Well, since I have found out I'm going to be a grandmother by the end of the year, I had better get going on completing this gown incase it is a girl! I know that if it is going to be a boy, dad will not want a dress on his boy. So I guess doing a dressy bubble will be in order. But we will cross that bridge when we come to it!

Once the embroidery down the front panel is completed, I am ready to stitch the lace bands. This pattern has 3 "V's" of lace on the lower front of the center panel. I have chosen to use 3 different laces in the wide "V's". I have joined the 3 pieces of lace with a tiny, narrow zig-zag using #80 weight fine sewing thread in my machine, both on the top and in the bobbin. You want your stitch to be just wide enough to cover the lace headings. If your stitch is too wide your needle will grab the lace pattern and distort the width of your lace. Remember the fine sewing thread will allow your machine work to rival the "heirloom sewing by hand". So don't scrimp on that! Remember to be using a #65 or #70 size machine needle, too. 

 

Finally, you can see that all of the lace insertion bands are pinned in place ready for stitching. In this gown you do not cut from behind the lace. So I am going to do an extra detail and pin stitch along the lace headers by hand. I will stitch the lace bands in place with a short straight stitch, staying just along the lace header. Notice that I have cut my insertion lace all a bit longer than I was going to need. This will insure that when you stitch your miter and open it out your band will be plenty wide enough to fit into the space provided on the patten. There is also some tiny hand feather stitching above and below the center piece of insertion. I plan to do that embroidery after the bands are inplace. For me it makes for an easier placement of that embroidery. The embroidery marking will be able to be made so that they are nicely centered in the fabric area provided. Stay tuned to see the hand pin stitch that I am using in lots of spots on the gown! Yes, you can do it by machine, but I'm a lover of hand work, so that's why I'm doing it this way. For the hand pin stitch I'm using a #50 weight machine thread to stitch with. Because my fabric is a lovely cotton, the hand work is making a beautiful "hole" with each stitch. Wait & see!

The next step for my Christening Gown is to work on the hand embroidery that is down the center front panel of the gown. I like to trace around the pattern piece on the fabric leaving a wide border of about 2-3" on all sides of the pattern. Next I have used spray starch and lightly coated the gown's center panel piece. This will allow the tracing pencil marks to launder out easier with putting a "boundary" between the pencil marks and the fabric. Now I am ready to transfer the embroidery design. A #2 mechanical pencil works very well. It gives a nice thin line. Some people like to use the blue washout marking pen. I find that sometimes those will "bleed" and not give you a thin line.  I am using the embroidery design included in the pattern. The design consists of  the stem stitch, lazy daisy, bullion roses & rosebuds and French knots. Really very easy and quick to stitch hand embroidery. Of course, you could choose to do machine embroidery using the correct stablizer, but I am a "hand" person, so hence my choice. I am also using DMC white cotton floss for this project. I could have also used the white cotton Floche'. You will also see markings for the positioning of the lace bands that will be in a "V" along the bottom 1/3rd of the panel.

I do like to use a hoop when stitching hand embroidery. Many of the hand embroidery teachers prefer the Susan Bates hoop and I do think it is a good one, especially for Shadow Work embroidery. Shadow Work embroidery is one that you have to keep your fabric very taunt and that hoop is designed with a special "lip" for holding the fabric. With this project, since the embroidery is very simple and there is not much of it, I have chosen to use a small wooden hoop with a tightening screw. Always choose a hoop that will allow you to get to the middle of your pattern. Don't have the hoop so large that you have trouble being able use your free hand to help you guide and manipulate your needle. Though you may have to move a smaller hoop to get all of your design embroidered, it will make for an easier time in the stitching process. I also recommend removing the hoop when you finish a time of stitching. You never know how long until you will return and you don't want to ultimately leave a mark. I have chosen to stitch with a #9 sharp needle. It will give me nice bullions and tiny stem stitches. All of the embroidery is stitched with one strand of the floss except when I do some featherstitching, I will use 2 strands.  I would pass on some simple hand embroidery tutorials from the Mary Corbet's Needle 'N Thread site , in case you have a question on how to preform some of the simple hand embroidery stitches mentioned.

 

I've decided my next project will be a Christening Gown. I'm not going to go "whole hog", but wanted to do something relatively simple and doable especially for a beginning heirloom sewer. I have chosen Old Fashioned Baby "Raglan Christening Gowns" pattern. This would be a good pattern for many different sized babies due to the raglan sleeve design of the gown. If a gown is being made to "pass down" through many grand children, then a gown of this design is a bit more forgiving with the baby's weight.

 

I have chosen to use the Light Weight Swiss Batiste or better known as "Fairy Fabric". This is a wonderful light weight batiste, very "airy" with a delicate hand. I am also using my lace stash for many of the laces on the gown. So if you have a lace stash, bits and pieces of lovely white French Lace , use it for a project like this. I am doing a variation of View 3 that has lovely center lace "V's" separated by embroidery. I am also using the sleeve from View 2 and planning on making the bonnet and slip for the ensemble. You can hand or machine embroider the gown. I'm choosing to hand embroider using cotton Floche' thread and a #12 Sharp needle. The embroidery included in the pattern is very simple--stem stitch, lazy daisy, bullion rose buds and a bit of featherstitching here and there.

So come along with me as I proceed with this project. The future posts will take you through the embroidery, lace work and heirloom sewing by machine. And I bet I have this finished before even a "hint" of a grandbaby is on the way!!

My current design board was wanting to improve upon the design of the Children's Corner pattern #266 "MACY". This pattern is either a dress or blouse featuring a wrap-style front closure, neckline ruffle on both views and a hemline ruffle for the dress. The sleeves are very cute, a smooth cap sleeve with a narrow casing on the sleeve edge with which 1/4" elastic is inserted for a pulled up effect. Of course, fabric selection will make a difference in how your project turns out, but I wanted to go a step further. I love the details. So I decided to incorporate turquoise gingham check spaghetti bias as my ties and make piping from a matching turquoise gingham check.  

I chose FF-1086 for the base fabric. The entire dress & sleeve is lined, so I used Imperial Batiste in white for the lining. This will make for such a comfortable dress for a little girl. I choosing to make my own piping to match the spaghetti bias, I used a new tool, the Darr Piping Magic. This is a great way to make your piping and not have to precisely cut the bias stripes. With the Darr Piping Magic, cut your bias width, I used 1" since my seam allowance was 1/4", I would not have a lot of waste to trim off. Whe I make my piping I 1) cut my bias stripes, 2) seam together bias stripes, if needed, 3) press the entire piece of bias lengthwise to give me a channel to place the piping in, 4) lay the piping along the pressed channel and stitch in place. Then with the Darr Piping Magic you choose the seam allowance width your pattern calls for and place the cording of the piping in the corresponding seam allowance grove. The excess fabric is past the edge of the Darr Piping Magic. With your rotary cutter, just trim off the excess fabric and "WaLa" your piping is finished with the seam allowance width needed!  Very handy!

I have chosen to pipe the neckline and the hemline seam with the handmade piping. The piping is stitched inplace before adding the neckine ruffle.

The patterns that have just a bit of smocking at the center front of the garment are such quick and easy projects to stitch up. The one for this post is the Collar's Etc. Pattern "Layette". There are so many garments included in this pattern it's hard to decide what to make first! There are suitable versions for boys or girls. The pattern is sized 0-3 months and 6-9 months. So perfect selections for baby showers! I have made the boy version of the smocked bubble for a new baby in my church. I have used Pima Classics, the blue herringbone patterned fabric. I have used the smocked bunny design included in the pattern, but have also put some bunches of carrots on the Peter Pan collar.

 

 

When you are ready to pleat the area for the smocking, though it isn't stated in the pattern, you need to cut the pattern piece of the bubble front with straight sides. You should never try and have bias edges go through the pleater. So I cut out the buttom according to the  pattern lines, but when I cut the side seams, I just cut straight up--not cutting out the armholes, shoulder seam and neck edge. I then mark with washout marker the armholes, shoulder seams and neck edge. These will be cut out later after the smocking is completed. See above where I have mark, my smocking is completed, so I am ready to cut on those blue marked lines for the construction steps. I also needed to have some reference for placing my bunches of bullion carrots. So I marked the seam allowance on both collar pieces to get my carrots placed evenly.

 

When I can, I will use the Ready to Sew Piping, but many times, there is not the color that will coordinate with my garment. So the Ready to Cover Cording is the solution. See the Peter Pan collar pieces pinned with the covered cording. ( I'm a pinner!) I have stitched the cording a couple of needle positions away for the cording when I am covering the cording with my cut bias. Then when I do a final stitching I will move the needle closer to pack that cording next to the bias fold of the fabric.

 

One of my sewing machines, a Bernina, has a clear foot with a small "bump out" that the mini cording fits perfectly in! As stated above, I have not stitched in the bias right up next to the cording when covering the cord. Then here in this step, I have moved the needle position one more click toward the cording, but it still is NOT right next to the cording. That will occur in the final step of collar construction.

 

This sweet bubble has inverted release pleats on either side of the center back. You will want to press the stitched pleat so that the center of the pleat lays down next to the stitching. This way when it is turned on the right side the fabric will be evenly distributed and make a lovely pleat.

 

Here's the finished results with a close up of the smocking and carrot embroidery. You can also find this garment in the Inspiration Gallery of the website. I referenced A to Z of Bullions for my carrots. The bubble has an easy back placket with a 4 buttons closure. Elastic in each leg and a small piece of "Snap Tape" to close the crotch. Though the pattern calls for buttons in the crotch, I think today's mothers will appreciate the snap tape for quicker diaper changes!

As the first couple of weeks of 2012 are history, I find myself being very behind in keeping my Blog current! Six months behind as a matter of fact! Ugh! So my new goal is to resolve to get over my hump of not thinking I can do well with this and just put forth entries on a more regular basis! Thank you for your patience.

I completed several projects last Fall. During that time one of my customers with her daughters was visiting the shop. She had made this darling corduroy cape for one of the girls. She said, "It's from the Oliver+s book that I got from you". Soon after she had left, I went to my copy and worked at tracing off some of the sizes and deciding on what to make mine out of. I chose to use one of my printed featherweight corduroys and line it with a pima gingham check. The pattern is called "Little Red Riding Hood Cape", but we can have lots more imagination than just using red! The cape is perfect for our Oklahoma Fall weather and early spring when a heavy coat is too much. So hence, I stitched up "Little Red Riding Hood Cape" in brown corduroy and it turned out so cute. There are hand/arm slits in the front, I used a brown square button with the loop closure.

The Children's Corner Lucy Jumper is one of the most popular patterns I seen for awhile. Yes, it's just a simple A-line jumper. But I love the fact that they make it lined. It gives it such a nice finished look to the total garment. You do have to make sure that the overall length of the jumper is suitable for the child you are making it for, but it stitches together like a dream! Shown below are my components for making the Eyelet Lucy Jumper. I have the cotton "Lotus Flower" Eyelet & Seafoam Imperial Batiste, Lucy Pattern, seafoam (aqua) silk satin ribbon.

What's so great about this jumper is only 2 pattern pieces! After cutting out the front & back of the eyelet and aqua lining, stitch together a front eyelet & front lining right sides together. Begin at one armhole, then across the shoulder, around the neckline, the other shoulder and second armhole. Children's Corner patterns use a 1/4" seam, so there isn't much in the way of trimming, but cut across your corners at the shoulder seams, clip all curves then turn right side out. Do the same procedure for the back eyelet & back lining pieces. Press your seams nicely.  Now you are ready to stitch the side seams.

When you stitch the side seams, you put the back & front eyelet sides, right sides together. On one side seam you stitch from the hem of the eyelet all the way to the hem of the lining for one complete seam. The other side seam, you stitch the eyelet to the armhole, then start stitching into the lining, but leave an opening along the middle of the lining seam. The opening is what you will use to complete the hem. Then the opening will be handstitched closed.

 

I am not accomplished when it comes to making "hair bows". Even though I had 2 girls, I had to resort to watching some YouTube videos to get a grasp for making a nice bow to use as my shoulder tie. I put a 5/8" white button on the back of each bow. I still put 2 - 3/8" white buttons on each shoulder with a larger buttonhole for the bow's button. This just made for a nicer look to the shoulder closure and it's didn't look "floppy" from the weight of the bow.  Give it a try!

Well, summer is offically a week away, but the temperatures here in Oklahoma are already in the 90's each afternoon! Ugh! But stay in the air conditioning and get some great stitching completed!  I recently worked on a sweet baby shirt and diaper cover for a baby shower of a friend of mine. Since the new mom wasn't going to find out ahead of time the sex of the baby, I had to do some thinking about what I could stitch and be "gender friendly". So I chose the Creations by Michie' pattern #109 Infant Shirt & Diaper Cover. I wanted to make it in cotton pique, so I chose white. Then how to embellish? My friend and her husband travel to Florida a lot, so I looked in my stash of embroidery designs and found a fun sailboat, some dolphins, a couple of starfish and an anchor. I also wanted a bit more color, so I chose turquoise check spaghetti bias and wondered if I could add it to the collar without faggotting. Since the spaghetti bias stretches, it worked around the small Peter Pan collar very nicely. I just used a tiny hand blindstitch to secure around the colllar. I did shadow work embroidery, putting the starfish on each collar front, the sailboat on one side of the lower front and the dolphins & anchor on the front of the diaper cover. I used the small turquoise square buttons down the front. I thought it turned out quite nice, cool and comfortable for summer. Give this pattern a try the next time you need a quick, easy project for a summer baby!

Spring is FINALLY here! Love seeing the Bradford Pear trees that have just exploded in the last week. In Oklahoma, we also have the ability to grow the azela shrub. Can't wait to see the azelas in bloom at one of the large local parks in the weeks to come. A favorite place for pics!

Speaking of pictures. Hope you are taking pictures of some of the projects you are working on. Not to just send them via social media, but as a reference for future projects. There is a number of ways to document what you make. If you are a scrapbooker, you'll have a darling album, all the right "stickers" and lots of fun decorations around a special picture of the outfit and hopefully a child wearing it! But for all of us who are not that well equipped to do that, you might think of some of these suggestions. 1) Have a special notebook/album to put your information in. 2) Take a picture of the garment w/without someone wearing it. Take a picture of the back as well as the front. 3) Have a sample of the fabric, trim, piping etc. you used in the construction. 4) Make a small copy of the pattern front of the pattern used and include it on the "page". 5) Document any hand or machine work you did on the garment. i.e. smocking plate design, shadow work pattern, etc. 6) Then make any comments of things you would change if you made the garment again. Even things you liked about the pattern. You never know when you may decide to make up that same pattern and it would be nice to know if a certain part of the construction process gave you a snag!

Let me know what you are working on for Easter. Email pics to sylvia@delicatestitches.com and we can include some of your master pieces on another Blog entry. Happy Stitching, Sylvia

Oh, we had a gorgeous day today! One of those days when you know Spring is just around the corner, you can't wait to walk in the park barefooted! I can really tell you are stitching again, or at least getting things ready to stitch. Orders are flying out of here on a regular basis. I can't believe how many of the AS&E #93 I sent out! And still have folks that want it and we can't get any more! Ugh! Inspirations #69 just arrived today. Wonderful article and project about Schwalm embroidery. Schwalm embroidery is a monochromatic embroidery and intricate drawn thread work. This issue has a very informative article about this type of embroidery and a lovely photograph of an antique example. Included is a beautiful project to try some of the drawn thread work. As usual, Inspirations has great photo illustrations to exactly understand how to pull the threads, stitch the bundles to achieve the look. This issue also includes a couple of lovely silk ribbon embroidery projects. Silk ribbon has taken a bit of a "back burner" but I am noticing it making a comeback. So dig in and give it a try, if you haven't stitch with this medium in a while.

Lots of lovely spring/summer fabrics for fun, easy to wear garments. New books are being added as well as new patterns. Check the site often to see the new items. Happy Stitching!  Sylvia