Smocking Again

Second smocked dress done. This dress was much more enjoyable than my first one. So much so, that I started praying about making and selling smocked dresses. I do think that the Lord has given me a name for a company. Connie Laine Clothing or Connie Laine's Legacy. Still praying about the details. I absolutely loved making this dress for Mrs. Amanda's baby. I love that I can take a dress with me anywhere and work on it. In the car, in the bed, anywhere. I have decided there is no such thing as a smocked dress that is too expensive. You couldn't pay someone enough for the time put into one dress. I'm not selling them to be rich. I just enjoy making them, so why not make a little extra money on the side? I'm going to see if I can make one in one week's time and pray a little more. Still trying to discern if this is God's will or mine.

Finally smocked!!

Dearest kids, or should I say Chesney? (Somehow I think my boys will one day look over this blog entry). Im writing you this in hopes it will inspire you to one day attempt things you think you can't do. This is my first attempt to smock a dress. Mrs. Mel convinced me to attempt to make Chesney a smocked dress for Easter. This is something I have always desired to do, but just wasn't sure I could accomplish such a task. Thankfully my dear friend decided to plow the way for me. The first of the process went very well. The smocking part was very enjoyable. I could take it with me anywhere. I really enjoyed the actual smocking way more than I thought that I would. Everything was going perfect until ... we put the dress together. I did everything Mel told me to do, and thought I had a beautiful finished dress. When I held it up to admire my new creation I was not excited about what I saw! The neck could fit around Chesney's shoulders!!! This of course was discovered three days before Easter. Mrs. Mel dropped everything and came to the rescue. She really was on the right path. She came up with her own way for us to fix this problem. The neck actually fit, however it was all bumpy and wavy. (I wish I would have taken pictures of all of my mistakes) I was about ready to throw the dress away and declare it as a lost cause. I went to Sew Biz, the local sewing shop and asked for help. They helped without making me feel like an idiot. There was a way to save this dress with one simple word : IRON!!! Could it really be that easy? Iron out all of those wrinkles in the pleats??? Why didn't I think of that??? It worked!! The iron was like a miracle worker! The neck was binded, the dress hemmed, all that was left were the buttonholes and buttons. Then my sewing machine broke. Uggh!!! So Mrs. Mel to the rescue again to let me borrow her machine to finish this dress. I was really getting tired of this dress at that point. However, I pressed on with Mel's new fancy machine. Which made sewing buttonholes like a dream. So quick, so easy, and best of all done!!! The dress was finally worn two weeks after Easter. The Lord was so gracious with me. He reminded me of a dress I bought Chesney two years prior at a Kids market. It was a 4T, she was only 2, but I couldn't resist it. Its been hanging in the closet for two years awaiting the day it was needed!!! As the Lord reminded me that I had this beautiful dress in the closet peace flooded my soul. Thank you Lord that you care about the little things. In the grand scheme of life I know it's not the end of the world if you don't have an Easter dress. But my Father cared that I wanted one. He provided for my silly wants. I am so unworthy of such love!!
So, the handmade dress was finally done, 2 weeks after Easter. But I wouldn't trade this learning experience for anything!! Mel and I learned a lot from this project. Plus, I have new confidence to tackle any of my sewing dreams. Thanks Mel for inspiring me to be courageous!! Thanks for pushing me on when I was ready to give up! Off to learn to quilt!! Im sure this project will be long, tiring, with many bumps and bruises along the way, but Im ready! Here are the pics of the finally smocked dress!!!

A tribute to Gram

I've been thinking alot about Mom lately. I just thought maybe I should begin to blog about her, Gram, and about Daddy's Mom, Meemaw. I know none of you ever really new either one of these very special women, but I desire you to hear Mommy and Daddy talk about them so much that you feel as if you knew them. So, today I wanted to tell you a little about Gram. She is Mommy's Mommy. She raised Mommy as a single Mom. She was a very hard worker and loved children. When I was growing up it was just me and Mom. We loved to shop together. We talked on the phone about 50 times a day. She was one of those women that was wonderful at everything she did. She loved to cook. She was an excellent cook. My favorite things that she made me growing up were home made macaroni and cheese, cornbeef and cabbage, banana pudding, and ginger tea cakes. She wanted me to love to cook so bad, but I didn't. She begged me to cook with her all of my life, but I wouldn't. Once I married Daddy and moved off to North Carolina I was regretting that I had not cooked with her all of those times she wanted me to. But, I began cooking and she began teaching me. I must have called her 1000 times in my first year of marriage to ask her how to make this, or how to make that. Thankfully, I learned a few good tricks from her before she passed away. One of the other things that she loved to do is sew. She used to sew as a teenager. She made all kind of clothes for herself and for me when I was a child. When she died I very much regretted that I had not learned to sew from her. So, I decided to learn to cook better and learn to sew. I was so intimidated by sewing. Im not sure why, it just made me all scared. One day Mrs. Melinda told me she was going to our friends house to learn how to make a pillow case dress. She begged me to come. Although I had this new goal to learn how to sew. I went kicking and screaming, as I normally do when Im learning or doing something new. I went to Leigh's house with a pillow case in hand and left 2 hrs. later with a dress for Chesney. I was so proud. I couldn't believe that I had sewn a dress in 2 hrs. It was such a HUGE accomplishment to me. That was 2 years ago. Now, Mrs. Melinda is teaching me how to smock a dress. When I sew it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I know Gram would be so proud of me making clothing for my kids. So, here is a picture of my latest creations for Chesney, a tribute to Gram:


Soon I will write to you about Meemaw. I hope to post good memories of both of these special women, so you will grow up knowing how wonderful they were.
Love, Mommy