Miss February - Baby Betsy!

Baby Betsy is wearing  View 1 of my new pattern "Babys First Daygowns".

OH MY!  says Betsy.  

"It is the end of February and I am just now showing off my February outfit!"

"Oh well, better late than never." (what a great attitude she has!)

This cute sleeve  has a ribbon tie so it will fit any size little wrist.

There is Pretty embroidery and instructions for Swiss Trim at the front facing on this Daygown.

It is...after all, February, and it's bound to be cold somewhere!

Betsy is wearing her little embroidered Sacque from my OFB embroidery pattern "Sacque, Wrapper and Embroidery Designs".  Fifty embroidery designs included in this cute pattern.

Up on her perch where all she has to do is look pretty!

I want to let you know the progress on my patterns.

I have proofed the covers and patterns are (even as I type)  being printed.

You can pre-order them on  my web site. 

Toddler Summer Dresses

(you can also order the kit for the Tucked Dress that appeared in Sew Beautiful)

Babys First Daygowns

Reprinted - Babys Summer Clothes.

The pre-orders will be the very first to be shipped.  

Thank You... 

for stitching up my designs!

I am joining with White Wednesday today.

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2012 Jeannie Baumeister

Miss January!!

Flat Baby Betsy is Miss January!!

Doesn't she look surprised?

To find out more about Flat Baby Betsy...go HERE.

Here she is up on her lofty perch.

Her outfit for January is the Daygown from Smocked Baby Clothes.  It's made out of yummy Swiss Flannel to keep her toasty warm.

The sleeves are so cute.  

Just the right amount of gathers.  And Smocked at the wrist.  Smocking is the most beautiful way to gather fabric!

I smocked them with two rows of Cable stitch.

Then added a Rosebud.

The gown is Smocked with the old fashioned Honeycomb stitch.  And notice how I finished the yoke where it meets the Smocking.  No piping, instead, I inserted lace edging.

The front facing is edged with lace and I stitched embroidery between the buttonholes. If you notice how the floss has a bit of a sheen, it's because I used silk embroidery floss.

Look at the narrow lace edging.  I think one mistake people often make when sewing baby clothes is to use lace that is too wide.  I usually use an edging that is 1/4" to 3/8".  Sometimes a wider lace looks good, especially on dresses or Christening gowns.  But most Daygowns need a narrow lace.

I wanted to show you the facing at the hem.  Often we are wondering what to do with the lace at the lower edge.  Here, I continued the lace edging all the way to the bottom of the un-finished hem.

Then I turned it under and finished the hem.  

So, you notice that there are two layers of lace edging on the  outside of the facing.

Sometimes I will leave the lace un-gathered where the hem is turned under to reduce lace bulk but I rarely remember to do it.

I like it!

I am joining the Pink Saturday group (How Sweet The Sound)..

and continuing to try to simplify my life by doing "one thing at a time"!!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2012 Jeannie Baumeister

Miss December - as Baby Betsy!

In her December outfit.

Miss December!

Miss December - Baby Betsy is waving to her admirers!

 She is wearing a Swiss Flannel Daygown that has been lengthened to keep her little footsies warm.  

See Nov/Dec 2011 Sew Beautiful where I give you directions for doing this.

My Vintage Shop display, given to me by a wonderful friend.

Flat Baby Betsy sitting on the shelf where she can be admired.

Also up high on the wall (left over from this being my son's old room). 

I don't even like Football.

But I gotta be proud!!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Baby Betsy as Miss November!

Miss November

Baby Betsy has a new dress on for November as  some of you suggested she should.  She is going to Thanksgiving Dinner at Grandmama's house.  And will meet several Aunts for the first time.

That called for something special!

She is wearing a dress from the Old Fashioned Baby pattern "Antique Toddler Dresses".  It is a little large on her but the size 1 looks fine. 

The pattern has a Mock round yoke.  Which means it isn't a round yoke at all but only looks like one.  It is really  an easy square yoke pattern with a ruffle attached.

The sleeve band was made using Swiss Insertion for the band and  then lace edging was sewn onto it.  Notice that a narrow lace edging was stitched (by machine) to a lace insertion to create a winder lace edging.  Click on photo to enlarge.

The lace is antique and I didn't have a wide edging that went with it.  You can easily do that with lace that you have collected when you need a wider edging.  I actually think it is very pretty done this way.

Although this lace was old, it was readily available when the dress was made (but no longer).  This is a lesson for lace collectors (otherwise known as stashers) that what is available today, can not be had tomorrow!!  So rid yourself of any guilt when you add to your lovely lace collection.

This is the Fancy view in the pattern and there are two other versions that are simpler.  This dress is a very close copy of an Antique Baby Dress from the LSU Clothing Collection.

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2011 Jeannie Baumeister

Vintage Shop Display or Flat Baby Betsy!

My Friend gave me this wonderful Vintage Shop Display when I was in Norfolk.

She dubbed her Flat Baby.  I named her Betsy.

I love her!!

She came from an old Sears Store.  My Friend thinks she is circa 1940's.

Does anyone out there have any information about her??

Such a face!!

I put her in an embroidered pillow case to carry her home on the plane.  Only her face was showing as I made my way around the airport, lugging her along with my carry on bags.

Booties have a crochet edge around them, made by another Friend.  She gave me a blanket to match too!!

Her arm and leg are removable to aid in dressing her.

As I was hurrying in the airport, I heard a real baby cry.  As I looked around, I saw a policeman heading my way with a determined look on his face (I had Baby Betsy tucked under one arm so I could better grasp my bag).

See. She is flat on her backside.  That is so she will fit flat  against the wall as a display.  

As he came closer, I pulled back the pillowcase so he could see she was NOT the baby who was crying!!

She also has a little edge to her so she could sit on a shelf against the wall.

He was very nice to me and just mumbled that he had heard a baby cry.  I think he was a mite embarrassed that he was coming to the aid of a Shop Display and he had suspected me of being a Bad Mom!   In fact he pulled my bag all the way over to Baggage Claim for me to check on a Damaged Suitcase.   A group of my students pulled up to the curb in time to see me "escorted" by a Policeman as we headed out the door toward Baggage Claim!!  I'm Innocent!  Really! 

Just adorable in her little blue Emma's Smocked Baby Dress!!

But what is she looking at??

Her Mama!!

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2010 Jeannie Baumeister