Baby Gifts...the Rewards of a Sewist

Isn't it always worth all the time and planning as a sewist to see your results on a beautiful baby?

Several months ago I posted a "Perfectly Pink" featuring a pink batiste bubble with coordinating Anna Griffin "scraps" I won at Martha Pullen's School of Art Fashion last year.  Recently I received a picture of the recipient, finally big enough to wear the gift!  I always appreciate a picture of the child wearing my garment so I can add it to my gallery.  Thanks Annette (the proud grandmother) for sending it!  We know she is proud!



 

I used Michie' Mooney's  pattern, which is one of my favorites, to smock a sweet bubble.

What are some of your favorite patterns?

Happy Sewing,

Renee

 

Tea Staining for a Vintage Look

I am working on a custom order for a Christening gown and the trims the client selected only came in white so I did a little research and decided to give tea staining a whirl......

 



I think it turned out beautifully!!!!  The before and after makeover :)

First I started with a HUGE pot. (This is my jambalaya pot but it is also good for this project!)  I filled it 1/3 of the way with water and added 12 tea bags and set it on the stove to heat to just before boiling. I didn't let it boil because I didn't want the tea bags to burst and have tea granules in my water.



 

While this heated, I took a large, plastic bowl and filled it partially with water and a couple of Tablespoons of white vinegar.  (I didn't measure precisely, just a splash or two:))



 

Lay a towel out to absorb the liquid without "wadding" your trim or fabric. Get a pair of tongs and you are ready to begin.

I tested a small piece of each of my trims prior to dumping the whole lot of it into my tea.  In my case I had Swiss insertion, edging and entredeaux. I set the timer on the stove originally to 2 minutes and checked it to see if it was the right shade after drying it.  It wasn't so I dunked it again and left it for longer.  Turns out 3 minutes did the trick for my particular shade this time.



 

 

I also decided I needed a larger, more absorbent towel so I grabbed a bath towel for the next dunking.

A little scary dropping 5 yards each of that expensive trim into a pot of tea.....



 

A little gentle stirring to ensure all parts of the trim were covered,

and then I removed it from the tea and doused it into my bowl of water/vinegar solution to set the "stain".  (Amusing since usually I'm trying to get the stain out....sorry no pic on this step)  I let it sit about 5 minutes before moving it to the towel to blot it gently.



 

I then painstakingly ironed it while wet to further set the color and make sure after it dried it was still the color I needed and didn't need redoing.

I cut a piece of leftover foam board and began to wrap the trim around it as I ironed so it didn't wrinkle from pooling on the floor while I worked with the wet end. (ugh...my ironing board looks terrible;/ might be time for a new one!)

 

It took very little time to do all three trims, most of it was spent ironing, but now I'm ready to begin the project!



 

 

Collegiate Burp Cloth Winner!!!!

Congratulations Terry Walker Meadows!  You are the winner of the burp cloth giveaway!!

Email me at nnstitches@gmail.com for delivery information.

I haven't figured out how to do the rafflecopter, etc that I know are available so I did it the old fashioned way, cutting strips of handwritten names and having the hubby draw a slip!

Collegiate Burp Cloth Week-TENNESSEE!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GO VOLS!!!!!! My team!!! Saved the best for last!!!

Little Miss Smokey is rooting for her team with a korker

pom pom and checkerboard hairbow.  Room for initials or

name on the burp cloth in Collegiate font.  Orange and

white micro check cotton with grograin football ribbon trim.  Matching hair bow is $5 extra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smokey Football Player for the boys!                                

He is carrying a football and waving an orange and white pennant.  There is room for name or initials in Collegiate font that are included in the price.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've enjoyed my week of College team burp cloths.  If there is a team you'd like to have a burp cloth for, email me and I'll see if I can get your team!

Be sure to check out my store for future smocking, heirloom quality clothing and other appliquéd garments and gifts made by "Ney Ney"!

Itching to Stitch!

Renee

 

 

Collegiate Week Burp Cloths-Georgia

Go Dawgs!!!! for all my Georgia friends and fans!!!



Love the red and black chevron trim!  Room for personalization, either name or initials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

And of course Dawg cheerleader for the girls!  The hair bow is an extra $5.  She sports a ribbon on her head and is shaking a korker ribbon pom pom!  There is also room to personalize this cloth with either name or initials in a Collegiate font.

 

 

 

 

 

Fall and football coming up!!!

Renee

 

 

 

Collegiate Week Burp Cloths-Alabama

Today is Alabama day at Ney Ney's Stitches!

I guess the proper thing to say is

"ROLL TIDE" (please don't tell my husband)


 

Since my future daughter-in-law is a big

Tide fan he'll have to get used to it but for now we'll keep it quiet:)

This week I'm opening my web store on my Ney Ney's Stitches site!  There will be many more items to follow....

 

I have an elephant girl with korker ribbon pom poms and hair bow.  A baby's hairbow on 

an elastic headband is an extra $5.00

The sale is only applicable today, tomorrow it will go back to regular price!

 

 

 

 

 

The Alabama boy burp cloth is also available    today for $19.99 with personalization in 

collegiate font.  All burp cloths ordered today will be shipped by the first week of September.

Pay pal is accepted in my store.

 

Check it out!

Renee

 

 

 

 

 

Collegiate Week Burp Cloths-Auburn!!!

 



Today marks the first day of the collegiate week burp cloth sale in my new webstore!

 

 

 

 

 



Machine embroidered Auburn tiger burp cloth with korker ribbon pom-pom and cute orange bow.  The popular chevron trim and room for personalization will make a perfect gift !  The stuffed tiger also has a korker ribbon sewn into her paw and a navy polkadot ribbon on her head.  She is an extra $5.00.

As I was photographing all my burp cloths, I had the stuffed tigers laying in a pile on the floor next to my back drop set up.  Maggie ( my Maltese) decided to take one to play with while I wasn't looking.  Needless to say when I realized she had stolen one, it only had one eye left and an ear torn off!  Lesson learned...

 

 

The boy tiger is also on sale today. 

The stuffed tiger is holding a felt embroidered football!  It is also $5.00 extra.

 

Pay Pal is accepted.

Email with any questions.  Subscribe to my blog so you don't miss other SEC teams!

 

Thanks for looking!

Renee

 

Collegiate Week Burp Cloths

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been hard at work appliquéing team burp cloths for the upcoming SEC football season!!!  This week I'll be premiering a team each weekday.  Check back each day for your team!  If I don't have the team you cheer for, I can see if it is available.

This is all in celebration of my web store opening!! Thank you Dennis for your help getting it set up!  I'm excited about being able to showcase all my handiwork right here on my website.  Subscribe for a daily email of my blog post so you don't miss any tutorials, posts or this week your team burp cloth.  They are great to purchase in advance for baby showers, Christmas or birthdays.  I have learned that it is better to have something handy, I never seem to have the perfect item when the occasion rolls around so I like to stockpile!

Orders placed this week will be ready for delivery by the first week of September.

Have a great week!

Renee

Reversible Playsuits for Boys

I discovered a great pattern for making playsuits this week.  The pattern I used is a Bonnie Blue Designs named Hunter and Holly.  It was relatively easy to cut and construct AND I made it reversible !!! Much more bang for your buck!!



It really started because I didn't want to cut my 60" white broadcloth that I use for inserts for lining and I was out of any other width white fabric.  So... I thought why not use something colorful?  So I selected a coordinating fabric that actually cost less than my heirloom quality broadcloth and look how cute it turned out!

I machine appliqued two different dinosaur patterns I downloaded from  Just Peachy Applique and Planet Applique.

 



 

 



 

 

 

 

 

In hindsight the only thing I'd investigate the with the next project is putting grippers on the infant sizes.  Whoops!  This was given as a baby and big brother gift for a friend at church.  Sorry for the total undressing of the babe to change a diaper......it's been 20+ years since I had to worry about that and totally forgot!  I was so involved in correctly pulling the lining through to stitch that it slipped my mind completely until I went to the ironing board to press and by that time my thought was I'm NOT ripping it all out!



I do like the way it turned out and love the way the contrasting cuff looks when you roll it up!  Another plus since all babies and toddlers vary in height!  This suit is a 6 month size but with the roll up cuffs can be worn for a long time.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Big Brother's playsuit in a 24 mos.is coordinating but not too "matchy-matchy" (as my daughter disdains).  After all the baby will eventually wear it as well so something a little different for later wear.  The patterns are generous in size.

 

 

 

If Mom so desires them to be "match-matchy" she can because they are reversible!



 

 

 

 

 

I also used several buttons at varying lengths on both sides of the straps for growth adjustment!



 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm thinking of doing a tutorial on buttonholes and button application.  Would that be useful?

Let me know what you think of my "Dino" Project!  I'm already sewing several more....Collegiate, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas.....just can't stop thinking about all the potential projects!

Happy stitching,

Renee