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News and Specials

Martha's Heirlooms
306 West Main St.
Mason, Ohio 45040
513-229-7340
1-888-277-6432

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July Sale
20% off all Striped and Checked Fabrics
20% off all Cross Stitch Fabric

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See our Classes page for this month's classes.

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  If you would like to be on my email list please send your current email address to heirlooms@fuse.net and request to be on my list.   I send one email per month with new merchandise, current sale and a list of classes 
offered.

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New Merchandise

Australian Smocking and Embroidery

I have some very popular out of print issues from years ago.   These will sell for $22.00 each.   Or call the shop if you're looking for a special issue.

Out of print early back issues: $22.00 each.   Stock limited!  21,22,25,28,29,30,31,33,35,36,37,38,40,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,53,54,58,59,60.

Let me know if you are looking for others.    I do have some that are gently used.

 

New Fabrics:

st petite fleur 3.jpg (25485 bytes)  Stylecrest Petite Fleur:  100% cotton, 45" wide  $12.00/yd

 

ffpique dot.jpg (19704 bytes)Pique multicolor pastel dots: 100% cotton, 60" wide $14,00/yd

 

DSCN1919.JPG (60064 bytes)  DSCN1918.JPG (21080 bytes)  DSCN1920.JPG (62488 bytes)   $14.00/yd 60" wide 100% cotton

 Blue/Yellow    Pink/Blue      Pink/green

 


Books

ClassicSewing 10.jpg (10171 bytes)Classic Sewing:   $24.99      132 pages of smocking, embroidery, heirloom sewing.  Includes full patterns.   Published 4 times per year.

   

 

  Insp 98.jpg (89548 bytes)Inspirations #98 $18.00

New Patterns:

bb AnnaCatherine.jpg (8345 bytes) Anna Catherine     Bonnie Blue  3mo - 6yr $14.00

 

cm classic romper 149.jpg (5928 bytes) Classic Romper  #149  6mo - 3yr   Creations by Michie $13.00

 

New Smocking Plates:

Cross Eyed Cricket

cec mystical unicorn.jpg (3087 bytes)            cec on th road again.jpg (2883 bytes)        cec kissy fishy.jpg (3545 bytes)      cec dolly llama.jpg (3598 bytes)

Mystical Unicorn    On the Road Again   Kissy Fishy         Dolly Llama

cec cool cats.jpg (3961 bytes)       cec daschund beach fun.jpg (3012 bytes)           cec baby sand crabs.jpg (3633 bytes)       cec baby blue birds.jpg (3694 bytes)

Cool Cats       Dachshunds Beach Fun   Baby Sand Crabs   Baby Blue Birds

cec BunniesinClover.jpg (3705 bytes)         cec BunniesPrizePossession.jpg (3928 bytes)                    cec BunnyButts.jpg (2977 bytes)     cec HoppyBirthday.jpg (3222 bytes)
Bunnies in Clover    Bunnies Prize Possession    Bunny Butts    Hoppy Birthday

cec RollingRibbonBishop.jpg (3918 bytes)           cecPinkMardiGrasFlamingos.jpg (3944 bytes)                    cec CarrotHugger.jpg (4241 bytes)       cec CokcaDoodleDoo.jpg (3954 bytes)

Rolling Ribbons    Pink Mardi Gras Flamingos   Carrot Hugger   Cock a Doodle Do

The Cat Fight

Pat Garretson

pg July.jpg (3715 bytes)   pg BunnyFamily.jpg (2983 bytes)   pg Annette.jpg (2565 bytes)   pg Mercedes.jpg (3397 bytes)

July                Bunny Family    Annette         Mercedes

pg Diana.jpg (3457 bytes)        pg Savannah.jpg (3700 bytes)  pg SpringFever.jpg (3081 bytes)    pg Yvette.jpg (2643 bytes)

Diana                Savannah         Spring Fever    Yvette

pg Blythe.jpg (3987 bytes)  PG December.jpg (4160 bytes)   PG December Birthday.jpg (4313 bytes)          pg Melania.jpg (3918 bytes)

Blythe             December    December Birthday    Melania

PG Gingham Christmas Stockings.jpg (5862 bytes)                             PG Santa and ReindeerII.jpg (4530 bytes)               PG November.jpg (3219 bytes)

Gingham Christmas Stockings    Santa and Reindeer II      November

PG OCome All Ye Faithful.jpg (3869 bytes)  

O Come all Ye Faithful

 

pg deborah.jpg (3586 bytes)   pg bebe easter.jpg (4126 bytes)    pg February.jpg (3116 bytes)    pg Heather.jpg (3774 bytes)

Deborah          Bebe Easter     February         Heather

PG august.jpg (2916 bytes)    pg chr gown for Florence.jpg (4138 bytes)        pg bunny patch.jpg (4073 bytes)    pg on the farm.jpg (4164 bytes)     

August       Christening gown for     Bunny Patch     On the Farm
                     Florence

                

pg campbell.gif (10250 bytes)    pg carly.gif (11228 bytes)   pg oh christmas tree.gif (8686 bytes)       pg october.gif (14041 bytes)    pg jane.gif (13901 bytes)

Campbell             Carly       Oh Christmas Tree      October       Jane

pg brooklyn.gif (18000 bytes)        pg hannah.gif (12678 bytes)

Brooklyn                Hannah


 

 

 

 

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Queen City Chapter of SAGA

The Queen City Chapter of SAGA would like you to be our guest:     
     We have an active Smocking Guild that meets monthly and offers educational programs as well as the friendship of those who share the same sewing and needlework interest.  We have exciting things planned for the next year and would love to include new members in our guild.  We meet at 7:30 pm on the 2nd Thursday of the month at Martha's Heirlooms, 306 W. Main St.  Mason, Ohio.  For more information on SAGA, log onto SAGA's website www.smocking.org   For more information on our local guild in Cincinnati,  which has a lot to offer its members e-mail me at heirlooms@fuse.net

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Smocking with Corduroy

by 

Martha Bailey

 

Corduroy has been a long time favorite for children's clothing. It is durable, warm, soft and can make a special play or dressy garment. The colors available are beautiful and the featherwale (21 wale per inch) gives the appearance of a velveteen. Featherwale corduroy is easy to pleat, smock, and care for. In working with corduroy for several years in sewing children’s smocked clothing I have learned a lot, mostly from trial and error. These are a few tips of mine to help give you the best results.

Cutting out:

Nap up or down: What ever way you cut your fabric make sure all pieces have the nap of the corduroy facing the same direction. Some people prefer to cut with the nap going up (smooth side of nap) and some prefer it going down. I have found the the color of the corduroy will be richer with the wale going up and you won’t have shiny areas after many wears at knees, backs of skirts and places that the nap would have more pressure with wear. Most people love the feel of the nap going down so what ever you prefer is correct.

Pleating:

Wale side up: When pleating corduroy pleat with the wale side facing up as you feed the fabric through the pleater. When the needles go through the fabric they will pierce the fabric and not the nap of the wale. If you pleat with the wale down you will have the increased chance of having skipped pleats. Pleating wale side up will solve this problem.

Moiré effect: When corduroy is pleated you will get a moiré effect. Once the corduroy is smocked and blocked the moiré effects not as apparent.   If you do not want this effect I usually suggest that an inset is used of the corduroy. Especially if doing a yoke 
dress or a jumper. Pleat an inset of the corduroy and smock on the wrong (un-wale side) of the fabric inset. You will still get the matching color but not the moiré.

Picture smocking: When picture smocking on corduroy is desired, pleat an inset of the corduroy and smock on the wrong side of the corduroy. You will not have the moiré effect and the coverage should be sufficient with four strands of floss. It is difficult to get neat picture smocked figures when working with a wale fabric. Note that the pleats are fatter than if using a broadcloth so figures will be larger. You will also have less pleats to work with due to the thickness of the fabric so adjustments may have to be made to your design.

Geometric Smocking: I will usually use four strands of floss to allow for coverage over the wale of the fabric and thickness of the pleats. 
You may get better coverage if you use Floche.

Construction:  Featherwale corduroy is fine enough to make mini-piping for contrast. Corduroy will flake off so seams should be finished with a zig-zagged or French seam. I usually will do French seams on my corduroy garments easily without too much bulk.

Pressing: When pressing corduroy press with the wrong side up so that the iron does not flatten the wale of the fabric. A pressing cloth may also be used for pressing.

Bishops with Corduroy: Bishops are easily made with corduroy. When I cut out a bishop from corduroy I will take 2" out of the center front, center back and center of sleeves. (Ellen McCarn Ultimate Bishop) The corduroy pleats are fatter than with lighter weight fabrics and less fabric is needed at the neckline. (If you have too much heavy fabric at the bishop neckline it may be difficult to pull pleats up tight enough to get the neck band on.  (You may need to eliminate less fabric if other bishop patterns are used. The Ultimate Bishop is a very full bishop.)

To construct my bishop neckline before pleating I will usually sew sleeve seams right sides together, trim to 1/8" and overcast with a small zig-zag. This will allow the seams to pass easily through the pleater, (Note: I have found that serged seams and French seams with corduroy are too heavy and large to go through the pleater.

Hopefully these tips will help you with your construction and smocking of corduroy garments. The fabric is wonderful to work with and your little ones will love wearing it. If you have any questions or need a source for corduroy you may contact me at Martha’s Heirlooms, 306 West Main St. Mason, Ohio 45040 513-229-7340 or 1-888-277-6432 or by email at heirlooms@fuse.net.   www.marthasheirlooms.com