Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy Halloween


Seth and Zoe would like to wish you all a Happy Halloween.  The pumpkins are carved, the costume are done and now all that is left is a fun night.Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

My History Of Sergers

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My first serger a Babylock  3/2 thread is well over 20 years old. Sergers were fairly new to the home market and the dealer that sold through my shop carried New Home machines and Babylock  sergers. 3/2 thread means it will serge with three threads or two threads. This little machine created the nicest of all two thread rolled hems.  A real work horse of a machine and yes, it still does work.

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Next to join my sewing room is the White. The White is a 4/3 thread, meaning you can serge with four threads two being needle threads or you can remove one needle and serge with three stitches, most often used to finish the seams. I purchased the White to see if I really did need a 4 thread serger. I was very happy to be able to serge wider seams and often made garments using just the serger. So that of coarse lead to an upgrade.

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You might say “you have come along way baby”  My current serger a 4/3/2 thread. Just a push of a button has you serging away. A big change from the first serger.  A very quiet machine and also does a wonder rolled edge. There are several different feet available for this machine but I have not collected them yet.  I am anxious to try to learn how to do different types of serging.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Pure Elegance

Ole McLaughlin, is a member of the Apple Valley smockers and does the most amazing Brazilian embroidery. I hope she will let me show more of her work in the future.

Some Christening gowns have stories connected with them before they are created, with others the stories are created by the babies who wore the gown or the creator of the gown. This gown shares a little of both.

Ole, fashioned this elegant gown from silk brought back from China by her father a member of the Flying Tigers in WW2.  His soon to be bride used some of the silk to make a blouse for her wedding, the rest of the silk was stored away with orders for it to be used for Christening gowns when Ole’s boys became fathers.

Ole choose2010_1007applevalleyone0004 a pattern from AS&E issue #60, called Heaven Blessed.Ole said,” The only changes made, I didn’t put the bows on the front yoke and didn’t do the lower skirt embroidery. Instead I added the lace insertion. The fabric wasn’t long enough and I felt the silk was busy enough without adding embroidery.”

I hope I have been able to capture the beauty of this gown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 2010_1007applevalleyone0006 2010_1007applevalleyone0007 Ole has 3 plus months in the creation of this gown. She has one more to make I am looking forward to what she comes up with, I know it be fantastic.

 

2010_1007applevalleyone0010  I hope you have enjoyed this gown. I know it is hard for a camera to capture the true beauty.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Just For Fun

Zoe looks forward to her just for fun outfits. These skirts are quick and easy, so creating seasonal one makes for some fun sewing.

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The hairclip is made by gluing corker ribbon to a clippie, then add a pom pom with Google eyes.

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Peeking out below her skirt, you can see her leggings. I used Kwik-sew pattern number 3476, leggings are now a necessity to her wardrobe.

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Yes, she actually plays the keyboard. she is learning to play Fur Elise.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Trying Something new!

I have not blogged for awhile as blogger and I were not getting along.  Writing and posting pictures were becoming a nightmare. I knew what I wanted to write and how I wanted the pictures but blogger had other ideas. So, I am going to try “windows live writer” as I have been told that is is wonderful.  We shall soon see.

I will share a couple of shirts I made for Seth. I am sure he feels left out with his sister getting a bulk of the sewing. Sewing for boys is not hard and they are so easy to please a few shirts some shorts and they are oh so happy.

Seth models his new ‘dice shirt’  why dice?  We play a lot of monopoly and Seth is forever losing the dice. When I saw this fabric I just knew he would never lose his dice again when wearing this shirt.

The t-shirt is sewn from Kwik-sew pattern 3043.

 

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