Vote For Us

My husband entered a photo of our dog Lucy in to a contest. The picture has been selected in the top 25, and now we need people to vote for it in order to win.

So what has this got to do with sewing, you may well ask. Well, the prize is a very cool camera and if he wins, I can take better photos of my work for this blog!

Go to http://www.cottagelife.com/topdog and under the nickname 'MuskokaDave' is the photo of Lucy. Select the button and then scroll to the main voting button under the photo gallery to cast your ballot.

Meanwhile, my sewing room being renovated. A baby crib and a rocking chair moved in and now I have to re-juggle everything. Once I have it back in order and the change table returns to being a simple sewing machine table, I'll be back in sewing biz.

Here's the e-mail from the Cottage Life lady in charge of the photo contest............

Dear Top Dog Finalist,

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for entering your dog into Cottage Country's Top Dog Photo Contest.
Your dog's photo has been chosen by our judges to be in our top 25.

It's now up to you to spread the word and get all your friends to vote for your dog. Only 3 weeks remain, so send this link to all your friends http://www.cottagelife.com/topdog and tell them which nickname you used to sign up for the contest.

The photo with the most votes on August 2nd will win the Grand prize- a Canon Rebel XSi Digital SLR Camera Kit from Black’s Photography, valued at $2,000 CDN.
Thank you for entering and Good Luck!

Marissa

Sneak Peak

Just like Sew Beautiful magazine, here's a Sneak Peak at the latest pattern by Judith Marquis.

However, unlike the magazine, my photos are just awful! But you can get the idea how delightful her new pattern 'Autumn Leaves' is.

Judith calls the design plate on the nightie 'Diamonds in the Puff(ing)'. And like every item Judith smocks, her stitches are flawless. I tried to get a closeup but it turned out blurry.

What I love about the pattern, and in many respects it's a hallmark of Judith's designs, is the sleeve treatment.
You can see it's in a square shape and that eliminates bulk from under the arm where smocking meets sleeve.
In terms of sewing the sleeve in place, it's a breeze and no need for rows of gathering threads.

Judith put a hint of piping in the sleeve area but it's difficult to see from my photo.

Here's another close up of the nightie front.
There are openings on either side of the shoulder. You could use, hook & eye, snaps (in Canada we call them domes) or velcro. In the pattern, Judith also suggests that the sewist may want to extend the opening down the shoulder a little further.


She also made a housecoat. My photos simply do not do it justice. Therefore I'll describe it as best as I can.

The opening is down the front and she used snaps for closures. (I call them domes, just as I call a couch a chesterfield. Canuck, through and through, eh?)

She pleated the front panel but instead of smocking, she held the pleats in place by machine stitching and then using lace, stitched over those machine lines.

You could use ribbon, or even strips of a co-ordinating fabric to achieve this look.

Here's another shot of the housecoat, full length. Again, the photo does not do it justice.

Judith used a little piping to accent the sleeve treatment.
I tried it on, and this style of sleeve treatment is much better and roomier plus there is no bulk where the pleating meets the sleeve.

The pattern is at the printers and will be available soon. Her website is www.amberlane.ca
She'll be teaching at the SAGA Convention in the fall and no doubt will have these samples will her.

I had a lovely afternoon with Judith. We had tea and cookies and gabbed about everything from sewing to home repairs. I don't see her often because I live so far away. Thankfully, we have been keeping in touch via e-mail.

I admire and am in awe of her sewing and stitching prowess. And I admire her bravery as she is breast cancer survivor. She is an excellent teacher and if I ever need help on a sewing project Judith is the one to turn to. I consider myself lucky to able to call her a dear friend.