Choosing Color When Smocking

I was determined to do better with my color choices for the smocking on the BB dress. I wanted to take my Aussie smocking friend's advice. She suggests taking either the lightest or the darkest shade found in the fabric and then going the next shade lighter or darker and use that as your main color choice for thread. With that in mind I went to Joanns yesterday and purchased assorted beiges and assorted greys, the two colors of my fabric. This is what I brought home to try out:

Nothing made me happy. If I did naything it would be the gray, which really was quite blue. Not being happy with this choice I took my fabric with me back to the store this morning and this is what I came up with. The deep red will be for the bullion roses.

Its a rosy sort of grey that works beautifully with the bullion rose thread. Now I'm happy. Nothing is easy if you care.

DH and I are on an interior cleaning and freshening up blitz. I think coming back from DD's lovely new home has given us either inadequacy issues or just plain guilt. I think it is mostly the guilt. As I have been freshening up the sewing room and hanging out on Pinterest I am seeing opportunities everywhere in our home to get out of what we've gotten used to. Its time to shake things up. Yesterday we moved furniture, changed wall displays, reorganized cabinets. I feel like it is just the tiniest tip of a big iceberg but we both enjoy this type of thing and will share the burdern. This afternoon I am painting a carpenter's bench that I have been using as a coffee table off and on over the yesterdays. I got it at a yard sale and it has all the paint globs and gouges but lots of character and actually looks good with our primitive furniture. Well, globs and gouges are going and its getting a beautiful new deep maroon finish, much the color of the floss. I'll post pics when done.

I also hung yesterday my Dior poster that I have been carrying around for years. I gave my Mom's pic a new frame as well and am on the hunt for one for my grandmother, Mamee. They are my sewing mentors and as such deserve a place next to Dior in my sewing room. Or, rather, Dior deserves a place next to them....Bunny

Selena's Bishop

The musical interlude is over and we are back to sewing! Those guys were great, weren't they?

My BFF just had her second grandchild and she is a little girl so this is where best friend Bunny jumps in and says, "Hurray!" I get to do a frilly little project. You've seen me make this dress many times. It is my go to Bishop dress. I use a Bishop as a gift garment because the size is so forgiving and the length of the wear time is long. It's my habit to give a one year old dress so she will be in this next summer. I find babies have loads of newborn fitting clothes and a year later the supply dwindles down. Besides, I want this little sweetie to wear my efforts for a while, not just a few weeks. 

This classic bishop is not too full, not too complicated, and comes with two smocking plates. I am not sure yet if I will use those. I'll also may make the back so it buttons all the way down and may add some pockets as well. It will evolve. 

I have started designing Sophie's Christmas dress. I have the fabric, hopefully enough, and the ideas worked out in my head. I can't go any further at this point. I've put together a sloper for her but the design requires many changes. I will wait until I can actually drape it on her and start cutting, moving, and adding. So that project is on hold until Columbus weekend. 

All peeled and ready for the next step! I put up 15 quarts two days ago, 15 quarts today, and will do fifteen more tomorrow. I am turning into a tomato. Tomorrows batch will be dehydrated instead of stewed. I use Romas for those. Are  you  canning, freezing, or "putting food by"? ....Bunny

More Poop on Piping!

Since smocking is finished, piping is the next step to deal with on Baby Girl Twin's peach colored bishop. I've canned the use of the wavy striped fabric for the piping that I posted yesterday. It was too high contrast on such a soft pastel. This is how I love to design, just comfortably evolving from a very specific concept. I have decided to use one of my favorite techniques, a wrapped or "whipped" piping. It will go around the neckline and a few inches above the hemline. I just love to accent deep hems on little girls dresses and this will have a softer effect and a more "designerly" approach than the original plan. Here is a link to a boys christening gown I made for Twin Baby Boy out of silk taffeta and whipped with blue floss on the piping.

This technique is pretty straightforward. You stitch your piping. Thread a darner with 6 strands of floss. Bring the needle up between two stitches. Bring the needle around to the back, wrapping the piping. Count down two or three stitches and come up again with the needle between two stitches. Be consistent, all two or all three stitches down the seam line as you wrap. When your piping is inserted into its seam you will be stitching right up close to the cord. Using your stitches as a ruler is a great tool to throw into the toolbox!
The only drawback to this technique is for piping a hem as I plan to do. It will take a lot of time to whip a long length of piping. But all good things come to those who wait .....and sew!