Cute Button Book

 My "Scripture Book" .  See my initials!! (JB)

This is the cover for our little Scripture book we made at one of the Old Fashioned Baby retreats.  We used a wool felt fabric and we sewed buttons onto the fabric, embellishing them with embroidery.  It was so much fun!  Our creativity sparked off each other and many of our book covers looked similar but none were the same.  We did not use a pattern, just a jar full of buttons, embroidery floss with lots of colors and combined imagination!  I made this one. See the Bunny in the left bottom corner.

We used card stock for the cover and for the scriptures.

The scriptures came from the lessons we learned during the weekend.

We punched holes in the cardstock and used ribbon to tie them together.

It is a wonderful spiritual keepsake of the weekend.

We made a scripture book but you could use the idea for anything.  Cute for a photo book too.

The Stitchin' Post in Little Rock

Lots of pretty garments to see!!  I see pretty "Old Fashioned Baby" clothes on top of the Antique case!

The Stitchin' Post in Little Rock is a wonderful Brick and Mortar Heirloom Sewing Shop!  There are several great women who work there and they each have a special talent that adds to to uniqueness of the store.  They have fine heirloom fabrics in soft hues and bold fabrics for play clothes.

 A rainbow of colored fabrics throughout the store.

The "Lace Cabinate" !

Wouldn't you like to peek in those baskets to see the pretty lace?

They offer hemstitched baby blankets.
It's a wonderful shop to go (I have been there!)  and lose yourself in the beauty of possibilities!!
If this is a store near you, you are lucky!!

 The Stitchin' Post

1520 Macon Dr.

Little Rock, Arkansas

501 227 0288

Support Your Local Heirloom Sewing Shop!!

A Program with the French Hand Sewers

Learning how to work the Snail Shirring on Swiss Edging.

A Happy Group!

All the ladies in my SAGA guild are nice.  And enthusiastic too!  It was fun teaching my Snail Shirring Bonnet class to them.  We have split the class into two  programs.  This is very good because they can go home and work on their bonnet and be ready for the next step.  My guild likes to learn things progressively.  I think it is a good thing because you really get to learn a technique instead of just try it.

We own 3.77 Sewing Machines! and Winner of Giveaway # 2.

All the treasures pictured in front of the  Choosing Bucket!

The Lucky Girl for the OFB Giveaway #2 is "Lindsay" !

So, dear Lindsay, please email me (jbaumeister@cox.net) your name and address so I can get your treasures off to you!

I thank you all for visiting me at my  Old Fashioned Baby Sewing Room.  I so enjoy your  comments!!  We are indeed Kindred Spirits.


Just for fun, I have compiled a (probably inaccurate) list of the information that I received from all of you who commented on this giveaway post. I asked how many  Sewing Machines you all had.   Very interesting !!  I did my best to count the machines you listed but sometimes it was hard to be sure.  This is not science!  


The average sewist owns 3.77 sewing machines.


One person listed 11 machines and one person listed 10!!


Surprisingly (to me anyway) there were 6 ladies who own only one machine.  I have a vision of you six ladies as  being neat, tidy, practical and completing each project before starting another!   The winner was among you!


Suzanne said  .."my favorite machine is my hands.  They're always with me and don't require electricity." I like her words because I love hand work too. But I do alot of machine construction.


ElizabethRose said she owns a 1876 New Home Treadle machine and plans to make a baby dress on it just to say she did it.   Well, I said the very same thing several years ago to my husband when I bought a nice treadle  machine  "Honey, I need it so I can sew my designs on an old machine just like they used to do". ( He does not know that they  actually used to sew baby clothes by hand).  My ambition is still to sew a baby gown with my treadle machine but I haven't done it yet.  Hmmmm maybe there are more of us and we can unite and encourage each other!  We can call ourselves the "Treadlers".


I love this!!  More than one of you names their Sewing Machines which I think is so  quaint.  I love naming things!  I would name my machines too,  but at this point in my life I would not be able to remember their names so I'll  just call them all "Honey"!

Love That Sugar!!

 

Displayed in the gift shop of the Port Allen Museum by my own Lorraine of the Sew Sew's.

On Saturday my friend and I went to see a Sugar Exhibit in a nearby town.  Sugar Cane and Sugar production has been a large part of the economy in Louisiana.

 Sugar!

The exhibit was all about the sugar industry  in Louisiana but also about the sad world history of Sugar.  The industry  was largely built on slave labor in the early days.

Sugar Sifter Box

Inside this box is a 'cone' of  brown sugar that is being cut.  Sugar was molded into cones and you can see a cone of white sugar to the right of the box. It is very hard and required special nippers to cut it. The particles fall down into the box where there are holes for the finer pieces of sugar to fall through.

 

We really came to see the pretty Sugar Bowls and Tea Sets.

I was going to give you some history about Sugar Bowls but when you type Sugar Bowl into the computer search engine , you only get Football stuff.  Too lazy to look farther!

Made from glazed porcelain between 1750 and 1850.  I love this classic Sugar Bowl shape!

Most of the sugar bowls on display were huge, including this one. It must have been at  least 7" tall!!  It was quite the status symbol to be able to afford a quantity of sugar.

 

Of Course, this was an important part of the display! 

And I am happy to tell you that I am doing quite well with my New Years Resolution!! 

And, it is coming very easily this year!  

With a little help from my friends.

Designing A Pretty Yoke or I Love My Job!!

 

 The Bear Threads Lace Sample Books open for me to decide what to use!

I am doing an article for the new Bear Threads on-line Newsletter for February.

I looked in the Bear Thread Lace Sample Books when I was at Market in Birmingham this month.  What fun to have all the lace samples to help me decide what to use. Decisions, decisions!  Always hard for me but with all these wonderful choices it was even harder!

Everything ready for me to begin.  I am using Emma's Smocked Baby Dresses.

Decision was made and the package arrived with the beautiful materials.  They were even prettier than I remembered.   I did not choose the fabric to go with the pattern.  I chose the pattern to go with the fabric.  I am in love with the Blue Swiss Voile! I wish you could see and touch it!  You would know what I mean.  And I decided on an off white Maline Lace and off white Swiss Insertion to embellish the dress.  I love Maline Lace.  It is seriously gorgeous!!

I Love My Job!!

Creative Needlework Show!!

Here is Mike  from Fabric Finders!

This picture only shows a small portion of the cute fabric he bought to the show.  It was a cash and carry market so Shops were loading up baskets full and taking them to their car.  Then they came back for more! He hangs  clothes behind the fabric so you can see how cute they are made in his fabric!  Do you see my little blue dress?

"The Handmade Dress".  I give it the Cutest Booth at Market Award!!

All their cute designs and patterns are displayed so nicely. 

Wendy Schoen and her sister Penny (lucky Wendy has Penny to help her).

Wendy had many of her gorgeous designs displayed here for mass inspiration!!

Ellen McCarn at her Booth surrounded by pretty clothes!

See all the books on the table?  They are filled with cute Smocking Designs, Patterns and Appliques just for the choosing! 

Here is Michie in Julia Golson's booth.

  Michie has her pretty little baby clothes displayed  behind her and lots of patterns for sale. It was fun to talk to her when I really only knew her from her blog.

Trisha of Trisha's Treasures.

Trisha was introducing her cute new line of patterns! 
As always, it was a looong drive but fun to be there and lots of new and old items to be inspired by.  It is an heirloom sewers candy land!!  And what a surprise to come home and find 24 comments AND 10 more followers.  This is fun!! (So far so good on my New Years Resolution!)

Sewing Circle at Christmas time

Milk Punch - it's a Southern thing!

We had yummy food and drinks.

 

We exchanged fun gifts - many were home made.

We enjoyed the company!

A few stitched while visiting!

Practicing Granitos before putting them on her dress!

Bunny, working on Pink Parfait from Creative Needle magazine. 

Working Shadow Embroidery on her Dagyown.

Laura is making Priscilla's Layette Daygown (for A Christmas Baby).

Her tiny stitches amaze me.

Carol is now working on a carpet for her Doll house.   One of these days I am going to visit her Grandaughter to see this Doll House!

I can't tell you what this is until after Christmas!

There was no show and tell today except the projects we were working on.  Just good company.

It was a fun day!

Miah enters a "Sew with Cotton" contest

Miah loves to sew on my sewing machine.

Miah made an Apron for a 4 H contest.  It was a "Sew with Cotton" contest.  She loves to sew on the sewing machine, lickety split.  (I pushed the 1/2 speed button to slow her down).  I stuck a piece of blue tape on the machine to help her guide the fabric accurately.  She did very well.

She chose her fabric for the reversible apron.

This was the first garment Miah made all by herself (with me guiding her) and she was very proud of her Apron.  

I am so proud of Miah's patience and hard work!!

Miah won First Place in the Elementary Apron division AND was one of two girls chosen to go to the State 4-H Sewing Camp!!!

Ladies, we have to teach our children and Grandchildren to sew when they are young and have the interest!!  There isn't a little girl alive who at one time does not want to sew on a Sewing Machine!!

Cradle Roll

Cradle Roll Certificate

I saw this framed picture while visiting a friend recently.  She told me it was her Cradle Roll certificate.  When a new baby of the church went to the nursery, the parents were given this lovely certificate.  The baby stayed in the nursery until old enough to attend Church or Sunday School.  Isn't that neat?

Fabric and Lace Requirements for Daygown plus Seeds

I have a million business cards with the wrong address so we put new labels on them. 

Click to Enlarge Photo if needed.

I had an email request from someone who wanted another  business card.  She told me she had carried it around to keep my yardage requirements handy and wore it out.  I thought  you might like to have the yardages too.  They will work for most Daygown patterns.  Please note the typo where Layette Daygown should call for 1 1/8 yard of fabric.  I left out the /

If you would like to have a card, send me a self addressed stamped envelope and I will send you a few.  Please write..Business Card...on the envelope.  If you would like Moon Flower Seeds, send an envelope and write...Moon Flower  Seeds...  You can have both , but let me know!

I had some help/ Along came Martha!!

   Martha, otherwise known as "The Southern Matriarch" is the reason I have my Blog today.  I think the blog is a great  format to share ideas, thoughts and techniques  but I just could not figure out the technology required.
   Then along came Martha who generously took the time to give me detailed instructions and patiently repeated them for me again and again until WOW,  I did it!  I could not have done any of it without her help so for those of you who enjoy my posts, please thank Martha!!

I Went to the Birmingham Creative Needlework Market

This little girl went to Market!! I go as a Vender, showing my Old Fashioned Baby products, but I also go to see what is available, what is new, what the fabric and lace looks  and feels like up close and personal.  I look for fabric, trims and lace that inspire me.  I need things to use with my new designs and like to have beautiful things on hand to choose from!   It was a great market with some new venders, new customers and alot of excitment about sewing  heirloom garments as well as play clothes. Guess who came to my booth??  It was an Old Fashioned Baby!!  And a very cute one too!

 Cute little Baby with her big brother is wearing French Bonnet from Baby Bonnets One  and  Baby Rose Raglan Dresses.

I took a few picture of some of the companies we all know and love, but did not have time to take more pictures and there were tons of companies and designers you would love to visit with.

Ginger, from The Childrens Corner is in her booth showing the customers what is new and just how cute everything is when it is made up!  It is so much fun to see their garments in person and see which fabrics they choose when sewing up their creations.

The Old Fashioned Baby Booth!!(notice they mis spelled my name!! bad!)  All my patterns, Jewelry, Book and tons of Mother of Pearl Buttons!

Jeannie's design with Maline Lace,  featured in Sew Beautiful Magazine

Lace! Lace! Lace!

We all love lace!  And there were three of the Lace companies showing and selling their products.  You would think you'd died and gone to Lace Heaven!!

Here are Cyndy and Moe, owners of Capitol Imports.  They took time during a lull at  market  to pose for me in front of their booth.  They are always working to get  us even more fabric and lace designs in the best  quality and the best  price too! Beautiful Lace - Lovely Lace - Love their Lace!

Bear Threads owners Jim and Sheila Nicol along with Bear Threads namesake were busy showing customers their  wonderful  laces and fabrics.  They even have the hard to find "Handloom"  swiss embroideries available to customers.  Heavenly Lace, Lovely Lace, Love their Lace!

Elizabeth at The 1752 Company was busy every time I made the loop around market so I am showing you one of their lovely  Embroidered Nettings.  They are known for their English Nettings and have more than any other lace company.  They also carry others laces. !!!Love their Nettings!!! Love their Lace!!

What was HOT at Market!!??!!

Besides the new Old Fashioned Baby Patterns, that is.

These Buttons were going like Hot Cakes!!  They look like large M&M candies but are Dot Buttons.  Jeanne Rogers Wamack (of the Smocking Plate fame) had these packaged in bags with tons of different colors.  This is a sample of some of them.  They are so neat because they are NOT shank.  There is a little hole that goes from one side of the button to the other  and doesn't show.  It makes the buttons so easy to sew onto fabric. They are about 7/8" wide. She had cute ideas about how to use them as an embellishment on childrens clothing and other things. I know some of you already know things you would want to use them for, just by looking at them.  Check with your local shop, if they don't have them, call Jeanne at 205 823-1514

This was a Wholesale market and many Shop owners were busy selecting exquisite lace and fabric, patterns and anything a person could want.  Their shops should be loaded with goodies as they put out their precious stock!  Ask your local shop what they brought back from Market??