Fall Fashions

Baby Lola arrived last week. A fall baby. I decided to make her one of my "vintage bonnets". This sweet little denim hat is trimmed with vintage lace, embroidery, whatever I have on hand. It is available in sizes 6, 12 & 18 mos. Lola recieved a 12 mos. It will fit her right around the time of her first birthday. Welcome to the world little Lola!

A Few of My Favorite Things

I thought it might be fun to share with you some of my favorite websites. I am visually inspired so I like to check on these sights occassionally for stimulation. I hope you enjoy them as well-

For children's clothing inspiration check out Rachel Riley at http://www.rachelriley.com/. Her classic style and exquisite fabrics are incredible. I think she does a line 3-4 times a year. Also, http://www.floraandhenri.com/ has beautiful things. These might appeal more to an outdoorsy asthetic, I know you will enjoy them.

Last year I was on the quest for the perfect sugar cookie recipe and I found it a http://www.fancyflours.com/. THis beautiful sight sells supplies for cake and cookie making. They offer the No Fail Sugar Cookie recipe for free and I have used it over and over again....to rave reviews. Also, I have purchased cupcake papers and have been thrilled with the product.

http://www.etsy.com/ for all things handmade. You can find any handmade item in any price range on this sight. Make sure you allow enough time, it is easy to get sucked in!

http://www.countrybumpkin.au.com/ is the home of Australian Smocking and Inspirations magazine. These beautiful publications come with full size patterns and all the instructions to accomplish any number of needlework projects.

Looking for a recipe for tonights dinner? Try http://www.williams-sonoma.com/ and look under recipes. They have many to choose from and everything I have tried has turned out superb. Try the Zucchini and Carrot Noodles- yum! It isn't quite as inspiring as perusing a Williams-Sonoma store but it is worth a visit none the less.

For french inspired objects visit http://www.bellocchio.com/. Even better, visit their store in San Francisco. Not sure what I'd do with any of it (though I'd love a pair of the Eiffel Tower embroidery scissors) but I can't help looking and dreaming.

If you haven't visited my website please do as it is one of my favorite things. http://www.robynseggblue.com/ is a source for exquisitely handcrafted childrens clothing. Though I only highlight a couple of items I have many more in my collection and hope to showcase some of them here.

For magazines I am loving Country Living. It has evolved over the years and seems to be fitting right into where I am in my life today. The newly re-introduced Victoria is a visual feast as well. I will pick up an occassional Vogue for design details and  Cooks Illustrated for recipes and tips to be a better cook.

English transferware touched my senses over 30 years ago and I have happily added to my collection ever since. My main source of finding additions to my collection is http://www.ebay.com/. I have been so happy with everything I have bought and it includes alot of blue calico as well as a few pieces of chintzware. My english stoneware ranks among the top items I would remove from the house in the event of a wildland fire evacuation (we have to consider those things around here).

And last but certainly not least who doesn't love fall??? Crisp days, nippy nights, s'mores on the patio, an orange glow in the air. Fall is especially pretty here in Northern California, our town has an almost "New England" feel about it. Makes me want to bake pumpkin bread. What are you baking today?

Cherries!

One of my all time favorite designs is Cherries! Over the years I try to pick up quaint cherry prints to use this pattern on. This sweet little dress is made with a very fine cotton lawn. It was so fine I had to sew in a slip, that worked out great since it gave the skirt extra "pouf". The collar is made using a soft cotton pique and I used the faggotting stitch to attach the gingham trim. The smocking is a simple geometric and I used silk ribbon to form the cherry stems, adding buttons as the cherries. This version of Cherries was made for a dear friends granddaughter, Easter 2009.

In the Beginning

Here we go! Not sure how this will all come together but ..... you never know until you try. My reason for doing this? To share with like minded people whether you are a fellow designer or a parent who happens to appreciate the finest details for your little one. My love of handwork began as a small child. Both of my grandmothers worked, ran homes and invested time in handwork. One was a seamstress and a knitter. The other crocheted constantly but her family had done quite a bit of embroidery so she showed me my first few stitches and gave me supplies from her bounty. I was about 6 years old at the time and I was not very good. I like to tell people that I am not a natural seamstress but a very practiced one! All these years of practice have made me committed to a level of quality that is not found in mass produced clothing- french seams, hand-worked hems, English smocking, embroidery, mini-piping on collars and sleevebands- just to name a few. I get as much enjoyment taking the tiny stitches of a hem as I do working an intricate smocking pattern. It is my joy. Putting all that aside, you must know that I value a well dressed child. In my clothing my goal is to draw attention to your child, not my work. I have found that when a child feels pretty or handsome in thier clothing they will act like the little ladies & gentlemen we imagined they would be. Note the picture of my granddaughter above.....little would you suspect that she can throw a mean fit, she just looks so sweet (and she truly is sweet) I hope you will enjoy this journey with me-