Mary Francis and the Thimble People

This lovely little book was written for children who are learning to sew.

Circa 1913

It is available as a reprint.

There are lovely illustrations.

Cute pictures and stories too.

Along with very real sewing information and techniques.

And Doll clothes patterns are included (circa 1913 of course)!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

Thimbles and Finger Shields

My Thimbles - Three china Thimbles that are just for being pretty, two vintage plastic advertiser Thimbles, sterling silver Thimbles and an antique sterling Thimble Holder.

The pretty Thimbles were given me as gifts.  In this group there are only two that I do use. The two that fit me, I purchased myself.

Antique sterling Thimble and Thimble Holder were gifts from my husband.

There is a little post in the Thimble Holder to put the Thimble on so it doesn't rattle around in the Holder.

Click here for a little Thimble History.

The Thimble is kept inside the Holder for safe keeping.

Thimble in the front is an antique sterling thimble in a size 6.

The two thimbles in the back are the ones I use.  The one on the left I found at an antique show.  It is old and worn and not pretty but it fits me well. It is a size 11.  The back thimble on the right was new when I purchased it and it is a size 10 sterling thimble.  It fits me too. Different thimbles seem to be sized differently and some have a more narrow top.

My sterling thimble is marked size 10 on the inside.

Thimbles are stamped with the size.  Some are stamped on the inside like the one shown above.  Many are stamped on the outside.  You have to try them on to know what size you need.  I have large square fingers so I use a large thimble which is more difficult to find.  I am always looking for them as I tend to misplace them frequently!

Use the Thimble on the middle finger.  It must be large enough to fit comfortably but small enough so it won't slip off.

All sewers should learn to use a thimble.  Not only does it protect your finger but it allows you to sew faster.  You use the thimble to push the needle through your fabric.

Plastic Finger Shield.  

A Finger Shield serves a different purpose than the Thimble.  While a Thimble is used to push the needle through the fabric, a Finger Shield is used to hold the fabric tightly over the finger.  Then, stitches may be taken with out loosening the fabric to insert the needle, thus keeping the fabric taunt as you stitch.

The Finger Shield is used to wrap the fabric tightly around your finger. 

When you use a Finger Shield to work stitches like the Pin Stitch, you can easily keep the fabric taunt as you pull the stitches snug.  This allows you to stitch quickly while pulling your stitches to form the classic open holes of the Pinstitch.

If you do not use a Thimble it is because you are not used to it, or it is not comfortable for you.  First find a Thimble that fits you.  Then, as one reader suggested, wear it around the house just to get used to it being on your finger.  You must train yourself to using a thimble.

Then Sewing Bird begins to Teach

"Little fingers, thin and nimble,

fit to one, a little thimble;

right hand - finger, number two - 

Put the hat on, - that will do."

Mary Frances put her thimble on the second finger of her right hand.  "I knew that much, Sewing Bird," she laughed.

From: The Mary Frances Sewing Book...Adventures Among The Thimble People by Jane Eayre Fryer, copyright 1913

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

Daygown Sew Along - Lesson Five

Follow your embroidery instructions on your pattern and refer to your embroidery design.

We are going to Embroider View  2 of  OFB Embroidered Raglan Daygowns.

Good Morning!!  Today we will stitch the Embroidery.  You can embroider the top only or the top and the hem design.  You will need either 10 Sharp or Crewel needles.  And your embroidery floss. Use one strand of embroidery floss.  I am stitching tone on tone.  I think the look is elegant.  It does not show up as much as would a color that is different than your fabric.  You might decide to use a different color.  If you are a beginner, tone on tone doesn't show up your mistakes as much!  This is all a personal decision (the hardest part).  Sometime I really am not sure until I start embroidering with a certain color, so you might want to start on a fabric scrap to see how you like it.

Information about  Hoops!

I don't use a hoop on any of the embroidery stitches we are working today.  If you like to use a hoop , that is fine to do.  However, you need to work your project a little differently.  You would need to draw your pattern onto your fabric (along with your embroidery design) in the beginning instead of cutting it out.  You would need to do this so you can have the room on the fabric for the hoop.  So today, since we are all cut out, you will have to be hoopless like me!

There are many ways to tie on to the fabric but  we are going to use  the Away Waste Knot .
Click Away Waste Knot to see how to Tie onto your fabric and also to tie off.

Ready to Embroider!  I am going to begin at the left side of my top embroidery design and work my way to the right.  The stitches used in this design are the Lazy Daisy stitch (the flowers and leaves), the Stem/Outline stitch (all the stems) and the French Knot (the flower centers and the dots at the hem.

For instructions, click onto Embroidery - French Knot and  Lazy Daisy and Embroidery - Stem/Outline stitch.

Question for Lesson Five:  Do you use a thimble to stitch?  If not, please try one!  It makes stitching faster!!

Stitch a little while and then join me for a very nice tea!

Buttermilk Pound Cake with Coffee ice cream. 

 English Breakfast tea to revive you after all that stitching!

Sunbonnet Babies
At four o'clock, the Babies three
Said, "Really, it is time for tea!"
So up they got, set off once more,
And wandered on along the shore.
But as the sun was getting hot,
They sat down in a shady spot.


From The Sunbonnet Babies by Eulalie Osgood Grover

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

Away Waste Knot

Right side of fabric.

An Away Waste Knot is just that....a knot that you will cut off (waste)!

Make a knot in your thread and take  the needle from the right side of fabric through to  the wrong side , then bring the needle back up to the right side of fabric coming   up where the design begins.

Make sure your knot is far enough away from your embroidery design.

Right side of fabric.

Here you see the knot in the fabric to the right and the needle coming up ready to stitch the design.

Right side of fabric.

When embroidery is complete, cut the knot.

Wrong side of the fabric.

Re-thread the needle and tie off. 

Now you see why the knot must be Away from the embroidery...to thread the needle!

Tie Off

Bring the needle through the loop formed.

You can secure your thread without forming a real knot.

 1.  Take a stitch through the floss on the back of your design, snug up the stitch,  being careful not to pull so much you distort your stitching on the front.

2. Take another stitch through the floss on the back, this time bring the needle through the loop formed as you pull the thread up snugly. The knot must be firm.

3.  Now, take another stitch carefully through the little knot that was formed in the last stitch.

Cut off the floss.

ps.  I have been known to take one more little stitch through the floss (not the knot) just to be on the safe side!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

Embroidery - Lazy Daisy and French Knot

Lazy Daisy Flowers with French Knot centers.

Lazy Daisy Stitch

Tie floss on with an Away Waste Knot.

Bring needle up at the base of the petal.

Form a loop around the petal with the thread, then insert the needle back into the same hole at the base of the petal.  Bring the needle up at the outside of the petal. Thread will be under the needle.  This will form a loop.

You are couching the thread in place.

Insert the needle on the other side of the looped  thread to secure.

Bring the needle up at the base of the petal opposite the first petal.

Stitch the second petal.

Wrong side of fabric.

To stitch the third petal, bring the needle to the center of the flower.  You are back tracking over your thread instead of carrying it to the next petal.

Wrong side of fabric.

Now bring the needle up at the base of the third petal.

Finish stitching all the flower petals.

French Knot

Bring the needle up where you want the French Knot.

Wrap the thread around the needle, once or twice as shown.

When stitching a French Knot in the flower center, I usually wrap two times.  If I have more than one French Knot in the flower center, I only wrap once.

With the wrap on the needle, insert the tip of the needle into the fabric.  Insert the needle one fabric thread away from where you brought the needle up.

You must keep tension on the thread as you stitch the French Knot.

Pull the wraps snugly down the needle until they are right on top of the fabric. 

Holding the wraps on the fabric, bring the needle to the wrong side.

Pretty little dimpled French Knot!

A word about carrying the threads. 

You can carry the thread to the next area of the design as long as the distance is not too great and you can conceal the stitches (so the thread you are carrying does not show, or  shadow, through to the right side) by weaving the thread through the stitches on the wrong side.

As for the French Knot.  You can not tie off with each  French Knot, you must carry the thread.  If you have French Knots in the design that are less than 1/4", carry the thread to the next one, even though they will show (shadow) on the right side.

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

Embroidery - Stem/Outline Stitch

Use an Away Waste Knot to tie thread onto the fabric.

This stitch is worked from left to right.  The needle will always be pointing right to left.

Bring the needle up  on the design line.  Insert the needle to the right (along the design line)and bring it back out half way between where the thread comes up from the back (on the left) and where the needle is inserted along the design line on the right.  You will only insert the needle half way when you begin this stitch.

Pull the needle through the fabric.

Keep the thread Below (or Above) the needle all the time.  It doesn't matter if the thread is above or below the needle but you must be consistent.  The look is slightly different so try out both ways and see which one you like.

Alway pull the needle to the left.  This is very important to achieve a proper tension in the stitch which is what makes it pretty.

Insert needle to the right, along the design line and bring the needle back up in the same hole where the thread is coming up.  You will bring the needle back up in the same hole for each stitch except the first and last stitch.

Continue stitching in this manner until design is complete.

For the last stitch, insert your needle into the fabric as if for another stitch, but do not bring it back to the surface. You will tie the thread off.

You can see the thread from the Away Waste Knot at the top of this picture.  

Re-thread  and tie it off also.

Tie off by weaving the tread along the stitches on the wrong side.

I love that the wrong side of the Stem/Outline stitch is the Back Stitch!!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

My Web Site!!

We have been updating my Web Shop!!

For those of you who have tried to order but can't find me, I am sorry!!

We are in the process of changing servers and I was told it might take 24 or even 48 hours.  So I will be gone for a little while.    Please know that I will be back soon.

Thank you!!

Isn't it cute??  Now my Blog and Web Shop match!!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

White Wednesday - Tucks & Lace

Little Baby Neighbor Boy!!  Cute as a Button.

Wearing yet another version of one of my Daygowns of Summer!

Really like the 3/4 length sleeves!

White on white embroidery.

Tucks and Lace version in the front.  Three tuck Daygown in the back.

White Wednesday - the day I join with Faded Charm to show my white treasures!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

Three Things I Love!

Featherstitch adorns Baby Bonnet class project.

I Love the Old Fashioned Double Featherstitch!

Notice the Roses on these scissors.

I Love pretty Scissors!

Grape Ivy in the corner of my Dining Room.

I Love trailing plants!  And I Love it when  the sun shines on them and changes the colors!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

Surprise In The Mail.

Australia's Country Bumpkin Books

This book arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. 

 A gift for the use of my Embroidery Designs that were published in the book.

I am pleased to have my name and  designs in this pretty book.  

I love the idea of making little "Memory" dresses to sew on the quilt.

What little girl wouldn't love such a quilt?

I didn't do any of the stitching work in the book.  

You might recognize the embroidery designs if you have taken some of my embroidery classes.

It looks pretty on the hem of this little dress.

I had not realized the quilt designer was the same lady who designed the  amazing quilt the St. Louis Smocking Guild made for last years SAGA Raffle.  I loved that quilt!   Many, Many of my tickets went in their basket in hopes (vain..alas) of winning that quilt!

Memories are such sweet reminders of our past!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister

Daygown Sew Along - Lesson Four

Today we will sew the Entredeux to our Daygown Sleeves and the Neck edge.

You will find the instructions for  the Old Fashioned Method of Attaching Entredeux to Fabric in your instruction guide on page one, under the heading Sewing Techniques.  Read them.

Read all the instructions in this Lesson Four post before beginning to stitch.

PS. You can have your tea first if you want to!

Stitch the entredeux to the sleeve first.

Entredeux pinned to sleeve, right sides together and raw edges even.

Cut the Entredeux to fit the sleeve edge.  This should be about 8".  Do not cut larger than 8".  If your sleeve is wider than 8", stitch a thread 1/8" from the raw edge of the sleeve and pull up the thread to ease the fabric to fit the 8" of entredeux.  The difference between easing and gathering is that easing pulls the fabric up slightly without gathers forming.

You will go to Attaching Entredeux the Old Fashioned Method for  more detailed instruction.

Stitch the entredeux to Neck Edge.

Read the instructions about your neck edge in your Pattern Instruction Guide.

Look in View 2,  Step 4.

Then go to the Lesson about Attaching Entredeux.

Your thread will frequently run out before you finish stitching.  When stitching entredeux to fabric, you can usually hide a knot behind the entredeux.  But when stitching a seam, there is no place to attach or hide a knot.  Click on Knot for information.

Question for Lesson 3:  How many years have you been sewing?

Now it's TEA TIME!!

Pretty yellow Roses are from my garden.

We are having tea in my garden today!

Oatmeal Crisp cookies, and Lady Grey tea.  My Brown Betty teapot was carried home to me all the way from England by my sweet Mother In Law.  Don't you love the name..."Brown Betty"?

And pretty tea cups!

Enjoy my flowers.

Thank you for coming!

"Won't you come into my garden? I would like my roses to meet you!"

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister