Smocked Dress Quilts

Over the past 10 years or so, I have made a few of these Smocked Dress Quilts. Two are finished and one is in the works.

I had done this top a few years ago, but I never liked the sashing, so it was put away. Motivated by my Guild's Quilt Show coming in October, I dug it out. I took the blocks apart and am framing them in solid colors now. Here they are (some of them are hard to photograph):

I will then sash these framed blocks with white and I know I will like it much better! This one is fun because each dress is a different style: bishop, yoke dress, heirloom, etc.

This one is approximately twin-size and shows the blocks framed individually. This was hand-quilted by my Mom and won "Viewer's Choice" in our last Guild Show. This one is totally bishop dresses.

This one shows the ruffled Swiss embroidered edging I used. It makes it very girly!
Here are close-ups of a couple of these blocks:

I love this fabric- it's one of my favorite blocks!

This one is fun with the strawberries!

I featherstitched the hem on this one- you can have fun doing anything on these!!

This is the first one I did- I taught this block/smocking at a Quilt Shop and make my samples into a baby quilt. This one is fun with the pieced filling. Super girly and fun- this one is about 42"

I made my own patterns for these. I basically used the size of an American girl dress pattern to get my yokes and sleeves. You just need the front of the dress and half of the sleeve. I have a nice little assortment of pieces that I can mix and match to make new dresses. I think after the latest one is done, I'd like to try a quilt of little boy outfits!!

The Joy of Embroidering with Vinyl: Zip Bags

I was so busy at Christmas time that I didn't post any of the many projects I did, so you can consider me 2 months late or 10 months early.
I tried embroidery on vinyl for the first time in November and it has some really great benefits. Mainly, no need to finish edges. Like felt, the vinyl doesn't fray, so no need to line.
These zip bags were gifts for Christmas. They are great for holding a gift certificate or other small treat.

This one is the 6x10 size. If I used my giant 10x14 hoop, I'd have quite a large bag indeed.

5x7

5x7

5x7

These take about 10-15 minutes to make, which is a lot less than the quilted, lined bags I usually do. These are sturdy and water-resistant. They make good makeup pouches, phone cases, beach wallets, etc. And they are fun to make!!

A Heart Kitchen Towel for Donna

This was a fun project I did for a cousin. I thought she would like a personalized towel for her kitchen and this cross-stitch heart with roses can work all year. I stitched it on a gray Williams-Sonoma towel. They are my absolute favorites because they are thick and thirsty with a smooth face for embroidery. My Mom often gifts me these when my stock gets low.
The cross-stitched heart is from Sudberry House, one of the best sites for machine cross-stitch designs. People have said they can't tell if it's by hand or machine. And it takes a LOT less time!!

A Promise of Spring....Daffodils & Pussy Willows

I spotted this amazing embroidery design during a recent sale at San Francisco Stitch Co. Right away, I knew I wanted to make it for my Mom, who loves both daffodils and pussy willows. She often brings me a branch of pussy willows in the spring.
I figured it would be a good Valentine's Day present. I had a bit of a time finding enough shades of yellow- I think there were 7 shades. I also mixed up the order of my yellows a bit, but it looks good anyway!

I found the perfect frame, too. It is a white-washed finish and it made me think of the beach, which is near their house. I framed it myself, as I would go bankrupt if I professionally framed everything I stitch! This is stitched on tan linen, which has a nice texture. My Mom and Dad loved it. I hope real flowers will come to my corner of the world soon- we still have snow.