I stitched! I stitched!

Life is pretty crazy these days, and there just isn't a lot
of stitching time, but I finally got to do a bit of something besides
crochet the odd bun cover for one of the boys' dance classmates!
My SIL is having a baby this summer, and they have already
divulged the sex (girl) and the name (Abigail). I found a sweet
little daygown at Strasburg Children on sale for less than $10. It's
similar to this http://www.strasburgchildren.com/cottondaygown.html
except white and more tailored--the smocking is set in with piping
along the edge, it's less full through the skirt, and there are
two inverted pleats under the bodice in front--one on either side
of center. It was perfectly plain, and ripe for some embroidery.
I feather stitched around the cuffs and the edge of the collar
and the hem, put some wee bullion rosebuds on the collar, and
stitched an oval medallion on the front center with her
initial in the center (design from one of the Country Bumpkin
A to Z books--it's a scalloped oval done in blanket stitch,
chain stitch, and french knots decorated with bullion roses
and detached chain daisies and leaves). I took the buttons
down the back off and put them back on with little bullion
rosebuds. I *think* it's done--I think more would be over
the top, but I'm going to sleep on it and see if I still
think so come tomorrow morning ;-) At any rate, I'm just
thrilled to have done *something*.
I also put it on my calendar to take the Proposal
Pillow down to Woodlawn next week to enter it. This year
I *am* going to ge it in there! Whee!

Best wishes,
Ericka

Oh, what a heartwarming story to read! Been so very long since anyone
posted about "tiny bullions rosebuds", decorating buttons. All for $10,
and now it's real courtier! Sounds like you had a whopping good time
doing it!

Do you smock?

Since a few of us today are showing off what we're working on, here's a
pic of my latest project in progress:
http://www.heritageshoppe.com/temp/peony.jpg

It's not perfect, but I'm learning. The actual size of the peony is
about 5-1/2" wide by 4" tall. The amount of time it's taking is a WHOLE
LOT more than I anticipated, but I'm enjoying every minute of it, and
getting more disciplined with each petal.

Dianne

Ericka Kammerer wrote:
I found a sweet
little daygown at Strasburg Children on sale for less than $10. It's
similar to this http://www.strasburgchildren.com/cottondaygown.html
except white and more tailored--the smocking is set in with piping
along the edge, it's less full through the skirt,

--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

Dianne Lewandowski said
Since a few of us today are showing off what we're working on, here's a
pic of my latest project in progress:
http://www.heritageshoppe.com/temp/peony.jpg

Are you padding the design? It looks like you're using a combination of
couching and long/short in the petals.
--
another Anne, add ingers to frugalf to reply

No couching. :-) All long/short. There's only a few petals finished
along the top. The rest is padding. Some petals need padding, yet.
I've learned so very much on this project!
Dianne

anne wrote:
Are you padding the design? It looks like you're using a combination of
couching and long/short in the petals.

--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:

Oh, what a heartwarming story to read! Been so very long since anyone
posted about "tiny bullions rosebuds", decorating buttons. All for $10,
and now it's real courtier! Sounds like you had a whopping good time
doing it!

I did--I was dog sitting, so couldn't be doing any of the
zillion things at my house that I should have been ;-)

Do you smock?

No, though I'd enjoy getting into that one day.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Lucretia Borgia wrote:
I love your peony Dianne, however are you doing long and short on the
turnover? I was taught to use satin stitch for a turnover as the
different stitch helps emphasize the fact that it is a turned over
piece of the petal. Smack me if I have seen this wrong!

Straight satin stitch for the petal "turn overs". :-) But there's only
one petal with a "turn over" that is finished (on the left). The rest
are awaiting my needle/thread and just set up for final stitching. I
still have more padding to do.

I also inked this on the silk dupioni, rather than washaway blue. All
the picks I've seen of Asian embroideries clearly show they are marked
using black ink.

John O'Leary, who sometimes posts here, is studying Japanese embroidery
and he's been helping me along with understanding some of the
procedures. Of course, that's a far cry from actually studying at a
"school". But I do what I can with what I've got. :-)
Dianne
--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

I've finally been able to get in a bit of stitching, too. I got Laura Perin's
Daffodil Collage kitted up, took it to a library meeting last weekend, and have
just about finished the NP daffodil in the middle, which was going to be the
time-consuming part. Then there are several blocks of specialty stitches which
will work up much faster.

It's not the thing with the shortest deadline, but at least it's giving me a
feeling of accomplishment.
--
Finished 12/8/04 -- Army bear ornament
WIP: Fireman's Prayer (#2), Amid Amish Life, Angel of Autumn, Calif Sampler,
Holiday Snowglobe

Paralegal - Writer - Editor - Researcher
http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html

Lucretia Borgia wrote:

I did neglect to say, I thought your long and short shading was great.

Nay. Ya said ya loved it. That was enough.
What I feel bad about is having this conversation shifted from Ericka's
accomplishment. I wish she had a picture so we could see her baby
dress! I love that kind of embroidery but haven't done any in years.
My daughter is trying to talk me into doing one for her sister-in-law,
but for some reason, I can't get excited about it. I have some nice
pink dupioni, but my creative juices seem to be "on hold". I did do a
nice linen-like cotton baby dress for my neighbor's new baby this past
summer. I learned from that experience that the pink iron-on pencil
(Aunt Martha's) really works well except for padded satin. So Ericka,
if you're still reading this thread, don't use it for padded work!

Dianne

--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:


What I feel bad about is having this conversation shifted from Ericka's
accomplishment.

Oh, don't be silly! Your work is lovely, and people could
actually see it!

I wish she had a picture so we could see her baby
dress!

If I get a chance (and can scare up the right cable) I'll
take a picture and email it to you. DH usually downloads the
photos to his machine, and I'm not sure where he stashed the
cable.

I love that kind of embroidery but haven't done any in years. My
daughter is trying to talk me into doing one for her sister-in-law, but
for some reason, I can't get excited about it. I have some nice pink
dupioni, but my creative juices seem to be "on hold". I did do a nice
linen-like cotton baby dress for my neighbor's new baby this past
summer. I learned from that experience that the pink iron-on pencil
(Aunt Martha's) really works well except for padded satin. So Ericka,
if you're still reading this thread, don't use it for padded work!

Will keep that in mind! I've had my eye on a dress for
my daughter that's in pink dupioni. I'm not willing to pay what
they're charging, so I'm sort of waiting to see if it'll go on
sale before Easter. It's a lovely simple sleeveless dress with
a matching coat. I'm a sucker for dresses with a matching coat ;-)
When I picked up the little baby dress, I also nabbed
a cute little number for my daughter (she's 19 mos old now). It's
a little bishop, smocked around the neckline, in pink baby wale
corduroy. I'm experimenting trying to see if I can do bullion
hearts, and if I figure that out I'll probably stitch a row
of hearts around the neckline for Valentine's Day. I think
that would be amusing. Anyone know how to do good looking
bullion hearts? I'm guessing I'll have to do two long bullions
and put in a couching stitch or two to make them curve and
maybe two little bullions inside? We'll see...

Best wishes,
Ericka

Ericka Kammerer wrote:
It's a lovely simple sleeveless dress with
a matching coat. I'm a sucker for dresses with a matching coat ;-)

I hear you. The best fun I had when my daughter was little: making
dresses with matching coats and bonnets. I also made a velvet dress
with silk ribbon embroidery and matching shoes for the first of four
little ones I cared for. Using a Martha Pullen pattern for the shoes, I
made the soles out of chamois. It worked beautifully. You might want
to think of that for slippers!

Anyone know how to do good looking
bullion hearts? I'm guessing I'll have to do two long bullions
and put in a couching stitch or two to make them curve and
maybe two little bullions inside? We'll see...

I'm no help, but I'll post a note on my forum. There's a few "heirloom
sewers" there that just might have the answer! If I come up with
anything, I'll post.

I think your idea might work.

Dianne
--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com