Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Try Something New!

Handmade gifts for the holidays are quite popular this year, due to toy recalls & tight budgets. I have loved making homemade gifts my whole life, but this gift had a different purpose for me.

I bought a smocking pleater through eBay in August, excited & determined to try something new by learning smocking. Then... I chickened out! It seemed rather daunting to learn pleating, smocking, beading and assembling a smocked garment all at once.

Then I saw this pattern in the current issue of Sew Beautiful Magazine, and knew this was my answer! I could learn on something small, and make an ornament that I needed for an ornament exchange at the same time.

I made a lot of mistakes, learned a lot, and look forward to many more smocked projects now that I have this one under my belt. And I'm tempted to pick my own gift bag at the ornament exchange today!

Hey Erica, I was practicing shooting in Aperture Priority ;)

4 comments:

OliBeli said...

Darlin that is just beautiful!!!

Joanne said...

Ahh, that is gorgeous! You did a great job! Mom

Anonymous said...

WOW Rebekah! Absolutely love it!

I'm still too chicken to buy a pleater. I did, however, recently purchase these neat smocking stickers over at http://www.clover-usa.com/ They even have a How To video online. Check it out!

I'll let you know who my smocking project goes...

With friendship,
Lisa

YetAgainJen said...

That's just beautiful, Rebekah!

Jen

http://olivespearls.typepad.com/knittersknitters/