Merry Christmas

Every year (at this time) I make a plan to finish my Christmas gift sewing early for the next year. Well here we are again, a couple of days away from Christmas, and I am still sewing at the last minute. Oh well, maybe next year. I hope all your baking and gift sewing and shopping is complete.

Have a safe and very Merry Christmas.

Heirloom Fabric

The January embroidery club project and designs are up and ready for download, click here to get to the download page. The heirloom stitching on this lovely sachet is completed right in the hoop. It includes several delicate heirloom techniques, such as cutwork, lace insertion, candlewicking and hemstitching.

There are two different patterns – I know, they look similar. But, one has lace insertion down the center and the other has faggoting down the center. I was toying with the idea of stitching several repeats of the designs to make a whole strip of heirloom fabric; you know for a pillow or a camisole or something like that. Well needless to say I didn’t get to it. Too many other ideas to work on. If anybody is inspired and makes some, please send me a picture.

Christmas Gift Ideas

Every Christmas I try to make some small item for friends and family – mostly for my nieces. Last year I was quite ambitious, I made cosmetic bags/pencil cases for my little nieces. You’ll notice the embroidery design is from July’s Embroidery club project the Jewelry Roll.

Plus, garment dust covers for my older nieces and my sister. They are monogrammed – a big hit.

Plus a pretty wallet and tissue holder for my sister. I used the cotton print for the wallet lining and the tissue holder top; and the linen solid for the outer wallet and tissue holder back.


Actually the wallet and tissue holder were for my sister’s birthday, but it is so close to Christmas that I consider it part of the Christmas sewing projects. These are all such quick and easy projects that you can literally make them at the last minute. Now, what to make this year, hmmmmmm.

Countdown to Christmas – Stockings for the Kiddies

My little great niece and nephew will love their new Christmas stockings. My niece Erica asked me to embroider a princess on Alexa’s stocking and trucks on Christopher’s stocking. There is definitely a theme here.
 
I wonder if Alexa will notice that the princess is really a ballet dancer? Hmmm.

Wondering about the embroidery designs? Here’s the scoop; the trucks and the ballet dancer will be used on an embroidery club project later on in 2010. Sorry can’t be more specific than that. I still have not worked out the last three or four projects for this embroidery club year and of course there is a whole new year coming up.

A princess dress for my little princess

Actually she is my little great nice, Alexa. She has a “princess” themed birthday party to go to this weekend. And of course I had to make her the perfect princess dress. I started with this fun pattern from Simplicity.
The dresses are all pretty, but a bit too much. So, I combined views C and D to get the final look, a more streamlined dress. The pattern instructions were a bit confusing, especially because I was taking a bit here and a bit there. And of course I serged the tulle strips together, instead of sewing them, like the pattern instructed. Nothing like a fine rolled edge to finish tulle.
I think it turned out pretty nice. I was hoping that Alexa would model it for me so that I can take a few snapshots. But she wasn’t in the mood. I’ll try to sneak a couple when she puts it on for the birthday party.
 
A pretty bow in the back.

Downloadable Instructions for Snowflake Ornament

I’ve had a couple of requests for printer friendly or downloadable instructions for the Snowflake Ornament. I am not sure about the printer friendly business, but you can click here to download the instructions. Have fun.