"Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says...."Oh crap! She's up!" Unknown

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Lucky Stars and Smocked Dress

 I have been MIA for a couple of weeks for good reason.
A friend and I spent a week in Florida
celebrating a big birthday for her
and, more importantly,
the end of treatment for her breast cancer.
 We were on Anna Maria Island, which was so beautiful.
It was a wonderfully relaxing week and it was WARM!!
 
While I was in Florida, I smocked a little dress for my granddaughter.
It has been years since I've smocked and, thankfully,
it came back to me quickly.
 
 


My little Love Bug is a redhead,
so these colors will look so nice with her red hair.
 
 

 
The smocking pattern is one I made up as I went along.
I had planned on using a smocking plate pattern,
but kind of went off on my own very quickly.

This will be delivered tomorrow when we get to see her.


I did manage to get the Lucky Star quilt top finished!!
It hasn't been pressed since it was finished,
but all of the blocks are sewn together.




The batiks and Kaffe play so well together.




There are quite a few Kaffe pieces left over,
so I'm going to have to come up with something else to make with these.

I had ordered backing, but am not thrilled with it.
A solid fabric may be used instead.


Happy Quilting!


12 comments:

Libby in TN said...

I love smocking; it seems to be a lost art. Always wished I had a girl so that I could smock for her. The best I could do was a little dress for a niece. That satisfied my urge ...

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

love that star quilt and hope your friend will now be ok.

Laura said...

Your quilt is beautiful! I took a smocking class before I had kids. It is a fun technique!

Needled Mom said...

Lots to celebrate in Florida!!! The little dress is just precious. She will look adorable in it. I love your star quilt too. The fabrics are so pretty together.

Debbie said...

Such an adorable smocked dress! And the quilt....great projects to see today!

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I haven't done any smocking for over 30 years...baptismal dress for first granddaughter. I did quite a bit in the early 1960s for my daughter. Polly Flinders dresses were out of my price range so I did my own.

straythreads said...

Heavy sigh for smocked dress, I should dig my pleater out. Love the dress and love the quilt top

Rebecca Grace said...

The smocked dress and the quilt top are both fabulous! Your friend is surely blessed to have had you with her to celebrate the end of her treatment, too.

Sandy said...

Sounds like you had a nice trip. I'm currently with 2 girl friends in Hilton Head for our annual girls trip which are always lots of fun. LOVE the cute little blue dress. Right you are, it will be adorable on a little red head.

Vicki in MN said...

The little dress is adorable! And your stars quilt is looking so cherry, you sure know how to work with Kaffe fabrics.

Debbie said...

Love both your quilt and your smocked dress. The quilt is so bright and happy. Love the colors and your pattern. It really highlights the fabrics and makes the overall appearance so wonderful. I used to smock for my daughter as well. So I really love it: so cool to have a printed fabric instead of the solids that were the "thing" at the time. Awesome made up pattern. You are so lucky to have a granddaughter to make dresses for. I am jealous:( I only have 2 grandsons and I think that will be all.

Debbie said...

I love both your quilt and your smocked dress. The quilt is so bright and happy and the pattern highlights the fabrics, not cutting them too small. I used to smock for my daughter as well. I admire your handwork and love how you made it out of a cute fabric. So creative to make your own design. You must have a pleater? Anyway, you are so lucky to have a granddaughter to sew for. I only have 2 grandsons. :(