2007 October « Eclectvity

Christiana~

October 31, 2007 at 9:07 am | In Smocking | 3 Comments

I’m creating a sweet baby gown for my new grandbaby. Since her name is Euphemia Christiana, I decided that I’d name it after her.

The Ingredients:

Fabric: Swiss Flannel

Floss: Anchor 271

Pattern: I have no pattern but the dress will be similar to this

around the neck. However, I intend to have long sleeves and gown length.

I cut a 25″ piece of the Swiss flannel and then cut it again down the middle. I pleated both of these pieces. I pulled 8 pleats from the center of each. The center of the front will be ebroidered and I’ll put a placket in the back piece. This will allow me to have a completely smocked front and back bodice to this sweet little dress!

Here is a taste of the gown to come.

I can’t wait to show what happens next!

Stitchery!

October 31, 2007 at 5:33 am | In Step-by-step Lessons | 2 Comments

One of the Hearth Keeper daughters told her mom she wanted to learn to embroider. Mom asked the Hearth Keeper crafters where to start and I suggested a stitchery. Then, I decided to do a step-by-step stitchery lesson to help her get started.

Lesson One~

The Ingredients:

Cotton Batting: (I used Fairfield’s Traditional poly batt because I was out of what I really like)

Washable Marker: Dritz Blue Marking Pen

Muslin: I used 100% cotton from Wal-Mart but I love the look of the tea-dye they carry.

Embroidery Floss: DMC 3799 and a green I don’t have a number for… and I’ll find a red and yellow and name them later.

I wrote the quote, “Pray and let God worry.” by Martin Luther. I chose it because it’s a fun quote, short, and sweet. When you write your quote, don’t make your printing perfect. Try to make it a little sloppy but don’t let the letters be too narrow. Especially all rounded ones. It’s easier to work with if the letters are roundish and if you make them a bit sloppy, they add to the character of the piece. (And hide little stitching goofs!)

Then, I drew dashed lines all the way around the outside of the written part. A solid line is better but I can write a “straighter” line if I do a dashed one when I don’t have a ruler handy and in this chair, I didn’t. I recommend solid lines. I drew a few “lazy daisy” flowers on the bottom corner. A second lesson will show more flowers but this will give a sense of accomplishment while teaching four common and basic stitches.

The Running Stitch- For further instruction, click HERE

The Back Stitch- For further instruction, click HERE

The Lazy Daisy- For further instruction, click HERE

The French Knot- For further instruction click HERE

These are the stitches we’ll cover in this project.

Ok, once you have your fabric and your “quote” written on it, make sure you add your lines and flowers and then cut a piece of batting the same size as the back ground. I generally hold them together with several (say small safety pins but I was stuck in this chair so I improvised. I basted it together with sewing thread which works just as well.

Ok… I work with four strands of floss. For a little girl you can use two strands, doubled. It’s easier for them because they don’t have to worry about the “tail” slipping out of the eye of the needle. Knot well (this is appropriate for a batted back) and pull the needle to the front.

Now, what you’re goig to do is take several stitches (if her hands are strong enough, otherwise, just have her do one in and then up again stitch) What you’re trying to learn here is how to rock the needle between the layers (this is exactly what you do with quilting BTW) evenly. Let her stitches be uneven. It’s part of the charm of the piece, but have her work at trying to do make them even. This is one reason we don’t work with an embroidery hoop yet. This type of stitching works without a hoop and it’s easier to get a rhythm without it.

See how you can fit several small stitches on the needle? I work at trying to make each stitch just a little less than 1/4″ apart but more than 1/8″ on stitcheries.

Voila… see? Do this all around the outside of the stitchery.

When you finish, or run out of thread, take one more stitch, pull the thread to the back, and tie a knot near the fabric. Run the rest of the thread through the top of the batting and away from the knot and then trim. Little girls will often find it hard to get the knot near the back of the fabric so practice yourself until you get the hang of it and then show them.

This was the running stitch. Tune in Thursday for the “Backstitch”.

Down to the Bow…

October 28, 2007 at 10:17 pm | In Smocking | 3 Comments

Jenna’s dress is almost smocked. I have everything except for the actual bow and flowers smocked. I’ll try to finish that tonight. However, I thought I’d show an example of backsmocking and show how beautiful this is turning out!

And the back smocking…

The reason I smock on the back side of the fabric is because of this design. Look at the design plate again.

If you look carefully around the bow, you can see the pleater threads. Those threads aren’t staying. When I’m done smocking, I’ll pull those threads out. So, you need a pleat on almost every row and on every pleat or when you pull out the pleater threads, it’ll “cauliflower”. What this basically does is create a puffed mess that hides all the work you did on that bow! To have a lovely looking bow on a flat (but pleated) surface, you have to smock behind it so that each pleat is held in place by something permanent.

So… think of me today as I make that bow…

A Birthday Dress- Act Three

October 28, 2007 at 9:53 pm | In Smocking | Leave a Comment

Act One- Cut out the skirt.

Act Two- Serge the skirt pieces together.

Act Three- Stitch the gathering threads.

With the blessing of my new machine also came the ability to continue working on Andra’s dress! So, one of the first things I did was to put the gathering threads in Andra’s skirt ruffles. There are miles and miles of ruffles but it’s going to be gorgeous when I get them done.

Did you know that ruffles require upper body strength and that you will get a work out (that some of us need but shouldn’t have) just by pulling the little suckers. I pull a section and then put it away… for several hours. I expect to be able to move onto Act Four sometime this week. Lord willing.

Introducing…

October 27, 2007 at 10:36 pm | In Sewing | 5 Comments

CROW!

I’m eating it with relish. I’m a Bernina gal. I love the 1080, 1130, 1230, and 1240 machines so much that I once owned two. Then I got a conscience and gave one to my married daughter. I’d better be remembered in family annals for the sacrifice. Say hi to my long lost machine now being worked hard by my industrious daughter…

However my illness has kept me from sewing at the table. Since I can only smock so long, read so long, write so long… and since I want to say “so long” to this CHAIR… I have been attempting to sew anyway. It isn’t easy. Serging is a breeze. The machine is small and light enough to sit on my lap and I’ve managed to serge Andra’s skirt pieces and a few other things as I wait for doctors to discover what is wrong with my heart so I can resume a normal life. (Ok, so normal isn’t exactly my forte` but I would like it if I could walk to the car and back without being winded.)

We tried rigging my Bernina every way you can imagine. We discussed a new chair that would allow a table over it… we thought of everything. Except the obvious. I don’t have a back up machine anymore. (Thanks to that pesky eldest daughter of mine who is forgiven because she produced a mahvelous little Emma for me to snuggle) I need a back up machine. I was planning on purchasing another of the Bernina series that I like. (not the new Arista or whatever it’s called… BLECH)

While discussing the type of chair I would need I suddenly whacked myself on the forehead (not really) and exclaimed, “We need to see if they have a little Janome that isn’t too big over at the Quilted Quail.” So, this morning we drove over to my favorite little quilt store and found this little gem. (pun intended). It isn’t a “power machine”. It isn’t an exciting thing with lots of bells and whistles. But it is only 12 pounds and has everything I could need for a “chair machine”. I’m so excited! I finished my Poodle Set and will be putting gathering threads in Andra’s new Birthday Dress later this evening.

Meet my new friend. I think I’ll name her Sabrina (the “savior” in the poem by Milton)

We’re going to make beautiful stuff together my friend! (Keep tuned in for proof!)

Let’s Go to the Hop!

October 27, 2007 at 9:59 pm | In Sewing | 5 Comments
Tags: 50's, Bernina, Costume, McCall's Pattern, poodle skirt

I’ve sewn for one local woman for several years. Easter dresses and pinafores one year, fairy costumes another, and this year, I did “Poodle Sets” for her girls for Halloween. Now our family doesn’t participate in Halloween so I’ve missed out on the fun of making cool costumes for my kids. I know, I know, I could do them anyway at any time of the year just so they can have fun but I never have. I’ve done a few for eBay but not many.

Betty has a unique approach to Halloween and costumes that really impressed me. She chooses the costumes for the next year during this year. By the time Halloween arrives, her 2008 costumes will be decided. Not only that, but she stores each year’s costumes in closet for her grandchildren to play “dress up”. Years from now her grand daughters will have a wealth of costumes that their mommies wore back “in the day”. Talk about COOL.

So, for this year’s costume, we have….

The Ingredients:

Mc Call’s Pattern 8899-

Fabrics: She chose a hot pink linen, a white herringbone knit, and a black twill. The dog is felt with sequins and the “chain” is a rhinestone “braid”.

Now I’ve made both the black skirt (twill with knit top and red chiffon polka dotted scarf) and the hot pink but I made the black back in Febuary or some time around there for a dance thing and she just saved it.

This time it was a bit more difficult. This entire ensemble was created from my recliner. I serged the skirt side seam and hem area and the edges of the left side seam. Then I was pretty much stuck until I had a machine. Using my Bernina on a chair in front of the recliner was better than at the sewing table, but not much. My back and shoulders hurt and I still got winded from sitting upright. I finished the skirt with the Bernina but Kevin and I both knew this wasn’t going to cut it for any kind of reasonable sewing…

On to the shirt! I serged the white seams, sewed the neck binding on , the back seam, hemmed it and voila! One lovely little top!

The jacket was serged and then sewn on my NEW MACHINE that you’ll have to read about in my next blog post. At first I debated lining it like I would do for my own jacket style but I decided not to become obsessed over details that only I care about and are unnecessary for the final product. I was glad about 30 minutes later when I realized that the entire thing would have had to be sewn on the machine if I had opted to line it. I’m smartest when I don’t mean to be.

So… here is my first recliner, machine sewn, outfit. Isn’t it darling? I think I’m going to make a skirt for both Jenna and Andra. They need fun too. Ok, ok… I won’t leave out Lorna. But only to stop the barage of indignant posts about my unfairness to such an unloved and abused child. Snort.

… the hop, Oh Baby!…

The Bag Lady…

October 25, 2007 at 9:13 pm | In Sewing | 3 Comments

One of my favorite blogs is Charmed Designs by Dana. I love the beautiful and amazing things she does with beads and particularly her lampwork pieces. I love good lampwork! I purchased two sets about six weeks ago.

This one…. (Pictures 8 and 9 of the all white set)

and

This one…

While talking about a third set (inspired by Polish Pottery… won’t it be gorgeous!) and discussing a christening bracelet for my forthcoming granddaughter (I just knew she was a girl!) Dana asked me if was interested in making her some bags for her jewelry. She ships all jewelry in an organza bag and that bag is placed in a fabric version with fun and funky fabrics. A box arrived several days later and I started to work on them. Then another box arrived and I switched. Halloween fabrics took priority. I’m shipping out these bags today. It was nice to get to do something for someone again!

and now we have…

And there you go! A great feeling of accomplishment!

Jenna’s Turn…

October 24, 2007 at 3:43 am | In Smocking | 2 Comments
Tags: Children's Corner, DMC Floss, Moda, Smock, Smocking

Four or five years ago, I went to Las Vegas to scope out some craft stores and found a great quilt store. I almost didn’t go in. After all, Christmas Goose in February doesn’t sound all that inspiring. It’s a GREAT store. I bought two Maywood Studios prints for matching dresses. Andra and Jenna needed them you know. Then I found a blue fabric that seemed to scream “Jenna’s Blue Eyes”. It was darkish, greyish, and beautiful. So, I give you..

Shades of Jenna

Ingredients:

Fabric: Classics by Moda-

Smocking Design: Beaufort Bow by Laura Jenkins Thompson

Floss: DMC colors 924, 3768, 3726, 950, 3051

Pattern: Olivia by Children’s Corner

So… what we have is…

Now I’ve never seen picture smocking done on a print. I’ve always seen it done on a solid or something that reads as a solid. As I flipped through my smocking plate, I realized that this is a perfect design to attempt on a printed fabric. I think that it’s going to be cool! If not, well… at least I tried. Jenna is going to look marvelous… don’tcha think?

Smocking Mathilda…

October 23, 2007 at 10:19 pm | In Smocking | 4 Comments

Smocking Mathilda… We’ll go a smocking Mathilda with me…

Euphemia’s spring dress is smocked. I went for an understated look. I didn’t want the smocking to compete with the beautiful simplicity of the Kaufman floral. Oh goodness that sounds pompous. I liked the flowers and didn’t want to make the whole dress look gaudy by over doing it. So I didn’t. The watery mustard colored floss stands out against the fabric just a smidge. The little pink flowers look as if they grew from the fabric… oh ick. There I go again. I can’t help it. This fabric inspires the poetic side of me.

So… Now I have to choose piping, embroider collar and cuffs… and maybe a pretty band for the bottom. I’m not sure. I’ll start Lorna’s counterpart soon but…

Well… see… I found this piece of fabric I pleated a few years ago and…

Pleating My Case~

October 22, 2007 at 8:56 am | In Smocking | 1 Comment

I love to smock. I really enjoy watching the design grow under my fingertips. It’s beautiful how each row builds upon the last until the final design emerges. I started matching dresses for Euphemia and Lorna today. I think they’re going to be exquisite!

The Ingredients:

Fabric: A springy floral from Robert Kaufman

Design Plate: Angel Wears “Lindsey“

Floss: DMC 3047, 3731, 3052

Pattern: Chery Williams Baby Square Yoke

In case you’ve never seen fabric pleated, I thought I’d share how it’s done. My pleater, as you can see, is a bit dusty. I wiped it off but since I’m sitting around in a chair all day, doing a thorough cleaning wasn’t exactly something I could manage but at least it kept the dust off of the fabric!

This is your basic smocking pleater. The threads are stored in a box under the pleater itself and are pulled through the black bar there and then threaded up under the pleater needles. I’ll have to get a picture of those soon. Those funky bent needles (to lay perfectly on those rollers you know) are cute!

You simply roll the fabric around a dowel rod (or unused curtain rod as I have here) and then feed into the pleater like so:

And when you’re finished… Voila! A perfectly pleated piece of fabric waiting for a marvelous design to accent it. Since working on these and hand sewing Euphemia’s dress, I am now considering completely hand sewn layettes, gowns, blankets, etc for eBay. Why not? It’s not like I don’t have the time.

And ready to work on… drum roll please…