Free Directions for Smocked Christmas Ornament...

I hope you are enjoying the sights and sounds of this Christmas season!!! My favorite is hearing all four of my children playing Christmas songs on the piano!!!

This week I am working on my Christmas shopping and addressing Christmas cards to share with friends and family.  I also still have four pairs of pj pants to make for my little ones.  That has been a tradition of ours for many years.  I should do a round-up of past Christmas pjs that are here on the blog. (I have years and years of content on this blog concerning all types of sewing, tips, tricks, techniques, etc.  There's a search bar on the right side that you can use to search the entire blog.)

Anyway, although I don't have many gifts wrapped and under the tree yet....I do have this sweet smocked ornament on the tree.  I made this ornament many years ago and I still love it.  

I have basic directions for making the ornament that I shared with my local smocking guild years ago, and I'm happy to share it with you too.  Just drop me an email and I will send it to you.  I do not have the pattern for the cute little tree though.  It was in the Sew Beautiful Holiday 1988 issue.  However,  I tried to get a close-up picture so you can probably re-create it easily if you'd like.

Happy Stitching!

xoxo,

Cindy

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!!!

Wee Care Delivery......

Long time, no write!!!  I actually have been stitching a bit here and there - Just not taking the time to post, I guess. Our local SAGA Smocking Guild has been busy the past few months.  We were finishing up our Wee Care gowns for delivery. 

Our wonderful group of ladies really out did themselves this time around!!!  Just look at all these adorable gowns that are now ready and waiting at the local NICU to bless families going through potentially rough times!

I love seeing the creativity and individuality of the ladies.  All gowns were made from the same pattern but yet were all so very different.  Thank you to all our wonderful members that made this year's delivery a huge success!!!  Are you interested in making these precious gowns for your local community?  You can check out SAGA's website here and see if there is a local guild near you.  They would be thrilled to have you join in the fun!!!  And blessing others is always good!!!!

Springy Skort.....and A Weekend Getaway......

(The sun was bright in her eyes)

A few weeks back I mentioned that I was making Elisabeth a new A-Line Ruffled Skort. I picked up some Sis Boom fabrics that she really liked and I must say they were very pleasant to sew. I didn't think to take a picture of the shorts but they are made out of the coordinating yellow fabric that I also used to make the turn cord bow. So sweet and fresh looking. I love it! And Elisabeth loves it too!!!

And some of you may be wondering what I dressed my little ones in for Easter. Well, interesting story, but we ended up going out of town at the last minute. I did make a simple little dress for Elisabeth that I will show you soon. And Ean's little outfit was still sitting on my sewing table all cut out and not one stitch sewn when we left on Thursday morning. But I am going to finish it and show it to you soon.

The picture above was our view all weekend long. It was such a gorgeous weekend in the Smoky Mountains!!! Although it was a bit chilly....which was interesting on Friday morning when we realized our heater wasn't working. And I hadn't packed any cool-weather clothes for anyone either, including myself. But it was worth it....such a beautiful Easter weekend with my sweet family!!!

Over the next few days I have to finish two quilt blocks for the local quilt store block of the month club I'm in. Plus our local Smocking Guild meets this coming Monday night and I have to get the entire program pulled together (i.e., make the completed sample, make the demo sample, make handouts, send out reminder emails, etc). So it's going to be a busy next few days. Enjoy your weekend and try to fit some stitching in if you can!!!

Tatting.....

One of our smocking guild members was kind enough to offer a tatting demonstration at our last meeting. She is a brave soul. And a wonderful teacher. I do know how to tat...but the thought of teaching 10+ ladies to do so...all at the same time seems a bit daunting to me. :o) Anyway, we had a wonderful meeting!!! While she demonstrated the various techniques I continued to work on my little tatted edging. It only consists of rings and picots but that is plenty for me right now. The brave member also wrote out a pattern for me for the cute little butterfly. I came right home that night and made the butterfly you see in the above picture. I used a pink and white variegated thread so it is a bit hard to see. But I am thinking I'm going to make several of them and maybe stitch them onto something. Just not sure what yet. Do any of you tat? It seems to be a lost art these days!

I really am just about finished with the cute little bishop. And it's a good thing because I have another baby dress to make and I just remembered Easter is a bit early this year. I am thinking of making Ean a button-on shorts outfit this year. It may be the only year I can get away with it with his daddy! :o)

I hope you all are stitching your little hearts out!!! We have a Wee Care delivery this weekend and I'm doing a bit of Wee Care smocking here and there too. I'll post a picture of all the gowns after I get them ironed and ready.

Enjoy your day!!!!

Wee Care Workshop.......

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!

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.

Smocked Christmas Ornament.....

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!

Today.....

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....

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.....

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!!!!

Smocking Plates....

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....

(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!

I've Been Smocking.....

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.

Wee Care Delivery....

(A sampling of the 54 gowns the ladies in our local chapter made.)

Yesterday several ladies from our local SAGA chapter and I delivered Wee Care gowns to our local hospital's NICU and Labor and Delivery (L&D). I had the privilege of preparing and ironing all of the gowns the night before. I enjoyed seeing all the stitches made with love from the sweet ladies in our group for the precious babies and their families. As I ironed each and every gown I found myself praying for the baby and the family that would be blessed by this small gift.

In addition to meeting with some of the NICU and L&D nurses to deliver the gowns, we were also given a tour of the NICU facility. This was my second tour of the facility and I am always so struck by how tiny the babies really are.....and how incredible the nursing staff is with the babies. I feel so blessed to be able to make this tiny contribution. And it never fails to inspire me to get busy making more. This afternoon found me leaning over the kitchen table cutting out yet more....lovely little Wee Care gowns!!!

Floss Favorites.....

I have found that I can go into any store that sells DMC embroidery floss and within seconds I can find my favorite colors, without even looking at the numbers. I have used these same colors for several years. I use them for any heirloom embroidery, as well as Wee Care gowns. I thought I would share the color numbers with you just in case you are ever looking for colors that work well together. For my bullion rosebuds I always use the darker pink for the centers and then the lighter pink for the outside.

White....Blanc

Dk. Pink.....#761

Lt. Pink.......#818

Lt. Green...#369

In other news...the sweet little baby day gown is finished. Now I am pondering either a matching bonnet or a diaper cover. I do not have much fabric left so that will be the deciding factor. I hope to deliver the gift later this week. I hope they like it as much as I do....I realize I am slightly biased though.

We had our monthly Smocking Guild meeting this week...and it was fantastic!! One of our members shared with us how to sew little girl jumpers in 20 minutes....start to finish!!! Plus she also showed us similar techniques for short john-johns and long johns-johns. It was a wonderful meeting!!! And it is always great to visit with the lovely ladies...one of the highlights of my month!

I had my crown "seated" today at the dentist. Nothing like being in a dental chair at 8 am. But they were fast and I was on my way back home by 8:45 am. Good thing because Wayne and I played tag team, and then he was off to the airport for a business trip. Later today I am hoping to work on finishing a few more Wee Care gowns for delivery this Saturday. Plus, I am planning on trying a new muffin recipe!!!

Stay cool in this hot summer heat and keep stitching!!!!

Homemade Spray Starch......

I have a confession to make.......I can be quite a rebel at times. I don't like being told that I have to do something a certain way. Take spray starch for example.....I love how spray starch makes everything crisp and clean looking. But I don't like how spray starch smells....and yes, I have tried several different kinds. I really don't like smells of any sort....except fresh babies....but that's an entirely different story!

So several years ago while ironing Wayne's shirts (and suffering from migraines because of the yucky smell), I decided I wasn't going to conform and use spray starch anymore. But I knew I had to use something. A hot iron alone can make cotton behave somewhat...but throw some spray starch in, and there you find the magic, minus the wrinkles!

The answer was as close as my kitchen. Here is my solution: In a measuring cup, mix 16 oz. of water with 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch. Then pour it into a spray bottle. Shake the bottle while you use it to keep the solution all mixed together. If I have a lot left over I have even been known to store it in the refrigerator until next time.

I use this for all of my ironing....any clothes that need ironing as well as any of my sewing projects where I would normally use purchased spray starch. I have been doing this for almost 10 years now and it works every bit as good. I'll never go back to purchased spray starch! And it is much cheaper! Wayne even likes it and uses it.

Now you know another one of my little secrets......will you still come back and visit with me???

Pleating Wee Care Gowns.....

Last Sunday evening found me pleating Wee Care gowns. Our Smocking Guild meeting was Monday so I wanted to have some gowns available for members that might want to take some to smock. I noticed after I pleated some 15 of them that the pattern that the pleating threads made reminded me of salt water taffy. I lived in the Gatlinburg, TN area while I attended UT graduate school. Some of the various candy shops made salt water taffy while you stood there....it almost makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Anyway, our local Hancock's had their quilting thread 50% off a few weeks back and I picked up 8 spools just for my pleater. I always try and stay away from bright thread colors because I don't want the colors to bleed on our precious gowns....but I did not realize I had such beautiful pastel colors until I got home and threaded the pleater. I hope our Smocking Guild ladies do not have a hard time with these light colors. But I love them!

We have been on tornado watch all day. Plus Elisabeth found herself at the doctor this morning. It appears she may have a case of strep throat. This has been the year of sickness for our family. We usually get sick 2 times a year...tops! But these past few months have been crazy!!! I'm praying no one else in our home gets this.

I hope you all are well. Try and grab a few minutes of stitching this weekend!!! It is great therapy!!!

Sweet Little Dolly....

...has a fun new outfit. Last night she accompanied me to my Smocking Guild meeting (actually Emily and Ean did too). I made her this breezy, tiered skirt to model while I demo'ed how to make tiered skirts. I think she looks ready for Spring!!!

And to top it off, Elisabeth asked me to make her a matching outfit.....music to my ears!!!! Now to see if I have enough scraps left to do so.