ginghams because I am always using them for piping, bindings, and facings. So today when I was working on a sweet little dress and needed a couple of bias strips for some piping, all I had to do was glance into my jar and see if I had any pre-cut. And I did. And that sure brought a quick smile to my face. I'll be stitching some piping now if you need me!!!

Gathered Skort....

2010-08-25T17:25:00.004-05:00

Ever since I made my first pleated skort I have had an idea in the back of my mind. I finally took the time to test out my theory last week and it does work and I think it looks great. I took my Pleated Skort pattern and instead of making the pleats I simply gathered the front and back. The rest of the skort is made exactly according to the directions. And I forgot to take pictures, but I am sure you won't be surprised to know there are gingham shorts underneath. I would like to find an appropriate trim to put along the hemline...but so far I haven't found anything that matches and looks good. I did put a turn-cord bow on it though....and I like it. So there you go...another skort version using the Pleated Skort pattern.

Ethan "Hand Sews".......

2010-08-24T16:18:00.008-05:00

Ethan (my four year old) doesn't like to be left out of anything. And he hears me talking about sewing and hand sewing quite often. So this morning he came to me with a handful of felt scraps and yarn. He told me he was ready to "hand sew" and that all he needed was a needle. I promptly found him a needle that would accommodate the yarn, yet still work with the felt and he was as content as could be.

His sister, Emily, has been knitting leg warmers for herself for ballet this Fall and he must have tuned in on that because when he finished he told me he had made "leg covers" for Ean.

Free-Motion Quilting Fun.......

2010-08-23T21:21:00.005-05:00

The other day I forgot to mention that I also signed up on-line for a pin cushion swap with a group of homeschooling moms. So today I got busy working on a bright and fun pin cushion. I had an idea for one...but could not find a pattern so I drew one out. That is so much easier and faster than drafting kid's clothes! I also thought it would be a great opportunity to practice my free-motion quilting. I only do this type of quilting every few years so I never really take the time to get good at it. But I am ok with that! I will show pictures of the finished pin cushion after the swap is completed. But I do like it so much I am going to make myself one.

My Letter to You......

2010-08-21T20:26:00.009-05:00

(Ean ~ August 2010)

Hi Friends.....I feel so out of touch lately. Like I've been on vacation, even thought I haven't, and I need to catch up with each and every one of you. It's been so crazy around here the past few weeks...nothing major...just busy kind of stuff. To remedy this I thought I'd purge all that is in my brain and thereby update you on all of our latest happenings....on your end just pretend this is a nice hand-written letter from me to you.

Thanks so much for all the kind words, emails and phone calls Emily and I received this past week concerning her being mentioned by Martha Pullen in her newsletter. Emily has been so tickled with the whole thing. And I am so proud...as a mom should be!!!

We had our Smocking Guild meeting this past week. I'd been worried about this particular meeting for awhile now because Wayne was scheduled to be out of town. This would be the first meeting I would take all four children with me. Our ladies are so wonderful that I knew they wouldn't mind...but I was also the one presenting the program this month so I knew I would be somewhat distracted by keeping my eye on all of them. Plus Ean has reached that age where he wants to be on the floor crawling and pulling up at all times. I always say with each child God gives me another hefty dose of creativity because I sure had some great ideas I was going to implement.

That morning Wayne had his suitcase packed and he was about to walk out the door and head to the airport when he received an email telling him something had come up and he did not need to travel. Isn't that awesome? So not only did he NOT have to travel and be gone for three nights and four days.....he would also be home to help me with the kids during Smocking Guild. It just worked out fantastic. And of course, Guild was wonderful. I think we had our best Show and Tell to date. Everything was incredible!!!

Oh, the one thing at Guild that wasn't incredible was when I borrowed someone else's scissors to trim a thread and sliced a hole in my left pointer finger. Yeah, that really wasn't great at all. And it still isn't completely healed. And it is really hard to sew by hand when you have a large band aid on your finger. But it is getting better.

This week I've been testing a pattern for a friend. It is cute and I can't wait to share it.

I've also been drafting and sewing a new potential pattern for a sweet little dress. Pictures to share soon....meaning the dress has been finished for awhile I just haven't taken the time to snap some photos.

Oh, I have had another idea for my Pleated Skort pattern for months now and finally worked it up this week.....CUTE!!! I hope to share pictures soon....see above for reason why I don't have pictures yet. I'm also stitching up some cute samples for various upcoming markets.

Wayne bought the kids an inexpensive mini rc helicopter this week. They have had so much fun with that thing. I'm not sure who enjoys it more....the kids or Wayne!

Today Ean, the girls and I went to a Doll Show. This is the third year we have gone and the first year I actually purchased something. I can't wait to show you all.

Also today I stopped by a roadside stand and purchased some beautiful farm fresh tomatoes, peaches and an enormous watermelon. For dinner we had yummy sandwiches with the tomatoes, rocking potato salad I made, and watermelon. It was delicious. This is the largest watermelon I have ever cut into....and boy did it make a huge mess I had to clean up afterwards. I know there has to be an easier way.....but that's alright...it was worth it. The girls and I decided we will definitely have a garden next year. We've skipped the last two years....but we are ready to start planning for next year....maybe even a cool weather garden this Fall.

Alright...I think you are up to date now. Both of my girls have sore throats tonight.....so I propped them up with a Colonial Williamsburg movie. Rumor has it we may be heading that way next month...we'll see!!

xoxo,

Cindy

My Sweet Emily......

2010-08-16T23:04:00.006-05:00

A sweet little girl that lives in my house was featured in Martha Pullen's weekly newsletter today!!! The ladies tonight at Smocking Guild knew before I did and they were teasing me like crazy. Then one of them (Thanks Ann!) pulled out her iPhone and pulled it up so I could see it. Emily was grinning from ear to ear when I showed it to her after we arrived home.

When we bumped into Martha last month she was amazed when she asked Emily if she could sew. After further talking she asked if I would send her some additional information about Emily so it may encourage other moms to teach their children these almost lost arts. What a surprise to see she really did put the information in her newsletter. These truly are fun times!!!! What an exciting day for a sweet little girl!!!

Ean's White Undershirt......

2010-08-15T19:18:00.009-05:00

I have always said that people who sew are the nicest people out there. I have met some wonderful people on-line over the past several years. And many of these people I truly consider friends. One of these friends is Erin. She is the creator of Children's Fashion Workshop and has amazing ideas for children's clothes. Not only can she sew gorgeous clothes for her four little ones (and another on the way)...but she can also draft any pattern she desires. She is incredible!!! This sweet infant bodysuit that Ean is wearing is her latest pattern. I was lucky enough to pattern test it for her and I love it.

This pattern utilizes knit fabric and since I had not sewn on knits since I made a bathing suit in high school....I was a little concerned. But with Erin's directions it was truly easy and fun! Yes, fun! I never thought I would say that about sewing knits.

I made Ean the 18 month size so he would have some room for growth. I love a baby in a white undershirt. This is also the shirt he had on underneath his fishy bubble I made him a few weeks back. It fits great and I will definitely be making more. I think this coupled with a pair of bloomers, or shorts would be a fantastic baby gift.

The Old Fashioned Baby Daygown Sew-A-Long.....

2010-08-12T16:54:00.011-05:00

When Jeannie B. of the Old Fashioned Baby announced she was going to have a Daygown Sew-A-Long....and that she was encouraging people to hand sew the gown.....I knew I would have to participate. You see I can rarely pass up an opportunity to challenge myself in the sewing area. And generally speaking, I love handwork.....so I was ready when she began the lessons. She releases a new lesson every Friday morning and I believe she said there will be a total of 7 lessons. We have completed 2 lessons thus far and I know you won't believe it when I tell you I actually stitched the buttonholes by hand. By hand people! I had always wanted to try to do this...but never quite had the proper opportunity....until now.

I am the first to tell you my buttonholes did not turn out fantastic....but that doesn't worry or bother me. The deal is that I tried it....liked it....and will definitely do it again. There is something so relaxing and therapeutic about handwork and I have found hand stitched buttonholes are no exception.

If you would like to join in the Sew-A-Long with Jeannie B. at the Old Fashioned Baby I am sure she would be fine with that. And if you want to stitch the daygown by machine rather than hand, she is good with that too. But I must say I vote for the hand stitching and it is fun!!!

FAQ'S......

2010-08-11T15:08:00.004-05:00

(Elisabeth learning how to do a whip stitch earlier today)

(She is stitching a soft and fuzzy teddy bear)

I love getting the emails (as well as the comments) you all send me. I am telling you it truly makes my day!!! Plus it helps to know I am not always talking to myself. I have noticed that a lot of people are curious how I have taught my little ones to sew, embroider, quilt, etc. So I am thinking about pulling together a FAQ page. On this page I will answer these questions, as well as other questions I receive. In the meantime, if you have any other inquiries for me...just let me know and I will add them to the list. This is going to be fun!

Isn't it funny how when I have lots of sewing I should be doing I find other things to do on the computer instead, and visa versa? Very similar to when I was working on my master's thesis....I had the cleanest house in the neighborhood!!! I call it "thesis avoidance techniques".....or let's work on anything other than what I should be doing! Some days are just like that!

Ean's Bubble.....

2010-08-05T20:09:00.003-05:00

Here is the sweet bubble that I made for Ean. It is as cute from the back as it is from the front.

And there is something about babies that is just cute all the time.

No matter what they are doing.

And look at all of his curly hair. Definitely too cute for words!!!

He tried to comb his hair....but it did not work too well.

Here is a close-up of the front. I further defined the fish on the front bodice by outline stitching them. And if you look real close you will see I added clusters of bubbles here and there. Cute....Cute...Cute!!!

Next time I'll tell you about the white shirt he is wearing underneath.

P.S., I know I used the word "cute" way too many times....but really, I had to!!!

Wee Care Sleeve Changes.....

2010-08-03T17:14:00.008-05:00

I mentioned before that I like to tinker with the Wee Care gown patterns from time to time.

So I thought I would mention it again for anyone that may be interested. In the photo above you will see the finished version of my most recent "altering." It has to do with the sleeves. One day I was wondering what these sweet little gowns would look like with a more "angel sleeve" look.

So I took the sleeve pattern and curved the bottom edge slightly as you can see in the above picture. The white paper is the original sleeve pattern and the yellow paper is the revised sleeve pattern.

In this picture I put the new sleeve (yellow paper) on top of the old sleeve pattern (white paper). Can you see the difference? It is a very small change. The gown is assembled the exact same way as before....just using the new sleeve pattern.

I think it looks more like an angel sleeve. And I like it enough that I think I am going to make the gowns like this every time now.

Stitching the Afternoon Away.....

2010-07-28T15:12:00.006-05:00

The three older kids are playing and Ean is taking a nap....so I decided it is time for some mindless stitching. Last night I un-earthed this sweet bubble that I designed for Ean a few months back. I decided that if I do not finish it soon....it will probably not fit him next summer. I loved the fabric when I bought it a few years back....but now....I am not so sure. I'm adding some extra embroidery to see if I like it any better. I'll let you know what I think as time goes on. But until then I am going to continue stitching this afternoon....and I know I will enjoy it!