+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
128 East Main St.
Mason, OH 45040
Hours
Tuesday thru Thursday 10 - 4
Saturday 10 -3
1-888-277-6432
513-229-7340
heirlooms@fuse.net
===============================================================================================
August Sale:
20% off All Notions, Appliqués,
Smocking Plates and Cross
Stitch Patterns
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Cross Stitch Merchant Mall!!!
Now you can shop online using the Hoffman Distributing
website. Click onto the link below. You can order any items from the
Hoffman Site and they will be sent to you through me or you can pick them up at
the shop. Enjoy browsing
ENTER
MERCHANT MALL
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
**Now Available**
Kits for dresses. Includes all fabric, trims, buttons, smocking
design and pattern. To see dresses available go to Kits
Page
Need a summer project? We do custom pre constructed garments
that are ready to smock. Choose your fabric, smocking design pattern and
size.
____________________________________________________________________________
Interested in swatches: Let me know by e-mail
what fabrics you would like to see and the swatches will be sent. Be sure to
include your mailing address. There are so many that I am unable to scan due to
the pale color.
New Fabrics:
Now in: Australian Cashmere Wool Blanketing.
Cream, Red, or Navy. $78.00/yd. 62" wide.
Baby Blanket Size 45 x 31" $48.75. Limited to stock
on hand.
Brenda Shade the designer of the Paper Doll Quilt pattern sent this image to me
of a square made with our Stylecrest print fabric.
For more doll quilt patterns see our patterns page.
New Books, Patterns, and Merchandise:
I have added many doll patterns from Primrose Lane. Click onto the Doll
patterns page to view. New addition of shoes, socks and doll accessories
Many new cross stitch patterns in stock.
Samplers, kits and more additions.
New Mother of Pearl Thread Keeps, Thread Rings, Rulers and
Needle Minders
See our notions page for other mop items and needle
minders
3" Mother of pearl etched ruler. $10.00
Heart Thread Keep $8.00
Baroque Thread Winder $7.00
Blue Bells Thread Rings. $8.00 
Lilly of the Valley $9.00
Needle Box Kits: A best Seller for gifts or for yourself.
From Charted Imagery. These are too
cool. These are fabric covered boxes that house your needles,
scissors, thimble or whatever. When the lid is lifted they open out
flat. Easy to follow instructions. Pre cut mat board ready to cover
with your fabric
See our Needle Box Page for
more kits 
New Books and Magazines
Sewing
With Whimsey: Kari Mecca: $24.95. This book contains
instructions for making Kari's beautiful rickrack flowers, as well as many
other embellishment ideas for rickrack, ribbons, trims and beads.. There
are 3 patterns in this book. Girls sundress, Girls Puff Sleeve Dress
both in size 2-6 and Girls Pinafore Size 18 and 24 mo.
Beginners
Guide to Drawn Thread Embroidery; Patricia Bage. $17.95. This
is the most beautiful book I have seen for Drawn Thread Embroidery.
Comprehensive instruction and photographs guide you through each step.
Beautifully done.
Stumpwork
Embroidery; Designs and Projects: Jane Nicholas, $29.95. Detailed
instructions and step-by-step illustrations will help you to learn stumpwork.
19 projects in this book.
A
Perfect World in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork. Di van Niekerk.
$25.95. This book is beautiful. M project with animals,
bugs, 3 dimensional flowers and leaves. Detailed instructions and
photographs.
Jeannie
B's Book of Embroidery Designs and Stitches: $19.00. Long
awaited book from Jeannie Baumeister that includes many dainty embroidery
designs, alphabets for embroidery and shadow work and embroidery instructions.
Designer Smocking from Tots to Teens: $22.99. This long awaited book
finally released in the US. Patterns, smocking designs, stitch
instructions and more. A great addition to your library that
will be used over and over.
The
Best of Sew Beautiful Christening Gowns, M. Pullen. $39.95. Patterns
and designs for 5 exquisite christening gowns including Petite Poche's Heavenly
Bliss, slips, bonnets and accessories along with garment bag. An array of
heirloom techniques are included in this book and well illustrated.
Adorable
Toddler Doll Clothes (fits 18" - 24" dolls.) $19.95.
Heirloom sewn doll clothes, 13 Dress patterns, 4 slip patterns, and shoe
patterns
Ideas
from Children's Corner, Lezette Thomason; $17.00. This
book has variations of 10 Children's Corner patterns along with instructions for
pattern alterations.
Australian Smocking and Embroidery
#83. $17.00.
Inspirations
58: $17.00. A beautiful
issue.
A-Z of
Embroidery Stitches 2: $34.50 A must have.
Silk
Ribbon Embroidery Bible: $29.95. A book that has great
illustrations on stitches as well as equipment tips. Spiral bound so it lays
flat.
New Patterns
Marcy:
Bonnie Blue. Size 6-24 mo. $12.00. This outfit is too
cute. Panties and scalloped hem top that buttons up the back. This
photograph is Marcy made up in the Pique embroidered fabric shown
below.
Pique
embroidered fabric. 45" wide, 100% cotton $10.50/yd Line
pique with
embroidered red/navy or white/navy flowers.
Lauren,
By Francis Messina Jones; $12.00. Size Ex Small to Ex Lg. A
smocked camisole for girls and ladies.
Elizabeth:
By Francis Messina Jones, $12.00. Size EX Small to Ex Lg. A
smocked camisole for girls and ladies.
Creations
By Michie: Sunsuit and Sundress, Size 3-24 mo. $12.00
A cute sundress or sunsuit that can be smocked or embroidered.
Children's Corner
Gigi 1-4 or 5-8 $12.00. As seen on the cover of
Creative Needle. Cute top and pants.
Casey: 6 mo - 3 or 4-8 $12.00. Cute hooded jacket with
contrasting lining.
Kari
Me Away, Lauren: $15.00. Size 2-14. This
beautiful dress was seen on the cover of Sew Beautiful Magazine this spring.
Love
and Stitches Butterfly Kisses Daygown: $12.00. Size birth to 18 lbs.
Raglan style daygown with small amount of smocking and embroidery embellished
with silk ribbon butterflies.
Hallie:
Bonnie Blue Designs: $12.00. Size 12-24 or 3-6 Hallie is a play
set with top panties and bloomers. These button in back Can have a smocked
or fabric inset. Three lengths of bloomers with elastic ruffles.
McKenna:
Play Sets with Top and Bloomers: Size 12-24mo or 3-6 $12.00: Easy
to make and fun to wear back buttoned tops with kne and ankle length cuffed
bloomers.
Dainty
Designs: from Sew Beautiful. Size 6mo - 3. $12.00. This
pattern has a kimono sleeve dress and romper or shoulder button sundress or
sunsuit. with neckline variations or Peter Pan collar. Cute
old fashion dress and sunsuit.
Reversible
Sundress and Panties: Sew Baby Size 6mo - 4T. $8.00.
This sundress has just one piece, buttons on the shoulder and crosses in the
back. Quick and easy to sew.
Karen Faylor Co.
Venice:
Size 4-10, $15.00. This capri pants and chemise top has optional
smocking. pants have fitted front and elastic back. Too cute!!
St.
Tropez, Blouse and Skirt, Karen Faylor Size 8-16.
$15.00. This is a versatile two piece outfit that features a hint of
smocking at the waist and optional long sleeves. Make the tank and
optional straight skirt for a more casual look. For a more dramatic style
add ruffles or long sleeves to the top and the ruffled peek-a-boo skirt.
********************************************************************************************************
Now Available: Bonnet Kits: $12.00
each:
Smocked Bonnet Kit: Includes instructions, fabric,
pleating, ribbon floss, laces. Your choice of floss colors . Fabric
and lace are white. All construction has been done. Just Smock, Add ties
and wrap. A great take along project.
Heirloom Hankie Bonnet. Colors Yellow, white, blue, pink. Includes
linen, entredeux, lace or tatting, ribbon, instructions, and poem for hankie
bonnet gift.
Holiday Ornament Kits: Includes pleated fabric,
instructions, graph, floss, beads, ribbon and ball $9.00
*************************************************************************************************************************
Close Out Fabrics:
Pink Poly/cotton Voile: $2.25/yd, Reg. $4.50
Pinpoint oxford: 100% cotton, 45" wide. $6.00/yd. Reg.
$12.00
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now Available at Martha's:
Stamped embroidery pillow
cases, dresser scarves and towels
Kits for smocked or appliquéd outfits
or Ready to Smock Bishops
========================================================================================================
Needle Necessities Floss Overdyed:
The colors are beautiful . $3.20/skein This company has now
gone out of business. I still have a large stock of colors available.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weeks Dye Works Hand Overdyed floss. A
complete line of Weeks Dye Works floss is now available. 6
strands, 5 yd skein. $2.00 each Click onto the catalog link
below to go to the Weeks Dye Works color catalog.
Catalogs
for Weeks Dye Works.
======================================================================================================
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Back issues of AS&E
Several issues of AS&E are now out of print. I have all
available issues in stock. Be sure to check your library and get your back
issues while there still available. $15.00 each. Back issues of
Inspirations available also. Cost $15.00 each.
Back issues of Sew Beautiful $4.00
each. Call for issue availability
=================================================================================================================
Classes:
Cashmere Wool Embroidered Blanket. Learn wool
embroidery while making this beautiful lap blanket of Australian Cashmere Wool
Blanketing. Bullions, buttonhole flowers, fly stitch leaves and more
taught in this class. Saturdays 8/2. 8/16, and 8/23. 3 weeks. $85.
Beginners Smocked Bonnet: Learn basin smocking
stitches on a smocked baby bonnet trimmed in lace with ribbon ties.
8/13 11-2 $22.
Piping Tips and Tricks: Learn to get the best
results when applying piping to collars, smocked yokes, sleeves, and
cuffs. Machine 8/28 11-2 $20.
Silk Ribbon Needle Case: Learn basic silk ribbon
stitches while making a silk needle case embellished with silk ribbon
embroidery 8/20 11-2 $20.
Paper Doll Quilt: This ongoing class will have you
making one square per month of a different dress embellished with smocking or
embroidery. This is a fun project that can be put into a child's quilt or
wall hanging. 8/26 6-9pm $20. Sorry, no new class members at
this time. We're too far into this project.
This is a sample of the
quilt that was made by the Queen City Chapter of SAGA
Heirloom Quilt: This is an ongoing class that
will last approximately 8 months. We will make two squares per month using
fine laces, fabric and different heirloom sewing techniques. All
laces and fabrics are included in making this heirloom quilt. 8/19 6-9pm
$30. Sorry, no new class members at this time.
=======================================================================================
Queen City Chapter of SAGA
The Queen City Chapter of SAGA would like you to be our
guest:
We have an active Smocking Guild that meets
monthly and offers educational programs as well as the friendship of those who
share the same sewing and needlework interest. We have exciting things
planned for the next year and would love to include new members in our guild.
We meet at 7:30 pm on the 2nd Thursday of the month at Martha's Heirlooms, 128
East Main St. Mason, Ohio For more information on SAGA, log
onto SAGA's website www.smocking.org
For more information on our local guild in Cincinnati, which has a lot to
offer its members e-mail me at heirlooms@fuse.net
=====================================================================================================================================================
Tips for Smocking for Dolls
Smocking for dolls can be an easy and enjoyable project. Every little girl
loves to have a matching smocked dress for her special doll.
Many doll patterns can be adapted for smocking. For a yoke dress you need to
multiply the width of the front yoke, below the waist by 3 and by 4 if your
fabric is very lightweight.
When smocking for dolls you will pleat with half space rows rather
than full space rows. Most designs for bishops can accommodate 8 smocking rows
with 2 holding rows (total of 10 half space rows.) Yoke dresses can accommodate
more smocking rows. (10 - 12 half space rows)
If you are using a full size graph you will need to decrease the width as
well as the length of your smocking design. For example a full space 4 step
trellis becomes a 1/2 space 2 step trellis. Picture smocking must also be
decreased vertically as well as horizontally. Choose small designs that can
easily be adapted to a doll size dress.
As with other smocking designs you will need to center your design. I prefer
to make a mark at the center front of my smocked dress with a water soluble
marker. Pleats can also be counted.
Floss will be stripped and only 2 strands will be needed for geometric
smocking and three for picture smocking. 1 strand may only be needed for areas
where the pleats are tight (i.e. a bishop neckline) or for very fine lightweight
fabric.
A number 7 darner is my preferred needle for smocking.
====================================================================================================================
Smocking with Corduroy
by
Martha Bailey
Corduroy has been a long time favorite for children's clothing. It is
durable, warm, soft and can make a special play or dressy garment. The colors
available are beautiful and the featherwale (21 wale per inch) gives the
appearance of a velveteen. Featherwale corduroy is easy to pleat, smock, and
care for. In working with corduroy for several years in sewing children’s
smocked clothing I have learned a lot, mostly from trial and error. These are a
few tips of mine to help give you the best results.
Cutting out:
Nap up or down: What ever way you cut your fabric make sure all
pieces have the nap of the corduroy facing the same direction. Some people
prefer to cut with the nap going up (smooth side of nap) and some prefer it
going down. I have found the the color of the corduroy will be richer with the
wale going up and you won’t have shiny areas after many wears at knees, backs
of skirts and places that the nap would have more pressure with wear. Most
people love the feel of the nap going down so what ever you prefer is correct.
Pleating:
Wale side up: When pleating corduroy pleat with the wale side facing
up as you feed the fabric through the pleater. When the needles go through the
fabric they will pierce the fabric and not the nap of the wale. If you pleat
with the wale down you will have the increased chance of having skipped pleats.
Pleating wale side up will solve this problem.
Moiré effect: When corduroy is pleated you will get a moiré effect.
Once the corduroy is smocked and blocked the moiré effect is not as
apparent. If you do not want this effect I usually suggest that an
inset is used of the corduroy. Especially if doing a yoke dress or a jumper.
Pleat an inset of the corduroy and smock on the wrong (un-wale side) of the
fabric inset. You will still get the matching color but not the moiré.
Picture smocking: When picture smocking on corduroy is desired, pleat
an inset of the corduroy and smock on the wrong side of the corduroy. You will
not have the moiré effect and the coverage should be sufficient with four
strands of floss. It is difficult to get neat picture smocked figures when
working with a wale fabric. Note that the pleats are fatter than if using a
broadcloth so figures will be larger. You will also have less pleats to work
with due to the thickness of the fabric so adjustments may have to be made to
your design.
Geometric Smocking: I will usually use four strands of floss to allow
for coverage over the wale of the fabric and thickness of the pleats. You may
get better coverage if you use Floche.
Construction: Featherwale corduroy is fine enough to make
mini-piping for contrast. Corduroy will flake off so seams should be finished
with a zig-zagged or French seam. I usually will do French seams on my corduroy
garments easily without too much bulk.
Pressing: When pressing corduroy press with
the wrong side up so that the iron does not flatten the wale of the fabric. A
pressing cloth may also be used for pressing.
Bishops with Corduroy: Bishops are easily made with corduroy. When I
cut out a bishop from corduroy I will take 2" out of the center front,
center back and center of sleeves. (Ellen McCarn Ultimate Bishop) The corduroy
pleats are fatter than with lighter weight fabrics and less fabric is needed at
the neckline. (If you have too much heavy fabric at the bishop neckline it may
be difficult to pull pleats up tight enough to get the neck band on. (You
may need to eliminate less fabric if other bishop patterns are used. The
Ultimate Bishop is a very full bishop.)
To construct my bishop neckline before pleating I will usually sew sleeve
seams right sides together, trim to 1/8" and overcast with a small zig-zag.
This will allow the seams to pass easily through the pleater, (Note: I have
found that serged seams and French seams with corduroy are too heavy and large
to go through the pleater.
Hopefully these tips will help you with your construction and smocking of
corduroy garments. The fabric is wonderful to work with and your little ones
will love wearing it. If you have any questions or need a source for corduroy
you may contact me at Martha’s Heirlooms, 128 East Main St. Mason,
Ohio 45040 1-229-7340 or 1-888-277-6432 or by e-mail at heirlooms@fuse.net
www.marthasheirlooms.com
============================================================================================
