Little Sew N Sews Blog

Lucky Cousins!

2009-07-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Three lucky kids are going on a cruise with their Grammy and Papa Tom. What fun they'll have! And what a cute keepsake it will be when they get their picture made in their four matching tees embellished by Little Sew N Sews. CUTE!

Ribbit!

2009-07-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

So cute!

Triplets!

2009-05-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Makes me tired just thinking about it!

More lovin' those teachers!

2009-05-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have lost count of how many of these shirts I've made for teachers at Spring Garden Elementary. Cute, huh?

It occured to me this morning that shirts like these would make a great gift for any teacher at any school. A new shirt for jeans day or spirit day or Team Tuesday....what teacher doesn't like spirited casual wear? :-)

I have tons of designs to choose from: Stars (you know who you are!), Dolphins (you too!), and lots of other mascots, etc. Just ask! I can make a design for you.

Sustainable Beauty

2009-05-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

Does your monitor have touch-o-vision? No? Pity, 'cause this thing is divine. Yes, heavenly. So, so, so soft, like the light, fluffy clouds those angels sit on in the cream cheese commercials...only warmer. Okay, I know you don't need warm right now but you will come fall!

And what's so special about this throw blanket? I mean, I must monogram a hundred throws every year. (Seriously, they make great gifts!) So, big hooey, right? No - this is a blanket that can wrap you in luxury and save the earth too. It's Pottery Barn's Bamboo Cotton Throw.

Bamboo is one of our planet's most renewable resources. That stuff can grow TWO FEET in just a day! Whew! That's a hard workin' grass.

And best of all, Pottery Barn is clearancing this blanket right now to make way for summer stuff. So, goin' green can save you some green! (Hahaha! I'm so clever!)

<3 We love those teachers <3

2009-05-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love my little guy's preschool teachers. Please don't make me say that in the past tense.

Today was his last day of preschool I've been teary all day just thinking about it. What a huge transition: from preschool to kindergarten. I love his elementary school and all the kindergarten teachers there but I just can't imagine my little Sammy being a big enough kid to go to elementary school!

And on top of all that growing up stuff, I just adore his teachers. Ms. Patti and Ms. Lori have been the absolute perfect match for my little angel. He played and had so much fun all year, learning along the way without even knowing it. :-)

So, I showered those two perfect teachers with adorable Everything Totes from Mint and a fun matching beach towel from Target...all monogrammed of course! I hope they love the gifts as much as we love them. :-)

PS: So, if you're looking for a GREAT preschool in the NE Tarrant Area, try Noah's Ark Preschool at First United Methodist Church Colleyville. I can't say enough wonderful things about it!

Always the perfect baby gift...

2009-05-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

The burp cloth is always a great baby gift. They are so useful and adorable! And new mommies love seeing their new little one's name all sewn out on a cute gift. If you are thinking about ordering a burp ($9.50 each or $24 for a set of three), email me and I can send you some examples of my current fabrics and ribbons. CUTE!

Green Chic

2009-05-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

Christie Matheson of the wonderfully funny book Green Chic, says, "Being Green isn't a fad ... it's timelessly chic." Well, you can't get much more chic than a monogrammed reusable grocery tote! I've monogrammed six of these for three different customers just this week! Happy Mother's Day to the green chic lady who will be receiving this beautiful gift tomorrow!

(They make a great teacher gift too!)

Super-Grandma!

2009-05-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

What better Mother's Day gift for a super mother or grandmother than a super-hero cape? (Like that flair on Facebook: "I make beautiful babies, what's your super power?")

Sophia asked me to make one for her kids' Bubby. She requested black fabric with red lettering and all the kids names sewn on it too. What a fun project!

The picture isn't that great because my phone is closer to me tonight than my camera. :-)

Tea for Two!

2009-04-28T06:59:00.001-07:00

Last December a sweet customer of mine asked my help in creating a wedding present for a new happy couple and one for her daughter as well. We came up with something way-cute and inexpensive too...embellished dish towels. CUTE!

Dress it up!

2009-01-28T06:51:00.000-08:00

What makes a nice bath truly BEAUTIFUL? Monogramming, of course!

I recently visited the home of a friend who has impeccable taste...and monogrammed towels too. The decorating is absolutely perfect and lovely but it's the monograms that really tie the rooms together. Check out his beautiful two bathrooms.

Fun, fun, fun!

2009-01-18T06:55:00.000-08:00

What could be more fun for a January birthday party than a trip to Great Wolf Lodge? My friend, Judy, took her daughter and all her friends to the fun Grapevine resort for a fabulous birthday party. The party favor? Monogrammed towels from LSNS!

The towels above are monogrammed in the "Mel Script" font.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T06:35:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Little Sew N Sews to YOU!

Don't forget to dress for Santa!

2008-12-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

Santa loves theme-dressers!

For my Holland Fans....

2008-12-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

All over Europe, children are wearing Little Sew N Sews creations!

Okay, maybe that's not exactly true, but there is at least one family in Amsterdam that has lots of LSNS designs!

This shirt is a Christmas surprise for little Tobias from his Texas cousins. He loves pirates. ARGH!

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who claims that her daughters wear a different Halloween outfit every day of October. Really, DeeDee? I couldn't keep up! But here's a great way to start...LSNS Halloween tees!

Ready for some football?

2008-08-10T06:37:00.000-07:00

Well, baby should be!

A longtime customer asked me to create this burp cloth for a little baby Baylor Bear. You may have seen it in a previous blog. So, can I make this for a Longhorn or a Bulldog? ABSOLUTELY! I can always change thread colors on any design I make....just ask!

Time to think SUMMER!

2008-05-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

It's time to start thinking about summertime! Summer camp, laundry bags, duffels and beach towels! What could be cuter than wrapping your kiddo in a cute monogrammed towel after swim lessons?

And more cute summer stuff: http://littlesewnsews.blogspot.com/2007/08/sweet-new-stuff.html

California Little Sew N Sews

2008-03-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

I love making things for my cute niece and nephew in CA! They're wonderful models for my shirts. I actually made these shirts a few years ago but I miss these sweet kids, so...here they are!

Turkeys!!!!

2007-11-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

I made this shirt for my eldest a few years ago and now my baby boy is wearing it too! Embroidery holds up beautifully; even through lotsa washings and two grimy little boys. :-)

Run, run, fast as you can!

2007-10-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

My son had to dress up as the gingerbread man today for his school Book Character Parade. Easy-peasy with an embroidery machine! I just set my machine to work putting some pepperminty buttons on the front of a sweatshirt and added some white ric-rac detail to the whole sweatsuit and, VOILA!

I even found an embroidery design with a scene from the book and added it to the back of the sweatshirt. I have no clue why I didn't take a picture of that....

Seer Madness!

2007-09-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

With school starting it's been nothing but backpacks and lunchboxes in the factory. Here are three of the latest from the factory. All of these are in the seersucker style from Oh Mint!

(The seersucker style is also available in blue and all have matching lunchboxes.)

First Day :-)

2007-08-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

My son started kindergarten today. Doesn't he look adorable with his cute new personalized backpack? :-)

Hand-Me-Downs

2007-08-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Did you know that many of my customers are hand-me-downs? When my dear friend Amy Pratt of That's Mine! Monogramming left her business to return to full-time teaching a few years ago, she started sending me customers. Here we are, three years later, and they are still coming. And I love it!

This week Amy sent me Elaine W and her two daughters who had an adorable project idea. They came armed with bags, trim and ideas. The photos show what emerged from the factory. Cute, huh?

The bags come from a place called Behringer Bags. (817-788-5584; 6101 Watauga Rd. Watauga, TX 76148-2800) You may have seen their storefront on 377 or their booth at Canton First Monday Trade Days. They have nice quality bags for amazingly low prices.

The trim is just your basic Hobby Lobby purchase. And look how cute the bags look with the monogram! I'm very happy with how nicely these bags turned out. :-)

Also, in the ongoing saga of my crazy family. My youngest son, who I was so proud to announce was potty trained, made his mark on our new house last week. He somehow managed to overflow the master bathroom toilet and let it run for about 30 minutes while I was upstairs sewing and I thought he was innocently watching a movie downstairs! Finally he came to me and said, "Mommy, there's something in your bathroom!"

Yes, and also in the master bedroom, and in the hallway, and in the laundry room, and in the garage. $1500 later, we're almost recovered. Ugh.

Sweet new stuff

2007-08-22T16:40:00.001-07:00

One of my manufacturers has come up with so many cute new things in the last year, I've hardly been able to keep up. Here are two things I sent out this week that are so cute!

First is their new color combo for boys - finally! It's cadet blue with grassy green trim. They've added so many new girly styles lately and finally something new and adorable for boys. This combo is also available in snack squares, lunchboxes, laundry bags, blankies, nap mats, duffels and dopp kits. Too cute!

(font shown on backpack is one of my favorites: Hobo)

Next up is a great gift for any girl - from 2 to 92! Oh Mint (sweet little things) has also come out with new minky wraps. They are super-cute, super-soft and available in lots of super-adorable trims. This one is their hot pink polka style. Too cute!

(font style on wrap is "Boyz")

Happy Birthday, G!

2007-08-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to a sweet little girl who will have no "terrible" in her twos. :-)

A new work in progress

2007-08-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to do this and today I tried it out for the first time. I took a really cool picture my little friend Luke drew of his favorite movie characters (recognize any?), I removed some of the picture and focused on his favorite character: Darth Vader! I digitized the image and came up with a great design for a 5-year-old boy to wear on a t-shirt. I'm going to have him write "Star Wars" in his own handwriting and I'll add that soon too. It's going to look so cool!

The long lost blog

2007-08-15T19:12:00.001-07:00

It has been MONTHS since I updated my LSNS blog. So, what has kept me so busy? Well, the factory moved, for one thing! We made a relatively sudden decision in the early summer that we needed more space and we needed before the oldest So N So hit kindergarten. Suddenly just a few short weeks later we had sold our house. The factory (oh, and the family residence too!) is now just a few short miles north of the old location. We are now located near 121 and Hall-Johnson Rd in Grapevine. Our new house needs a little bit of elbow grease but everyday we see more positive progress!

What else have I been doing? Sewing, actually! I've been especially busy since the move. Everyone is getting ready for back to school. And it seems lots of families are adding summer babies! I made this cute burp cloth for a little boy destined for Waco. Mom and Dad are both Baylor alum and their friend wanted to make sure little Cooper knew where he was headed.

Remember, a burp cloth is a great gift! A set of three burps with cute trim and a monogram is just $24. Add a design to any of those starting at just $4 each. If you don't need three, single burpies start at just $9.50 each. And I have so much cute fabric for both boys and girls! Buying fabric is something I've been doing too...

Another huge accomplishment...I now have no diapers in my house! Yes, the littlest So N So is potty trained! Just look at how proud he is! He was well over three when we finally got there and it couldn't have come a day sooner! When we bought the last package of diapers I said "This is the last time I'm buying these." He said, "Mommy, you so funny."

I had the last laugh. :-)

A big trip!

2007-07-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

I went with the "girls" to Waco this weekend to do some Little Sew N Sews shopping. I now have a few items from the oh-so-sought-after I'm Yours Inc. I have several big/little sibling shirts as well as some pillowcases and My First Christmans ensembles. Watch the booth!

I'm recovering...

2007-01-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Whew. It's over. The Christmas rush pretty much ate me up and spit me out again. I have the bags under my eyes to prove it. I would have loved to have blogged lots of pretty photos of all of my cool projects but this is all I have. Apparently I didn't have any time to even pick up my camera!!!

Whew....

2006-09-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a ribbon-fest in the factory lately: soccer teams and cheer teams are back in biz for the fall so last week I made about 50 embroidered hair ribbons. I'm very tired....

My friend Melissa is going to take better pictures soon. The ribbons are so cute that they really deserve a real photographer!

Slumber Girls

2006-09-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

Plain white pillowcases from Wal Mart became canvasses and treasured party favors at Miss Kaylee's birthday party. Her mother asked me to embroider the name of each guest on the pillowcase and then the girls flexed their artistic muscles on the fabric. So cute!

They even used the pillowcases to catch their pinata loot. I'll bet they had sweet dreams!

Gol!

2006-09-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

Right now, my life is soccer. Soccer practice, soccer games, team mom duties, soccer hair ribbons, and soccer fan tees. My oldest son's team is The Rowdies. I made this tee for the baby brother of one of the players on the team. Cute!

I'm also working on new soccer mom shirts for a few teams and some embroidered hair ribbons for some soccer and cheer teams as well. I'll have a photo of the ribbons in the next few days. They're so cute...I can't wait to share!

First Day of School

2006-09-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school and my little guy did great. He's been watching his big brother go to the same school for two years and he acted like it was the most natural thing in the world for him to go play with all these kids he'd never seen before.

FREEDOM! :-)

Best of all, I got a compliment on his backpack as we left school today. Isn't it cute?!?

Dinosaur Sweet, Dinosaur Grumpy!

2006-09-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Canton to hang out with the Pink Princessas for a weekend. I'm really looking forward to it.

The truth is, the Pinks like having me around because I bring in the "boy" factor. I felt a little pressure to bring in some more boyishness so tonight I worked up this little tee. Too cute!

Roar!

Back to school!

2006-08-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

Does everyone have a cute new personalized backpack for Back-to-School?!?! I'm about to place my last order of the summer with my wholesaler so if you want one (or a coordinating lunchbox!), let me know asap!

A horse is a horse....

2006-08-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Lots of "horse-y" items have been emerging from the factory lately. I just thought I'd share a few of them!

Are you a member?

2006-07-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

I'm having a super-special on these adorable lunch boxes (also available in pink, lime and red). But these prices are only available for mailing list members! So, sign up!

Happy Independence Day!

2006-07-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July from the Factory and my own Little So N So's.

A Sunny Gift

2006-07-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

This summer's hottest item in the factory? Cinch swim bags stuffed with monogrammed beach towels. Isn't this one cute?

Daddies!

2006-06-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Previous Father's Days have found the factory quiet and peaceful but not '06!

Holy Daddies it's been crazy 'round here! I have already completed a whole round of Daddy-lovin' tees but here are just a small sampling.

My Favorite Soccer Moms

2006-05-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

The newest thing in the factory? Soccer Mom shirts...check 'em out!

Happy Mother's Day!

2006-05-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

I got the news first! I found out yesterday that one of my favorite Little Sew N Sews is going to be a big sister! So to make the announcement to her Grandma, she's wearing this adorable tee-shirt I made last night for their Mother's Day outing. Isn't that a cute and clever way to let everyone in on the big news?

Of course since no one else knows, I'm keeping tight-lipped about who the lucky big sister is!

I'll give you a hint: her mom's a good customer who I've known for almost 16 years. And her dad looks adorable in red. :-)

tie a yellow ribbon...

2006-04-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

I'm too tired to come up with anything cute to say. Here's the scoop: my friends Amy (yes, another one) and Deb (the Princessas, you know!) have a booth at Canton. I wanted to make a few things to see if they would sell so here's what I came up with. I'm thinking of making new ones with ribbons that go all the way around and tie in the back.

Sleep Hard, Play Hard

2006-04-05T05:22:00.000-07:00

Another cute pillowcase I made. Since I shared the girly version I thought I'd pass along it's mate!

Now I lay me...

2006-04-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

Suddenly pillowcases are my hottest item. I made three today! Here's one -- a pillowcase for a little athlete.

Dressing Royalty

2006-03-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to share a little outfit I made Princess Emma. Too cute! I was so pleased with how well it turned out that I'm thinking of doing a whole line of princess monograms.

A yellow dog with new tricks!

2006-02-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Although I'm on hiatus, I've been doing lots of sewing. An old friend had a baby a few weeks ago so one of the things I made was this cute Big Sis pillowcase for her older daughter. Since I didn't know what size t-shirt Kendall would wear, I dreamed up the idea of a pillowcase...something she'll never grow out of! Another huge development on this project is the designs -- although I bought the Big Sister design from another source, I used my new cool software to edit it and make the design more suitable to this project. Also, I digitized a new font for the first time -- doesn't it look great?!?!

February Shut-Down...

2006-01-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hello, friends!

If you've tried to visit http://www.littlesewnsews.com/ recently and had trouble: I'm up and running again. I have no idea what or when the snafu occurred but it's fixed!

The holiday craziness in the factory has continued into January! Therefore, I want to let you all know that I'll be shutting down for a re-organization and a breather (whew!) for a few weeks starting Friday, February 3, 2006. If you have something urgent, let me know: I may be able to work it in or refer you to someone who can, but please knowthat for the most part I won't be sewing at all during this time.

Why am I shutting down? I'm taking some time to learn a new-to-me side of the embroidery business which should make my projects and merchandise even more adorable and unique. I'll give you an update as soon as I have mastered the new art. :-)

I've posted an adorable trimmed burpie that I made last night. I don't make these very often but this one turned out so cute I wanted to pass it along!

Update: The Christmas Chaos!

2006-01-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

My customer who ordered the 9-face custom Grandparent sweatshirts sent photos
of the proud Grampa & Grammy, along with these comments:
Amy, all your hard work paid off! Here are the pictures of the sweatshirts - you outdid yourself this time girl!!! Jeff's mom and dad LOVED them!

I love seeing pictures of my creations in action. Please send photos whenever you can!

The Christmas Chaos!

2005-12-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas was super-crazy around the factory. I had tons of projects ranging from super-easy to "what was I thinking?"! I've included some pictures of my biggest project: a pair of grandparent sweatshirts for some lucky folks with NINE grandchildren!

How huge was this project? Approximately 200,000 stitches, about 7 spools of pre-wound bobbin, more than 20 different colors of thread, over 140 color changes, six hoopings, one ruined sweatshirt, trips to two different wal-marts and three targets to replace it, one trip to Richland Sewing Center for supplies and about 20 hours of my time. But the outcome was wonderful: the customer and her in-laws loved the shirts!

I've included a pic of the Grammy's shirt. Grampa's was the same except that it said "Grampa's Pit Crew" at the top and instead of a boot in the middle, it featured racing flags. Cute!

The Big FOUR

2005-12-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

My oldest So N So turned four today. He's so big! I know, he's still little but he's no baby anymore.

As I appliqued the four on the back of his tee, I thought..."that's wrong!" But alas, he is indeed four. Just four years ago after Thanksgiving I said to my husband, "I want a baby for Christmas!" But we both thought that there was no way since I wasn't due until late January. Well, Jack gave me my Christmas wish and the best Christmas surprise ever: a healthy, happy sweet baby boy!

Anyhoo -- here are pics of his tee. He wouldn't stand still so this is the best I could do! He loves trains so I made a train shirt. We rode a train to downtown Ft. Worth with all of his little buddies where we ate cake and chicken nuggets (his two favorite foods!) at the train station before re-boarding and heading home. A very stressful party: I don't suggest it! But the kids had a great time!

Poor baby!

2005-12-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the rush of the seaon, things have slowed down a bit here at the factory: my little guy has pink-eye and a double ear infection. Dr. R says that he'll likely need a new set of tubes soon. This will be the fourth pair between our two So N So's. The doc also said that my big kid may need a new set too! Ack!

And tomorrow is the big birthday party. Holy cow...everything really happens all at once, doesn't it?!?!

Little Turkeys

2005-12-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

I've been so swamped with projects that I haven't taken any time to take any pictures of them! Luckily I managed to wrangle my own So N So's for pics of their Thanksgiving tees. Turkey tees for Turkeys!

Merry Christmas!

2005-11-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, the factory is abuzz with Christmas projects. Here is one of many...

Super J!

2005-10-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

I made my oldest kiddo a Super-hero cape yesterday. Too cute! I thought the red-white-and blue fabric was very heroic but he just said he'd rather have one with Buzz Lightyear on it. Ugh!

At any rate, today he decided he loved it enough that he just had to wear it to preschool. And, of course, he left it there. Here's hoping that we can find it on Thursday....

yuck

2005-10-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

I spent the entire afternoon today updating my web site. I absolutely hate doing it. It takes forever and then within 24 hours, it's out of date.

Blogging is more fun. It's easier. No one complains if your blog is incorrect or out of date.

Yea for Blog! Nay for Web site!

Part-time Pink Princessa!

2005-10-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I had my first event this past weekend as a Part-Time Pink Princessa. We had a blast! The Southlake Oktoberfest was all that I'd hoped it would be. We met lots of great people, made some great sales and generally had a great time.

Thanks to all who came by! I've included some pics above of our booth space. Too cute!

Back to my roots!

2005-10-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

After dedicating so much time to my new love, fringe; I've recently gone back to some good old fashion (machine!) applique.

The first shirt I made for a customer who is about to have #2. Congrats, Kristi! The second one I made for a little boy who, obviously, is turning one. I'm making one for his 3-year-old brother too, but haven't quite gotten it camera-ready yet!

I took both of these to Soutlake Oktoberfest this past weekend and they generated several orders. Woo Hoo! Also, after the exciting weekend I read something disturbing about some of the goings-on there.

Man arrested after taking photos at event

SOUTHLAKE -- A 60-year-old North Richland Hills man was arrested during Oktoberfest festivities Sunday on suspicion of using a camera to take "inappropriate or improper" photographs of women and children, police said. Louis J. Vogel was observed taking the photographs at Southlake Town Square, Lt. Ashleigh Douglas of the Southlake Department of Public Safety said Tuesday. "This, in addition to information officers obtained once they made contact with the subject, indicated the pictures were inappropriate or improper, and subsequently led to the arrest," she said. She declined to describe the specific content of the photographs because the images are considered evidence in an ongoing investigation. Vogel was arrested about 5:15 p.m. Sunday and released Monday after posting $5,000 bail, Douglas said. Vogel could not be located to comment Tuesday. Improper photography or visual recording is a state jail felony punishable by up to two years' imprisonment. The charge applies to photographs or images taken without a person's consent, with intent of sexual gratification on the part of the photographer. -- Ben Tinsley

boo!

2005-10-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

I'm hurriedly trying to get some holiday shirts going for Octoberfest this weekend. Thus far all I have is a Halloween shirt or two...oh, and more fringe. Maybe the heart shirts could be for Valentine's Day?

These pictures also serve as a reminder to me that I should really take a photography class.

Up or Down?

2005-09-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, I made this shirt and I can't figure out if it's super-cute or a total dud. What do you think? Seriously, I need your opinion. I made it with the intention of taking it and others like it to the Southlake Oktoberfest and sell it to a little Carroll Dragon fan.

ps - sleep is for wimps.

Happy Birthday, my brutha!

2005-09-23T23:09:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my brother's birthday so of course something needed to be embroidered! I chose a little onesie for his adorable newborn daughter, Greta.

Happy Birthday to the new daddy!

Fringe Frenzy!

2005-09-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

It seems I've gone a little fringe crazy. Today I worked on a shirt for a customer who is very soccer-keen. She'll definitely be the coolest little lady on the practice field in her cute new shirt with fringe-y hair.

All Tied Up

2005-09-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't been blogging so where've I been?

The Little Sew N Sews factory has gone ribbon crazy. In just the last few weeks I've made several dozen personalized ribbons for soccer teams and cheer teams. Won't those little lasses look adorable running around the playing field with their personalized and embroidered team ribbons?

On the fringe!

2005-08-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Little Sew N Sews has really been making the birthday party circuit lately!

A customer recently asked me to make a horse tee for a 7-year-old who is a great horsewoman and a fashionista to boot.

At first we looked for a cute applique design but never came up with the right look. I stumbled upon this design which uses machine embroidery to create fringe for the horse's mane and tail.

Since I've never tried the fringe technique, I went through several pieces of fabric testing out the sewing and trimming and finally felt confident enough tonight to sew out the real thing. I think it's adorable. And I hope Landree thinks so too!

Revisiting the Not-so-little Sew N Sews

2005-08-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Maggie's Mom brought her by the factory last week to show off how adorable she looks in her LSnS-made birthday gift. These applique monogrammed tees are the current best seller! I've already made two more this week and have 7 more to go!

Kaylee's mom tells me that her "K" tee will be her first-day-of-first-grade outfit. Perfect!

9/7/05 update: Kaylee's mom was at the factory last night and showed me a professional photograph of Kaylee in her LSnS applique-monogrammed tee. Too cute!

Not-so-little Sew N Sews

2005-07-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

One of the original Little Sew N Sews, Maggie R. turns SIX this week. For her birthday, I made her this adorable applique monogrammed shirt. I bought the white shirt at Target and paired it with a Circo brand pink scooter. She'll look so cute as she heads off to first grade.

Happy Hour

2005-07-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

I worked on a new and VERY different to me project tonight: A customer asked me to create a tag for a decorative pillow. I've never done anything like it but it turned out very nice. I hope that the "Martini Mama", who celebrates a BIG milestone birthday this week, will love her special gift.

I have so much sewing to do this week. Backpacks are starting to pile up in the factory. I have a birthday outfit to make for a very special little girl's birthday party on THURSDAY!

...and my SIL's baby shower is this coming Saturday and I haven't done a single stitch in preparation! However, I *did* pin her down on a name today. I even asked if I could start monogramming items for little Greta...she said YES! I can't believe I'm going to have a niece so close by. My niece Kerry lives out in Southern California and we miss her (and big bro Jacob!) everyday.

So...keep an eye on the LSnS blog this week to see what I come up with for my newest niece.

Oh, and while getting my kids ready for a day of swimming at my Mom's house today I checked out her swim towel cabinet. Aren't those towels cute?!? Of course Greta will need one next summer!

Tunnel Vision

2005-07-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes home embroidery can be like sewing in a tunnel. All kinds of bags are this way. They make me a nervous wreck...but always turn out "sew" cute. :-)

Why a tunnel? Because bags have to be turned inside out with the inside of the bag (the underside of the sewing area) stuck down on a special material that keeps the bag stable on the sewing hoop. Then the hooped area is then placed under the needle with the rest of the bag out beyond the sewing arm. Okay, I can't explain it but you can see in the picture that the needle can barely even be seen while it's sewing.

A new customer (hi, Stephanie!) called today and wanted a duffel bag with a personalization and design. Normally I only do names on these bags but I knew that the design would be so cute. Sewing in a tunnel is certainly adventurous but just look how cute the outcome can be!

By the way, I found out tonight that I have mispelled "duffel" all over my web site. I thought it was "duffle" but according to Webster's it's "duffel". Looks weird to me!!!

Run...be free!

2005-07-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

I had hoped to get lots of productive sewing done today. However, my oldest So N So had other ideas. After a morning of Blue's Clues, he was bent on making a sock puppet. Since he's three and can't be trusted with a needle and thread, I spent my lunchtime sewing eyes and hair on a big white sock we got on clearance at Target. Meanwhile my littlest So N So threw mandarin oranges at me and the sock-puppet-requester kept trying to grab the needle. Ugh!

But, the outcome was wonderful because there were smiles all around and Jack is now napping with his puppet. What's puppet's name? He tells me it's "Sock Puppet". Creativity runs deep in the Rork family. :-)

I feel the need to pass on the easy instructions for this project to you:

You'll need yarn for hair, buttons for eyes, a needle and thread and of course....a sock!

I cut a handful of 5-inch lengths of yarn, tied them together and then sewed them down, using the knot as the anchor spot, on the puppet a few inches above the toe seam. Just below there I sewed on the "eyes". Voila...adorable.

Also, if you are wondering about the title of today's Blog entry, check out the Blue's Clues episode about Steve making Blue Laugh. It's a classic episode which illustrates just how great Steve Burns was and how not-so-great Donovan Patton is. Yes, I'm a Blue's Clues connoiseur.

Also, it was nine years ago today Gary and I married. We'll be celebrating with a romantic dinner for three and a high-chair at Chili's. Ha!

What's new at the LSnS factory? Check here!

2005-07-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

The Factory Foreman (me!) finally found a place for all of those side-projects LSnS churns out every week. So many of them don't belong on the main site since they aren't in the 'permanent collection' but they are interesting enough to share...thus a blog!

So, stay tuned here for lots of photos (in process photos too!) of current projects. Soon I'll update you on all of my applique projects like this picture of a tee shirt I made for a monkey-crazed 3-year-old.

I'm also working a bit with some chenille. I made some lovely burpers last week...but of course I didn't take any pics. There are other chenille projects in the works, so stay tuned!

Most of all, let me know what you think.

So many of my custom projects are ideas hatched by my customers. So, feel free to hatch your own and we'll see what we can come up with together.