Sewing and Grandbabies

My mother was a crafty person. She wasn't into garment sewing much. But I have a doll, Maid Marion, that she made for me. She made me a teddy bear when I was young too, he fell apart from much love. She was an excellent quilter. I am blessed to have several quilts that she made totally by hand. Alas, she did not teach me to sew.

When I was expecting my 3rd child my dh and I were going through a hard time. I decided I needed a project. I had this old Brothers sewing machine that I didn't even know how to thread! So off I went to WalMart to buy some fabric and a pattern. My original idea was to make christmas gifts for my friends. LOL. A dear lady, who was a good friend to me, showed me how to thread my machine and gave me some pointers on the pattern. I made a dress. The fabric was gorgeous...the dress was hideous! The waist line was super wavy, one sleeve was longer than the other, the neck facing rolled out terrible.

A couple of years later, my husband and I started attending a local church fellowship. Our Pastors wife is an excellent seamstress. She made a lot of her daughters clothing and I couldn't tell the difference between their clothes and clothes bought at the store. Not long after we began attending Karen, our pastors wife, started a beginners sewing class. I went to every one. It laid a good foundation. The more I sewed the more I loved it. That was 18 years ago.

About 10 years ago, I got interested in English smocking. So I bought a book, 155 Smocking Designs by Teresa Santoso. It's a great book to learn smocking. It has a whole section of easy geometrical designs to get started smocking. I love my book and still consult it.


I pulled out my smocking book this week because I am going to smock a bishop. A special bishop. I am expecting my first grand daughter, Miss Penelope, in May and here and there I've been working on putting together a package of handmade love for her.

Included in the package will be the following:
Smocked Bishop dress
Folky Dot design dress and bloomers
2 Itty Bitty newborn dresses and matching Mary Jane shoes.
1 Newborn knit cardigan
1 9" Waldorf style dolly.

I am currently looking for a small red suitcase, either a small child suitcase (with NO writing or embellishments on it) or much like the travel case my mother gave me as a child to play with and keep my treasures in. And boy howdy did I play with it and keep my treasures in it. I'm watching Etsy and Ebay for just the right case to put all her goodies in. I can hardly wait!