Easter Sunday Best!

">





Let me tell you, it's not easy to think spring with this weather we are having today. At Easter our family traditionally joins together for an egg hunt and glorious Spring inspired feast. Last year I made DGD Sophie a smocked Madeira hem confection that I knew wouldn't fit her. She will be wearing it this year. I seem to always be a year ahead with fit for my little girls when it comes to any holidays. Anyhoo, her dress is made from pink and white oxford cloth and has smocking and Madeira hem and collar techniques. There are also bullions and my everpresent piping as well. I REALLY like doing the Madeira treatment and it is so easy with water soluble threads. I would like to thank my heirloom mentor, Betty D, for teaching me via cyberspace, how to do a great Madeira hem and collar. If you would like to see more of Betty's brilliance check out the www.everythingsewing.net site under tips. Betty is a treasure who has done and sewn everything when it comes to heirloom. I am so glad I know this wonderful cyberfriend.

The Madeira hem and collar are pinstitched for emphasis and just plain beauty. The hem undulutes instead of the traditional scallop, the better to not do those nasty points! I use the technique as taught by Carol Laflin Ahles in "Fine Machine Sewing." This is my bible. I can't wait to see my darling Sophie in this dress. Do you like long dresses on little girls? I sure do. I find the ones in Australian Smocking and Embroidery are just to my liking when it comes to hem length. they just look like such ballerinas in the longer length.

Whipped and Bound!

Still plenty left to do but this phase of the bishop is done.

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!

Next projects lined up!

I have always tried to have one hand sewing and one machine sewing project going. Beyond that I rarely ever work on more than one project at a time, one by hand and one by machine, that is. I find I am more focused and productive if i stick to this rule. As I am on the tail end of my bishop, it is time to get going on another smocking project. I have wanted to make something for Twin Baby Boy that would not be overly "foufy." Up here in the Northeast #1-the climate is way to cold for batistes and hanky linens most of the time, and #3-dads in these parts would do hard time before they would allow anything "foufy" on their sons. That being said, I am blessed with a wonderful son in law who is an accomplished sailor and will indulge grandma as long as it is boat related. I picked this plate from Little Memories which I think is prescious. It will be stitched on some tea dyed hanky linen for the insert and some heavier mocha linen for the garment, a longall. So, masculine color, masculine theme, and cute as the dickens.

For a new machine project, I will time out with a simple knit top, Simplicity 3790, view D. It will be part of my pledge to not dress as though I had stock in the turtleneck concession. Kinda makes one look prego, but hey, that's the look, and I am going for the look.