My Favorite Baby & Toddler's Machine Embroidery Designs

Spiritual - If God has willed the distribution of grace in the world to depend upon the prayers of men, and if people today pray so little - many indeed, and perhaps most of them, not so prayer.  By their lives of continual prayer, adoration and unceasing praise to the Most High, these souls supply for the negligence and carelessness of many, and thus they re-establish in the wold the balance between God's rights and man's duty, between action and contemplation.

Sewing -  Some of my favorite machine embroidery design packs for the baby things I make.  Of course, I purchase single designs on the internet, too.

 

 








                           








                                                                                                          

 

Christmas, 2005

Spiritual -"Rejoice in the Lord always." "Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the  glory of God"  (Phil 4,4 - 1 Cor 10,31)

Sewing - Diamants Noirs , Sew Beautiful Issue 103, 2005, designed by Kathy Barnard, inspired Jennie to have me make the "Black Diamond Dress" and "Button on Suit" for Audrie and Liam for Christmas.  I used white silk dupioni and black cotton velveteen.  The pattern for the dress, Pascale) was in the centerfold.  It is now a pattern published and sold by Martha Pullen Pattern Collection.  Liam's button on pants is "David" from The Children's Corner and the shirt is from "Michael", also The Children's Corner.  I did not find the technique, peek-a-boo diamond windows hard.  I stayed focused and tried to be as careful to detail as possible.  The instructions and diagrams were easy to follow and understand.  Liam is now 7 and can't believe I "put" him in that "outfit!"  I think he is adorable!  Audrie looks like a southern belle.

Gigi's Bikini Sun Suit

Spiritual -  "The Lord 'wakeneth my ear, that I may hear Him as a master,' says Isaiah, 'The Lord hath opened my ear, and I do not resist;  I have not gone back' (50,4.5).  This should be the interior attitude of a soul  who wishes to let itself be guided by the Holy Spirit."

Sewing -  Jackie Young's article in Sew Beautiful Magazine, issue 130, forced me to make this cute little sun suit for Gigi.  Of course, I traced the pattern out a year ago and just completed it.  I used pink seersucker from the shop and placed her monogram on the bikini top.  Once she saw it, she threw her clothes off and put this on and refused to take it off for a long, long time.  This was fast and easy.  The pattern is in the centerfold and is for sizes 6m-4T.

 

Lullaby Safari Daygowns

Spiritual -"Oh, Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You.  Enlighten me, guide me, fortify me, console me.  Tell me what I should do, give me Your orders.  I promise to be submissive to all that You ask of me and to accept everything that You permit to happen to me."  Cardinal Mercier

 

 

 Sewing - One of the articles in Sew Beautiful, Issue 132, was "Lullaby Safari" by Lorraine Bergeron which inspired Sew Beautiful staff to create an elephant and lion applique in large and small sizes.  These templates were included in the centerfold of the magazine.  I love machine embroidery and, fortunately, the staff digitized the darling critters in stitched-filled and machine appliques.  In addition to the cute giraff, elephant, and lion, the digital download from the includes the tree, birds, and flowers.  You can see how cute the daygowns turned out!

Sew Beautiful "Sophie Reese"

Spiritual - "It can well be said that there is no divine mystery or truth of faith which does not, in some way, speak of the excessive love of the love of the Lord.  The more we are convinced of this love, the more profound will be our 'loving knowledge' of God; and at the same time, we shall feel an ever increasing impulse to return love to Him who has first loved us so greatly."  Divine Intimacy, 449

Sewing - The pattern for this dress was designed by JoAnn Hearn who was inspired by an antique dress.  "JoAnn made the original reproduction in Swiss batiste, embellishing with antique laces (no longer available and hand embroidery featuring a shadow design of bluebirds, ribbons and buillion roses.  Each section of lace creating the ribbon belt carrier  is embroidered with a single bullion rose."  Sew Beautiful 57, Issue 98, 2005  

 Lace as ribbon carriers embellished with bullion roses

It had been a while since I had delved into this much "heirloom" sewing, but this dress was too beautiful not to make for my darling Audrie, who was 3 1/2 at the time.  It was the free pattern in the Sew Beautiful magazine issue.  The pictures, instructions, templates, and bluebirds shadow embroidery template were all very clear and concise.  I enjoyed every minute and learned a lot making this dress.  I knew that if I persisted in this project, it would turn our well.  Looking closely at the work, you can see that all is not perfect, but it is still nice .  Today, I'm sure my work would be better, but  nothing ventured, nothing gained - right?

Lower dress front

Shadow work & bullions

Audrie, 3 1/2, in her "Sophie Reese" dress.

Audrie's Easter Dress

Spiritual - "Stay with us, Lord!  It is the cry of the soul who has found its God and never again wishes to be separated from Him. Let us too, as the disciples at Emmaus, go in search of the Lord.  Our whole life is a continuous journey toward Him, and we are often sad, even as they were, because we do not succeed in finding Him, because, not understanding His mysterious ways, it seems that He has abandoned us."  We are often frustrated because we do not know His ways and sometimes give up all hope, but like the experience of the apostles on the way to Emmaus, "God draws near our soul, makes Himself our traveling companion, and still more, lives in us by grace."  It'll only be when we reach heaven that His ways will be clear to us.
Divine Intimacy

Sewing -  I have to confess that I used McCall's M5838 for Audrie's Easter dress this year AND last year.  Last year I used a linen/cotton blend and a band of Spanish cotton lace at the waist.  It also had a ruffle at the skirt bottom.  This year, I used two cotton coordinating prints.  Audrie wanted a bubble skirt.

To make the bubble,  I cut the bottom of the skirt 3 inches below the knees, then made a 1/2"  casing at the bottom edge for 3/8" elastic.  I measured around her legs about 3 inches above her knees.  I cut a piece of elastic this measurement and placed it in a casing.  The elastic bottom is gently tucked under about 3 inches.  This makes the bubble!  She loves it!

Gigi's Easter Dress

Spiritual - "It seems to me that this free will which You have given us is fortified by the light of faith, for in this light it knows Your will, which wishes nothing but our sanctification.  Then our will, fortified and nourished by our holy faith, gives life to our actions, which explains why neither good will nor lively faith can exist without works.  Faith nourishes and maintains the fire of charity, because it reveals to our soul Your love and charity to us, and thus makes it strong in loving You"  St. Catherine of Siena

Sewing -  Jennie fell in love with this pattern and tried to select fabric patterns that was as close as could be to the sample on the pattern cover.  Luckily, we had the prints in the shop.  The pattern is darling and is as cute as can be in prints.  I think it would be lovely in white or ecru or lace, too.  This pattern is for the intermediate sewer.  The smocking is simple and easy to do.  There is lots of piping and the bodice is lined.  The pockets are also self-lined.  As you can see, Gigi looked like a doll!

Sew Beautiful magazine, issue 131, 2010 has a wonderful article on "The Story of Frannie" by the author, Lyn Weeks.  Lyn writes that she discovered the original inspiration for this patter at an antique mall in 2000 on the East Coast.   She worked on the pattern and published it in 2002 and based many "classes" on this pattern.  It is now part of the Sew Beautiful Pattern Collection. 

For the Boys & the Girls

Spiritual - St. John of the Cross says, "If something is presented to the senses, which is not solely for the honor and glory of God, give it up, and deprive yourself of it for the love of Jesus Christ, who, while on earth, had and desired nothing but to do the will of His Father" (AS I, 14,3)  The Saint does not mean that you must live without any pleasure or satisfaction; this would be impossible, as man is created for happiness.  What he means is if your way of acting or speaking satisfies your self-love, but you know that it does not please God, then you must give it up.  If a conversation, a friendship, or a comfort pleases you, but you doubt whether it is pleasing to God, you must give it up.  If your will urges you to do anything which many be even slightly contrary to the will of God, you must refrain from doing it.  If you act for your own selfish satisfaction, even in small matters, you will never be able to live totally for God.  Divine Intimacy

    

 









Sewing -  When the January issue of Sew Beautiful (Issue 140, 2012) arrived it contained this precious "for the boys" daygown by Michie Mooney.  Oh my, I had to make it!  I made a "for the girls" version, too.  I used a 100% pima cotton, but it would work equally as well with imperial batiste.  The embroidery on the boy's daygown is a row of boats done in a simple chain stitch.  This is Michie's design and is in the Sew Beautiful article.  I did a pink momma & baby pig using the chain stitch on the girl's version.  I did not have Michie's pattern so I had to scramble for something similar.  The pattern I used is Old Fashioned Baby's "Best Embroidered Baby Clothes One"  It has so many views for precious dresses including an apron, several sleeve variations, a simple bonnet, and a slip.  You must have this one in your daygown collection!