Sewing Retreat!

Last weekend I had the privilege of spending 4 days with 10 other women at my friend and sewing colleague, Sara Norris' cabin. Her & her husband have a darling, cozy cabin on a lake in southwest TN, and she was so gracious to share it with her sewing sisters! The women traveled from several areas of middle TN, Mississippi and as far away as California! The ages of our group ranged from early 30's on up - some who are mothers of small children to those who have grandkids! This was our 2nd annual retreat and all of us met thru the wonders of the internet on a sewing forum several years ago. Our friendships have developed beyond the internet after our 1st retreat last year. This year we decided to focus on Threads of Love - a ministry that I have been involved in for the past 5 years. Sara is just beginning her Threads of Love Ministry, and several other ladies are now considering starting a Threads of Love Ministry as well. We spent the entire weekend tracing patterns, cutting fabric and placing all "sets" into zip-lock bags, where they were carefully labeled to correct size. After that gowns were pleated and passed off to a group who would hand-smock them. It was very touching to me, to hear the ladies tell how as they hand-smocked each gown, they would say a prayer for the little one that would receive it! It takes a special group of ladies who are not only willing to spend a weekend sewing for charity, but to sincerely pray for this ministry too!

After the gowns were smocked, they would be passed on to ladies who finished up the gowns on the sewing machine. It was pretty special to take a break and just look around as women worked in groups of 3-5, with everyone having a task at hand and all of us accomplishing the goal. We cut out and/or stitched up 187 items over the weekend! This has been a great help to my local ministry and a big help to Sara, who is just starting her ministry!

We didn't spend the entire weekend sewing - we had our evenings where it was like one big high school girls pajama party - all talking and telling stories and mostly sharing tips, tricks & ideas about what we all love to do, which is sew! The first nite we stayed up till 4am chatting, the 2nd nite some ladies stayed up till 5 am - I woke up somewhere around 2am hearing what sounded like school-girl giggles in the hallway! I found out the next morning that one of our "girls" got stuck on the top bunk and couldn't get down, and hollered for help...LOL....several ran to her rescue which caused alot of giggling in the process!

Here is a slideshow of our weekend together - we are already looking forward to our 3rd annual Sewing Retreat in 2010!

Sweet & Simple Summer Sundresses!

Summer is almost here and I have been busy making some Simple Summer Sundresses for my grand-daughter, Jaden. The first two pictures are front and back of my Sweet & Simple Summer Sundress, which I have instructions for below. The last picture is a Sundress & capri set. This was the simplest of the two to make. I was in Hobby Lobby and found some adorable shirred fabric that I thought would make an adorable sundress! I purchased about 2/3rds yd of the fabric. Next step was to put the fabric around my grand-daughter and pin it so it fit her snug. I then serged the side seam, making the top a tube. I turned up a hem and straight-stitched, then added ribbon ties to the top to tie on the shoulder. I already had the cute pink capri leggings and thot those just finished this little sundress off! I just know this is going to be one of Jaden's favorite Summer Sundresses!

A few weeks ago, Jaden wore a sun-top that I made her last summer and it reminded me of how quick & easy it was to make! She got alot of compliments on it that day, so it motivated me to dig out some cute princess frog fabric in my fabric stash and make her a sundress using the basic instructions I used for the sun-top that I had made her last summer.

Here are the instructions for how I made my sweet & simple summer sundress: Sweet & Simple Summer Sundress

This is a PDF file, so it might take a little time to load for you, it's 4 pages, so your internet speed will depend on how fast it loads for you. I hope you enjoy using my instructions!

Oops! it's too short, now what?

I decided to blog again on another sewing room "Ooops!" I was in the midst of making an A-line reversible jumper and after cutting it out, I decided that altho the top portion of the jumper looked like it would be the correct size, the rest of it just looked too short to me. I am using the same pattern that I used for the jon-jon/shortalls in my previous blog entry. Often times this can happen when you don't have the little person you are sewing for right there to check measurements. I am sure others have had this happen, so I decided to show you all what I did to make this little jumper longer without detracting from the cuteness of it!

I decided to add about 4" in length, so using the cut out skirt as my guide, I marked and measured on some excess fabric and cut 2 pieces of fabric of each of the fabrics. I decided to make the added pieces out of the contrast fabric just to give the jumper a little character!

I serged the added length to all bottom portions of the jumper.

Once the panels were added, it was time to monogram the fronts of the jumper and lining. I also decided to make a pocket for one side of the jumper, so used the contrast fabric to coordinate with the added hem.

Here are pictures of the completed reversible jumper.

Using the fonts in my Artista Ver. 5 software, I created the "M" and MaKenna

I also digitized the butterfly applique since I couldn't find one anywhere that would coordinate like I wanted it to for this jumper.

All in all, I am pretty pleased with how this "Oops!" turned out and I think that it is also an easy fix for when you want to lengthen a previously made dress - just add a contrasting fabric to the hemline and you are set! I hope you enjoyed Part 2 of some sewing Oops! 

Next blog entry will be TWO easy summer sundresses - all pattern instructions will be included, so make sure you join to follow my blog so that you don't miss it!

Uh-ohhh! It doesn't fit! Now what?!?!

How many times have you made something and then said  "Uh-ohhh! It doesn't fit! Now what!". I spent several days making 3 pair of Jon-jon's for my grandson, Paxton. In a sense, these were 6 jon-jons, since I made them reversible. Here are pics of the 3/6 pair of jon-jon's I made, as always, you can click on the picture to enlarge it:

He wears size 24 mos in RTW (Ready To Wear) clothes, so I figured that making a size 2 would be plenty big on him - WRONG!!! After hours upon hours of machine applique work, I tried on one pair of the jon-jon's on him on Monday and gasp! they were too snug around the tummy, and almost too short in the torso. Now what?! was my first response - there was NO WAY I was going to just throw all my hours of sewing to the wayside. I just had to come up with a way to make these jon-jon's fit him! 

On Tuesday, I set out to come up with an idea that would work to make these jon-jon's fit! Lucky for me, I still had plenty of fabric left. I decided that I could add in panels to the side seams and that would give the needed room thru the tummy. I cut the strips 2 1/2" wide by the length of the side seams.  Since the front side of the jon-jons are the seersucker stripe, I figured that the stripes would really easily hide these added seams. For the solid side, I chose to also use the striped fabric for the panels which I think gives it a sporty look and ties in nicely with the Monogram Applique on the front. Here is how the finished added in panels look on the solid sides of the jon-jons:

My next dilemma was to give some added length to the torso. I had thought about just adding a button-on tab at the shoulders, but, I really didn't need to add much more than an inch or so. I decided that I could just add to the back straps and once buttoned, the seam line would be hidden by the front tab. Here is a picture of the added fabric to the tab:

I am very pleased with how my "fix-it" job turned out - next time I will make sure I check measurements before I cut and sew!

For those wondering - the pattern I used for the reversible Jon-Jon's is from Martha Pullen's Favorite Applique Book:  

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I am going to try to keep up with this on my blog and have a Not Me! Monday! too! Please feel free to post your Not Me's in my comments - this should be alot of fun, not to mention hilarious to read!

So, here are my confessions for my first Not Me Monday! Please, please leave your comments and add in your own Not Me's for me (and everyone else) to read and join in the fun!

1. I did NOT spend several days and hours and hours of sewing & machine appliquéing 3... ahem that would be technically 6 jon-jons since they are reversible, for my grandson to find out today that the jon-jons are too tight around and too short from crotch to shoulder - nope, not me!

2. I did NOT just assume making a size 2 would fit him bigger or close to the same as the 24 month size he wears in RTW, nope, not me!

3. I am NOT going to spend Tuesday coming up with an idea on how to make those jon-jons wider & longer, nope, not me! hehehe!

Please don't forget to leave your comments!

Smocked Bonnets Part 2 & An Attitude of Gratitude!

Hand Smocking is probably my most favorite type of handwork to do. I find it very relaxing and really enjoy working on something in the evenings while the TV is on. Probably my most favorite item to hand smock is a baby bonnet. I have been working on two smocked bonnets in the past several weeks, which are baby gifts for friends. Two lucky baby girls will receive these baby bonnets this weekend! Nothing is sweeter than seeing a baby in a bonnet! You can click on the pictures to get a bigger picture of each bonnet and the smocking.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

I am VERY honored to have been given the The Attitude of Gratitude Award! 

My friend Sara, nominated me for this Award, which was soooo very sweet of her! Sara has become a good friend of mine! I met her via the internet, and in June of 2008, I had the opportunity to meet her face to face! We hit it off immediately and it was like we had known each other for years! Sara was honored to have her gor

geous baby layette make the cover of Sew Beautiful Issue #121

Sara is an amazing seamstress - please take time to visit her blog and website to see all her beautiful creations!

The Rules of Accepting and Sharing this Award

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an attitude of gratitude.

3. Link to your nominees within your post.

4. Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award.

5. Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award.

Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude:

I have an attitude of gratitude first and foremost to God for giving me a loving family. I am also grateful for the many talents He has given me! I feel very blessed to have the ability to design and sew! Since God has given me the talent to sew, I am also honored to use my sewing talents to minister to tiny premature infants and little ones that don't make it. Thru my chapter of Threads of Love, I make tiny little gowns, bonnets & blankets for little angels that don't make it and for Preemies, who have an extended stay in the hospital. I enjoy using my sewing talents in serving the Lord, and hope that it ministers to those families who are faced with the loss of an infant or dealing with a tiny preemie in the NICU. I have been following alot of blogs lately that deal with little ones who haven't made it, little ones hanging on to life and those who have been hospitalized - these are the families who really tug at my heart-strings. Many of these blogs, who I am awarding the Attitude of Gratitude Award to, have ministered to me in so many ways! I want to send a special Thank You to them for their bold faith in God! Here is a list of blogs I am awarding The Attitude of Gratitude to - some are sewing blogs, some are blogs that just inspire me & some are blogs that I regularly follow b/c I have just gotten caught up in their lives! LOL!

Rufflebunnies by Sara

Goosegirl Sews

Lasewista!

Southern Matriarch

Boutique Cafe

Shutterbelle Photography

Bring The Rain

My Charming Kids

Kayleigh's Story

Little April Rose

Smock'in a bonnet!

I have 2 smocked bonnets I am working on - both are baby gifts. I thot I would share on my blog my progression of just the smocking. This is bonnet #1. I just made up the smocking as I went along - no pattern to follow. Sorry for the color differences in the pics - lighting wasn't the best for some of them.

All pleated and ready to smock - I pleated 5 rows.

On Row 1 & Row 5, I stitched the cable stitch.

Sorry, forgot to take a pic in between here, but I added 3 cables

above and below Row 1 & 5 in a darker shade of pink. I then decided 

to do 2-step trellis waves on Rows 2-4 in the darker shade of pink.

Using an even darker shade of pink, I stitched 2 stacked cables in every other 

diamond, and I wanted to work it in a diagonal, but since I was making it up, 

I wasn't sure just where I was going to go from there.

I decided to go back and stitch 2 stacked cables on the top & bottom rows of diamonds.

To finish it off, I then decided to add a little bling to it and stitched 

2 stacked cables on the middle row in green.

Here is the completed sequence - I am calling this design "Confetti"

Once I completely finish the bonnet, I will post pictures, but first I am going to 

smock Bonnet #2 - once again, I plan to just make it up as I go along and see what

I can come up with! :)