I.B. Red fleece mock wrap skirt with matching
vest, skirt had fringed hem, vest with bias plaid trim and appliqué
"scotty" dog. Fabulous!
R.H.
June Lake CA Last year my youngest daughter started kindergarten. Several weeks before school started, I knew that with everything else going on in my life at the moment I would not be able to get a special dress made for that first day of school. I commented to a dear friend about how I felt, but knew there just would NOT be time to make a wonderful fall wardrobe. I had a friend bring me a dress she had made a week before school started, which made me feel better knowing she would at least have a smocked dress to wear the first day of school. However, on the first day of school and every day for several weeks after school started, I got in the mail packages of darling smocked dresses and outfits from a great group of friends who helped out when I needed them most. This year I already have a plaid smocked bishop for first day of school, but it will not replace the love that went into last years wardrobe.
J.C.
Cleburne, Texas
Well, this brings back such memories! But I would like to tell you about my Grandmother and what she made for my sister and me for our first day of school. My grandparents had moved to Florida about 1946, right after the war. They ran a turkey ranch there, and when we would go to visit in August every year, my grandmother would take us out to the barn and there, folded, washed and waiting, were the feed sacks that were
beautifully printed. We would choose a fabric, and if there were enough of one print, she would take them down for us, take us into the house and make newspaper patterns and make us dresses for our first day of school. We wore them so proudly, and I regret terribly that we don't have any now, to show our children. They were made with so much love, and gentleness. I still recall the little shivers that would run down us as she would gently pin the garment on us, and the sweet smell of her as she worked. I now have a grandson who is one year old today, and there is nothing I love more than sewing for him, using my mother's old sewing machine. In this busy world it is so important for us to recall how these simple things can travel down generations and give joy.
L.G.
Fairfield, CT
Several years ago, I made almost matching back to school dresses for my 2 daughters. I used an ABC and pencil smocking plate. The eldest was entering 3rd grade, where she would learn script writing, so I wrote her ABC in script. Her little sister was going to nursery school, so I made her ABC in big block letters. Their dresses were of coral broadcloth, trimmed with smocked red apples, and closed with red apple buttons. They looked adorable!
P.D.
Spartanburg, SC
The first thing that comes to my mind, is a dress I made for my daughter. My mother had recently passed away and in going through her attic, I found a box of fabric. In that box
was a fabric I quickly recognized. It was black with pencils on it. It was fabric my mom had purchased for me when I was in school. Although it was not for my first day of school and there was not enough fabric for the same type of dress I had, I knew I could get at least a jumper out of it. I carefully cut it out and actually got a precious jumper for daughter to wear. It was a special day in that it was her first day in school, which is hard enough to get use to, but I also had a piece of my mother going with her. It certainly made the day easier to get through.
J.R.G
Flowood, MS
I made the most adorable red, corduroy jumper for my daughter's first day of school. I
appliquéd her name on the front and what a labor of love that was since her name was loooong (Rachael)! She was so excited, she wanted to wear it every Monday. I call it a labor of love because I was "new" to
appliquéing and you can imagine what I went through ripping out that first letter (several
times!) to get it perfect. I still have it in her hope chest. Just looking at the pictures of her that day still brings tears to my eyes. It seems like yesterday, yet she is almost 26 now.
D.J.F.
Ward, Alabama
When my daughter, Shannon, was little there were many things that I wanted to make for her. I learned to smock when she was two and a little later tried my hand at
appliqué. Shannon started school in 1982 and for her first day of kindergarten, I decided to make her something very simple but something that made me think of my
"back to school" memories. I bought a piece of red calico cotton fabric and made a very simple yoke dress with a big white round collar. I edged the collar with simple cotton lace and
appliquéd a red calico apple (from the dress fabric) on the left front of the collar and embroidered the stem in brown and the leaf in green. This was very simple and quick to make and easy to wear and care for since it was made of cotton fabric, but most of all it suited what I thought of for "back to school" clothing. Shannon loved her little red calico
dress, and it is still one of our favorites of all the dresses that I made for her over the years.
S.T.
Bear Lake, Michigan
We have four older children who are all married. Our youngest, Anna, is 10 years old. Since I was
home schooling her I wanted the first day of school to be special. I had found some material that had pencils and books on a green background from a quilting store here in town so I made a jumper with it for Anna's first day of 2nd grade. She was very pleased and it helped her feel "at school".
K.A.
San Juan Capistrano, CA
When I first found English
Smocking, I bought a design plate to save to make for my almost-2-years-old daughter's first day of kindergarten. Three years later, I actually made the dress - a red gingham blouse under a blue chambray "Little Sunday Pinafore" smocked with Mollie Jane Taylor's "Little Red Schoolhouse". It remains one of my favorites even now that my daughter is 20 years old. Someday, I hope to hand it down to her daughter for the same special day.
M.A.E.
Cornelia, GA
Actually I made a special book bag for my oldest daughter several years ago. I made several pockets, some with
Velcro closures and one with a zipper for pencils. I made a change purse that I sewed inside the top of the bag and put a drawstring closure on the bag. I embroidered flowers on the pocket covers and put her name on one. She used it for several years and never had to worry about which book bag was hers. It was Yellow with red embroidery. It was all
thought up as we went the day before school started because she did not have one and I was low on money.
K.P.
Great Falls, VA
When my closest friend's daughter was about to enter kindergarten, I made a smocked wardrobe for her to wear to school. She became the center of attention with the adults at school. Her teachers even would take her to the other classes for "show and tell". You see, her brother was still in a 3 year struggle with leukemia and her life revolved around his
treatments; even requiring two moves across the country. Her father was in the Navy and was deployed often. It was a difficult time in their lives.
When her brother later died. She had the continued "just for me special dresses" I was still supplying her with. It was my way to honor the family and a very special little girl.
C.G.
Manassas Park, VA
I have made for my daughter's back to school this year the most bright colored outfit I have ever made! I am an heirloom sewer so this was a real stretch for me! I made a swing top with short cap sleeves and capri pants. The top is red with green, yellow and blue ABCs on it. It has a split neck and is tied with a yellow gingham fabric bow. It is embellished with 2 yellow gingham fabric bows on each side of the dress at the side seams. It also has a pocket on the front which is lined in yellow gingham and has a red teddy button closing it! The capri's are yellow gingham. It really is a cute outfit... I have really
surprised myself this time with my creativity.
P.W.
Jacksonville, Fl
For my little sweetie's first day of school I made a Red tartan pima plaid in Childrens Corner, Mary De. I used a chambrey blue insert smocked with A-Z smocking plate(Little Memories).
J.K.
Wadesville, IN
When my daughter was entering kindergarten
I made her a bishop dress from khaki Imperial
broadcloth with ABC's smocked on it. She saw
the dress and promptly announced that she
wouldn't wear it "because she didn't like brown".
Well, she did wear it a few times and at least
I managed to get her kindergarten picture taken
in it. That was 16 years ago and we still laugh
about it today. Thanks for such a wonderful
magazine. The styles are just as wonderful for my
18 month old granddaugher as they were for my daughter
all those years ago. Keep up the good work!!! Thanks
R.B
Gibsonia PA
My favorite BTS outfit I made for my daughter was also my first attempt at picture smocking. I saw the picture and plate in a magazine, and thought I could do it. I had to first hand pleat the gingham, a challenge in and of itself. I'd never done that before. Then, I set off to picture smock the little girls and apple trees. Being a self-taught
smocker, I'd never been told it is not only OK, but proper to turn the fabric upside down to continue with the next row. I smocked each row, clipped the thread and started the next row. Amazingly, the dress turned out wonderfully, and has been saved for a future grand daughter, God willing!! When I finally read how to picture smock the "right" way, I wanted to slap my head and yell a big "DUH"!! I was so amazed at how simple it all was after all. Now, 5 boys later, I could picture smock in my sleep, and have done more plates than I could ever count. Happy, Happy memories!!!
N.M.
Algonquin, IL
Unfortunately my children are still too small for first day of school clothes, but I remember fondly my mother making my sister and I special outfits. One year she made a pale pink floral dress and smocked the front with green thread. It took her many evenings after we had gone to bed to complete the dress, but I still have it and cant wait for my daughter to wear it on her first day of school. The timeless floral and timeless smocking has made it an heirloom that can be passed on for generations to
come.
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