Seams French goes Seams Baby

Other then the "Stars and Butterflies" quilt from my last post, the Bernina has been diligently stitching away at many other baby related goodies. Most were made for grandbaby H, but some were also made to be given as gifts to family and friends.

The Bernina at Seams French was not the only one busy stitching before Christmas. During my daughter's pregnancy, hand stitching became a way for her to relax and prepare for the baby's arrival. The first photo shows the quilt that she started hand piecing when she was just weeks into the pregnancy. She machine quilted it and completed the last few rows about a week before baby H arrived. Talk about timing. Because she found the hand piecing very relaxing, when the quilt had been pieced, she spent evenings hand stitching the star fish bunting now hanging on the wall behind the crib.

Baby H has now laid claim to this bright and sunny room. She loves "chattering" to the calico prints in the quilt.

This little cross stitch kitty was something that I had embroidered during my pregnancy with my daughter, (many moons ago). Alas, because it was never stuffed at the time, it never did find it's way into her crib. But now, all these years later, it has finally found it's home.

Pretty kitty keeping watch.

Of the more practical items sewn, receiving blankets were a priority. Some were sewn with a double layer of flannel, others with only a single. All are in use and appreciated. The stitching frenzy of the past number of months included gifts for family and friends as well.

Some of the blankets had little pockets sewn into them into which a toy or little gift can be tucked.

A little burp cloth matches this blanket.

A knit hat and booties completed this gift.

One of a number of burp cloths made to match the blankets.

A fold up change pad travels easily or stores easily at grams place. I made one for H to take home with her and one for her to use at our place.

I found a cheerful, springy blue laminated fabric to use on the inside for easy clean up.

A heavier blanket, made with cotton and a fleece lining, attaches to the stroller or a car seat.

The Bernina got a lot more mileage then the photos above show, but this is a sampling of what we (Bernina and I) did. With fun fabrics and trims, and fairly simple, quick stitching, I admit that I enjoy sewing for baby and am looking forward to many more Seams Baby projects.

Boutis: Traditional French Needlework

" Piqûre de Marseilles" or "Boutis" is a traditional French hand stitched and corded needlework technique, which uses embroidery stitches to create intricate channels that will later be stuffed with yarn, thereby creating a raised design with three layers. It's origins, and it's name, can be traced to the port of Marseilles in southern France to the 15th century. Traditional boutis was a technique invented to embellish otherwise plain white cotton with intricately patterned channels that would later be stuffed with a plump white yarn to give it relief. The resulting corded whitework created an elegant, embossed textile that was much sought after. Not only was it aesthetically appealing, but it also provided warmth and absorbency, so could be used for bed coverings, toilette linens (like towels), clothing items, home decor, etc. The first two photos below are from the collection of Mme. Monique Alphand, a well known French expert and collector of antique t...

Amish Hand Quilting in France with Esther Miller

Esther Miller, was born into an Amish family in the U.S., and now lives in Germany where she has for many years taught the techniques and methods of Amish hand quilting to anyone interested in learning these skills. As a child, she would closely watch as the women of her community worked together on a quilt, and eventually she was rewarded with a needle of her own and encouraged to join the group. Through the years, she has mastered these skills and techniques and now generously shares them with anyone who has a genuine desire to learn. Esther Miller in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines in Alsace France. An example of her own work, Esther brings this intricately and perfectly hand stitched wall quilt to class as inspiration for her students. Last week, at the "European Meeting of Patchwork" in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines, in Alsace France, www.patchwork-europe.com , I had the privilege of taking a 2 day workshop with Esther. The Amish...

Blocking and Squaring Boutis

The door of her cage has been opened. She is free to fly off and find her destiny. After many months of hand stitching and then many more months of cording, my little "colibri" is ready to set off on her own. As this was my first attempt at designing so large a boutis piece, it was a learning curve. All of the tight swirls, curls and circles are a great deal more difficult and time consuming to cord then are the longer more gentle channels. Maintaining an even tension is absolutely necessary throughout the process, so patience comes in very handy when doing the cording. The process of stitching and cording a work of boutis subjects the fabric to a lot of handling and manipulation that can distort the design. For this reason, once all of the stitching and cording is complete, the boutis must be washed, blocked and squared. The first step of washing is to remove all traces of the marking pencil as well as any soil that may have collected over the many months of working w...

Cynthia GilbrethApril 9, 2015 at 6:17 AM
Congratulations on your grandbaby! You've sewn some lovely items for her, lucky baby.
needle and nestApril 9, 2015 at 1:51 PM
So many pretty finishes! I love the trim on the receiving blankets - what a lovely finishing touch. And how neat that the kitty made its way into your granddaughter's crib!
MonicaApril 12, 2015 at 11:30 AM
I love that kitty too, and it is wonderful that it has finally found a place.

You have both been so busy, and I am very impressed that your daughter finished her quilt before the baby arrived! Plus, the starfish are a fun touch as well. I sense a creative life ahead for this baby!

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