I am off to a family wedding, and hopefully some spring weather! As I was packing some spring transition pieces into my suitcase, I thought you might enjoy some spring sewing and smocking transition inspiration from Kelli! Isn't this top adorable? It isn't a bishop dress, but a size 5 child's top perfect to throw over a pair of jeans or leggings! Kelli made this adorable top from Liberty of London John C Tana Lawn. The pattern is Fancy Free from AS&E issue 96. Kelli again c

I am back with the next in our Smocking: The Basics series. Today we are going to discuss fabric selection. Many different fabrics may be smocked, but some are definitely easier than others, so the purpose of today’s post is to give you a sense of where to start. What is the easiest fabric to work with, both from a pleating and smocking perspective? I mention both a pleating and smocking perspective because the two are not the same thing. In general, a loosely woven fabric wi

Last week in Sewing and Smocking Pjs for Christmas, Part 1, I spoke about the wonderful tradition of new pjs for Christmas and of course how special handmade pjs are. We discussed great patterns for everyone in the family. Today, as promised I am back with part 2 to discuss the perfect fabrics to use for Christmas pjs! Of course the classic fabric for Christmas Pjs, at least if you live in the north, is flannel, and the darling pjs in the picture to the left are made out of