Doll robe and nightgown

This is what I've been doing lately. It's finally finished and passed on. As usual with this kind of thing, it always takes longer than I expect.

This doll robe and nightgown fit an 18" doll and will be part of an opportunity drawing to be held at our guild show in October.The gown uses fabric and trim I purchased way back when my nieces were little and I intended to make doll clothes for them. It never happened. (I did make them dress up boxes for themselves with tutus and fairy crowns and boas so I hope I got aunt credit for that.)The green flannel was a remnant I found just a few weeks ago and bought to use for something else. It was just enough fabric for the robe (and that something else was very vague and unplanned).

more endless birthday

On Saturday my sister gave me a disk of photos kindly taken by her hubby and so I finally have some pix of the grand birthday bash to share. Above is the "birthday queen" and her court.Friends chatting away
and eating.Lots of yummy cake--my brother made that angel food from scratch for me because it's my favorite! It was awesome with fresh berries and piles of whipped cream.

If you haven't had enough of the endless birthday, more photos are on Flickr here.

Pocket Tutorial Part 2

Here's where we left off yesterday, sewing the pocket to the lining.Next, pull the pocket lining right side out by pulling the pocket out of it through the opening you left in the bottom of the lining.Here's the pocket all the way out. Press the seam joining the pocket and lining and check for any pleats or problems with the seam. Poke out the corners of the lining--that's why I turned the corners of the lining bottom, way back at the beginning. Press. (When I say Press I mean press with a hot iron, generally with a spritz of water first, finger pressing won't give the same results. The key to nice finishing (or any sewing) is to press often and well at each step.) You can fold in the raw edges of the lining now and hand stitch the opening closed.Last, poke the lining inside the pocket. Press the top edge of the pocket so the lining stays inside. You can top stitch it if you wish.Here's the finished pocket.

Pocket Tutorial Part 1

I promised a while back to post a tutorial for creating a lined pocket. This will finish any open object with a nice seam at the top. In addition to pockets, this technique works for Christmas stockings (and stocking ornaments) and purses. I made this sample to demonstrate finishing the pocket for the crewel chatelaine class. I was going to just show the technique using plain fabric but...I've been reading Judith Baker Montano's new book, Fiberart Montage, and decided to play a bit. I only used materials that were right to hand--this was a last minute idea. I had cut some pocket linings too small so I used them. This piece would have been much better (and easier) if I'd had used a larger piece of fabric that could have been hooped. As it was, I had a 4" square, precut. So here's my embroidery partly done. I used a piece of commercial gold cording for the "tree" and one of the blue scraps I'd picked up on my walks last winter for the sky. Step one, you need four pieces of fabric the same size. Pocket front and back and lining front and back. Sew the pocket outside on three sides leaving the top open. (right sides of the pocket and backing facing). Place the right sides of the lining pieces facing and pin. Sew leaving the top edge completely open and also leaving an opening on the bottom edge. I left about a 2" opening here. Back stitch at the opening to secure it well. Use whatever seam allowance works for your piece--just make sure the stitched size of both pieces is the same. Trim the seams and clip the corners on both the pocket and the lining to avoid bulk and help them to turn nicely. Turn your pocket right side out. Leave the lining inside out. Poke the pocket corners out carefully and completely. Press. Slip the pocket inside the lining. You may need to roll up the bottom of pocket a bit to get it to fit inside. Line up the open top edges of the pocket and lining. Match the side seams and pin. Pin the pocket to the lining all around the open top edge.

If you are making a hanging ornament or a purse with straps, this is where you add the handing loop or straps. The cut ends of the loop or strap match the cut ends of the top edge of the pocket and lining. Place the loop or strap pieces wherever you want them to be along the edge, between the pocket and lining pieces and pin in place. Tuck any excess loop or strap out of the way of the seam so it's won't get caught--you might want to pin it out of the way.When you stitch back over them to secure them firmly. Stitch a seam all the way around the top, stitching the pocket to the lining. On a small item like this it's easiest to stitch from the inside of the item. On larger pieces that will fit over the sewing machine arm, it's easier to stitch from the outside. Part 2 will be posted tomorrow.

Weekend fun

Saturday was very hot and humid so we took in a movie in air conditioned comfort.We liked the first Nanny McPhee movie and this one is as good or better. It was a great deal of fun.On Sunday we went to a National Micro- and Mini-Car show up in Crystal Lake, IL. (about a 90 mile drive for us). Here several owners are giving rides around the parking lot to children.By not going up on Friday or Saturday, we missed some awesome and rare vehicles. I was content with the cool things we saw for those who lingered for Sunday (and the weather was much nicer). The car on the right is based on a motorcycle--it sits tilted like that.We spent a couple of hours wandering amongst the cars and marveling at them. Almost all are European--not to many U.S. mini-cars. There really is a bed in the back of the trailer. I have no idea where your feet would go!Sadly, they weren't selling ice cream. I grew up with Good Humor trucks winding their way slowly though neighborhoods, selling ice cream bars.

A little (very little) stitching content

This week I've been working on a doll nightgown and robe for part of our opportunity drawing for our Guild show coming up in October.This is the fuzzy robe.And this is the nightie. I've made progress since this photo and last night a friend's doll modeled the clothing for me so I could make adjustments. The nightie will get a ruffle at the bottom.

I completed the handwork on the robe last night (extra handwork since I stitched the embroidered collar on upside down and then trimmed the seams before checking. It's now embroidered on both sides.) It just needs a hem and ties or a belt (not quite sure which I'll do). I will finish this up this weekend.

The endless birthday

It's still going on! Last Friday a good friend took me for dinner and gave me this incredible tatted butterfly. It's really teeny-tiny. I have a crazy quilting idea and want to use it for that. Thank you very much! When we got married in 1976 (!) friends took the photos. They used Kodachrome color slide film. So we've always had slides of the wedding but I always wanted some prints. My sweetie made me a set of prints for my birthday. It took a while to get a couple scanned in. So here we are in our woodland wedding (Sand Ridge Nature Center), nearly 34 years ago (September 18). Above is my mom, his dad, me, him, his mom and my dad. (I'm now older than my parents were when this photo was taken! Yikes!) I made my dress (crochet yoke and trim, hand dyed and then assembled into the dress--I think the crochet pattern was in McCalls or Better Homes and Gardens (a magazine, anyway). I crocheted most of it on the bus, commuting to work in the city. I also made hubby's shirt, it's a kurta (Indian design). That's rayon embroidery floss. It was lovely but, oh, that was a labor of love! To this day, I avoid rayon floss! (Although in the intervening years, I have learned some techniques to help when working with it is unavoidable.)