The Different Looks of Lace

Pattern is Baby's Smocked Layette.

This is the little blue dress I made using the wonderful Swiss Dimity fabric.

I stitched lace insertion to the hem for a  fancy look.  

When you sew lace insertion onto your fabric as an embellishment, you can choose to leave the fabric behind the lace or remove the fabric.  The look is really quite different.

The above picture shows the hem with the fabric remaining behind the lace insertion.  

I often choose this look because it is pretty without being quite as fancy.  The garment is also much stronger and durable when the fabric is left behind the lace.  This is a wonderful way to learn about stitching lace to fabric without the fear of working with  the lace.

Flat Baby Betsy is wearing the dress after the fabric is cut away from behind the lace. 

 The look is airy and the design of the lace is more visible. 

The Swiss Dimity is available in Blue, White and a pale peachy pink.  All three are beautiful!

I love both looks and make my choice dependent on a couple of things.  If I want the garment to be worn (and washed) alot, becoming a beautiful but everyday Daygown or Dress, I am going to choose the more secure method of lace/fabric.  

If this dress is going to be a special occasion garment, then I think cutting the fabric away from behind the lace gives it a more elegant look. 

 Just launder with special care.

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

White Wednesday - Vintage Pillowcase

This pillowcase is all Eyelets, Satin Stitch, Cutwork and Scallops.

It is no secret that I love old Pillowcases!

And I love to iron them.  And I love to use them.

Center embroidery design on my Vintage Pillowcase.

Beautifully worked Satin Stitch.

I love this flower.  The center is an Eyelet.  Around it are stitched  six Satin Stitch Dots.

The Cutwork is also accented with Satin Stitch Dots.

And the Hem is amazing to me.  I love the different large scallops.

And the smaller scallops within the scallops!

With an eyelet worked on the edge of this one.

Lovely  stitches are a constant pleasure to me!

This is my White Wednesday post with Faded Charm!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Just Do It!

This is a teeny peek at my article in the upcoming issue (May/June) of Sew Beautiful Magazine.

I can't wait to show you the whole thing!

But I will tell you one thing.  I design as I move along with only a rough idea of the  direction I am moving in. Sometimes I do things I have never done before.  So I make mistakes.  I made mistakes in this little garment.  So I just took the mistakes out and stitched it in a different way.  Until I was happy!

Never be afraid to try new things in your sewing adventure!

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.  Elbert Hubbard, 1856-1915

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Use It Up!

Shadow Embroidered Whale from my book Jeannie B's Book of Heirloom Embroidery Designs and Stitches.

I found this Erma Bombeck quote on the blog Beyond The Garden Gate.



When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me... -Erma Bombeck 





All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Cute Baby Hanger

My Cute Blue Baby Hanger!

I am always in search of cute baby hangers.  This was found for  me by a friend.

"Life promises

 only 

Opportunity".

joan walsh anglund

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 201 Jeannie Baumeister

Pink Saturday - Madeleine's Going Home Outfit

A pretty sleeve finish on the baby gown.

Lezette was kind enough to send me pictures of the Going Home outfit she made.

It's so pretty.

Gown was made by Lezette

She embroidered the yoke and added lace to the neck edge.

The lower edge of the Nightgown is finished with Ribbon in a casing so baby's little feet can stay nice and warm.

Sweet Baby clothes were lovingly made by Lezette.

She even made a matching Baby Blanket.

Thank you Lezette for letting me share these photos!

Lezette used my Old Fashioned Baby Pattern Best Embroidered Baby Clothes 2

This is my Pink Post for today.

I am joining How Sweet The Sound!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

The Enchanted Mansion - A Doll Museum

I went to a Doll Museum with some friends a few weeks ago and wanted to share the pictures with you.

The Enchanted Mansion is right here in Baton Rouge but I had never been before.  And I discovered that they have a Mission Statement.  Their mission? "The sole purpose of The Enchanted Mansion is to benefit the handicapped community."  I had no idea!

There were tons of wonderful Dolls to see.

The Dolls that drew me like a magnet were the antique dolls wearing antique clothes.

I love Baby Bonnets!  

This baby doll was wearing a sweet bonnet made from dotted swiss to match her dress.

The dress was smocked and it reminded me of Emma's Smocked Baby Dresses.

Notice the Ric Rac around the hem.  

The two rows of tiny Ric Rac stitched closely together are a really cute embellishment.

This dolly is wearing a very Heirloom dress.

I love the doll on the left.  Her clothes are part of the doll but are painted on her.  No fun for little girls though.

But I was amazed at the doll in the case.  This would have been my dream Christmas present!!  All the little garments and accessories to go with her.  What amazed me though was that they were all together.  That means this never really belonged to a little girl.  Or else her mother didn't let her play with it!

Another cute Bonnet!  The Baby dolls were all rigged out in Bonnets.

The dress is a soft organdy and the yoke is stitched in tiny pin tucks.   I couldn't get close enough to see if any of these clothes were made by hand or machine.

And at the end of the self guided tour, we were served Tea with pretty China.

It was perfect!

I plan to take my Grandaughters!!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

White Wednesday - Baby In White Dress

Baby Isabella in a pretty white dress.

What a cutie!!

She is wearing Baby's Smocked Layette. 

 It has just a tiny bit of Smocking at the neck and sleeves.

Baby's Smocked Layette

Join me and Faded Charm for White Wednesday.

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Smile!

I stitched this when I was around 20 years old.  Which makes this piece Vintage!!

This little sampler is worked in wool thread in pretty colors.  Working with wool is much easier than floss but the bugs like it.  You can see a little hole on my purple flower if you look closely.

A Happy Thought!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Can You Find The Middle Child?

Can you find the middle child in this picture?

Hint - Look at the hair!!

My sisters theory about this is (choose one)

A.   I was like Pigpen and as soon as Mother brushed my hair, I was a mess again.

B.  I was a brat and screamed when my hair was brushed.

and C. Who cares...get over it!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Baby Blessing Gown

First Blessing Gown Jean has made!!

Jean was kind enough to send me this picture of the first Blessing Gown she has made.  It is made from Linen using Baby Layette pattern and she made it for her niece.  

Baby's mom wanted a simple but pretty  gown for the Blessing. 

Sometimes a  Church will  have a dedication ceremony or a Blessing ceremony and the Mom will want a gown that is pretty but not too elaborate.  The Baby Layette Daygown that Jean used will be plenty long enough to cover the tiny feet.

She also used the slip from Baby Layette but took the embroidery design from Best Embroidered Baby Clothes One.  She made a matching Bonnet too!

She did a lovely job!

Jesus said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them..."  And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Mark 10:14,16

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Joy

Sunlight on Flowers in my dining room.

This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Great is Your Faithfulness

photo taken in my garden

Thank you!

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

A Rolling Stone

Photo taken in St. Francisville

Alfred Arthur Baumeister

born in Alaska in 1934

died 2011

My Father In Law died last night 

A Rolling Stone

byRobert W. Service

published 1912

To pitch my tent with no prosy plan,

To range and to change at will;

To mock at the mastership of man,

To seek Adventure's thrill.

Carefree to be, as a bird that sings,

To go my own sweet way;

To reck not at all what may befall,

But to live and to love each day.

To make my body a temple pure

Wherein I dwell serene;

To care for the things that shall endure,

The simple, sweet and clean.

To oust out envy and hate and rage,

To breathe with no alarm;

For Nature shall be my anchorage,

And none shall do me harm.

To shun all lures that debauch the soul,

The orgied rites of the rich;

To eat my crust as a rover must

With the rough-neck down in the ditch.

to trudge by his side what'er betide;

To share his fire at night;

To call him friend to the long trail-end,

And to read his heart aright.

To scorn all strife, and to view all life

With the curious eyes of a child;

From the plangent sea to the prairie,

From the slum to the heart of the Wild.

From the red-rimmed star to the speck of sand,

From the vast to the greatly small;

For I know that the whole for good is planned,

And I want to see it all.

To see it all, the wide world-way,

From the fig-leaf belt to the Pole;

With never a one to say me nay,

And none to cramp my soul.

In belly-pinch I will pay the price,

But God! let me be free;

For one I know in the long ago,

They made a slave of me.

In a flannel shirt from earth's clean dirt,

Here, pal , is my calloused hand!

Oh, I love each day as a rover may,

Nor seek to understand.

To enjoy is good enough for me;

The gipsy of God am I;

Then here's a hail to each flaring dawn!

And here's a cheer to the night that's gone!

And may I go a-roaming on

Until the day I die!

Then every star shall sing to me

Its song of liberty;

And every morn shall bring to me

Its mandate to be free.

In every throbbing vein of me

I'll feel the vast Earth-call:

O body, heart and brain of me,

Praise Him who made it all!

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.    All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:9,10,16

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Pretty Blue Dress

Dress and photo by Cynthia.

This little Daydress was a class sample from a Sewing Class I taught.

Cynthia took this class and finished the Daydress (Yea Cynthia!!!)

For close up pictures of this dress - see her post on her California Stitching blog.

This embroidery and lace design is not in the pattern.  I designed it just for this class.  But there are pretty dresses in the pattern for you to make.  

The pattern we used  is Old Fashioned Baby Daydresses. 

Every Baby should have such a pretty dress!!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Fun With Friends- Afton Villa Gardens!

Everytime I visit, I am always moved by this little statue in the family cemetery.

Grief was a constant companion of those living  in the 1800's.

This is the entrance to Afton Villa Gardens. My favorite place in Louisiana!

 In another week or so, the Azalea's will be in full bloom along either side of the road.

See  more about the Afton Villa Gardens.

For those who know me.  You will be surprised to learn that the Rose is not my favorite flower (but I do love Roses). 

 It is the Daffodil!!

My shirt is really Navy Blue but it turned into LSU purple in this picture - so funny!

Picture Title:  Friends among the Daffodils. (Beth, Marsha, me)

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they 

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed...and gazed...but little thought

what wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

and dances with the daffodils.

by William Wordsworth

For awhile - I was in Heaven!

signed: Jeannie of the Daffodils

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Old Pink Daygown

I love Daygowns!!

This little pink one is very simple but so cute.

Notice the cross stitch which is used along the front facing and the sleeves and neck edge.   Very subtle..like a secret.

You can make this little gown using Baby Layette pattern.  Just add a little  extra fabric at the neck and gather it.

I am going along for a tour with Pink Saturday!  Join me and How Sweet The Sound.

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister