Tutorial :Using Lace for a Edge or Sleeve Casing

There is another way to make a casing, using lace.  This time you can trim the bottom of the sleeve or edge and make a  casing at the same time.  I will show you...

Start with an 1"  to 1 1/2" piece of lace. Cut it the width of the edge you are sewing.  Then either finish the bottom of the sleeve/edge with a tight zigzag or serge it.

Lay the piece of lace over the edge so that some pretty part of the lace is hanging over the edge and pin.

Now sew two parallel lines line at the top edge of the lace about 1/4 in apart.  This will form the casing.  There is no need to sew the lace down to the garment more than this.

I just stitched one row of stitching near the top edge, now I moved down 1/4" to stitch the second row.

Thread a blunt needle with thin ribbon about 8"- 10" longer than the width of edge.

Here I am getting ready to thread thru the casing with the threaded blunt needle

Thread the needle thru the casing, coming out in the center of the lace, then "diving" down again into the center and continuing to thread to the end of the casing.  Doing this way the ribbon tie will be tied at the top of the wrist.

I came up out of the lace in the center and went down again to continue, leaving a loop in the center.

Here is what it will look like when it is done.  I always tack the ribbon at the sides.

When the side seams are sewn next, the ribbon can be pulled up and tied, and this is the final effect.  This method can be used for anything that needs a casing, so pretty and easy too.

Pictures of October Meeting

Labels:  The labels say "Threads of Love"  A label goes on every item that we donate so the parents know that item came from us.  We either machine sew or hand sew the labels on.  The hand sewing table is one of the most enjoyable stations at our meetings.

Isolette covers are the main things we get done at the meetings.  We try to get at least six done each meeting to go out to the hospital.  They cover the isolette to keep it dark for the premature sleeping baby.  One method we use is tying the cover and then serging the edges. Wilma H. and Lila F. are tying.

At this last meeting, we finished sewing lace around white blankets.  We also machine quilted the isolette covers.  Robin M. is at the machine with a cover.  Debbie A. also helped with the white blankets.

There is no picture of me because I am taking the pictures.  I am proud of our work that day.  We got seven white blankets done and six isolette covers done and a bucket of items sewn with labels.  Good work everyone!  You are angels!

October Meeting

We had a great meeting this month.  Will send pictures in next post.  I want to welcome our new members, Phyllis and Juli to our chapter.  At the meeting we got ready to send out more blankets and covers to the hospitals.  The serger we have is really being put to good use as well as our sewing machines.  Debbie Johnston donated a sewing machine to the chapter, thank you, Debbie. We are all feeling the urgency to supply the hospitals during this time of holidays when it will even more sad for the families.  Our prayers go out to them.

Visit To Redlands Community Hospital

Redlands called and had already ran out of all 12 of the isolette covers that we delivered two weeks ago. Steve and I were almost finished with the next month's batch so we finished 6 of them to take to the unit.  Also our nurse from Redlands said they need more big receiving blankets.  Here is a picture of the NICU when I went over.

Here the cover is over the isolette and the prayer is pinned  on waiting for the parents to read

Here is our contact for the NICU at Redlands Community. She is so happy when the covers come in, and the nurses compliment on how cute they are.

Then  across the hall to Labor and Delivery.  Their closet is very small and the nurses so busy that what works out best is four white gowns a month that can fit either sex in all the sizes.  One of the nurses gathered them up and put them in the supply closet.

Inland Empire Threads of Love White Gown for our little ones

SugarDaddy

Do you love Sugardaddys, especially for Halloween?  I love my Sugardaddy.

Here is a picture of my SugarDaddy.  He has been so good to our chapter, buying a serger and sewing machines for the meetings besides supporting us in all we are trying to do for this charity work.

Steve Reints learning a sewing technique at the TOL conference in April

Now Sugar Daddy Steve did it again, bought the sewing machine of my dreams.  Now I am never out of the sewing room.  Threads of Love, Home Dec, Refashioning, Wool felting, having some retirement fun.

 

Tutorial for Sleeve Casing

 Time to put  in sleeve casing for the ribbon so that later the ribbon can be drawn up to fit the wrist.  This method lets the ribbon be tied at the top of the wrist.

First hem the sleeve with a narrow hem

Then cut a piece of sheer ribbon for the casing. I cut two here, one for each sleeve

one of these will go across bottom of sleeve

 

Place sheer ribbon 1/4 inch from bottom of sleeve, pin,and stitch on both edges or sides of sheer ribbon, forming a casing.

sewing down one side, then the  other to form a casing

Thread a blunt large needle with 1/8 in satin ribbon the width of the sleeve with with 10-11 inches extra so the ribbon will be long enough to thread thru and tie a bow around a little wrist.

Thread the satin ribbon thru the casing, coming out in the center, then going back down again in the center and continuing threading to the end of the casing.

 

 

 

here I pulled the ribbon out up out of the casing and then went down in again

This is how it looks after pulling the satin ribbon thru the sheer casing.

I am finished with the sleeve bottom.  I would cut the ribbon loop now.  I also tack the ribbon down at the side seam just to make sure it stays there and doesnt pull out at some point while continuing to sew.

This application can be used for many kinds of sewing, also one can do the same thing with a small width of lace for the casing, turns out very nice.  My next tutorial, I will show how to attach lace and a casing to sleeve bottom all at once.  For those who use this for Threads of Love, don't forget to pray for the little one's family.  A few minutes of sewing for us, a lifetime of memories for them.

Beautiful lace around white fabric

This last meeting in September, we made small white bereavement blankets, and Debbie J. and Lyla F. made three isolette covers.  Robin M. and I finished 7 white little blankets to put in the packets with the white bereavement gowns.

All the help at the meetings brings beautiful results

Making a gown from a wedding dress

I decided to use my sister's donated wedding dress to make a gown for TOL.  It turned out to be such a beautiful gown.  I first washed the pieces I was going to use.  I cut out the lace using TOL pattern and cut out lining pieces.

I laid the lace on top of the lining and machine basted the pieces together.

I finished the sleeve edge with a little lace and zigzaged over the the ribbon forming a casing for ribbon tie.  Another idea would be to sew a casing by stitching two rows and threading ribbon through, between the lace and lining.

I then sewed the sleeves to front and back of gown. Pattern calls for a narrow seam.

After sleeves, then sew side seams, and hem back.  No need to hem gown with this beautiful scallop on the lace, forming the bottom of the gown.

Last step is to gather neck and put on neck binding.  Then thread ribbon through binding.  And it is done!  Not any more difficult than our usual gowns but what a beauty for a little precious one.

Last picture is of my granddaughter, a seamstress (I am teaching her), a fashionista, and future Threads of Love member.

Lovely Lace

This represents a very small portion of the lace donated by Rhonda Finney.  She donated a large 16 gal container of heirloom lace to our chapter to make beautiful bereavement gowns.  She had this lace for a long time from when she used to work at a special store for heirloom baby gowns.  Now because her heart belongs to Threads of Love, she has given us this wonderful lace that will last us a long time and every gown will be so beautiful and special for our parents.


Another topic:  I was invited to talk to another group of church ladies to see if they are interested in helping.  I already received a call today for donation of fabric which I will pick up tomorrow.  The Lord continues to provide for us and our mission.

Items for Arrowhead this Month

We donated 25 blankets, 6 isolette covers, 4 bereavement sets, and 20 lovie dolls to ARMC this week for the month of August.  Amazingly they use that many little blankets each month.  When I entered, the manager pointed out all the isolettes with our covers, they love them!!  They are excited about trying out the lovie dolls, a new addition for our parents and preemies. 

As for Labor and Delivery a somber reminder of why we are doing this; I replaced four gown sets from last month and the nurse said a mother is losing a 36 wk baby that day.  I said we would pray for her and her family.  I am so glad our efforts are done with prayers and turned over with a prayer.......

Lovie Dolls

We made these Lovie dolls at the last meeting.  Aren't they cute?  The purpose of lovie dolls is to comfort a premature baby with the mother's scent.  The mother helps by sleeping with the doll and then the nurse places the doll into the isolette. All TOLhospitals like to use them so I thought we would try them with our two hospitals this month.

June Meeting

 Here we are at our new "home" top of a sister's garage.  This is our hand sewing station, sewing on labels. At the table are Sisters Willmuth, Bigelow, Startup, Chudy, and Moser.

First station

 This is our tying table for our isolette covers for the NICU for two of our hospitals.  Seated are Sisters Fleming and Hanson.

Second station

 We are standing next to our sewing table with six sewing machines and a serger. This is an isolette cover we finished that day, ready for the hospital.  Our hospitals love the covers, we give out 12 a month to the two hospitals, Redlands and Arrowhead.  I am on the right and Debbie Johnston is on the left with her completed isolette cover.

Third station

National Threads of Love Conference in Lousiana

Steve and Diana Reints traveled to Lousiana for the 2012 Threads of Love National Conference April 25-28, 2012.  They opted to drive the 3 day(each way), 3000 mile round trip in order to bring all their sewing machines and supplies.  That's dedication!!

  Once there, they were able to meet Sissy Davis, the founder of Threads of Love and many other members of TOL chapters. The conference included inspirational speakers, sewing classes and displays from chapters around the US. 

The following text and photos were provided by Diana Reints.  

~Christine Reints

Diana Reints in the Luncheon Room getting ready for the conference.

Diana Reints

The Luncheon area was beautiful.  Each lunch for the two days was made home cooked.  Sissy Davis, Threads of Love founder is the lady on the left.

Sissy Davis (left), Founder of Threads of Love

Here are what some of the classes looked like.  The members picked up ideas and skills during that week to bring back to their chapter.

Steve Reints

At the conference other chapters brought some of their work for display.  Each chapter has a slightly difference flavor to the treatment of sewn baby items. 

The conference provided many speakers for those attending. One speaker was a parent who lost a stillborn and other speakers were several nurses at the hospitals.

And lastly here is me, Diana Reints, at the wing needle class at the Threads of Love 2012 Conference in Louisiana.  

Diana Reints

reintsfam@aol.com

New Hospital Adopted

This month we adopted a new hospital, Parkview Community Hospital in Riverside, Ca.  The nurses loved the bereavement gowns and the wrappers.  They only had blankets and caps and it wasn't really working well for their little ones.  One nurse said the bonnet is better because a cap keeps falling off.  The one item they really appreciated was the wrapper for the babies who weighs only ounces.  The nurses kept opening and closing and tying the wrapper, imagining one of the little babies in it and felt it was the coolest thing ever.  They said the prayer was beautiful and had one suggestion, that we put the prayer in Spanish!  So we are going to put the Spanish version on the other side.  

Parkview is a non-profit hospital which means they are very needy and appreciative of our help.  Their mothers go home with few clothes for the baby and made a suggestion of making simple baby clothesout of the fabric we can't use for gowns. By the time I left, there were about 8 nurses crowded into the office looking at the gowns and when I asked if we could adopt them, they all shouted, "yes".

Diana Reints

Our Meetings

Our Threads of Love meetings are every third Tuesday of the month.  We have so much fun, making the baby things for the hospitals and parents.  We sew on the machines, sew on labels, tie the isolette covers and much more.  The members discuss our goals for the chapter and the joy we find in serving the families of these little ones.  At the end of the meeting, we sit around and eat lunch and talk.  We look forward to our meeting each month so we can get our items ready for distribution.

Diana Reints

(Photos by Steve Reints)