Ursula's New Slip

One of the goals I set for this year was to try French heirloom sewing by machine for my dolls. I purchased a beautiful book by Dr. Martha Pullen, Heirloom Doll Clothes for Götz, and this slip was my first attempt. I learned how to sew lace to fabric very securely and invisibly! I figure that should come in handy for making Santa outfits, too. My little model is a Götz Precious Day doll. She's advertized as being the same size as The American Girl dolls, but she's ever so slightly slimmer. I named her Ursula.

TAST 2012: Satin Stitch

Here’s a peek at a work in progress, a fabric collage based upon magazine images from a course taught by Susan Sorrell. I usually use chain stitches to fill in shapes (see the iris and pupil), but thought I’d try satin stitches to fill in the lettering.

TAST: Barred and Alternating Barred Chain Stitch

I'm caught up, at last!

TAST 2012: Whipped Wheel

For the first whipped wheel, I used a nylon washer as the base. Not wanting to leave it plain, I covered it with buttonhole stitches to add some color. The other sample is a whipped long arm chain stitch, one of my favorite stitches from Sharon B’s Personal Library of Stitches course a few years ago. It has a kind of nautical look, I think.

TAST 2012: Running Stitch

Still trying to get all my ducks in a row...

TAST 2012: More Chain Stitch Variations (and a Little Bit of Couching)

Here are a couple more chain stitch variations; the blossom stitch (which is a combination of the stem and chain stitch), reverse and heavy chain stitch and, lastly, regular chain and zigzag chain stitch (couching novelty thread). The chain stitch can also be used as an outline for appliqué. I keep thinking the heavy chain stitch would make a nice braid trim for doll clothes. And, speaking of doll clothes, I’ve include a photo of an outfit just finished (Simplicity pattern #2296) where I’ve used the zigzag chain stitch to couch rickrack. My model is the adorable Little Sister doll “Tess” by Gotz. She can share clothing with American Girl dolls.

TAST 2012: Herringbone, Chevron and Detached Chain Stitches

I’m not quite (but very nearly) caught up with my TAST stitching. DH and I have been ill with some sort of cold or flu for the past week or so – stuffy heads and zero energy… We’re both just beginning to feel better.

The first photo shows two versions of the double herringbone stitch, both of which are illustrated in Sharon B’s Stitch Dictionary. The next one shows a couple rows of Chevron stitch combinations. In the third photo, I appliquéd a piece of felt to my sampler and stitched some lazy daisies (detached chain stitches). These flowers were inspired by one of my favorite embroidery books, The Embroiderer’s Floral, by Janet Haigh.

Also, I have been working on a doll outfit trimmed with zigzag chain stitches over rickrack (fun, but time consuming!) I will add a photo soon.

TAST 2012: Cretan Stitch

I’m a week overdue on my TAST stitches! Here is my sampler with stacked Cretan stitches and a row of knotted Cretan stitches. Below, I added a little felted piece with knotted Cretan stitches that I made for the original TAST a few years ago.

TAST 2012: Feather Stitch

Note to self: Don’t add eyelash yarn to a sampler until you've stitched a few rows away from it. Those strands were everywhere in my way for the first two stitches (closed and up and down buttonhole feathered). The third stitch is my version of the chained feather stitch. It is traditionally worked as separate stitches down the row; each stitch pulled to the back and a new one begun on the opposite side. Mine is worked as a continuous row, more like a regular feather stitch – and it works up very quickly! This might be my new favorite! It's very easy to do and I've photographed the tricky part:

1. Make a chain stitch on the left slanting toward center of row.

2. Proceed to the right and make the loop part of a feather stitch.

3. The thread that would normally anchor the feather stitch is, instead, taken back up and through the fabric just to the left of the rightmost stitch, forming top part of a chain stitch.

4. Hold down the lower loop and the working thread and take a stitch through to the front, finishing the chain stitch.

5. Take thread to the left, make another feather stitch and repeat down the row.

TAST 2012: Buttonhole Stitch

I had done a few variations of the buttonhole stitch on my (still in progress) Stitchin’ Fingers” sampler, but found two more to add to my new TAST sampler. They both call for two rows of stitches and can be used to create nice, thick bars. The second stitch, below, is a variation on the barb stitch adding couched threads.

I will add the buttonhole stitched areas of my first sampler to the Take a Stitch Tuesday group on Flickr.

TAST 2012

Not wanting to make yet another commitment (kinda swamped here), I tried really hard to resist the temptation of joining the new TAST 2012. (I had participated in the original TAST as well as the Stitch Explorer Challenge – and thoroughly enjoyed both and learned so much!) But, I went over to Sharon B’s blog and had a peek at the first stitch and realized resistance was futile (sigh…). I love the fly stitch! Dang! So, here is a row of simple little fly stitch roses. I had seen this pattern (or something similar) a few years ago in a crazy quilting book that contained some illustrations of easy seam treatments. Unfortunately, I can’t recall the name of the book.

"Love Potion No. 9" Finished

This is the embroidery piece I started last year, all finished except for the hangers. I need to go to the the Home Depot to purchase a couple of nylon washers to add to the back. I used beads, sequins, gold “coins” and a tassel to enhance the Gypsy theme. I added four treasured vintage twinkle buttons from my collection, one in each corner. My favorite one, on the top left, is marked “Czechoslovakia” on the back. I had so much fun working on this - and those coins make the happiest clatter!

Happy 2012!

It's time to put the Christmas toys away and get back to work...

Merry Christmas, Everybody!!!

Collage

I have been a fan of the art of KC Willis for years – ever since I first saw her wonderful collages in Somerset magazine. I always wanted to take a class with her and was delighted to discover that she was offering her “Collage Camp” on DVD. What fun! Just give me some fabric, paper, thread and glue and I’m happy as a little pig in poop…

Below is my first collage using what I learned from the DVD. The transferred image is of my sister as May Queen along with her court. She was in the eighth grade, I’m guessing circa 1956 or 1957. The pearl buttons aren't as bright as they appear in the picture. They are really subtle, in shades of brown. This is going to be a little extra Christmas present for Susie. Been singing “Stairway to Heaven” as I’ve been working on this…

“If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now,
It’s just a spring clean for the May Queen.”

Large Victorian Santa Wreath Finished

I finished my large Victorian Santa wreath and listed it on Etsy. I found a great source for wreath shipping boxes, The Container Store. They are plain corrugated cardboard, sturdy enough for shipping, and perfect for storage. I ordered them online and picked them up at the nearest franchise.

Santa Wreath

I made a small Santa last year (blogged here) inspired by an article in Art Doll Quarterly magazine and he's been languishing in a box ever since. The other day, I decided to try wiring him into a wreath. I found some flowers and greenery that coordinated with him in my floral supply stash. I'm really happy with how this turned out - and will be adding the wreath to my Etsy store, soon.

Another Santa…

I finished another Santa, yesterday. I dressed him in turquoise taffeta and plan to add him to a Victorian-themed Christmas wreath. I found a couple of gorgeous floral sprays with peacock feathers (that I had forgotten I had!) and will try to work them into the wreath, too.

From My Work Table…

I’ve been happily working on a couple of Santa dolls in between lots of other stuff. Christmas is coming!!! Here’s a nautical guy I just finished that I’m calling “The Jolly Old Man and the Sea,” (with apologies to Hemingway!). Although he’s a Santa doll, I deliberately understated the Christmas theme, by using neutral colors and just adding a little gold twig star to his wreath. This way, he can be comfortably displayed year round with other marine collectibles.

Pieces of the Past…

Here is the first machine appliqué piece I ever tried. The pattern for this tea cozy was in a craft magazine – from the late 70s, I think. I did the appliqué and embroidery and my mom sewed it all together – a collaborative effort! Check out the back view! I wish I could remember the designer’s name.