Isn't she adorable? Emma will be two in January and is already talking up a storm. Her grandmother (another Karen) is a friend of mine and I made this little dress as a "thank you" for grooming my fur-babies the last time she took care of them for me. The pattern is my all-time favorite "Annie's Sundress and Jumper" by Beth Dix of Primrose Lane.
Smocking on the gown for Hannah is complete, as is the embroidery for the bodice. The dollie's gown is smocked but the embroidery is just traced at this time. The gown is smocked using an adapted portion of an old smocking plate by Terry Collins: "Angela" 1983. I made up the smaller doll's smocking plate to match. The embroidery is from a design by Sarah Howard Stone in her book Hand Sewing For Infants, a gift from my Heart Sister Jana. (Thank you again, Sweetie!)
I was delighted to receive this commission for a holiday outfit for a friend to give as part of her gift for a special young lady. Her only requirement was to make it festive. (I love it when a request is so simple. It gives me a chance to really do something special.) The dress was made using a pattern I haven't used before: Primrose Lane's "The Princess Dress". Beth Dix has long been one of my favorite designer's and I was itching to get the chance to make this one. The panties were from Pat Garretson's smocked doll dress pattern and the slip was made w/o a pattern. The slip and panties puffed the dress out nicely!
Tiny English cotton edging and Imperial Batiste.
The only thing I would change about the pattern is to make the sashes longer. I like them to hang down the dress more. Beth gives the option to use velcro to close the dress but I like using the buttons. I say a prayer before making the tiny buttonholes, though!
I made up a simple smocking design using the red and green and gold of the dress fabric. I must say that I hated smocking with the gold floss. It was a pain! There are little gold glass beads in the smocking in two sizes. The sleeves are smocked in a cable stitch in the green floss. 
A sweet friend has commissioned me to make a nightgown for her 9 year old and her new doll for Christmas Eve. I was delighted to be asked. I have known Hannah Rose since she was almost 2 years old and I was proud to be her kindergarten teacher. Hannah Rose is like my own Victoria-Rose was in body type and purchasing or making age appropriate clothing that fits is a challenge. In all the hundred's (no exaggeration) of patterns I have, none would fit Hannah that matched what Pam (mommy) and I had in mind. Soooooo I set out to make my own pattern. Since this nightgown will be given to her on Christmas Eve, I cannot fit the pattern to her and am hoping for the best. We chose a sleeveless style because it is warm here in Florida most of the year and Hannah Rose really dislikes the feel of sleeves when she is sleeping.
Blue batiste to go with her pretty eyes and lovely English lace.
On the last Friday in October my school had a Fall Festival that was well attended. There are all sorts of games, food, and fun for the families at a very low cost. Last year I started my own personal tradition of making some things for our PTA to raffle to help defray some of their costs. It proved very successful. This year I made an outfit for 18 inch dolls like the American Girl Doll and a size 6-7 Christmas outfit for a little girl. I took photos of the doll outfit and blogged about it in November but realized that I hadn't taken any photos of the child's outfit! (I still can't believe it!) Fortunately, a friend at school took these photos and emailed them to me. The outfits were displayed on the counter of the office for a week before the festival.
Well, I was actually sorry to wrap this project up. I enjoyed this one from start to finish. It is all wrapped in tissue paper and placed in a cloth covered keepsake box ready to be delivered to a very special baby girl.
I used the "Adore'e" pattern by Kay Treble in Australian Smocking & Embroidery #78 for the patterns for the dress, diaper cover (panties), and booties. The bonnet pattern is adapted for a newborn from a Grace Knott pattern.
I hope you enjoyed looking at my new creation as much as I did making it! 
Aren't they the sweetest little things?! I have been sewing and smocking for years and yet these are my first booties. I love them! I used the pattern by Kay Treble of Queensland in Australian Smocking and Embroidery #78. These are part of the baby ensemble I am making as a gift for a new little sweetheart born to friends last week.
It is hard to believe that this small pleated and partially smocked scrap of fabric will turn into a little covering for tiny pink toes, isn't it? The only changes I made to the original design is the addition of the French lace and the embroidered berries and leaves. The original had a machine scalloped edging and an embroidered rose to match the smocking in the rest of the ensemble. Although the construction was a little 'fiddly' due to the tininess of the bootie, I will definitely be making these again. A pair will need to go into my Grandmother's Hope Chest because Victoria-Rose squealed with delight when she saw these!
AS&E Issues #39 and #89
Yesterday the latest issue (#89) was in my mailbox and it is a beauty! Now I need to tell you that I savor this magazine like fine Hagen Daz ice cream. No quick gobbling for me. I take my time. I turn the pages slowly and read every word and look at every advertizement. Imagine my surprise and delight to read that my blog is mentioned in a new feature called Things We Love! At first my thoughts were, "I can't believe that there is another blog with my title". Then it hit me! That is MY BLOG that they are talking about! To say that I am thrilled is a tremendous understatement!
Aren't these sweet colors? I just love white on babies and this set is a gift for a precious little girl born a couple of days ago. I have three of the five pieces in the set complete and the other pieces just need a few more hours. I didn't use the traditional red/bright green for two reasons. I think newborns look best in paler shades and I wanted to see if I could make a holiday set in pastels. I think that it is coming along nicely! I hope that you do, too!
My baby girl was sixteen last week. Where has the time gone?! I have loved every moment of being this child's mother. She is the sweetest, most thoughtful, caring, and loving young woman you could ever hope to meet. What a blessing she is to all who know her!
Victoria-Rose wanted to go to Disney World for her birthday. We live about two hours away from the Magic Kingdom but we don't go very often. This was a big treat for all of us. The picture below was taken the day before at Downtown Disney. That tall young man is my son, Logan. He will be 15 in two months. How did he get to be taller than his mother?! The handsome silver fox is my sweet husband, Tim.
Victoria-Rose's current favorite princess is Aurora. She is currently singing in a group that sings only Disney songs (non-profit) and she plays the part of Aurora in one of the medleys. 
It was time to take down the little Autumn Tree in my kitchen annex today. I loved the little faery in the branches that I found in Home Goods in September. Faeries make me smile! Next weekend I hope to have this tree all decked out in angels for the Winter holidays.
My lovely daughter, Victoria-Rose went to the Homecoming Dance last night with her friends. Isn't she beautiful? It is hard for me to believe that we were waiting for her almost 16 years ago. It feels like yesterday! She was a wonderful baby, toddler, little girl, and tween and now she is an amazing young woman. My angel-baby is almost grown-up. I keep saying that I wish I could freeze time just a little so that I could have more time with my children. I am so very blessed!
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