Clothespin Cuteness

I do not have a clothes dryer. I sold it a few months ago, after not using it for a few years: My clothes air-dried on drying racks. It worked fine, and the savings on electricity have been nice.

Recently, my wonderful husband put up a clothesline in the yard. Now I actually have the drying space to do more than one load a day, if I so choose. I can still employ the racks if I run out of room on the line.

A clothesline meant that I needed to get clothespins, though--and clothespins just must have a pretty holder.


I have seen some very functional clothespin holders that were not pretty, but I wanted something that I would enjoy looking at while I am hanging out the clothes. I think mine fills that purpose amply, in addition to serving as a place to keep my clothespins.

The body of the holder was once the bottom of a dress. Since it was a straight-skirted dress, I just cut the skirt off straight across and folded part of it up to make the pocket. I left the fabric doubled to increase the durability of it. The contrasting trim was made from scraps left from another project. There are little tortoiseshell-colored buttons at the base of the straps to hold the bag on the line.



My clothespin holder makes me smile every time I use it.

Dressy Apron

I made an apron while I was in high school. It was a combination 4-H and Home Economics project. Here is how it turned out:


As you can see, it is pretty basic. It is just a plain, practical apron made of a navy cotton calico with stars on it.


It is a very functional design with not a particle of femininity. At the time, it was what I wanted. I was not into all that frilly "nonsense"; I was a tomboy and thought that anything ruffly or lacy or what-have-you would be entirely impractical and render the apron pretty much useless. Therefore, my apron was basically unisex.

Since then, I have learned better. It is so much more fun to have the frills, and they make it more enjoyable to cook (which is not one of my favorite activities). So, as a decidedly feminine and girly girl now, I wanted an apron that would make me feel pretty. I started with this:



It is a dress that I made several years ago. It was well-loved and, thus, well-worn. It became faded and not was not donned very often. I thought it would make a beautiful apron. So I took off the buttons (and saved them for another use, of course), lapped the left front over the right (to hide the buttonholes) and sewed it down with a few lines of stitching, cut larger armholes (the sleeves are raglan), and removed the back panel (it is a princess-seamed, gored style).



Then I serged the back edges and turned them under. From the removed panel, I made a couple ties and attached them to the edges at the waist.



The result is an absolutely adorable apron that makes homemaking even more enjoyable. Pretty things make such a difference in my world!!

Niecely Niceness

I have a fairly large family. I have several siblings, which means that I have many nieces and nephews. Family gatherings are always fun, if somewhat noisy.

Since I had so much fun making my purse, I decided to keep sewing and make some more stuff. That "stuff" turned out to be dresses for some of my adorable nieces. My nephews are adorable, too, but it is just more fun to sew little dresses, in my opinion. Since I am still keeping strictly to what is available in my stash, I ended up mixing and matching fabrics to construct some really cute little items. Here is the first:



Yellow is the favorite color of this little girl, and it looks good on her, too. The bodice and belt/ties fabric has a cream background with little blue, daisy-like flowers in yellow squares. The A-line skirt and two-part sleeves are of a brighter yellow fabric with red flecks.

Her sister's dress is from the same pattern:



This little girl looks really good in blue. When I initially put the bodice and skirt fabrics next to each other, I was not really sure if they would go well together. They seemed to be just enough "off" that they might clash. Adding the dark blue belt between them turned out to make the combination perfect. Since the dress seemed a little plain, I decided on applique embellishments, and flowers were a natural choice, because she loves flowers. I did simple, free-hand sketches and cut them out of the dark blue. The center of the smaller flower on the bodice is of the skirt fabric, and the centers of the three larger flowers on the skirt are of the bodice fabric. All of the applique work is satin stitched with a grayish-blue thread. I fell in love with this dress before I finished it, and my niece informed me that it is now one of her favorites.

My youngest niece lives a little farther away from me, and I had to email her mother to get her size. (The first two dresses were surprises for the girls and their mother.) I used the same pattern once again, but in a smaller size than either of the other two:



I actually had enough of one fabric for the entire dress this time. The little princess for whom this was made is very blond and fair, so I thought purple would look good on her.



The applique butterfly was a bit trickier than the flowers on the blue dress, but I think it turned out well. After I fused it, I was not sure that the lavender would look good with the purple calico, but the satin stitching really pulled it together and set it off nicely. The inner wings are cut from a batik-dyed cotton. I mailed this dress at the end of last week, so I do not know if they have received it yet. I certainly enjoyed making it, though!

I am so glad I have nieces.

Pretty Purse

I hate purse shopping. I mean, I really hate it. I hate everything about trying to find a purse I like. The colors, the styles, the sizes, the materials, the prices--it is all quite frustrating, because "everyone else" seems to like something that is much different from what I like. Thus, I generally avoid shopping for a purse unless I absolutely have to.

My last purse was a thrift store find. I was not even specifically looking for a purse at the time, but this one caught my eye.




It is small. (I do not go for big bags.) It is muted enough to go with pretty much everything, but it is not boring. It is feminine. It is cute. (Even my husband said so.) Besides, it cost only a dollar. I have been quite happy with it for a few years.

However, it is wearing out. You can see some of the pills collecting on it. Also, for awhile, I have wanted something a little more "elegant" than "cute." So I have idly glanced at purses when I have been out shopping for other things, but--as I expected--I have not discovered anything to my liking. Therefore, as I often do after attempting to find something satisfactory in the stores and utterly failing, I decided to make my own.

Currently, I am not buying any more sewing materials. My sewing room is full as it is. That means that I must work with what I have on hand. It also means that I have a huge stash to raid when I start a new project. This was in my stash, and I pulled it out most gleefully:



It is a shirt, a rather large one. It was given to a few years ago, and I saved it for the fabric (since it is much to big for me and not really my style). It is washable stretch velvet, and I think it is simply beautiful. I removed and saved the buttons and cut up the shirt to turn it into something I can use. Since it is stretch velvet, I needed a lining that would not give, or the purse would be pulled out of shape. Once again, I looked through my stash and found something delightful:



These batik-dyed cottons were also given to me. The pieces are not very big, which is why they have not been used in some other project. However, the combination of them turned out to be just enough for the lining of my purse. I put in a few inner pockets (one of them zippered), too. I love being able to actually see inside my purse when I am looking for something. Most purses seem to have dark linings, which makes trying to find something about like searching a black hole: All the light just disappears. Well, this purse does not have that problem.

I am quite pleased with how it turned out.



I did add some stiffening to the shell, since the purse would be quite floppy without a skeleton of some sort. Is it not lovely??


It is so demure and elegant on the outside, but it is bright and fun when you get close enough to see inside. Somewhat like some people I know. (The zipper, by the way, is a vintage one from 1947. Perhaps I will do a post on that sometime.)

I love my new purse. Even my husband exclaimed, "Wow!" when I showed it to him. Definitely a success.

I Have Returned

Obviously, it has been awhile since I last updated my blog. I am no longer sewing professionally. Since my marriage in August of last year, I am delighted to have started a new career as "domestic engineer." I still sew a bit, too, as the notion takes me. (No pun intended.)

I sewed for our wedding, of course. I had to. No one else could make my dress for me--and I certainly would never find such a dress in a store.



Yes, that is my wedding dress, and yes, it is blue. I have never wanted a white wedding dress. The fabric I used is actually drapery material. A seamstress friend gave me a roll of it years ago. I thought it was beautiful at the time, but it never occurred to me that I would end up using it for my wedding gown.

The princess-seam gown has a very full skirt: It is nearly a full circle. It is fully lined with cotton, which is cooler and more comfortable than a synthetic lining. The raglan sleeves are darted at the top to give them a bit of shape, and they are roomy enough for swing dancing (which was essential for the dance at our reception). The original pattern had a scoop neckline with a zipper down the back; but V-necks look better on me, and my husband likes buttons down the front. So I changed the pattern a bit and made a practice dress to try it out. It worked.


The ornamentation is handmade Irish crochet. My mother did most of it; I added a bit, as well. Each of the buttons has a tiny crocheted flower stitched to it, with a ring of opalescent beads in the center. (I made the buttons.) All of the threadwork has beads in it.



Here is the back. I made the snowflake-like motif in the center of the design and a few of the small flowers. Other than that, the credit goes to my mother. She made a large number of individual motifs and sent them to me, and I figured out a placement for each of them before hand-sewing them into place (and adding beads where necessary).

I did some other sewing for the wedding, too. Perhaps I will make some posts about that another time.

Runners for the Bride

As in "table linens," of course, not sprinters.

The bride who had me make a sash for her dress also wanted coordinating runners to decorate the tables at the reception.




The fabric is actually more navy than it appears in the photo, and the lining is more ecru than actual white. It has a poly/cotton fiber content. It had to be a closely-woven cotton or cotton-blend, because the bride plans to have a wreath design screen printed on to match the graphics on the wedding invitations. Each of the runners is seven feet long by one foot wide, with a decorative seam two inches from the edge.

Simply elegant.

For Auction Again...

Well, not really. It is for sale, though.

Remember the silent auction dress? I still have it, and now I am offering to you!! Here is another picture of it (I think it shows up better in this one than the one in the previous post):

It is about a size 6/8, and you can have it for $75 (plus shipping, if it has to be sent somewhere). Just send me an email if you are interested or if you have any questions.

Wouldn't you love to have this pretty little thing?

Something Blue

More wedding wonderfullness!!

Perhaps that is a tad too gushy for this little project, but it is for a wedding, after all. Is not the occasion supposed to be all bubbly and iridescent?

The soon-to-be-bride in this case had a slight problem with her wedding garments. The gown itself is a simple, lovely white lace little thing. The sash with it, though, just did not do it for her. I would have to agree.

It is not that the sash itself is bad, per se; it just is not right for the dress. Obviously, I haven't a picture of it with the actual dress, but I can show it to you against a white lace background. The color, as you can see is champagne. Against the dress, it is really quite jarring. The color is the first thing that makes it wrong for the dress.

The second is that it is too long. The dress is floor-length with no train, and the bride is not a tall woman. This sash, even when tied in a bow, extends a few feet beyond the hem of the dress. It just does not look quite right.

The third difficulty with it is the weight. The thing is heavy. The dress is empire-waisted, which means that the sash has to be attached to the dress by means of a couple hooks that are inserted into thread loops at the waist seam. That makes for an awful lot of weight dragging on the bride as she walks, not to mention a lot of pull on the dress itself.

This sash just will not do. Here is its replacement:

Once again, my client decided to go with something slightly off the beaten path of wedding tradition. (I believe her shoes will match the sash, too.) The navy contrasts prettily with the white lace, and the single layer of fabric is nice and light. (The edges have a rolled, serged finish.) Additionally, it is a better length, since it was made especially for the lady who will be wearing it.

It is so nice to supply a bride with just what she wants.

Update: When my client came to get the runners I made for her, she said that the sash looked great with her dress when she tried it on at the final fitting. Her mother, who came with her, also exclaimed that it looked really good. I am quite pleased with such a report.

Not Your Average Wedding Gown

I must admit that I actually prefer non-traditional wedding gowns. Traditional ones are very lovely; do not get me wrong. However, I like something a little more unusual. This recent client of mine presented me with the opportunity to construct something somewhat out of the ordinary when it comes to wedding attire.

It is for a second wedding, and she wanted to be different. She looked at all the traditional nuptial couture and was unable to locate what she wanted. That is when she contacted me. Since she could not even find a picture of what she had in mind, she sent me what she called a "rough sketch" (which is a whole lot better than anything I could draw). This was my introduction to the project:

It is a two-piece dress. The bodice is a strapped corset; the skirt has an uneven hemline, with the front higher than the back. She said that she was thinking of a champagne shade of fabric. I told her I thought it would be beautiful. The material she ended up getting is more gold than champagne, but I think it made a gorgeous gown.

The bodice is boned with ribs on nine of its seams; it will not lose its shape. It is trimmed with the skirt fabric, and the same fabric was also used for the lacing. (The small picture at the top shows a detail of the bodice brocade and solid trim.) The skirt has a darker gold lining, which adds a little interest and subtle emphasis to the high/low hemline.

The wedding is scheduled for September, but my client was quite happy to have the dress taken care of early. She was decidedly pleased with how it turned out, saying that it is even better than she expected to be. Now that makes for job satisfaction.

Good Cause Epilogue

Remember the dress I made for the Sticks to Bricks silent auction? Since it did not fit the mother of the man who won it, I got to make another one. She tried on the one that was at the auction and decided that she would like the neckline raised a little and that she would prefer sleeves. (The original was sleeveless.)

She also wanted a different fabric. The fabric I used for the first dress was a pale lavender polyester; she wanted something a little more breathable, and she mentioned that she likes blue. However, she did not wish to vary the color very much from the original, since that one had made her son think of her. I set off to the fabric store to see what I could find.

I returned with an absolutely gorgeous piece of blue cotton, which is pictured at the top of the post. It has a pretty texture woven into it, and the finish on it makes it wrinkle-resistant. It has somewhat purple undertones to it, keeping it near the spectrum of the original fabric. It made a lovely dress.

The bodice is lined with a lightweight white poly/cotton blend. She was delighted with the fabric I chose, calling it a "happy medium" between the material used for the first dress and the color that she prefers.

I was quite pleased with how it all turned out, and so was she. She told me that she would wear it for her birthday. Additionally, her son was gratified because he was able to get her just what she wanted, making a happy ending for everyone involved.

Retro Baby

You know what is an adorable combination? A cute baby and a vintage pattern. The dainty styles of the older clothing are so sweet. This darling little dress was made from an original 1950s pattern, and it complements its wearer delightfully.

The fabric is a cotton calico with royal blue roses on a light blue background. The bodice has four little buttons down the front. The puffed sleeves and gathered skirt add plenty of snuggly fullness.

See what I mean? The girl and dress make a delightful pair!!

Ties inserted at the side seams make a cute bow in the back and allow for some adjustability in the fit.

It is so much fun to make old-fashioned little girl clothes!!

A Case for Protection

No, I have no connections with the mafia.

Most of my projects are fairly typical, but every once in awhile, I encounter a proposition to make something a bit more unusual, such as constructing aviation headset covers for a pilot whose equipment was scratching the canopy of his plane. Those kinds of things present a special challenge, because I have to completely design the item and then figure out how to make it. It was in such an instance that I worked on the subject of this post.

My client has a son with an extremely rare metabolic disease, and he uses an assistive communication device. Because he can be a bit rough with the things around him, my client wanted a protective cover for his Vanguard. She also wanted it to be thickly padded enough that he would have to use his fingertips on the screen and not just rest his whole hand on it. She and his teacher made a foam frame to fit around the front and sides of the machine; my job was to enclose that frame in fabric in order to keep it on the Vanguard and to provide additional padding for the back.

The foam is about an inch thick. I cut slots in it where it goes over the top of the screen so that those working with the boy can still access the buttons at the top, but the nylon fabric covers them so that he cannot manipulate them. The back of the case opens to allow access to various necessary ports needed for connection to computer and charging devices, as well as a hook that enables attachment of the machine to a stand. In the photo, you can see the D-rings on the sides for use with a carrying strap.

The challenge of making something like this is always exciting, but the thrill of being able to provide a satisfactory product is simply wonderful. It was especially so with this project, since it helped a special boy and his family.

June is Bustlin' Out All Over...

'Tis the quintessential wedding month. I am not sure why. Here in the South, it is the beginning of hot, humid weather. It must be pleasant enough in other places, though.

At any rate, weddings are fun, no matter what time of year they take place. I had the privilege of sewing for one almost a year ago (a June wedding, to be sure). Among other things, I got to put a bustle in the bride's gown.

For those of you who have not a clue what a wedding gown bustle is, I will explain. Gowns with trains look lovely going down the aisle. The yards of trailing fabric are just so romantic. They can also be a safety hazard during during a reception, not to mention a damper on one movements. Thus, a bustle is contrived as a way to get all that extra material out of the way--while still looking lovely. (And, yes, certain types of wedding gown bustles do bring to mind the bustles once worn by Victorian ladies to--uh--"shape" the backs of their skirts.)

This is the back of the dress, unbustled. As you can see, the train on this gown is not very long. Still, the bride wanted to be unhampered for the reception. Because of the very simple, elegant style, a typical underbustle or overbustle, while getting the extra fabric out of the way, would have disturbed the clean cut of the design. Instead, we decided to go with something a bit unusual but extremely pretty.

The small photo at the top of the post is a close-up of the bustled gown. The shirred effect is achieved by means of "drawstrings" (ribbons) in casings, much like a balloon shade. I handstitched the casings to the inside of each of the three back seams in the train. If you look closely at the larger picture above, you can see that the dress has a sheer overlay. Since it, too, had to be gathered when the ribbons were pulled through the casings, I stitched it to the dress along the seamlines. (The overlay has seams just like the dress.)

After the ceremony, the ribbons were pulled up through the casings and tied to loops sewn above them (also attached at the seams). The resulting cascade preserved the simple beauty of the gown and left the bride free to enjoy the reception.

Here she is, dancing with her new husband. The bustle received a lot of compliments. Everyone was delighted with how well it turned out, not least of whom was the lady herself. That makes it all worthwhile.

Nature's First Green is Gold...

It is not, though, a hard hue to hold when it is incorporated into a pretty dress. Actually, the dress is gold with a green vine, but that is a mere technicality. I think Mr. Frost's rhyme still applies.

This particular creation is a combination of two different decades: The sleeveless bodice is a modification of a 1950s pattern; the A-line skirt is from a pattern printed in 1976. The span of a score of years or so, however, does not detract in the slightest from the nice result.


It is also a combination of a couple different needlework techniques: sewing and crocheting. If you look closely at the above picture, you can see the pale green crocheted vine that winds around the body from the neckline to the hem. The small photo at the top is a detail of the neckline.


The fabric is a gold brocade, and the leaf pattern is a perfect background for the crocheted vine. Because of the zipper down the back, the vine is actually in two pieces, but the general effect is of one long sprig of greenery. Once again, the subtlety of detail is what takes this dress beyond the ordinary--and contradicts dear Robert's assertion that "nothing gold can stay."

When You Wish Upon a Sewing Machine...

Making children's clothing can be so much fun. It is always a delight to complete a cute little outfit, especially when it is for a special occasion.

In this instance, the occasion was a trip to Disney World. My client brought me three smocking plates (completed smocked designs) to be inserted into new outfits. Her family was going to Florida, and she wanted matching clothes for her children. Minnie Mouse silhouettes were to be inserted in the girls' sleeveless A-line shirts, and a Mickey Mouse silhouette was intended for the little boy's romper.


Are they not adorable? (Their older sister was still trying on her outfit.) All the pieces are fully lined, and all the tops unbutton at the shoulder. The girls' pants have elastic waistbands. Narrow red piping outlines the smocked insertions.

I hope they enjoyed their trip immensely. It is nice to think that my handiwork had the opportunity to go all over the "happiest place on earth."

Cushy Redo

Sometimes you just need something new. Or at least something that looks new. Moth and rust doth corrupt, after all--as do our beloved pets...

In this case, my client's dogs had decided that it would be fun to tear up the covers of her couch cushions. When she decided to redecorate, the interior designer with whom she was working told her to get a new couch. That is not an inexpensive proposition.

The couch itself was in good shape, but the cushions looked decidedly the worse for wear. Besides, she liked the couch. So she contacted me about recovering the cushions and making some new throw pillows.

When she brought the cushions to me, she had already cut off and thrown away the old covers. If she had not done so, I could have used them for patterns. I managed just fine without them, though. (The finished cushions are on my daybed in the photo; I wanted a picture of them but knew I would not be able to see them in her house.) The throw pillows are simple chenile squares. The covers for the couch cushions have piping around the edges and zippers on the bottoms, since she wanted to be able to remove and wash the covers. Considering the fact that she has dogs, that was not a bad idea.

Her ottoman also needed reviving. She was particularly pleased with how well it turned out, and so was I. The top cushion has a zipper on the bottom and is attached to the base with Velcro, again making it possible to remove and wash the cover. The base itself has an elasticized cover so that it, too, can be taken off.

This project cost her much less than buying a new couch would have, and she still got to update her decor the way she wanted. It is great to be able to resuscitate someone's "treasure."

Pillowed Parlors

Throw pillows can really make a big difference in a room. They can either complement or contrast with the overall decor, emphasizing different aspects of the color scheme. They also make the room cozier and more welcoming, inviting people to settle in and be comfortable.

In this case, my client wanted throw pillows for two very different rooms: the living room and the game room. She had fabric to work with both rooms; I just had to turn the material into pillows. The style of pillow is the same for both rooms, although the piping size is different for the two rooms.

This is in the living room. The small photo at the top of the post is of the left-hand pillow on the couch. Once again, the camera flash caused a color change.

This is in the game room. The walls in this room are actually the same shade of pale blue that is in the paisley pattern of the fabric. In both rooms, throw pillows were an easy way to add interest and comfort to the decor.

Veiled Belle

It is such an honor to be involved with a wedding. I am always pleased when I can contribute to such a joyful celebration. I started early with my wedding experience, since I was the five-year-old flower girl when my oldest sister married. (Incidentally, my sister is a fantastic seamstress, too. She made her own wedding dress, and she and my mother made the bridesmaids' dresses. You might almost say that sewing is in my genes.) Having a relatively large family, I participated a few more times in the nuptials of siblings before I first sewed for a wedding.

When I was asked earlier this year to make the veil for a friend's wedding (actually, both the bride and groom are friends of mine), I was thrilled. She wanted a cathedral-length veil with a lot of fullness and multiple layers. I talked her out of a layer or two, because it would have overshadowed her lovely dress and her lovely self. In lieu of using the added tiers of tulle to achieve the desired fullness, I did a lot of gathering. The result was nice and fluffy.

Is she not pretty? (As a Georgia native, she is a true Southern belle!) This picture was taken during the reception; she sweetly let me reattach the train so that I could take a photo of it, which is why the train is wrinkled. The white background makes it a little difficult to see, but the top back layer of the veil is fingertip-length, while the blusher is wrist-length. The nine-foot train is secured to the comb by Velcro, making it easily detached.

Here it is without the train. She was delighted with the veil, and it received several compliments. Even a couple people who did not know that I had made it commented to me that the fullness was very nice. I am pleased I could add to the special occasion.

Not Just a Scarf Anymore

One of the great things about sewing is being able to take one thing and turn it into something else. In this case, my client had a window scarf that she wanted made into a valance for her kitchen. She loved the material, but it just was not what she wanted for the room. Since I am quite accustomed to looking at just about any fabric item as a possible supply source for another project, it was easy for me to envision the scarf as something else. Not everyone can mentally "see" finished products like that, but my client could. In fact, she knew just how she wanted the valance to look and made me a sketch of it. I love working with creative, artsy people like that. They know what they want; I just have to figure out how to construct it.

After taking the measurements and with my client's sketch and the details she had given me about additional accents, I set off to find the necessary material and buttons. It does not show up very much in the photos, but the scarf fabric has dark sage green stripes among all the reds, oranges, and golds. I found some gabardine that nicely picked up the green. Finding the wooden buttons was harder; they must not be especially popular right now. However, I eventually discovered some that would work.

Since the scarf material was very fluid, I lined the valance with unbleached cotton muslin to give it some body. The straps are for decoration only; they cannot be unbuttoned. Since, as you can see, there is considerable wall space between the top of the window and the ceiling, the length of the valance visually extends the window and makes the room itself seem taller and more spacious.

It really looks good in her lovely kitchen. She told me that she receives many compliments on it, and that is always gratifying to hear.