The Knitting Continues

It has now been 6 months since our daughter, Anna, and I decided to learn to knit. Here is the progress report...... I am now able to knit 2, purl 2 and change colors!

Anna made a sweater!!!!!! As if cooking wasn't enough, I think she is enjoying the ability to knit better than me a little too much. She has promised that if I finish my scarf she will start me on a new project!

Michie'

#110 Pattern of the Week

The pattern of the week is #110! The pattern includes sizes 6 - 24 months. The shirt has two pleats on the front and buttons all the way down the back. The shirt may be made with short sleeves or sleeveless and there are two styles of collars or a simple neckband to choose from.

Mint and ecru cotton verona gives this outfit a dressy look.
Purchased tatting and tiny pearl buttons adds a touch of elegance.

I used a turtle print pique' and black gingham for this play outfit.

The black gingham piping around the collar and armholes helped tie the two fabrics together.

If you read the blog last week, the frog fabric outfit will look familar! This pattern is a good choice for the baby who seems to be outgrowing one piece outfits before they are finished.

Michie'

Sew Beautiful, Shades of Blue

My preview issue of the Sew Beautiful Magazine just arrived in the mail! Not only is the issue devoted to blue, which is my favorite color, it also has more things for boys than I have seen in a very long time.

Best surprise of all was when I discovered the article by Laurie Anderson. Laurie used pattern #126 and not only added a center pleat and belt, but made a matching dress from the same pattern! Her eye for design and drafting are out of this world. Thank you so much Laurie for choosing my pattern for your project!

The baby romper #134 also appears in on the "Designer" page of the magazine. You might notice that it is labeled #124 in the magazine, so don't let that confuse you.

The whole magazine is an absolute treat and I hope that yours will be arriving soon.

Michie'

Spring Diaper Shirt and Short Part 4

It is finished! An easy pattern AND fun fabric, what a great combination. I am very please with how the embroidered frog added a little color and interest without being too much.

The very best part of this project......the e-mails that said, "That gave me a great idea for the pattern!" or "Now I know what to do with my frog fabric!" That is the whole purpose of this blog, to encourage you to sew.

Michie'

Spring Diaper Shirt and Shorts Part 3

I had been undecided up to this point whether the outfit would look okay with a collar or would it look better with just a neckband. Once the collars were made and I could lay them on the shirt it was an easy decision! I basted the collars together at the point where they should meet in the center, so that they will not creep apart as I sew.

Because to the weight of the pique', I cut the neck binding out of Imperial Broadcloth. You can see the back edge of the shirt turned to the right side as described in the pattern instructions. The neck binding is then pinned and stitched in place.

A sneak peak of things to come....the shorts are finished! It took longer to run to the fabric store for the right color thread than it did to make the shorts.

The next post will be the finished outfit. Don't you love that phrase, "FINISHED OUTFIT!"

Michie'

Spring Diaper Shirt and Shorts Part 2

Well, now we know, I can embroidery a cute little frog, in less time than my husband can unload a truckload of mulch for the flower beds. That either says something about my embroidery skills, or his shoveling skills....I'm not sure which. The important thing is that the little frog turned out to be a great project for a lovely evening outside.

The frog is stitched with basic stitches that can be found in the "Heirloom Embroidery Book." The green frog's body is Shadow Embroidered with three strands of floss. (Sorry it doesn't show up well in the photo.) His body is stitched with a Back Stitch, and 3 strands of floss, and his face is stitched with Granito Knots and Back Stitch, using two strands of floss.
After the embroidery was completed, I cut out the front of the shirt and marked the pleats with a blue wash-away marker.


Right sides together, the pleats are pinned and stitched.

The pleats are now pressed toward the center. The next step will be to construct the collars, and see how they are going to look.

Be sure to check back in for the next step!

*Family update: Several of you have asked how our son is doing after returning from Iraq. Fantastic! He has 30 days before going back to his real job, and he is taking advantage of it. He called his sister (and not me.....yippee!) to help him restock his apartment with groceries. Then he flew to Arizona to visit and snow ski with our oldest son and his wife. He did manage to find time to join us for Easter dinner, and is now packing for South Korea to spend a week with our youngest son! All sounds good to me!

Michie'

Spring Diaper Shirt and Shorts Part 1

I always take a sewing break the week before Easter. Years ago, after finishing up all the Easter Sewing the day before, I promised myself I would not do that again! These days, I don't have little ones to sew for, but I still like having the week free to get ready for the big dinner. What a joy, to actually have time to clean, cook, and have everything ready for the gang. Although we have downsized our house by half since last year, we were still able to squeeze in 13 for Easter dinner. I furnished the ham and drinks, and everyone else brought a covered dish. Not only did we have family for the gathering, but neighbors, friends from church, and some of our kids' friends were able to come. Now, that is how I think we should celebrate!



So, now I am ready to sew again! I purchased the frog fabric while visiting The Stitchin' Post. I love the little dressed up frogs and the bright colors. Over the next few days, I will give you a glimpse of the creative process, as I make an outfit using pattern #110. Remember, this is a "creative process", so the original idea may change along the way!

First, I pulled out the pattern, frog fabric, white pique', and embroidery floss. Next, I did a sketch of what I have in mind. Taking time to make a sketch, gives me a better idea of how things will turn out, and is a wonderful excuse to play with my colored pencils.



I think that an embroidered frog on the front of the shirt might be cute. I traced one of the frogs onto tracing paper and then enlarged him, using my scanner.


In this picture, I have traced the shirt front onto the white pique' using a wash-away marker. The blue dots right above the frog indicates the collars. I used a fine tip purple marker to trace the frog onto the fabric. Why the purple disappearing marker? Because, my fine tip blue marker has dried up! I will complete the embroidery before cutting out the shirt front.

If all goes as planned, I will be able to sit outside and embroidery this evening while my husband spreads mulch in the flower beds. Stay tuned for the next phase of the project!
Michie'