Ellie Inspired

This was taken two years ago.  It was my first heirloom dress that I made for Elisabeth and is still one of my favorites.  She, obviously, did not love the camera as much back then.  Ha!  The boys' vests are ones that I will offer as a pattern in the next week or so.  Their ties are in my free pattern section.   My mom made Ellie's hat that year.  I tried a lot of new things that year with joining laces and making a fancy band on Ellie's dress to making the vests reversible for the boys.  I was proud of how everything turned out after I'd worked so hard.

The laces were Ecru french laces from Luc Smiers.  I got the ecru silk ribbons and white batiste from Fine Stitchery.

I hung the dress in front of my window so that you could see through it and see the details better but it isn't hanging very well.

 This was taken last year before we went to church.  That year I made the same ties for the boys out of a shimmery silver/green satin.  And, I tried something new for Ellie's dress again...a fully smocked bodice out of pink dotted swiss.  It took forever to remove all those little tufts before pleating but it was worth it.  I modified a Kathy Dykstra design found in AS&E.  I also tried another first...silk ribbon embroidery.  I have a ways to go on that to improve but it was really fun to do.  This year, I got everything from Fine Stitchery.

Still not sure about the camera... 

I'm working currently on this year's Easter clothes and trying to narrow down what the boys want to wear.  Right now, they have three different opinions.  I love dressing them the same for special things but I think the days of that are probably coming to an end.  Ellie's dress is another fully smocked dress out of silk dupioni from Adorable Heirlooms.  That's all I'm saying...but I'm really excited about it.

Send me pictures of past Easter clothing you've made!  I'll feature it here on my blog.  It's fun to gain ideas from others.

Fall marks the time of year that I start sewing for my boys.  There are school pictures, Christmas card pictures,  Christmas programs, our annual Christmas jammies (I wonder how long I can get away with that before they think I'm not cool anymore??), Seth's birthday, Nathan's birthday, and of course Halloween costumes. 

Here are the start of this season's garments:

Seth requested camouflage pajamas for his birthday.  This was a very good thing because he refuses to give up his other two pair that are two sizes too small for him!  When we were walking through Joann's last week, he spotted this flannel camo with John Deere tractors.  Perfect!

And here are Nathan and Jacob on picture day at school.  They also picked out both of their shirts' material and I think they did a good job!  It was some of the nicest weight shirting I have used.

Here is Seth before I took him for his 5 yr old pictures.  He picked out his material as well.

Here's the scoop on the patterns I used....I really don't have a good dress shirt pattern.  I've had someone mention to me one to try and I think I will next or else I am going to write my own.  I make shirts for them only a couple of times  year and it takes me longer than it could because I'm fiddling with it to get it just right.  I like lined yokes, long sleeves with little pleats, cuffs and button plackets, a center inverted pleat below the yoke in the back and a two-piece collar that has a collar stand.  These do not have a two-piece collar because I got tired of fiddling and just used the collar included in one of my Simplicity patterns.  It's fine for casual shirts but I really prefer the dressier collar.  Of course....lots of top-stitching!

For the pajamas, I just went with what looked right.  That's another thing I want to draft a pattern for sometime because even with messing with this and that on the pajamas, they probably only took about 30-40 minutes to make on the serger.  There are no buttons, zippers, snaps, etc.  Just ribbed cuffs and a ribbed neckline for a quick and easy pair of pajamas.

Next...Halloween costumes!

P.S.  My Sweet Apple Frock was featured on Grosgrain's Flickr Fav's this week!!  I didn't submit it with her linky tool (I have NO idea how to use that!) so I'm assuming she just chose it.  I was really honored!

My youngest son's favorite season has officially begun...harvest.

He's been counting down the days until he gets to ride in the tractor with Dad or Grandpa.

So, last night before bed, he was beside himself with excitement.

As we were having a before-bedtime-snack, he is talking to himself and any of his brothers who will listen about the next day and getting out his John Deere cap and "special" farm jeans (yeah, we actually do have those), etc.

Suddenly, he looks at me and stops talking.

"Mom!"

"What?"  Now, mind you, I am running on SAGA countdown overload right now and thinking about what type of caffeine I need to invest in tonight to crank out another pattern.

"Could you?  Well, you're pretty busy with all of your computer work and sewing..."

Okay, now he's got my attention.

"Could I what?"

"Well, I really wish I had a lunchbag to take with me that had John Deere on one side for when I go with Dad and International on the other for when I go with Grandpa. "

So, I looked my youngest son in his sweet, pleading eyes and explained to him about how mama's need more than a couple of hours of sleep at night to keep from being mean, grouchy mama's during the day.  And about how all the caffeine in the world might not see me through finishing the next pattern tonight.  And about how there are about 11 days until we leave and I'm just not sure if I'm going to have to figure out a way to strap a sewing machine and chair to the roof of the car and finish on the way.

Ha!

No!  Of course not.

I made him his lunchbag from this free tutorial I had run across the other day.

And, when he saw it the next morning, did his eyes light up and he throw himself around my legs, telling me I was the best mom in the whole world?

No, my super practical son told me I had done it wrong.

Kids.

Then, as I was wondering how I was raising such selfish kids, I remembered how he hadn't wanted to even ask me in the first place because he knew I was busy.

And after he'd gotten his shoes on and I'd already told him goodbye, he came running back,  wrapped himself around my legs, hugged me until I felt tears in my eyes and said, "thanks, Mom".  He stepped back and gave me our super-secret hand signal for "I love you" with a great big smile.

As he left, I heard him tell his Dad, "Look what Mom made me, Dad!  And it has John Deere on one side and International on the other!"

Kids.

Have fun my sweet son!

Well, here it is, my last dress that I had time to make before we leave on our trip tomorrow morning.  I made this in 4 hours last night including cutting out time and it was a new pattern that I didn't make a muslin for!  Think I was nervous about how it would turn out?  I was down to the wire with no time to shop if it failed.  I was very thankful when I tried it on and it fit well.  Whew!  It needs to be pressed and hemmed still but that won't take long.

It is Simplicity 3784 that I shortened a LOT and I still need to hem this.  I will need to shorten it a little bit more.  I did the short version, View C!!  But, although that length seemed to be off, I HIGHLY recommend this pattern!  It was very easy and resulted in a great-fitting dress that needed only a few alterations in the bodice for a closer fit.  Once again, I made the wrong size so I ended up taking it in about 4 inches on each side when I first tried it on but that was my fault and I will make a note on the pattern. 

I made the halter top version.  It is fully lined with an invisible zipper.  I love the swish of the skirt with that lining underneath.  And...there is boning in it!!  A first for me!  Did you hear that Sivje??

Okay, but now I need your opinion and I need it by suppertime tonight because I don't have much time...

Should I add a sash?  Red, black, or white?  I don't like the way the dots lined up at the waist seam and the back seam so it would be nice to add a sash and hide that.  If I'd taken more time with the dress, I might have thought about that a little bit more.  But, you know when you buy something in the store, most of the time things don't line up so I'm not going to sweat it if you think a sash wouldn't look right.  (My inner perfectionism cringes at that statement, but hey, we do leave in less than 24 hours.)  Here is what I first saw a long time ago that made me order the black/white polka dot material but now I'm wondering if a white sash would look classier. 

Thanks for your help!

I love heirloom sewing but I especially love it because of the story it tells and the love evident in each stitch.  I saw this beautiful picture above on one of the sewing forums and immediately asked her if I could post her story here.  I made the same dress as another one that she showed so I took a personal interest in it as well.

Here is what she said and thanks so much Wyna for sharing your story with us and inspiring women to create these memories with their daughters and granddaughters as well...

"The pillowcases used to make the beautiful garments below have a story. My Great Grandmother made the lace on the bottom. My Grandmother made the pillowcases. They were given to my Mother who gave them to me and I passed one of them down to a Daughter who made the pinafore in picture one (shown above). Since her little girl (my second Granddaughter) was too big for a pillowcase dress she made the smocked pinafore. It is embellished with pearls and wide satin straps and tied at the back waist with a large bow. The grow tucks at the bottom hide some flaws that occurred over many years. She wears it over many different dresses made by her talented Mom.

The second pillowcase I gave to a Daughter-inlaw. She had never sewn until this little girl was born. With an extra machine I gave her and some instructions and encouragement she has become a very accomplished seamstress. For this lovely dress she added the sheer sleeves and collar and the ME encrusted with pearls. She has a large picture of both her girls (my third and fourth Granddaughters) made at about the same age wearing the six-generation pillowcase dress. We all hope (including my Mother who is now 96) that they will be passed down through many more generations of beautiful little girls. "

I couldn't believe that her daughter-in-law was a newbie to heirloom sewing!  Look at her beautiful dress with its organdy collar and sleeves, yellow trim, and exquisite vintage lace.  This is just beautiful and I hope we get to see more of her work sometime.  Such talented sewists in your family, Wyna!!

I made this same dress if you remember earlier this year for Fine Stitchery.  It is a free pattern in the Easter 1998 Sew Beautiful magazine.  It used to be offered as a free download as recently as three months ago but I wasn't able to find the link now.  I encourage you to try it as well, though, with any square yoke bodice pattern (my Daisy Bell pattern would work) and either a special pillowcase as the skirt or use fabric.  The picture above is made with a true, vintage pillowcase but mine below, is made out of Satin Batiste, Italian Organdy collar, pink silk ribbons and lace, with satin piping.  All materials are from Fine Stitchery.

Wyna continues with the dresses below:

"The second chapter begins many years later.

On her 50th wedding anniversary in 1986 My now 96 year old Mother was given a pair of pillowcases with hand crocheted wedding bells around the edge. She asked me to make pillowcases dresses for her other two Great Granddaughters (my youngest brother's grandchildren).  I added the flutter sleeves made from glittery organza and loved the way they turned out. "

I love the way all of them turned out too, Wyna.  Thanks so much for letting me share your story.  It really touched me because you created some beautiful memories for your granddaughters.  I am sure these dresses will be cherished for many more generations.

I hope this inspires you to create lasting memories for future generations as well. 

I love it when the UPS delivers a great big box of fabric!!  Opening the box is like Christmas!  These beautiful flannels and soft minkies are going to be a baby blanket for my cousin.  She requested creams and browns.   I wish I had gotten even more of that ivory minky on the bottom.  It has a beautiful rose design and is super soft.  I got all this from fabric.com.

I got LOTS more fabric in the last couple of days that I can't show you yet but I will soon.

Speaking of fabric...this is what I was thinking for my drawing.

From Fine Stitchery, which has the best, best, BEST prices on the internet for heirloom supplies:

A super cute 60" wide pima cotton print with either of the coordinating microcheck or imperial broadcloth fabrics for the gores, arm bindings and sash/belt.

Another beautiful 60" wide pima cotton print with either of the coordinating microcheck or imperial broadcloth fabrics for the gores, arm bindings and sash/belt.

The winner can choose which combo they would like.  I will send you the two fabrics and the new pattern for free!

Remember, to be entered into the drawing, you must email me or comment on what you think the new name for the It's a Girl Thing pattern should be called.  See this post if you missed what I'm talking about.  I'll draw the name on Friday.

A crazy busy weekend is over but it was a lot of fun.  I'm pretty sure Miss E is just faking sleep in the picture above but I sure want to join her for a nap about now!

This was a new quilt I finished in time to take for fireworks.  It is a mixture of cool blues, aquas and dark browns.

The front... (I love string quilts!)

The back...(You can kind of see how I quilted it from the back.)

Some up close shots...(and yes, that is a machine-sewn binding.  I know, I know...but in the interest of time, ya know?)

We ate too much and played too hard.

And my kitchen has now been transformed into my canning kitchen!  Ha!  This is how my stove looks 3/4 of the time in the summer.  There are 28 quarts of green beans there and that is from my very first single picking!  With all our heat, humidity and rain, the garden is looking great this year.

Hope you all had great weekends.  I had a couple of comments that my link for the bodice pattern piece on the Ruffle Halter tutorial wasn't working but that is fixed now.  Sorry about that!

And, keep those suggestions coming on names for the new pattern if you want to be entered into the drawing for a free pattern and fabric!  I have had fun reading your comments and emails.  I am pretty much set now on what I want to call it but your suggestions may just be used for upcoming patterns.  I'll draw a name when I publish the finished pattern.  (Hopefully by the end of this week!)

To prove that I have been doing some sewing!!  I tried to give a description of each below but if you have questions on particular fabric or patterns, I will try to answer them.

1.  A-line jumper with yo-yo flower in aqua/red dot.

2.  A line jumper with grosgrain ribbon and bow.

3.  Reversible A line jumper with monogram.

4.  Reversible A line jumper in cherries.

5.  Miss Madeline in Simply Sweet.

6. Peasant dress with angel sleeves and pockets.

7.  Mommy and me aprons using this tutorial.

8.  Newborn A line top and bloomer set with yo-yo flowers.

9.  Reverse of apron.

10. Dolly and me matching nightgowns.

11. Newborn pink batiste bishop set.

12.  Dancer skirt

13. Notebook covers in Henry Glass fabrics. 

My sister in law is expecting her first and I have been having so much fun sewing for her new little one.  I never really got to make baby clothes for my daughter because I didn't know how to do any heirloom sewing then.  So, this is fun for me!

This ensemble is my favorite.  It is ivory batiste with light ecru french laces.  It is smocked in matching floss with a little bullion rose cluster at the center.

This yellow bishop ensemble has many pieces and I didn't show pictures of all of them. 

There is the bishop smocked in white with white bullion roses, an eyelet bonnet with embroidered lace insertion and silk ribbon ties,

a diaper cover with ruffles on the back, a little white slip, and this eyelet jacket with raglan sleeves and silk ribbon to tie.  I drafted the jacket myself and without having a real model to try it on yet, I hope that it will fit okay!  It has tiny rosebud trim along the neckline.

I got all of my fabrics and trim with the exception of the eyelet fabric for the jacket from Barbara at Fine Stitchery.

I can't wait to meet my new little niece and there is one more shower so there will be more "pretties" to show you.  I am thinking I will do more casual things for the next one.