A Finished Preemie Gown...

Yesterday I cut out six preemie gowns to start working on. This one went together so fast and turned out so sweet I couldn’t wait to share it with you!!! 

This precious little pattern from 7 Pine Design is a sweet A-line gown with no pleats or smocking, but it is fully lined and goes together quickly. It is available for free here. And I embroidered this little boat on it using 1 strand of light blue floss and a simple back stitch. 

The rest of the gowns I cut out will be pleated and smocked. I’m considering putting together a video tutorial at some point to show how I make them. If I do, I will let you know and share the link. 

What are you stitching these days? Do you feel better when you have a needle in your hand? I sure do!!! 

Happy Stitching!!!

Cindy

Embroidery - 31 Days of Creating...

 

I finished my last embroidery project a few weeks ago, so today I decided to begin a new one. I really enjoy embroidery because it’s relaxing, and it reminds me of my grandmother. She would create beautiful floral designs on the hemmed edges of pillowcases. One day I’m going to do that too.

Do you like to do embroidery?

xoxo!

My October Challenge...

 

October is my favorite month of the year! I love the light chill in the air, the way the sunlight shines differently, and of course, watching the trees change colors.  As the temperatures cool it makes me want to spend more time on my crafty pursuits.  So I have decided to challenge myself to spend at least 15 minutes every day of this month working on something crafty.  That may be in the form of sewing, crocheting, embroidery, knitting, basket weaving, card making, etc. (I can't even think right now of all my favorite things to do.)  I do know that I feel better overall when I spend time creating everyday.  I think God made us to create things and when we do that we feel good.  I know I feel much more grounded when I am using my hands to create beautiful things.  

So today I worked on this embroidery I've been stitching on here and there for a month or so now.  It's another Mac-A-Doodles pattern.  I love these because I am able to purchase a finished frame for it when I'm finished stitching it.  And they have a really clever and quick way to frame your work.  I love it!!! I have three of their patterns worked and framed on my walls already - this will be the fourth!!!  

I hope you take some time to sit, stitch, and relax for a few minutes today too!!!

xoxo!

Embroidery Projects.....

"trust in the Lord..."

Several years ago while visiting Pigeon Forge, TN (in the Smoky Mountains) I found a super fun and friendly pattern shop called The Pattern Hutch.  I fell in love with a lot of the patterns they carry.  One of the pattern companies was Mac-A-Doodles.  I have come to LOVE their embroidery patterns!!!  I love the sayings, the style, the simple stitches used, etc.  I love it all!!!  I am just finishing up my third embroidery design of theirs.  After you complete the embroidery you can purchase a nice wooden frame from them to fit your work perfectly.  I really like that!  And I need to order one since this piece is now finished.

"faith, hope, charity....but the greatest of these is charity"

I made this one a few years ago.  It currently hangs on our wall.   I purchased the frame and I really feel like it completes the embroidery.  I enjoy having positive words and scripture on my walls.  It helps to keep my mind meditating on hopeful and joyful thoughts throughout each day.

"...and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  Matthew 22:37"

This design hangs over our kitchen table and I enjoy looking at it every time we eat our meals!   I ordered this frame from the Mac-A-Doodles company as well.  I really like how easy it is to stitch these up and then pop them into the finished frame.  I don't have to worry about trying to find a perfect frame that fits.  I stitched all of these on muslin fabric backed with cotton quilt batting.  I put them in a simple embroidery hoop to stitch and then when finished it is super easy to frame them.  

I hope you all take some time to stitch and enjoy the simple things in life!!!  

xoxo,

Cindy

Easter Sewing Round-Up....

Oh Friends!!!  It is almost Easter!!!  And we know that Easter is an extra special time for people who enjoy sewing!!! :)  I have stitched a bunch of precious little Easter outfits over the years.  I thought I would show a few here and add a few links if you want to dig a bit deeper on this blog.

First though, Easter is late this year!  Do you know why?  Do you know how it's determined when Easter is every year?  I didn't know until about 15 years ago when I actually looked it up.  Easter is the first Sunday, after the first Full Moon, after the Spring Equinox.  Pretty cool!!!

Ok....so above is one of my absolute favorite little boy Easter outfits!!!  This was made with a Creations by Michie pattern #102.  Here is the link to the blog post about it.

And here is a close-up of the adorable little chick made with the mother of pearl buttons.  So cute!!!

This was a super fun dress to make.  And I really liked working with the rick rack to create the flower.  You can read all about it here and here.  And you can read the tutorial about creating the tucked hem here.  I love this technique!!!

This precious dress was not created for Easter but it would be perfect!!!  Here's the link for more information and more pictures.  This dress was fun to make because I pleated the collar fabric together with the dress fabric and left off the sleeves.  So fun!!!

Here's a sweet little bubble that stitches up super quick!  I made this as a baby gift for a family at our church at the time.  Here's the link.  This bubble is fully lined and stitches up fast!  And it could easily be made for a precious little boy or girl depending upon the colors you use.

Here's another adorable little boy outfit.  Little boys can be hard to sew for...but they don't have to be.  :)  I loved sewing for my two boys over the years!!!  You can read more about this outfit  here and here. 

Oh my heart!!!  Another one of my favorites!!  I have so many favorites!!!  :)  I loved this dress as it was great for a little girl who did not want a bishop dress that year.  It was so classic and beautiful!!! It was made from a Maja's Heirloom pattern called Larkin.  You can read about it here and see more pictures.

I have plenty more on the blog and I'll dig through some more if I can over the next week or so.  But I'll leave you with this dress for now because it is such a quick and fun sew.  This is made from the Children's Corner Lillian pattern.  I cannot tell you how many of these dresses I have made over the years.  I love this pattern!!!  It is fully lined and stitches up fast.  Plus it is really a blank slate and you can do SO much with it!!!  I love it!!  This one has some rick rack around it and a rick rack flower in the center.  You can read more about it here and here.  

I hope you enjoy this flashback of some of the Easter outfits I've stitched over the years.  There are plenty more.  I will try to highlight some more soon.  Until then......Happy Stitching Friends!!!

xoxo,

Cindy

Hand-Stitched and Hand-Embroidered Handkerchiefs...

Not too long ago I decided to make a few handkerchiefs as a special gift.   I thought I could purchase some nice ones and then add some hand embroidery on them.  I had the hardest time finding any that I liked the feel of the fabric.  So I ended up making handkerchiefs.....and then I stitched on them.  The handkerchiefs were 7" x 7" finished and I used some nice batiste fabric that I already had.   I was very pleased with how they turned out.  

I flipped through various embroidery books that I have to find small design options.  And of course, I could have reduced larger images to make them the right size, too.

And I used my favorite floss colors again.  Sometimes I wonder if I use them so often just because they are easily available - meaning that I use them the most often so they are the easiest to find when I go looking for floss.  Speaking of which,  I am still using my fabulous and fun sewing pouch that I made many years ago!!!  I still love this bag!!  I usually keep a preemie gown in it that I'm working on, so if I am heading out the door I can grab the sewing pouch and have a project to work on if I have to wait while I am out.

I love how these handkerchiefs turned out.  I need to make a few for myself.  I love the idea of a cloth handkerchief.  The kids and I have embroidered many handkerchiefs over the years for their Dad.  They are a super simple project and a lot of fun!!!  I hope you will consider stitching one for a special friend and/or yourself!  

Happy Stitching!!!

P.S., I just remembered that I made another handkerchief years ago that I stitched into a cute little bonnet.  So I guess this wasn't the first time I stitched a handkerchief from scratch.  And for this one I put precious lace around the edges.  

How to Make a Gift Card Ornament......

I had a gift card that I needed to somehow package for a friend.  I pondered putting the gift card in with their Christmas card but ultimately I decided to stitch a quick gift card holder.  I put the gift card down on a piece of blue felt and traced around the card leaving about a quarter of an inch on the two long sides and one short side.  I then cut a second piece the same dimensions but about a quarter of an inch shorter.  My two pieces were 3 1/2" x 2 3/4" and 3 1/4" x 2 3/4" and should work for any standard-sized gift cards.

Before I stitched the two pieces together, I took the slightly smaller piece and hand stitched a triangular piece of green felt onto it.  I used green embroidery floss to stitch the tree using a quick running stitch.  Then I used red and white floss to create the ornaments making simple french knots.  I used brown floss to make the trunk using bullions.  And likewise, using yellow floss, I created a five-pointed star on the top using bullions.  Next I put the two blue felt pieces together, matching up three sides, and using blue floss ran a quick running stitch around those three sides.  And finally, I stitched on a looped white ribbon so the card and holder could be hung on the tree.  I'm just thinking that even if you don't have a gift card to package you could put cash in the holder too.

I've made several of these over the years but I think this one worked up the fastest and I liked it the most. Stitching for family and friends is so fun this time of year!! I hope you consider stitching one this Christmas!  And if you do, I would love to see it!!!

Happy Stitching, Friends!!!

xoxo!
Cindy

A Sweet Little Pillow...

I found this embroidery pattern from the Clementine Pattern Co that I really wanted to stitch.  I like all of their patterns but I thought I would start with this simple one.  I stitched the letters in a pretty coral colored floss using a backstitch on a piece of cotton fabric and quilt batting.  I often put batting behind my embroidery projects because I really like the finished product it yields.  I feel like the batting gives it more body than just stitching on a single layer of fabric.  

After I finished stitching I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it, but I knew I really liked it and therefore I wanted to enjoy it daily.  Finally, I decided to turn it into a pillow.  

I had a Moda jelly roll of some gorgeous fabrics that worked perfectly with the floss color I chose.  I added the strips to the sides in a log cabin style and embellished it with a little more stitching around the perimeter.  The back of the pillow is another coordinating Moda print.  I filled it with stuffing and gave it a place of honor on my bed. Now I get to see it everyday and it never fails to make me smile!!! I love it!!!

Have you made something lately that makes you smile?

Happy Stitching!!!

xoxo

Baby Girls and Pink Dresses....

There is something about newborn baby girls and precious pink dresses.  Call me old-fashioned!!!  So when a young friend of mine was pregnant with her first baby girl I knew I had to make her a few dresses.

This precious daygown is from an Old Fashioned Baby pattern called Priscilla's Layette.  I used white cotton batiste for the dress and pink and white gingham for the bias binding around the neck and sleeve edges.  I stitched dainty bullion rosebuds down the button placket using my favorite colors of floss.  I also stitched up a diaper cover from a pattern by Ellie Mae Designs using the same gingham, and lined them with the white batiste. I have a hard time giving a dress without a coordinating diaper cover.  Maybe that's because I have two girls and I always liked their dresses to have matching diaper covers.  

I also really wanted to start this sweet baby out with a bishop dress.  Since bishops have raglan sleeves they really grow with the baby, transitioning across several seasons.  When they get too small to be worn as a dress they generally still fit across the shoulders and neck and can then be paired with leggings, pants, or shorts.  I also made a matching diaper cover for this dress.  I used my favorite bishop pattern which is the Bishop Trio from Creative Keepsakes.  I've been making this pattern for almost twenty years now and I still love it!!! The smocking plate is Cary Anne from Ellen McCarn.  I actually have very few smocking plates because I love this one SO much I use it all the time.

Have you had the pleasure of stitching for a fresh baby lately???

Keep stitching friends!!

xoxo!!!

My Favorite Wee Care Gowns.....

I have no idea how many Wee Care gowns I have stitched and smocked over the years.  And I rarely follow smocking patterns when making them.  Generally I smock them like the one above.  I like the look of white floss on white fabric, which I think is timeless.  For the girls I add a simple bullion rosebud using two shades of pink and simple green leaves.  For the boys I make a classy blue bullion bow.  So sweet!!!

A Beautiful Bookmark.....

My Emily was very kind and generous in her gift giving this past Christmas.  Not to mention that she made all of the gifts that she gave.  She was a busy girl!

She made me two of these beautiful and delicate-looking hand crocheted bookmarks!  I love them!  I think I will put one in each of my two favorite Bibles.  She got the pattern from here, if anyone is interested in making a few for gifts this year.  They would make wonderful gifts for anyone on your gift list though out the year!!!

We are hibernating inside awaiting bitter cold weather the next few days.  Brrr!!!  I'm thinking about what projects I'm going to work on if the opportunity presents itself.  Probably my next quilt assuming we have power as I am still piecing it.  And if we are without power I am thinking I could work on my next hand embroidery project.  It's always good to have a few projects ready for any given situation. That's my philosophy anyway!

Keep Stitching and Stay Warm!!!!  xoxo!!!

A Fabulous Find......

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.

Imagine my surprise when I did a search on-line today and found this image of the front cover....copyright 1902!!!! Wow!!!!

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.

A Finished Day Gown.......

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.....

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!

Easter Frocks, Part 1....

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!

This Little Bunny.....

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!!!!

More Smocking......

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.

Week in Review....

(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!

Stitching the Afternoon Away.....

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!

Baby Day Gown Finished.....

This past week I delivered this sweet little day gown to a co-worker of Wayne's. She has a precious 4 week old grand daughter and I designed this day gown with this new baby in mind. The fabric is 100% cotton Japanese Lawn and it feels so soft and smooth. After I drafted the pattern I incorporated all my favorite elements: pintucks, embroidery, and crocheted lace.

I also thought the back could use some interest and color, so I added bullion rosebuds to the three buttons.

I crocheted an edging on the sleeves.

And I made a very basic diaper cover to go with the day gown. I did keep the pattern I drafted to make this day gown, and I also wrote down specifics so I can re-create it if the urge hits. I know I always say this...but I really think this may be my favorite baby item I've made yet.