Wish I Had More Time to Sew

I have so many projects I want to work on, but at work we are now into the busy retail season. Everyone is either making Halloween costumes are they are working on xmas gifts. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! So busy in fact that I've only been able to sew one day this week. I'm afraid with extra hours at work me only time sewing will be on my days off.
I did get my daygown all finished including rinsing out the blue marker for the embroidery stitching, doing a final pressing. I wasn't too thrilled with the hem at first, but after getting it all pressed, I'm satisfied with the results. The scalloped trim is crocheted. I really hope Jeannie B does another sew-a-long, I will be involved. It was so much fun reading everyone's comments and of course doing all the hand sewing. She has inspired with this sew-a-long to start a smocking class in the spring. So in the back of my mind, I have been thinking what exactly I want to do with my classes.
My cover issue dress is have finished. Now I just need time to sew sleeves, hems and buttons. I've shown the smocking to the little girl, Victoria, who is getting the dress when it's done and she loves it. In my area there is a place that does princess tea parties at a replica of a castle; as well as weddings/receptions. Well, I met the guy who owns it and he says they are going to do a tea party next month. All the little girls dress up in princess dresses. At the castle Snow White answers the door. About halfway through the party, Prince Charming rings the door bell and all the "princesses" get to try on the glass slipper. Of course, none of the little girls fit the slipper and then Cinderella descends the staircase and there is happily ever after. "sigh" I so want to be a princess. The owner says that all the moms and grammas dress as princesses also. I would like to get this cover dress done and borrow Victoria so I have an excuse to go to this princess party. If anyone wants to see what this castle looks like, here's the link:
http://castle-gardens.com/

Maybe with all the crazy buzy time at work, I will have to do another hand-stitched baby gown. Hmmm.
Well, I will always have some smocking project going. Hopefully with my next post I'll have a princess dress done! Happy stitching everyone.

Hippity Hop

                               Pattern from the book "Sew Cute Couture" by Gail Doane
                                    Smock plate is "Bunny Lace" from Pat Garretson

I just finished a bunny dress. I'm fairly happy with it. I've had a hard time feeling like being at the sewing machine the past couple of weeks. Kind of tired and I wasn't any more energized when I sat down at the sewing machine after work today. But somehow sitting at the machine and sewing my mood changed and now I feel so much better. Of course, now I'm sharing with all of you and I love doing show-n-tell! So that brings out the sunshine in me so much more.
I love Gail Doane's book! I would love to do every dress and jacket in there. She just put up some new pics of two new dresses on her blog. I adore the white dress with the purple beads. Here's the link if you want to check it out.
http://luluandannies.blogspot.com/
I finished the pleating on my lavender dress with the overlay of tulle. I was a little nervous at first to put it through the pleater, but I went slow and unloaded the needles about every 6-8 pleats. Now I'm about 1/2 done with the smocking. I always seem to have so many dress fronts all smocked up and ready to be sewn into a finished garments. I'd have to say it's much easier when you've had a long or rough day to just pick up smocking or embroidery than it is to go to my sewing machine. Handwork helps me to de-stress.
I belong to a yahoo chat group "Learning to Smock" and had one of the nicest emails from one of the girls in the group. So Marcia, if you are reading this post, here's a shout to you. THANK YOU!
I've already said thanks earlier to her, but I thought it deserved repeating. Here's wishing everyone a few hours of lovely stitching time to destress.

Lots to do Today

I was thinking of everything I need to do today and it's going to crowd into my sewing time. Here's my list of stuff to do today:
Grocery shopping (rather be sewing)
Take Rachelle to renew license (rather be sewing)
Go buy more bling for new dress front (ok since it has to do with sewing)
Add items to my Etsy page for sale (for my go to 2011 SAGA convention)

Maybe I can get away with minimal groceries. Hmm . . . . mabybe not. Don't think I better skip that, gotta eat sometimes.
We got the next lesson in Jeannie Baumeister's Sew-A-Long. Stitching side seams and attaching lace to entredeux. I'm going to do a crocheted trim on my daygown. I've done that once before on a dress and it turned out beautiful. Since I chose to do my gown in cotton sateen, I need a little heavier trim; so the crocheted trim should go nicely with it. As you can see from the pics I will have to rinse out the soluble pen lines. I'm been having lots of fun with the sewalong. I hope Jeannie does another one. I will definitely be part of it. I just love her stuff.
The past week I've been working on hand-basting 2 layers of tulle to a layer of dull satin for a dress for a granddaughter of a lady I work with. The dress is lavender with sparkle tulle overlays. It's the dress from the front cover of AS&E issue 90.
Don't know if I will get time to stitch together my Surf Monkey romper today. I also need to finish up a size 3 bishop with bunnies smocked into it. I always have more projects going that I know what to do with. At least I'm not board!
I ordered some patterns from Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops this morning. They are from Olabelhe and you can download them and start sewing right away. Less expensive than patterns you have to ship and I saved a copy on my computer. I only printed off the actual pattern pieces. I think look at instructions later if I have a any questions. The patterns are simple enough for beginners, though they would need to print the instructions also. I think the patterns from Olabelhe are so darling. Can't wait to make some hats. Maybe I can smock some. Hmmm . . . . have to see about that one.
Oh, anyone whose interested, on SewNSo blog, Laurie is doing lessons on a smocked bishop and I just read that Lesson 2 is up. She is doing the lessons on video. That's great for all the new smockers and she gives tips for some of us that are experienced. Well, I better get my errands done so I can have a date with my sewing machine. Happy smocking everyone!

Surf Monkeys

Smock plate is "Sock Monkeys" from Little Memories

Last Sunday I had some how hurt my ankle (have no idea how), great excuse to do some smocking, like I need any. Just after the Fair I went to a local quilt shop, The Quilt Crossing, and found the cutest surfing monkeys. After seeing that fabric, nothing else was speaking to me, so I just had to get some. It goes perfectly with the smocked insert in the pic don't you think? The smock plate originally had 2 monkeys, but I think for a baby romper, which this is going to be, would be too much. Don't want to overwhelm the baby. I spent most of Sunday stitching and finished up the monkey. Backsmocking was done the previous week on my lunch break at work.
Since I have no time with the sewing machine this week, I got started on hand-basting 2 layers of orchid tulle atop lavender dull satin, both purchased at Hancock Fabrics, where I work. Originally I was going to do the dress up in crystal blue from the same line of fabric, but we were out of one of the fabrics. My inspiration dress is the one on the cover of AS&G issue 90. I love that dress! The pattern calls for rayon floss, but I love using silk floss. There's nothing like the luster on silk. I already have the crystals I need for the beadwork, so all I have to do is finish the hand-basting.
As you all know, I've been part of Jeannie Baumeister's Sew-A-Long. Today we get to do the embroidery on the daygown. YEAH! That's my favorite part of this whole project. Not to say that the rest of it hasn't been a learning experience. I've always done hems, stitched on buttons, finished the self lining on my smocked dresses by hand. So I feel a little more knowledgeable. What I should get is a french hand sewing book. Hmmm . . . . well, Ebay and Amazon would be a good idea I think. Okay, now to go embroider. Happy stitching everyone.

My Ribbons!

Today was the first day of the Fair and I just happened to have the day off. I didn't ask for it off, I have a nice boss. Okay, here's my listing of fair ribbons:
2 - second place
5 - first place
1 - Best of Show

I'm quite happy and excited over the Best of Show. Seven out of eight items placed, I didn't expect it to place, I just wanted to share with all the fair goers what I made. Isn't that supposed to be the reason we enter things in the fair anyway, to share with others, not just to win ribbons? I think if everyone were to keep that kind of perspective, they would not be dissappointed or angry. I would never argue over judgement. I don't want to be a judge, that's too much pressure for me!
I did have one of the ladies working at the fair who said she might nominate me to be a judge next year, but I said please don't. I think that's a nice thougt, but I really don't feel I could. People put there hearts into those projects and I would feel like I was dashing their hopes. That would be a terrible feeling. I don't consider myself an expert sewer, most all of my experience is self taught, with the help of sewing magazines, books and sewing shows. If you read anything in Sew Beautiful or by Country Bumpkin (A - Z books and Australian Smocking and Embroidery) you wil improve your techniques a ton!

I'm Project Crazy!

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Here is one of my creations I'm putting into the fair, only a few more days left. Turn in day is Tuesday. I used the smock plate from issue 90 of AS&E, The Garden Party;  with a little bit of a change. The dress pattern was from the same issue only I used Indigo Child. The collar was from any size 7 dress you want. I had to lengthen the dress to a size 8. The fabric is a cotton print from Hancock Fabrics from clearance. The collar was out of Dull Satin also from Hancock's and the ties (although you can't see them) are out of Shiny Organdy, both in the BFF line. I think I will but this in the "Party Dress" category in the fair. It's not as fluffy as last year's "Fluff Dress", but I had fun making it.

Opps, forgot to add the bit about the daygown. As you all know, I've been part of Jeannie Baumeister's blog sew along. I'm having loads of fun hand stitching the baby daygown. We are using Jeannie's Old Fashioned Baby pattern, Embroidered Raglan Daygowns. The pic shows the back of the gown. Since I am kind of on a time crunch this week, I decided to finish the shoulder seams on the serger. Everything else is hand sewn, even the buttonholes. I did those late last night. I can't wait to move on to the embroidery. The fabric is cotton satteen in baby blue. I'm going to use white floss for the embroidery. I had thought hand stitching the entire thing would have been harder than it is, but that just goes to show that we sometimes make things to complicated. The instructions Jeannie has are very easy to follow. Well, I've got to get back to sewing. My next project and maybe the last one for the fair is an ensemble of gathered waist jumper (with picture smocked scotties), white blouse and a hot pink chenille jacket. I feel like I'm off to the races! Happy stitching everyone.

A New Baby Dress

I just finished a baby dress for my friend, Krista. Well, for her new grandbaby, Charlotte. The dress is the cover dress from the book Embroidered Christening Gowns, Delight, in size 6 mos. I love that dress. Any who are going to make this dress, please be careful about machine stitching around the beads. Don't want to break any needles, I only broke one. I did shorten the length from a gown to dress length.
I received my pattern for Jeannie's Sew Along. Since I want to sew most of it by hand, I need to get started on it, don't want to fall behind. Too hard to catch up. If any of you want to do the Sew Along, here's the link:
http://oldfashionedbaby.blogspot.com/

One of the girls at work had her baby last Friday, a boy she named Charley. I told her I would make his Christening outfit. I need to get with her about what size she wants. She doesn't want any smocking on it, just about killed me when she said that. Maybe I can sneak some feather stitching in there somewhere.
Hmmm . . . . there's a thought.
Tomorrow is smock night for me and I have 2 new ladies that said they wanted to learn. I need to get my stuff together for that. Happy smocking everyone!