Spelling, Cookies and the State

This week has not been the best.

First off, I get a letter from my daughter's dentist that they will no longer accept the State of Illinois Dental insurance due to lack of payment by the state.

When I called the insurance company, they said that from bill to payment is about 170 days+ right now.


Second, Girl Scout Cookie sales for my troop are down by more than 50%. Part of the problem is the economy.

The other problem is they moved the cookie sales from Jan-Feb to Oct-Nov. Why I don't know. So we are competing against every other school fundraiser. Also everyone is trying to buy for the holidays.

They also raised the price to$4 a box. We had a Cookie Booth yesterday at a very busy gas station. We sold 100 boxes in 4 hours. Last year we sold almost 3 times that amount at the same location. 85% of our customers complained about the price.

And the last problem with the G.S. Cookies is Wal-Mart is selling knock off Thin Mints and Tagalongs for $2.38.

The third thing that happened this week and the worst is I learned how to spell a new word this week............Leukemia! My mother was diagnosed with this yesterday. She is suppose to start chemo before Christmas.

Gingerbread Cookies Smocking plate

I have been working on the actual insert to show you this new smocking design but I am running in the slow mode all week. So for now I will just post the smocking plate and will update this post when I have it finished.

This design is suppose to be clickable so you can print it out. Let me know if it is not.

The usual restrictions apply. The design is for personal use. You may use it for gifts. Do not mass produce. Do not make changes or embellishments then call the design your own creations. Nuff said.

The insert I am working on is done in lime green and pink but you can use any colors you desire. After the smocking is complete you can embellish the gingerbread people with back stitches and bows. The same with the Christmas tree. Decorate it up as you would a cookie with icing and sprinkles.

Enjoy! ~janet

Happy Veterans Day!

To all my Fellow Veterans that have served or who are serving now.....THANK YOU!

I wanted to show you some old photos from my past..........

My parents pinning on my bars.

This is my older brother and myself right before graduation at Texas A&M. He was the first person I saluted after my commissioning.

This is a few years later at England AFB in Louisiana. The aircraft is an A-10 Thunderbolt.

Hug a Veteran today and say Thank you.~janet

Smocked Christmas Wreath Construction

If you have participated in this tutorial for a smocked Christmas wreath I hope you have completed the smocking.



If you are just reading this, here is the links to the previous posts.



http://texassmockingcompany.blogspot.com/2009/09/smocked-christmas-wreath-tutorial-part.html


http://texassmockingcompany.blogspot.com/2009/09/smocked-christmas-wreath-tutorial-part.html



http://texassmockingcompany.blogspot.com/2009/09/smocked-christmas-wreath-tutorial-part_11.html






Back Smocking:

• To help ease in the construction you will need to back smock row 11 with a very loose cable stitch. Do not tie off the ends of your threads at the ends of the rows.

• Also you need to back smock rows 1-2 with a Chevron Stitch. Again do not tie off the end. Leave about a 2 inch tail.
  

Construction:

• After wreath has been completely smocked and back smocked, remove pleating threads from the outside of the wreath (rows 6-12).
  

• Unpick (do not cut) the knots on the pleating threads on the inside holding row and rows 1-5. Re-knot the ends of each pleating thread so you don’t accidentally pull the thread out).

• Pin the wreath to a blocking board or ironing board and fan out into a complete circle .

• With the open ends facing you, look at your smocking design. To achieve a seamless wreath the smocking design needs to be continuous. This is done by unpicking your smocking threads until the design matches up. Do not worry if you are unpicking an inch or more of smocking. The wreath is 90 inches of fabric.
  


• Unpick the smocking until the design is a mirror image on both sides. See the example. Unpick one more stitch on the right side and tie off smocking threads to the back. Left side threads are still loose.

• Unpick back smocking to match up with front. Tie off the Back Smocking.
  

• Cut off knots on the ends of the pleating threads and pull out pleats until they also match up with the smocking on the front.

• Trim the un-smocked ends down for a 1 inch seam allowances.
  
  
  
  
• Fold un-smocked ends under and reposition pins and fan out the wreath again.

• Steam wreath with a steam iron. Let dry.
  
  
  

Back of the Wreath:

• The back of wreath should be one piece of fabric 5”x45”.

• Thread your pleater with 2 half space rows. Run the Back fabric through your pleater.

• Unpick the pleats on the ends until you have a 1/2" seam allowance. Fold the outer edge (unpleated side ) down a 1/2 " and press.



• Mark the center line of the fabric by creasing a fold or by using a small pin.
  



• Pull up pleating threads until fabric measures 18 inches end to end.
  


• Remove smocked wreath from the blocking board.
  


• With right sides together pin back of wreath to the back. Pull up pleating threads of wreath if needed. Match up ends (end of smocking with the pleating thread on the back) and center lines. Distribute pleats evenly.
  


• Stitch the two pieces together with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Outside edge is still open.
  
  


• Return the wreath back to the blocking board with right side up. Pin wreath into a circle. Steam if needed.
  
  
  


• With wreath ends facing you double check your continuous smocking design. Thread a needle with each of your loose threads on the left side. Take one more smocking stitch joining the two sides together completing the design. Pull threads to the back and knot off securely.
  
  
  


• Open wreath up. Tie each of the remaining pleating threads together. Do not pull threads too tight and distort the circle.
  
  
  
• Place the 10 inch craft ring on the inside of the wreath. This will stop the wreath from warping after it is stuffed.
  

• Turn wreath to the back side. Fold seam allowances back, Pin the outside folded edge of the back of the wreath to the loose cable row (Row11) that you back smocked. With matching thread hand sew the two sides together.
  

Stuffing the wreath:

• Stuff the wreath with polyester batting. I fluffed the batting first by pulling it apart into little clouds.
  
  
  
  


• Work from back towards the openings. I found the end of a wooden spoon helps to get the batting to the back. Craft ring should be in the middle of the batting.
  
  


• When stuffed to your desired fullness slip stitch the back opening closed.

Finishing the wreath:

• The center of the smocking design is a perfect place to add you choice of decorations. I used Christmas bulb buttons. Each bulb was sewn on separately then a ribbon was threaded through holes.
  

•Five plastic rings are sewn to the back to help hang the wreath with out it tipping forward.




And finally, if you do not like the area where your your seamless smocking joined together Just cover it with a pretty bow. :-)

Outstanding In My Field

Let me rephrase that..........I am out, standing in my field! :-)

This little guy has been interrupting my smocking and sewing time. But he is cute and the weather has been great so I do not mind.

I have a lawn chair under one of the trees. It is cool enough I need a sweatshirt but sunny enough I need a hat and sun glasses. So while he is grazing I am sketching out new smocking designs and pattern ideas.

Life is good! :-)

Jasper

Halloween was a little more exciting for my daughter this year.



Meet Jasper, her 6 month old miniature horse.




It was just by coincidence that we picked him up on Halloween. But he made a wonderful Halloween present. :-)

Here he is with his mom before we picked him up.

It was a mini rodeo for a little while. A mini rodeo for a mini horse seems fitting! :-)







She just wasn't as enthused about going Trick or Treating after he arrived. I wonder why? :-)

She hasn't quit smiling!

Changing a needle while pleating

Debbi, you must be reading my mind! :-) I had already taken all the photos to explain how to change a needle when I read your comment.


Okay lets get to the instructions...............You are happily pleating a way when you hear the most dreaded of sounds to a smocker..........Crunch! :-(



Of course the broken or bent needle is usually in the middle of your pleating project. Before I would remove everything from the pleater and start over.


That was until I learned how to replace a needle in the middle of my pleating from Judith Adams at a SAGA convention a few years back. Yeah Judith!




The first thing to do after you hear the crunch is to clear the pleats off the ends of the needles. Okay just to be honest, the first thing I do after I hear a needle break is to talk to my pleater. I'll let you fill in the words..........

Elevate the front of the pleater with a spool of thread or a book.

Carefully remove the front roller bar from your pleater.

Without pulling all of the pleater needles off the pleater, carefully work the broken or bent needles out of the fabric.



If the needle broke in to pieces, make sure you find all the pieces.

As a matter of habit, I always knot one end of my pleating threads when I am threading my needles.

Slowly pull the unknotted end of the thread through the previous pleats. If you do not knot your threads then carefully pull only one strand of the thread through.

Remove the broken or bent needle and dispose of properly. I use an old medicine bottle with a Janet....... I mean child proof lid.



Re thread the pleater thread with a new needle.

Look closely at the needle holes left in the fabric. They will be important in getting the new needle in place.

Take your new threaded needle and weave it through the needle holes on the last pleat. Take note at the direction of the curves on the needle.

Push the tip of the needle into the needle slot and then lay the needle down into the corresponding grove.

The needle is resting on top of the rest of the pleats.

Here is another view.

Double check that the other needles have not come out of their needle groves. Place the roller bar back onto the pleater and secure it. It will be a tight fit. That is okay, just don't force it.

Take your pleater off the spool of thread now.

Slowly turn the handle of your pleater and continue pleating.

When your pleated fabric comes off the pleater there will be a few missed pleats where you changed the needle. That is okay. The pleating row above and below can show you where the pleats are. You could also back smock the area of missed pleats if you want.

Front of fabric

Back of fabric

I hope this helps the next time you have a broken needle.