Give me a "B" -- Give me an "O"- Give me a "W" !

Cheerleading camps have started in earnest. Across the country thousands of girls are going hoarse while practicing back handsprings and splits and other crazy stunts that I certainly have not, nor will ever do. Their athletic skills are amazing-- and somehow they still look like the all-american vision of what a cheerleader is meant to be. And the one thing that never changes are the ribbons in their hair-(- and sometimes those ribbons are embroidered-- like the cheer ribbons shown here! (They can be attached to french barrettes or ponytail holders.

It's a Southern Thing...

Seven years ago, I had my first baby girl, I was all about monogrammed diaper covers. My dear friends and family here in Pittsburgh had a hard time "getting" why I needed monogrammmed bloomers. I tried to explain that, in the South (note the capital 'S') no girl child goes out of the house with a diaper showing. The horror!

I'm pleased to say that now, seven years and two baby girls later-- all my friends and acquaintances in western Pennsylvania know exactly what a bloomer is and what it does- even my husband!

Here are some of my favorite bloomers I've embroidered lately:

Twin- Sets!

Sometimes its a real challenge to buy unique gifts for twins-- but I love designing for them. Using complementary fabrics and similar fonts lets each twin have their own "style" while still making a gift look like it "goes."

Here is a set of 6 appliqued burp cloths I made for a brother-sister. I used the same applique letter but then used different fonts (and fabrics of course) on each cloth.

Here is another example of a "twin-set" I made for newborn brothers. In these sets I used the same font styles and then contrast ribbons for the ribbon trimmed burp cloths- pulling the thread colors out of the opposite set. For the appliqued bibs I had some complementary fabric that fit perfectly with the color scheme!

Teacher Gifts

As school ends for the year, my teacher-friends are all steeling themselves for the onslaught of teacher mugs, calenders, and wacky pen sets. A friend of mine recently ordered coffee cup wraps for her kid's teachers. She plans to stop at Starbucks, grab a few empty cups, place a gift card inside and !Voila! an instant caffeine-driven teacher gift!

If the idea of using the teacher's first name makes you feel uncomfortable-- an initial is a great alternative!

Wedding Season!

June is still the most popular month for weddings-- if the uptick in orders for embroidered handkerchiefs is any indication. But I've been filling a lot more orders for Flower Girl Bloomers lately, too! I made a pair for my youngest daughter when my father remarried-- and they received so many compliments I decided to offer them to others. Here are a few I've done recently. Most times the thread colors are coordinated with the wedding colors. And I usually embroider a daisy at the center but I have also done bumblebees, bows, and a rubber ducky design!

Summer Swim-time!

Summer is here! I have two nieces (and a daughter) with late spring/ summer birthdays...so I get to embroider some fun items for the girls. This year I found a swimsuit which was a perfect match for niece's personality. I embroidered the swimsuit and the terry cloth cover up with her first initial and name in the boing font-- and loved the way it turned out!