Anna's Sewing Project

Since nearly all of Anna's friends are having babies, she is sewing a lot more often. As soon as she found out that Ben and Tiffany were adopting she asked if she could make the diaper bag. And then when baby Emma's due date was moved up a month Anna pulled out an old simple pattern for the bag. The bag is made out of green twill and a polka dot print and is machine embroidered with a monkey from "Bunny Cup" that happens to match the nursery. Since the bag was so easy, burp cloths and a toy Owl (also from "Bunny Cup") was added to the gift.

This is now Anna's "go to" gift for new babies.

Michie'

Happy Thanksgiving

May your day be filled with family, friends, laughter, food, and thanks to God for all that he has provided!

And in our family we like to add, "May your day not be so overwhelming that you don't have time to watch for the Snoopy balloon in the Macy's parade!

Michie'

My Most Common Sewing Mishap

I thought that I would share my most common sewing mishap. It is.........getting those buttonholes straight! Don't you hate when the outfit is complete and one of the last steps is where your big mistake happens? I think I have finally solved this problem by marking a straight line the total length instead of just marking the buttonholes.

I have a 12" quilter's ruler that I found works well for this. You wouldn't believe how having the whole line drawn helps me keep the buttonhole attachment straight!

This is such a simple step that it seems silly, but that is how sewing is, it is the little details that often trip us up!

Michie'

Christmas Sewing

Since Thanksgiving is next week, it is probably time to get serious about Christmas sewing! Here are a few ideas if you have got caught by surprise and need something that isn't too time consuming. The first picture is of the gown that I did for Emma. It is made from pattern #128 from Australian Cashmere Flannel and is trimmed with red micro gingham. Both fabric's were purchased from Baltazor's.

This is the best quality flannel that I have found and is perfect for a little one who will still be wearing a newborn size for her first Christmas.

It has already been mention that Emma would look good in this next year! Made from pattern #104, this would be a sweet and simple dress for a toddler.

Of course I would never leave the boys out. This bubble, made from pattern #129, got a lot of attention last year when I featured it on the blog.

Also featured last year, this gown made from pattern #119, would look great on a new baby boy who needs something a little warmer.

Good luck with your Christmas sewing. I would love to hear if you are finished, in the midst, or have just now figured out that Christmas is really coming again this year!

Michie'

Baby Emma Is Finally Going Home!

I can't tell you what it did to my heart last week when I opened the email with this picture of baby Emma and realized that the hands holding her belong to our oldest baby. The final adoption papers were signed today and they are now on their way back to Arizona to start their new life as a family. Rex and I will be going for a visit when she turns a month old. What a long wait it is!

So what is an anxious first time grandmother to do? Sew of course! Since Emma is so tiny, I seem to be interested in simple designs right now. I had just enough scraps of lace and Imperial Batiste for a pale blue daygown. I used pattern #125 and added a few tiny tucks and an embroidery design from a vintage pattern.

A simple neck band and delicate ecru embroidery using one strand of DMC floss. I started the embroidery while in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, so once again I have a unique memory of working on the gown while waiting for Emma's due date to arrive.

More embroidery at the bottom complete the dainty look of the gown.

We have appreciated all of the prayers and the adoption that you have shared with us during the last few weeks. Adopted babies are truly special gifts from God.

Michie'

Teaching in Baton Rouge and New Orleans

Although I haven't even met baby Emma yet, she has still managed to interrupt life which is why I am just now blogging about our trip to Louisiana! I had the opportunity to teach classes for the local Embroidery Guilds in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

I love teaching groups of ladies who have know each other for years. They have a history together and are comfortable enough to laugh and have a really good time!

We also managed to work in some serious sewing!

They also made sure that Anna and I had time to do some sightseeing, ate at their favorite restaurant, and even provided boiled eggs in the morning when morning sickness crept up on Anna!

We even had a friend (thank you Merle) who I met at Martha Pullen School, take us on a fabulous tour of the French Quarter! As a former tour director she gave us a fantastic historic tour. And here is the funniest thing that happened on our trip.....look carefully at the above picture, see the tall guy standing behind the other two? While we were eating at an outdoor cafe' they were setting up to film a Capital One commercial and that is one of the vikings! There was even a live alligator involved, but we couldn't get the camera out fast enough.

I would like to thank all of the ladies who extended true southern hospitality to us and made our trip not only a wonderful teaching experience, but a mother/daughter vacation that we will never forget!

Michie'

A White Daygown For Emma

This is the little daygown that I quickly made after receiving the e-mail that little Emma would only weigh about 5 lbs.! Rex, was out of town, so I could stay up as late as I wanted sewing and could start early again Saturday morning.

I used pattern #128 (one of my personal favorites) and pulled out the white Imperial batiste and a little lace. Using the newborn size, I took slightly larger seams to size it down a little. I cut out the gown and put in the tucks that night and then had to quit because my eyes stopped focusing! It was a nice surprise the next morning to see that my tucks were straight after all.

I completed the construction Saturday morning and added the white embroidery at the bottom. This is a very simple gown because I want the focus on baby, not what she is wearing for her first outing!

Michie'