Fall has arrived!

What a splendid Thanksgiving weekend we had here in Ontario! The temperatures were in the high 70's up at the cottage and we were stripped down to short sleeves for the outdoor work - chopping and stacking wood for the winter. 

The noontime turkey dinner all went well and instead of having a big meal in the evening we had a wonderful selection of cheeses, crackers and fresh fruits. The sunsets were glorious and the cool temperatures overnight lent themselves to a fairy-like mist over the lake in the early mornings. The camera or perhaps the camera person just didn't get the right settings to capture it all adequately.

So taking advantage of the beautiful weather the following week I chose to photograph the next set of adaptions to the Infant Wardrobe outside on the stone walk. I'd like to say it was 'dappled' sunlight not just shade which sounds so ordinary. 

 

It was the strawberry pin wale pique that inspired this set. The kilt and pants are from good "bottom weight" broadcloth. I used strips of bias cut pique to make the ruffles around the pockets and at the ankle to give them a playful look.

Then I added the same ruffles to the outer edge of the collar of the plain English Broadcloth shirt. The button placket was accented by a row of multiple zigzag stitching done with a triple needle threaded with red, green and red normal sewing thread. It tends to look like rick rack and is so easy to do!

Details make the difference and at the top of the back pleat I embroidered a little strawberry to act as the 'stay'. The collar, button placket and cuffs were edge stitched with red for additional colour.

Here is the back of the striped shirt. A bias-cut ruffle was used for the collar here and spot smocking added in the centre back and on either shoulder of the shirt front. Little strawberries were smocked and then a white border added. I cut the sleeves straight rather than tapered, lengthened them about 2" to allow for a ruffle and hem. Then they were smocked with two rows of simple two stem wave in white. I added little strawberries like the one on the plain shirt just above the smocking for another accent.

The shirts are interchangeable with the pants, kilt and jacket. Next job is to get these and more photos posted to the pattern on the web site.

 

I hope these photos will inspire you. I like to think of this pattern as the starting point for creativity. I'd love to see what you can do with this pattern!!

So until next time, keep stitching.....

 

Another version of Infant Wardrobe I

My friend returned for Calgary with a couple of photos of her grandson in his new black denim suit. She created the Infant Wardrobe I in black denim and worked a few designs from Native art in brilliant colours of Pearle cotton on the back and pockets. She envisioned this little guy wearing the suit with a red cowboy hat and red cowboy boots but his parents nixed the idea completely. Parents can be such a bore and unimaginative!

 

So here is little Nathan with his Thunder Bird Jacket and matching pants.Unfortunately the colours in the photo just don't do the embroidery justice. The red,orange and green were rainbow true and they looked more like magenta and lime. His T-shirt in the second photo is better but not the electric orange he was wearing. Apparently he insisted on wearing his new suit to daycare the next day so I guess it was a hit with him and that is all that really matters.

Nathan has a new baby brother and here he is wearing the Baby Boy's  Smocked Bonnet and an heirloom bib for which I can take no credit. What a cutie! Can't wait for him to grow a little bigger and for Grandma to make him a few more clothes for us to see!! I understand he is growing by leaps and bounds.

The fall issue of A Needle Pulling Thread is in bookstores now. There are so many beautiful projects in this issue, many of which would be good projects for Christmas gifts. But if there is nothing there this time, let me assure you that the Festive issue is soon going to press and it is packed with even more beautiful things. There will be smocked Christmas balls - a beginner, intermediate and advanced level designs - and many more projects for you to interpret as you like. 

So often we see something that is not in our favourite medium. If you cross stitch and you see a quilting pattern, who says you can not re graph the design and stitch it? The magazine is all about creativity. Nothing would make Carla happier than to see photos of how you created from the magazine.

So until next time, keep stitching......

Fall coming in fast

The other day a friend sent me a note about iron cleaning and I thought, yes, how timely. With everyone getting back to sewing and probably getting their sewing room back in order, we tend to clean up whatever creative messes we've developed over the summer. Our irons are such work horses and too often we neglect their care. Every iron has it's own set of rules about cleaning the water tanks but cleaning the face is not at all hard and only takes a minute.

If we let our iron develop a build-up of craft glue or adhesive from iron-on products or just plain old spray starch these gunky gooey things can transfer to our clean, new fabrics and make a real mess! There are a number of products on the market with which you heat the iron to cotton or higher and simply wipe the face with a cloth loaded with cleaner. Be sure to clean the sides of the face and the holes of the steam vents. When the iron is cool it is a good idea to wipe it again with a damp cloth to be sure there is no residue from the cleaner.

 

I have used a cleaner from Dritz for years and there is an excellent one on the market from Rowenta in kit form that even includes the cleaning cloths!

Another area that needs attention is our iron board covers. They get just as dirty and I have cut up some white cotton sheets (we don't have twin beds for the kids any longer) to pin firmly over my ironing board cover. When scorch marks or any spots start to show, it is just a snap to whip one off and replace it with a fresh clean one. I want to experiment with making lavender water to spritz on my ironing board so everything smells wonderful - anything to make ironing and pressing more enjoyable!

One of the ladies who attended the Workshop last summer out in Westport, ON sent me a photo of her finished gown. 

Yea, Judi!! Well done! It is so great to hear back from students when they finish a project, no matter how long it takes.

We did a lot of technique on the sleeves of technique on the sleeves of my pattern, "Autumn Leaves" in this class. The pattern front shows an heirloom view in pink and we elaborated on that view.

Another lady sent a photo of her granddaughter wearing the "Little Breeze" pattern which she had made in a class this spring. It would make such a cute jumper for fall in a very fine corduroy, teamed with a little coordinating turtleneck T-shirt, don't you think?

I absolutely love the fabric she has chosen for this gown and I understand the dolly's version may be in the works. Let's hope so, so we can see them together.

Smocking on a print is not always easy but she has chosen her colours well and the stitching is not lost in the print. Note that she has also outlined the armhole bands with pink rickrack. Great touch!

Well, I just have to share with you, once again, a couple of photos of the sunset from up at the lake. This year we have been blessed with such spectacular mornings and evening - the weather has not always been spectacular to match though. The season is drawing to an end so I hope these haven't been boring for you. (And by the way I haven't altered the colours. I found a sunset setting on my camera that captures those fantastic colours.)

Going

Going

Gone

 

So until next time keep stitching.....

Casting on with Jean Greenhowe....

This past week one of my friends dropped in to get some help with her sewing machine. She brought with her some of her work and I just had to share these photos with you!

Lynn is becoming renowned for her needlework in yarn. The number of first prize ribbons for her knitting and crocheting keeps growing year after year and she is now becoming a judge for the local fair.

Here are some photos of the little Jean Greenhowe dolls that she makes. She sent me these details on the dolls along with their pictures. They are all made with double knitting yarn; the scarecrow figures are about 13” tall and the other dolls are about 15 to 17” tall.  "They are what I call a “soft toy” as there are no wires or buttons involved.  Perfect for a hug or just tucking under a chubby little arm."

 

I can't tell you how sweet and charming they are. She said each doll takes about a week to make and when you see the detail it is no wonder. All the parts are stitched down so you can not lose a hat or pantaloons. I know how to knit so I can appreciate the quality of each of these little people. I am thinking that perhaps I should purchase a couple in anticipation of a grandchild in the next few years....  

If you are interested in contacting Lynn, let me know and I will put you in touch with her. I am sure she would ship them to anyone who was interested and they are light as a feather so it wouldn't be that expensive to do so. 

So until next time, keep stitching!!

This 'N That...

It has suddenly turned fall-like! The blue jays and crows are heard calling most days and I spied a small flock of geese passing overhead early one morning in formation! Practicing no doubt for that long flight south. The mornings are decidedly cooler but the days are still wonderfully warm thank goodness. And of course the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) has opened. Every year it signals the end of summer and when it ends on Labour Day, school begins the following day.

We were driving to Orillia the other weekend and I convinced my husband to stop so I could photograph these signs at this little shop along the way.

They have coffee, deli meats, the biggest and best stuffed olives (blue cheese or jalapeno pepper to mention two kinds), desserts to die for, old fashioned candies and lots of really interesting 'stuff'. But what I love the most is the parking sign:

I'm thinking of getting one of these made up for our cottage parking lot!!

There was the most unusual sunrise the other morning at the lake. We face the west and to see the sky all pink and reflected on the water was amazing. Contrary to the old farmers' saying, "Red sky in the morning, sailers' warning" it didn't rain.

Equally beautiful and amazing was one of the sunsets that weekend. the tree branches just wouldn't get out of the way and the sun kept moving so this was the best I could get. It reminded me so the the "eye" in the movie series, Lord of the Rings. There was an eye-like slit in the cloud cover through which a brilliant circle of white light was emitting its rays and these in turn were reflected on the water. It lasted only a very few minutes and was gone and dark!

Erika and I have been working hard over the past couple of weeks. She showed me how to create smocking graphs using Adobe Illustrator and so I have been practising. And now the new fall schedules have been updated and will be posted as soon as possible. 

I am anxious to get a few more things out of the way and get on with some new work. 

So until next time, keep stitching......

Setting in sleeves

Although the new pattern, Infant Wardrobe I, says you can use light weight denim, Patricia ran into a problem when making the jacket for her two year old grandson. This little guy lives out in Calgary, home of the world famous Calgary Stampede. Patricia envisioned the boy's view made up in sporty black denim with brilliant colours of native embroidery and set off with a T shirt, cowboy hat and boots. All went well until she went to set in the sleeves.

All patterns have limitations and a designer can not predict how every fabric will react. I want you to think beyond the Christening outfit and be creative. Don't be afraid to be challenged. There is always a solution.

The denim plus the lining proved rather bulky and the results were more like a puff sleeve which might have been fine for a little girl but not the tailored look she had planned.

 

So she brought it to me and asked what do I do now? The jacket was finished - buttons, buttonholes and embroidery all in tact - she didn't want to ruin it after all that work.

It was obvious to us both that there was simply too much fabric at this combined weight of denim and lining to allow the sleeve to fit smoothly into the armhole - so - a trim was needed! 

By shaving three eighths of an inch from the cap and tapering it to nothing at the notches the amount of fabric would be reduced significantly and the angle of the sleeve in the garment only slightly altered. The notches were transferred to the new cutting line. The gathering threads would have been put in place again at one quarter inch and one half inch but I was not going to remove the whole sleeve from the jacket! If you were starting fresh that would be imperative but I knew that a technique from tailoring would work well in this case.

With this technique, you divide an area in half and pin. Then divide that area in half and pin. You keep doing this until you have no more room to place a pin or the fullness is used up. On the left you can see how the notch and the shoulder seam have been matched up and the area to the left has begun to be divided and pinned. On the right you can see my hands dividing the area to pin. Or you can fold the fabric in half, lining up the last two pins to find the centre of the sleeve and armhole. This is more accurate in the beginning when you are working with a large area.  As you get down to less fullness you can see how much fullness you have to divide and pin.

Here you see the sleeve pinned in place. There is no more room for any more pins because of the bulkiness of the fabric. Next I hand basted the sleeve in place. Yes, hand basted! with a back stitch to get the most control. Back stitched because I had to use  stitch that I could 'pick and poke' to get the gathers eased out. Had I gone to the trouble of putting in the gathering threads once again, I could have pulled them up and eased the fullness further. But I didn't, so hand basting was imperative! And I might say it worked perfectly.

So here you can see the finished seam and how I am easing in the fullness of the raw edge as I overcast with a zigzag stitch. I used a trolley needle to hold the gathered down and in place as the fabric passed under the machine foot. When the seam allowance is pressed into the sleeve it acts as a support for the sleeve cap and helps it to sit properly.

Oh, but you are not finished yet! Setting the finished sleeve with a bath of steam is important. Steam works best as you won't have any shine from the iron. If you don't have a tiny sized pressing ham or the sleeve won't fit over the end of you sleeve board, create a ball-shaped support from a towel or a couple of washcloths. This needs to be pretty firm though so it may take a bit of 'finaggling' to get something to fit into the sleeve cap area. If the jacket had been made of wool the sleeve could be set with steam alone and all fullness worked out. But with cotton denim (which stretches!) a good bath of steam with the support to shape it all will work well. Remember that it is a child's garment and will be washed often so don't over stress yourself! I just have a tendency to want perfection. 

So here you can see the finished product. I think you will agree it looks much better and Patricia was happy with the results. 

Every fabric is a learning experience and I can hardly wait to see the photos of this little guy all decked out in his Western version of the Infant Wardrobe. I will post photos as soon as she send them so watch here in the next couple of weeks.

Until next time then - you know the drill - keep stitching!!!!

More wedding photos

People keep asking for more photos of the wedding. We still don't have the photographer's photos - just the proofs. So here are some that we and friends have taken.

Robyn, one of her bridesmaids and I went for French manicures as a treat two days before the wedding at a spa on the outskirts of Ottawa. I have never seen such a large establishment! There were 15 stations for nails, plus 3 stations for French manicures, plus 2 - 3 stations that accommodated 4 people for drying nails, + a separate room with 10 stations for acrylic nails, + rooms for tanning, waxing and massage! To my surprise, about half the technicians were men but it is my understanding that in Vietnam boys start training as early as age 7. I was impressed. The price was quite reasonable and the manicure lasted nearly two weeks!

The Salon/Spa

So let's jump to the day of the wedding. 

We were staying at a Bed and Breakfast, The Old Burnside, just a short drive from Almonte, ON which was the site of the wedding. The mansion was circa 1840 and simply incredible. I invite you to check it out on line: <www.oldburnsidebedandbreakfast.com> It is so picturesque being situated on the backs of the Mississippi River (no, not the big one!) the food was fabulous and we had the whole place to ourselves the night before and after the wedding. Robyn had two rooms on the second floor - one for sleeping in which was "gianormous" and a second one for her and her maids to dress. We had the third floor all to ourselves.

I admit that we were the tradition 15 minutes late getting to the location. But this area is like the Bermuda Triangle of GPS and the photographer got lost finding the Mill as he was using his. It was only a 5 minute drive but he ended up somewhere else and so the ceremony was about 45 minutes late starting. As a result everyone was getting somewhat sunburned!

So here is the Bride on the arm of her Father starting down the path to the ceremony.

The Bride and Groom about to take their vows.....

Who gives this Bride to be wed?

Ceremony over and they are about to leave as Husband and Wife....

Look at all those beautiful wild flowers and the line up of maids of honour

Mom and Dad with two of the Attendants behind.....

It's over and now the fun can begin!

Older brother Paul, Robyn, Mom and Dad

Mr & Mrs Bent Gellerich!

Last but not least, cutting the cake at midnight.....

What a perfect day and evening. They both had to work for part of the week following the ceremony but took a couple of days at Le Chateau Montebello near Montreal for a much needed rest. (Check it out on line - it is quite an historical place! <www.fairmont.com/Montebello>) Then they flew to New York for the U2 concert and then on to the Caribbean for their honeymoon. Bent kept it a total secret as to where they were going until they went in the airport and security asked where they were going.

Reality has now set in as the honeymoon couple have returned home to work and school. We heard from them on the weekend and they sounded well rested and ready to 'begin the rest of their lives together' - just like they say on the soaps.

So now it is back to reality and work for me as well. 
Enjoy your summer and keep stitching!! Until next time.....