Sewing Done!

Here's a closeup of the smocking on JR's pinafore. It's crooked because of how I laid ot out to take the picture. The pattern was challenging for me, but I am pleased with the results. In the pink and green section, I stitched all of the green first, then did the pink, which crossed over the green, yielding an interesting effect.


Here is the completed ensemble. That hat was going well until it came time to gather and attach the ruffle; because there were four layers, I wasn't able to use any of the traditional gathering methods (longest stitch length on my machine or using the gathering foot for the serger), so I ended up zigzagging over a piece of dental floss. Even so, it was difficult to pull up to the proper length. Then I was concerned about all that bulk and the lumpiness of the gathers, but I was pleasantly surprised when I completed the sewing.

I still have one item to sew together, but I'm doubting that will be done by Christmas Day. The pieces will probably be put in a box and wrapped with an IOU attached. I also have the skirt to make for my husband's brother's daughter, but it doesn't have to be completed until Jan. 1, so I'll tackle the projects that must be done by Christmas Day next. There's a bunch of machine embroidery to be done - four towels; two identical items, one for my mom and the other for my mother-in-law; another item I can't name. I think that's it!