Tag Binky

Whenever a friend is expecting a baby, I whip up one of these tag binkies. Babies love them. They're a great way to use up small pieces of trim and ribbons; just make sure everything is washable, and avoid any trims with beads or sequins or those that could come apart, like ones with rows of motifs that are joined with just a thread or two; you know how babies like to teethe on things. Mix and match different colors and textures. Invariably the baby will latch on to one special tag, so I'm told. I usually machine embroider one side with the baby's name, if I know what it's going to be, or you can pick any fun, juvenile motif. Use solid fleece on one side and a print on the other if you like. If you don't machine embroider, just pick out a fleece print for both sides. Directions will follow in next post.

Sew Beautiful presents...

Sew Beautiful is excited to announce that we are now the official sponsors of the biannual Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion! Join us for our upcoming 2010 summer School, which takes place locally here in Huntsville, Alabama, July 19th – 25th. SOAF registration information is now available on the Martha Pullen Company website, including a downloadable PDF brochure.  You can also find the entire School brochure in print on the pullout centerfold of the upcoming May/June issue of Sew Beautiful, #130.

We are also pleased to announce our first ever SB Pre-Day class, "Beyond the Basic Bodice", to be taught by our very own Kathy Barnard, editor. In our 3-hour notebook-style class, you will use a basic girl’s bodice pattern to learn a variety of easy drafting techniques for designing five completely different bodices from one single pattern. Scroll down to #41 on the Pre-Day Classes page for more information.

Registration for the School of Art Fashion begins on March 31st. Don't procrastinate -- you don't want to miss out on snagging your favorite classes before they fill up! Visit the School website for more information, and look for our special preview article about the School and our sponsorship in issue #130 of Sew Beautiful.

Amelia's Sewing Office Utopia

I just have to share my new office/sewing space, eight years in the making. I started in our extra bedroom. When I had to turn that space into a nursery, my office got split between my husband's unfinished workroom and the kitchen desk. Finally, when my high school son needed to complete a dry-wall project for a tech class in school, my real office started taking shape. My husband gave up half of his work room, and between his amazing talents (can fix or build anything) and bits of free time, (not to mention a year of living with my sewing stuff just piled in a half-finished room) I finally have a space to call my own. I feel so incredibly productive. Every woman should have their own creative utopia.

Gown Restoration and Preservation

Remember our article on Preserving your Family Heirlooms, written by our own Betsy Iler, that we published in Issue #124? (Click here to download the PDF article for free!) Reader Joan Kwasiborski came across the article on our website and sent us a great recommendation for the Imperial Gown Restoration Company, which we knew we had to share with you. Joan says:

If you are not already familiar with the Imperial Gown Restoration Company in Fairfax, VA, or if you have never featured them, you might find them of interest. I once called them, and they were kind enough to let me know that their base price (this was a couple of years ago) to clean a gown, unseen, was $450.00. Their webpage was invaluable to me, because of their description of cleaning gowns, which I wanted to know, because I had bought some store models, and some used gowns, for resale. They avoid alkaline detergents, and I do also, prefering to use Shaklee's Basic-H or Shaklee's Laundry Detergent, although I have used some spot cleaners on small areas.

These gowns sometimes weigh 10 lbs. even when dry, so I droop them over a large fabric laundry basket in my clean extra bathtub, until most of the water has drained. Then I can droop them over other light weight items, set on top of my bed, even using umbrellas for the expansive petticoats and overskirts, I have a fan over my bed, and that helps circulate the air around them.

Imperial Gown Restoration Company has some very interesting information, they have done restoration for the Smithsonian Institution, and you can read more about their process and recommendations at their site, www.gown.com.

Thanks so much for the information, Joan! She is right -- Imperial's website is full of great information. We included the following list of preservation resources in the original article. Do you know of another great company, resource or tip regarding heirloom preservation and restoration? Please comment below to share your knowledge!

• Heirloom preservation bags are available at www.affordableproducts.zoovy.com.
• Heritage Garment Preservation offers supplies, storage boxes and kits. Visit their website at www.heritagegown.com or call 866-268-4696.
• J. Scheer & Co. specializes in wedding gown preservation and the cleaning of museum textiles and ceremonial costume. Visit their website for more information, www.jscheer.com.
• Martha Pullen Company carries acid-free heirloom tissue paper and padded hangers. Visit Martha’s online store at store.marthapullen.com.
• Prestige Preservation Program, LLC, features cleaning, inspection and storage processes. Visit them online at www.prestigepreservation.com or call 888-542-7709.
• See www.veils-by-roxanne.com for tissue, boxes and kits.
• Sentinel Archiving, Inc., sells garment bags designed for long-term protection of extra-special garments at www.sentinelarchiving.com. 
• The Linen Press LLC provides repair services for heirloom and antique textiles. Go to www.thelinenpressllc.com for more information.
• The Preservation Station sells a variety of cleaning and storage product options for the care of heirloom garments and other textiles: www.preservesmart.com.
• University Products offers a wide selection of preservation supplies, including stain removers, silica gel packs to absorb moisture, and non-adhesive labeling tape. See their online store at www.archivalsuppliers.com.
• Visit Whiteworks at www.white-works.com for articles and information about heirloom garment preservation.
• Your local department or grocery store carries BIZ, Ivory Snow and other suitable cleaning and storage supplies.
  

Love Vintage Periodicals

Ok, so I know this isn't nearly as exciting as our Threads debut, but while Kathy was flipping though her modern sewing magazine, I was flipping through one from 1905. I just love the vintage inspriation you can glean from them. Here's a question posed by one reader to the editorial staff all those years ago. Can't you just picture the "fancy case" in your head.

To Hold A Baby's Layette
Can you suggest something new and dainty to hold a baby's layette? Aunt Mabel

Make a fancy case fashioned like the fold-over handkerchief-cases. Take a piece of figured sateen that will measure when folded in half twenty-seven inches by eighteen; line with silk, and pad and quilt the under side after strewing the wadding with violet orris powder; use fancy silk elastic and make straps across to hold the little garments in place. When the top is lifted all the little articles are handy.

By the way, Orris root powder has a scent similar to violet and is used for scenting perfumes, potpourri and sachets.

Kathy and Amelia's Threads Magazine Debut

We are so excited to announce Kathy and Amelia's debut in Threads Magazine! Check out page 74 of the April/May 2010 issue to see their Master Class article on Mirror-Image Appliqué. As soon as our copy arrived the other day, we started looking over the issue page-by-page; here is a picture of Kathy and me, Shannon, reading over the cover (please ignore my messy desk)...

 ...but let's be honest, this picture is more like it! Can you hear the squeals of excitement?!

The article itself was a true joint effort between Kathy Barnard (SB Editor) and Amelia Johanson (SB Associate Editor). Judith Neukam, Threads Sr. Technical Editor, called Kathy last year and said she was watching Martha’s Sewing Room one night when the Mirror Image Madeira method with the wash-away thread was demonstrated. Judith wanted to know if someone from Sew Beautiful would be willing to write for their Master Class segment in Threads using this technique, but based on a non-heirloom, styled design. Amelia and Kathy love fashion sewing so much that they decided to assign themselves the project! Kathy designed the featured dress and prepared the instructional step-out photography, while Amelia stitched it up; they both wrote the instructions together.

Kathy says, "We hope we get to do another article for Threads sometime. Now I know what it is like to be excited about having an article in another magazine. It’s easy for me to publish a design or an article in SB because I am the editor, but when someone else chooses you, it becomes a real honor!"

If you don't already have a subscription to Threads, please run out and pick up a copy to see Kathy and Amelia's article! We hope you enjoy it, as well of the rest of their great April/May issue, and thanks again to Threads for the opportunity - we are honored.

March Designer of the Month: Ivey Crenshaw

Welcome to the premier post of our first blog series: Designer of the Month. On (or near) the first of each month, we will be sharing a spotlight interview with a featured designer whose work we love. We hope you enjoy the behind-the-designs insight to be gained!

Our first featured designer is Ivey Crenshaw of Hahira, Georgia. Ivey is an employee of Sew Blessed, a sewing shop also located in Hahira. You can see her work in "Spring in Full Bloom," a pictorial published in the current March/April 2010 issue of Sew Beautiful (#129; pages 16-19). We're also looking forward to publishing Ivey's work in yet another pictorial in our November/December issue (#133), this time offering a series of fun, casual Christmas looks in bright cotton prints. For now, on with the interview!

SB: Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Ivey: I am a happily married housewife, who works part-time at Sew Blessed. Before I started working at the shop, I had my own business making curtains and anything to do with decorative textiles. One day, I was hanging curtains for a client and I mentioned to her that I needed a new sewing machine and a part-time job so that I could get out of the house some every week before I go stir crazy. Well, that client was Sharon, who is the owner of Sew Blessed and now my wonderful boss! Eventually I got out of the drapery making business and started sewing for fun again. Jeff and I do not have any kids but that does not stop me from sewing children's clothes. I love it! I have an Art Degree in Fashion Design and when I was in college, children's wear was my forte. Working at Sew Blessed has just given me the perfect excuse to sew cute children's clothes again! I guess you could say that I have been "sew blessed" - haha!

SB: How did you get started sewing?
Ivey: My grandmother was an excellent sewist and as a young child she always fascinated me with all that she would sew. She passed away when I was eight and was never able to teach me. My mom inherited her fabric collections, 2 sewing machines, and U.F.O.'s (unfinished objects). I loved to play with all those fabrics and I would try to make things by studying her U.F.O. projects. Mom noticed that I was interested in sewing and found me a summer sewing class through 4-H when I was about 11 years old.

SB: Many of us who sew also participate in other crafts and hobbies; do you?
Ivey: Yes! Although I try to limit the crafts I get involved with cause it can get expensive and time consuming. My true love is sewing. Next to sewing is decorating. Seems like my parents and I have always got a decorating project going on. Alot of the crafts that I do are because I was trying to come up with clever wall art or decorate for a party.Some of my other crafts and hobbies I dabble in are flower arranging, beading, photography, paper crafts...Give me a book on the subject and I will try to figure it out! I would love to get into gardening.

SB: How long have you been a part of the Sew Blessed shop, and what is your role there?
Ivey: I have been part of Sew Blessed now for 5 years. My role at the shop I guess would be Marketing Director. I'm all about trying to make our shop look good. I make the shop samples, choose fabrics and patterns we sell in the shop, rearange store displays, take pictures for our ads... you know, whatever is going to market our shop well.

SB: From where would you say you get your inspiration for your sewing projects?
Ivey: I find inspiration everywhere!!! It could be from something as simple as a novelty button or a fabric collection from a favorite fabric designer. Magazines are some of the best places to find inspiration and not just sewing ones. I don't scrapbook, but I love to buy scrapbook magazines because they are full of ideas for appliques and unusual color combinations. A movie, artwork, a road trip through the mountains in the fall, pretty packaging; these are all things that have inspired past sewing projects.

SB: Hand-in-hand with inspiration goes motivation. As creative beings, sometimes even though we have plenty of inspiration, we can't seem to motivate ourselves to actually keep creating! How do you combat this struggle?
Ivey: I'm not always motivated to create, but it makes me upset when I go through the day and I have accomplished absolutely nothing.It actually makes me feel depressed. So to avoid that feeling, I will pick out a U.F.O. project and make myself work on it. Well in the process, I will actually start to enjoy what I am working on. When I finish, I usually feel good about what I have done and will be excited to work on another project.

SB: You have such a creative take on children's clothing, from your integration of designer fabrics, patterns and machine embroidery to your own take on appliques and embellishments. How would you describe the process you go through when planning and sewing a unique garment?
Ivey: It depends on my source of inspiration, but I always lay out my fabric and trims so that I can get a visual image of how things are going together. Most of the time I'm not real sure it is going to work out but I will do it anyways because I like that element of surprise with the finished product. That's what makes designing so much fun!

SB: What would your advice be for a true beginner who wants to learn how to sew garments for children?
Ivey: Just keep on sewing! Make yourself try new patterns. I taught myself new sewing techniques by trying out different pattern styles and designers. Don't get caught up in trying to custom fit children's clothing. It should be loose and fun! You know, something they can play in.

SB: What are some of your favorite go-to sewing tools?
Ivey: My favorite sewing tool (besides my sewing machines) is my set of "Fasturn" tube turners! Whew, that's a mouthful! Helps me turn all those sashes and straps out in no time at all.

SB: What are some of your favorite resources when it come to sewing?
Ivey: I love all the A-Z Series of books for sewing. The reason, they have great directions and wonderful instruction pictures. My other favorite resource for sewing are my video collection of Martha's Sewing Room. I don't always practice my heirloom techniques but I can watch those videos and I know exactly what to do!

SB: Any last words for our readers?
Ivey: When I was asked to do the SB pictorial, the first thing I did was find my favorite issue, Issue #100. It was the very first issue I ever purchased. The pages are worn out and there is some water damage cause I took it to the beach with me one time, but I still go through it every now and then. This particular issue is very important to me because it was what inspired me to start sewing children's clothing again! I can only hope that my pictorial will become a sewing inspiration to someone like issue 100 did for me.

SB: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions, Ivey! To our readers, you can check out more of Ivey's work online at her blog and Flickr photostream. And of course, be sure to stop by Sew Blessed if you're ever in Hahira, GA. Stay tuned for our April Designer of the Month, Jeannie Baumeister of The Old Fashioned Baby.