Finding the Right Embroidery Machine

Finding the Right Embroidery Machine

Where does the time go?  I have finished several projects since my last blog but never found time to sit and tell all about them.  A special occasion has brought me back.  Anniversaries are always special especially when they are family.  My husband’s brother and his wife were married forty years ago this past September.  They invited all the family to San Diego to celebrate with a beautiful dinner in a lovely setting and hotel.  The evening was filled with numerous stories and songs from their blended family of children and grandchildren as well as great grandchildren.  The children are all very talented.  We all had a wonderful time celebrating their love for each other.

This occasion inspired me to learn to use my new Bernina embroidery machine.  I have resisted an embroidery machine as I always wanted to embroider by hand.  You know, the old-fashioned way.  When I would look at embroidery machines I did not like the simple motif designs on a pocket or other small bits. It was easy to turn away and not be interested in a machine that could not duplicate to a degree the intricate work that I could do by hand.

I could only decide on which brand after I saw a booth of lovely children’s clothing at the Houston Quilt Festival.  The gorgeous dresses stopped me in my tracks.   The designs looked like intricate embroidery similar to English Whitework embroidery and even Swiss embroideries that I so love.  The lace patterns are the prettiest I have ever seen and have the capability of sewing around the hem of a skirt.  Most embroideries that I had seen by machine before were simply 3 or 4 inch motifs.  Her software is designed to complete a dress hem as though it was by hand meaning done in one complete length of embroidery.  Some of her designs for infants will even sew the ouline of the pattern shape on the fabric as it stitches the lace work. I was in awe of her designs and had to know what machine she had used to create such beautiful clothing.

When she told me she used a Bernina 640E, I immediately went over to the Bernina booth to see this machine.  I eventually bought the machine from my local dealer.  Are you as excited to learn the name of this designer and her software as I was?  She is Kathy Harrison of Custom Keepsakes.  Here is a link to Kathy’s designs.   http://www.customkeepsakes.com/Default.asp?Redirected=Y  

 Her newest collection of designs is for ladies and children’s nightgowns as well as for 18” dolls. Oh my!!  I love making ladies nightgowns, smocked as well as heirloom sewn ones.  Kathy’s designs are so beautiful and look like the expensive Swiss embroideries that sell for $30 and more a yard.  I cannot wait to make a gown!!

My first attempt at machine embroidery was the pillow that I designed and made for my husband’s brother and his family.  The pillow was for a 40th anniversary hence the red satin. The design that I used on this pillow is a single stem of a rose bud.  The software and the 640E has the advantage of making the one bud into a wreath of that one single design, inserting the names and curving them with the shape of the wreath.  I used a gold poly embroidery thread for the center embroidery and gold piping around the pillow inside the ruffle to pull the embroidery and pillow together as one unit. My brother-in-law and his wife were sufficiently pleased and delighted to have a memento of their special day.  

I love sewing for special occasions, don't you? 

Butterfly Gardening

     Today The Houston Museum held a plant sale of butterfly plants.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE butterflies?  I have had a lifelong love affair with one of the most fascinating insects in God’s beautiful world.  When I was a child growing up in rural south Georgia, I spent many hours in my grandmother’s garden that literally wrapped around the front and long side of the house.  I became her shadow in her garden.  We didn’t talk much, as she had trouble speaking in a voice that you could hear or understand her words.  We communicated through her love of flowers and her butterflies.  What wonderful peace I felt in her flower garden.  It was quite large and I remember every plant and corner of it as if it were today.  She is never far from my thoughts when I work in my own garden now. 

   
     Many years ago, I convinced my husband that we needed to dig out all the ‘city’ grass and allow me to play in the dirt with plants, specifically plants that attracted butterflies.  Needless to say, he was not thrilled about this project fearing that I would soon tire of the gardening theme and move on to other projects.  We started small but within a  couple of years the entire backyard became a garden, no grass.  I wanted flagstone paths. Being an engineer, he plotted the paths that I marked off, we dug out the grass, hauled in sand and spent many a weekend, lifting heavy flagstone that I would lay on the sand paths, all the next week.  I have spent  many hours digging in the Houston clay amending the soil with sulfur for my camellias and compost for the other beds.  My favorite mulch is pine straw, of course.  What else would a GA native want?  Today, you cannot dig anywhere in the yard without huge earthworms wiggling around. 

     I grow plants for the larvae of about 6 different butterflies, 4 of them swallowtails. There are nectar plants to feed the butterflies and plants to fill in the space and anchor the backyard setting.  In the summer, there are butterflies continually in the yard.  Recently, 15 Eastern Black Swallowtail eggs hatched into caterpillars.  All survived and have ‘hung’ themselves (chrysalis) either on the plant or around the yard.  When they all emerge into beautiful butterflies, the yard will be a flutter of beauty. 

Eastern Black Swallowtail's caterpillar

   

     Today, we went to the plant sale at the Cockrell Butterfly Center.  Sure enough, I found a few things for my butterflies.  Living in Houston, we should be able to attract the Zebra Swallowtail.  I have never found the plant to buy for them.  I found my Paw Paw seedling at the sale.  I cannot wait to have them visit my yard.  I am assured by all my reading about them that this tree WILL attract the butterfly to lay the eggs on it.  My heart leaps with joy to have this plant in my yard now.  I will take pictures when I have them come to the tree. 

Chrysalis of the Giant Sulphur on its larval shrub, a Senna

     This has been a good Saturday filled with thoughts of butterflies and plants.  After the sale of plants on the roof of the museum this morning, we went downstairs and walked through the beautiful Cockrell Butterfly Center again.  If you have never taken a walk through a butterfly center, I highly recommend it.  They flutter past you totally unaware or uncaring that humans are in their tropical forest.  Color abounds, the human eye cannot focus on every inch of the beauty that is around you. When the world seems hectic and you need some quiet time, stop by a butterfly habitat and view the world of flying insects.  You will not be disappointed and you might just find a new hobby, butterfly gardening.



 

Photo of my granddaughter, Emma, sitting in doorway of her great-great grandfather's old home place.  Taken Oct. 2010.                  

      Yes, the house is still there on the farm and still remains in the family.  A previous family owner removed the large flower garden and all the brickwork around the bed.  No matter, when I visited and stood in the middle of an empty and barren yard, where the center of the garden once had a huge climbing red rose bush, a single large swallowtail came and lit at my feet.  I was moved to tears at the thought that my grandmother's presence was still there on that barren ground.

Dedication Gown

 The dedication gown that I have been working on is finished and waiting for the big day.  I have waited to post photos until my daughter could see the finished project. Since tomorrow is the service, I think it appropriate to post just the dress. Photos with Emma later.

This project has been such an enjoyable one.  When my daughter asked me to make Emma's gown, I was overjoyed.  What an honor to make my granddaughter's Dedication gown.  All my years of embroidery, sewing, and lace work, were to be used in one special gown. 

A few close ups are below so that you can better see the actual embroidery.  Yes, I embroidered it all by hand, and designed the embroidery as well.  We wanted it to be similar to the antique gowns from Great Britain in the 1800's.  I have used some elements that are not true to the period but the overall gown is very close.  The bonnet is the typical style but the ribbons are not.  I also have never seen one that had points on the skirt from that period.  If someone has knowledge of that, please let me know.  There is an under-slip that buttons on the shoulder.    I also made a lace hanky for Emma to carry.  She loves lace pieces.

                                                                                     

In the above photo you can see the lace work with the ribbons. The bonnet has a lace flower with a tiny satin rose in the center. It is attached on each side of the ear where the ribbon ties join. Most of the lace work is done on the machine.  The flowers are stitched by hand and attached with needle and thread.  There is also a lace flower on the yoke of the dress.  It has a few ribbon streamers.

 This is a close up of the bonnet lace work.

   

There are twelve panels on the skirt, 6 godets and 6 gores.  The six godets have the hand embroidery that includes; trailing, eyelets, shadow work, and seed stitch.  The lace work on the godet is simple,  an insertion  lace and an edging.  The 6 gores all include lace work and pintucking by machine.  The center panel is the only gore with embroidery.  It has some shadow work on the tail of the Firebird. with satin work on the head.  My daughter is an artist and has painted the baby's room with a Russian fairytale theme.  She painted a beautiful firebird in brilliant colors on the wall.  My whitework firebird is my interpretation of a firebird also.   The Russian fairytale is a story of rebirth.  Below is a close up of the satin work.

 

This last one is a close up of the embroidered godet.  It is finished but not sewn into the skirt at this point.

I am adding a couple of photos of the firebird that my daughter painted on the baby's wall. 

For sure, this gown has been an exciting period in my sewing projects.  As I have said before, I love sewing children's clothing and this one gave me many hours of sewing pleasure from the planning, to the designing elements, the embroidery work and the last hours of sewing it all together.  Thank you, Cynthia for trusting me with such a special treasured time in your life and in mine.

Knitted Dress for Emma

I have spent this last week knitting a dress for my granddaughter.  She is eight months old and growing too fast.  I changed the yarn that the pattern called for, because I wanted her to have a blue dress and loved the green constrast that the Debbie Bliss Prima yarn offered.  The pattern is the Baby Bunny(also a lovely soft yarn) Toddler Dress by JoAnne Turcotte for Plymouth yarns.  My appreciation and thanks to JoAnne Turcotte for the lovely pattern.  It is such a delight to knit.

The joy of this project was putting it on her and realizing that my altering the bodice length and armholes worked out perfectly.  When I rocked this little one today and put her down she was holding the hem up close to her face like a blanket.  Sheer joy for any gramma who sews and knits for the little ones.  It just doesn't get any better. 

I have not forgotten about the Dedication Gown in a previous post.  It is finished and I am in the process of washing and ironing each piece.  Lots of soft fabric to handle ever so gently.  I will try and get it posted next.

Sewing for a precious little one

Emma at 5 months.  She loves to pick flowers with me.

My granddaughter is named Emma.  She was born on Christmas Eve, 2009.  I knitted this red angora sweater for her first Christmas.   As every grandmother knows, she is the sweetest thing on this earth.  Children have always had a special place in my heart.  Years before our girls were born, I sewed clothing for my friends who had children.  Before I knew that Emma was coming, I knitted sweaters for my friend's granddaughter.  Children's wear has always been a part of my sewing room. When I was a child, I sewed clothes for my dolls.   I have an antique wardrobe to put the dresses that I have sewn, some original designs, most are smocked, some antique ones that I found in Europe or antique shops. I can't wait for Emma to wear them all!!  Sewing for children brings me such peace.

Emma and I were shopping one day and we found a pair of shoes, actually they are flip flops with little flowers on them.  We found the perfect fabric to match them.  I made the top, Mom had the pants that matched.  Such fun.  Emma loves shoes and hats. This was the result of our shopping excursions.  So cute on her. Sadly, she has outgrown the shoes. 

You can see why I love sewing.  To have a little one in the family that loves the attention is more joy than this Gramma can contain.  

Happy Stitching, and I hope that you too, have someone special that loves your passion as much as you do.

Barbara

Staying Focused

The last two weeks I have been focused on only one thing: finishing my granddaughter's Dedication gown. It has taken me months to get to the light at the end of the tunnel. I say that lovingly because while I have at times been scared, worried , and even frozen at some stages, it is truly a labor of love and one of the most exciting and fulfilling things that I have ever made. Next to sewing and embroidering my daughter's wedding dress and the other daughter's bridesmaid's dresses, nothing compares to this occasion.

Last week, I finished 6 gores and 6 godets for the skirt. The 6 godets are designed and hand embroidered by me. The 6 gores are heirloom sewn pintucks and lace work by machine. One of the gores is the center panel and I have almost finished the embroidery on it. (Must keep that photo until later.) I never realized how very scared I was of working the center panel until yesterday when I completed a very intricate part of the embroidery. I jumped up with excitement, laughing and enjoying the finished piece, when I suddenly burst into tears. They were tears of relief, joy and emotions that I had not realized were so deep. What JOY!!

So, today, I invited one of my daughters (the other is on vacation) to come over. What did we do, you ask, to celebrate my finishing a major step? Did I want to hurry on with the final completion of putting all the pieces together, gores, godets, sleeves, yokes , and more lace work? did I focus on finally seeing the end and carrying through?? NO...not this knitter, embroideress, designer of a few smocking plates, and gardener...no, we went to a yarn shop and bought more yarn for me to start on in my free time. That being said, I will post more photos as time passes.

Happy stitching to all of you, whatever your focus or passion is today.
Barbara