Summer Inspiration Board

 Michie'

Horitzontal Stripes.

When laying out a pattern, the grain of the fabric will have the stripes running up and down. While in an upscale boutique I spotted the stripes on the yoke running horizontal.  My first thought was, "That is wrong."  My second thought was, "That is different, and I like it!"  It just added a little interest to the garment and might come in handy when you are running short on fabric. 

Are you a rule breaker when you sew?

Michie'

Mother's Day

Sweet little girls all dressed up, how proud their mother must have been.  They were the first of 10 children, 5 girls, and 5 boys.  The picture was taken in 1914 and the baby was my maternal grandmother.

Michie'

Those Sweet Legs

I love outfits with elastic at the leg openings, which are also know as bubbles, on the little guys. A soft elastic is very forgiving and will not pinch their thighs. And most of all.. I like to show off those sweet legs and not a printed diaper!

Michie'

The View

Being a visual person, I find it hard to stare at a blank wall while ironing.  The solution....an old window frame, string, paper clips, and photos.  Just what the room needed!

Michie'

Angel Sleeve Turtorial

 Pattern #135

Smocked bishop dresses are so forgiving in size, that it was not a big surprise that they still fit this year.  Bright yellow gingham, sleeves trimmed with pink rick rack, and smocked with Ellen McCarn's "Tulip Garden" made a lovely summer dress.

Angel sleeves are an easy variation to a bishop dress.  Click here for the free down loadable instructions.

Michie'

Smocking Makes The News!

If you have watched any news at all over the last few weeks you might have noticed that a certain famous baby has been spotted wearing lovely smocked outfits.  Although smocking is a very old technique' it became very popular some 30 years ago when the baby's daddy appeared in public in smocked outfits.  Those pictures way back then, and the fact that I had 3 little boys had a lot to do with my learning to smock. 

Because "classic" never goes out of style, these designs have been in my collection for quite some time along with a sailboat smocking design.  The bubble is pattern #115 and the dress is pattern #131.  Click here for the free down loadable smocking design.

Michie'