April 19, 1997
e-Mail: mainfairy@smockingbooks.com
Website: Garden Fairies Smocking & Needlearts Catalog
Smocking Newsletter - Beth-Katherine Kaiman, copyright 1997-2007, all rights reserved. Please respect my creativity and hard work and ask permission before you copy something from these newsletters for your non profit goup, I always ask that you quote me correctly and give me credit with a way for people to get back to me. Thank you. IF you wish to quote me in a venture for profit please contact me separately concerning royalties.
PLEASE READ:
Ladies you may have noticed that I've taken out everyone's e-mail address, I've done this in order to respect your privacy. If you don't mind your address in print please let me know.
"I enjoy the newsletter, I have gotten lots of information from it." Michelle Binder.
Thank you very much I love working on it. Beth
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Comment on Margaret Pierce
"Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for a great newsletter. I am just getting back to my computer. I downloaded all the issues so I can read on my off time. I really am enjoying your tips and ideas and a little history of smocking.
I just took a class from Margaret Pierce on shadow work and cut work. I did not think I would like the cut work class but I really enjoyed it. I knew I would like the shadow work class. Her work is so beautiful. Her stitches are perfect. Mine looked good until I compared them to hers, but I'm comfortable with my work, its not great but its good, especially from a distance. She was very sweet, and a joy to work with. For the first time I like my feather stitch. I never liked the way mine looked so I stayed away from doing them. She worked with us on them and they looked good.
Drove all the way to Annapolis to shop at Kiyo, but she was closed for the Easter holidays. Darn, now I'll just have to go back again, and again, and again. I love Annapolis.
Keep up the good work. See you soon on the boards. Marcella".
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"I'm enjoying this newsletter. I"ve done a little smocking -- need more adult projects though, since I have a son (only) who is going off to college next year! I enjoyed your story about your composition and hope you can find the culprit. Are you still composing? Teaching guitar? I have a degree in piano and vocal music, and am teaching in a school now. Carolyn"
Yes Carolyn I'm still composing in between the embroidery, smocking, newsletter editing, store running and child rearing. Playing guitar well that's another story as I do not have the luxury of practicing for hours at a time that I used to do BC (before child). I pick it up occasionally to remind myself the pattern for Scarborough Fair and Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring and an occasional Gavotte, but mostly it's the keyboard (typing) that gets most of my attention these days. Hey did I tell you about the time I played typewriter for the San Francisc Composer Bob Davis's Composition for mini orchestra and typewriter? That was quite a lot of fun, I understand the recording did well in the New Age market. Beth-Katherine
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"Beth,
I was all set to just read this issue and go on with my daily business. Then I read the letter from Michelle. Is it really true??? Can she REALLY do an outfit from cutting out to sewing that last seam or hem in just 3 hours? I must meet this person!!! It takes me close to an hour just to pick out the fabric, floss and pattern that I am going to use. I consider myself a fast smocker (about 10-20 minutes per row), but it takes me a minimum of 3 hours to construct most of the garments that I make (of course, I don't use a serger--only french seams come out of my sewing room). I wonder if she has ever actually timed herself from the very start of a project to the very finish(?) If I could do that, I could make a fortune in smocking!!! Please, Michelle, share your secrets with us, I'd love to be able to do a project in 3 hours-what can I do to speed up my process?
Wendy
PS: I agree that 60/40 or 65/35 poly cotton is the way to go-most of my customers don't want to iron their children's clothes each week and most of their children want to wear their smocked clothing every time it's clean. I use calico a lot too though."