Wow! Time is just flying for me right now, and the time to write is eluding me. I was able to finish three of the 6 projects I started at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion, as those 3 were just about done before I came home.
The first was the heirloom baby bonnet we made in the introductory class. I have decided that for when I attach lace to anything, I prefer using a sewing machine, but when I attach entredeux or bridging to fabric, I prefer to use a serger. I also learned that I may prefer using a narrow hem to a rolled hem for that particular seam. It’s a bit bigger, but it is flatter. I still need to play around with that idea some more before I decide which I really prefer.
I loved using my embroidery machine to smock. We took our smocked insert and made a sundress, on which I had to practice all sorts of other techniques as well. Here is a picture of the smocking. The flowers were embroidered on top of the smocking, and can be found on the Martha Pullen site as a free download. The smocking design is from a design CD Martha Pullen Co. sells called Smocking in the Hoop.
Here’s the sundress.
This also inspired me to try out the smocking stitches on my sewing machine. I hope to get the time to try that out pretty soon. Martha Pullen Co. also sells pre-pleated fabric, which is what we used for this dress. That is sure handy!
Other techniques on this sundress included a nifty way to insert piping into bias bound edges, and using a serger to attach the ric rac hem trim and to make cover stitch tucks. The serger was used for quite a bit of this dress, making it much quicker to make than it would have been otherwise.
We also made matching headbands, where the main construction was done in the embroidery hoop. One was only embroidered, and the other I embellished with flowers made from serged fabric. That was surprisingly fun!
© Sherilyn Siegmund-Roach and Cherished Needle Creations
Cherished Needle Creations 