Having a proud sewing moment

After each of our sewing group meetings there’s usually a photo or two shared on our Facebook group to showcase some of the projects undertaken at that meeting. It’s a great way to keep the group visible to all of our members, and to perhaps encourage more people to come along.

After the last meeting I spotted this photo of my table, and then I looked more closely and realised that I’d made pretty much everything that’s on show in this photo. So that’s my proud moment!

It’s a small thing really but it’s actually quite a big thing for me as I never really thought I’d get this ‘into’ sewing. I mean I’d sewn before, and was happy using a machine but it probably wouldn’t have been my ‘go to’ craft but in the two years we’ve been here in Nottinghamshire, that’s changed. Partly I think because the sewing group I first went to was one of the most welcoming craft groups I went to, and so I went back and have kept going back. I’ve also been to knitting groups and a mixed craft group once, and haven’t been back - so that tells you everything you need to know about them, doesn’t it?!

But anyway, back to that photo and my sewing projects:

1. The blue pouch (top left), black patterned pouch (bottom left) and gold pouch (bottom right) are recent makes on my new ‘take to’ machine.

2. The patchwork stars are the centre blocks in my next Quilt of the Month which I’m still working on and will share soon.

3. The dress I made, which I even wear out in public (and it hasn’t fallen to bits at all!)

4. It’s the corner of another pouch which is just showing in the bottom right corner - I’ll be sharing that one here soon(ish) too.

5. I made this bag back in 2016, when I really didn’t sew much at all. It was a collaborative post with the company providing the fabric, and I still use it today - and that hasn’t fallen to bits either, I should have more confidence in myself!

So yes, I’m having a proud sewing moment over here, it’s a good reminder of what I can do. And will hopefully spur me on to complete more of the projects on my “to sew” list!

A new 'take to' sewing machine and more pouches

I mentioned back in July that I’d got myself a new ‘take to’ sewing machine, which may seem strange given that at the start of the year I’d treated myself to a new Bernina. But the Bernina is too heavy to move very often, so that rules it out to ‘take to’ twice monthly sewing group meetings, and any ad hoc workshops.

My plan had been to use my very old Toyota sewing machine for this, but thankfully I tried it before I took it anywhere. I knew its plastic was yellowed, and that it hadn’t been used in a very long while so I thought I’d re-familiarise myself with its controls and so on before taking it out.

Just as well I did, as it wasn’t happy about being neglected for so long.

It worked - and had recently been PAT tested - but it didn’t work at the same time. There was power, I could wind bobbins, but the actual sewing bit - nope. Just up and down, not up and down and along, which is what you need. So that scuppered that plan.

Given that I’m now au-fait with buying sewing machines - in truth I have found a good and trusted dealership - I thought I should invest in a ‘take to’ sewing machine. One that sews properly, doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but does enough and is light enough to ‘take to’ sewing meetings and workshops. So off I went with a budget in mind.

Shock, horror. I was persuaded to spend less than my budget (which I’d already played down) by the dealership. And so I took that advice, and as I knew this one would be out and about I also bought a bag to carry it in while I was there. This new machine has now been to four sewing group meetings, it’s been to the Monday evening sessions and the Saturday morning ones (which I used to skip) and we’ve had a grand old time getting to know each other.

Getting to know my ‘take to’ Singer

I wanted to make some small and already known items to get to know my Singer, and as luck would have it I’d already run out of that stash of pouches I’d made the year before. I don’t know where they go exactly, though some have made it out of my sewing room into travel bags and others have found themselves full of sewing paraphernalia.

So it was time to make some more.

It’s taken about three sewing sessions to make my new pile of pouches, that’s alongside the chat, the tea and biscuits and time spent admiring other people’s projects, but let me show you my latest stack of window fronted pouches.

THIS ONE WAS IMMEDIATELY PUT TO USE TEMPORARILY

AND THIS ONE WAS MADE WITH A SPECIFIC PURPOSE IN MIND

As well as making a new sized pouch for my scissors and rotary cutter, I made a couple to match my sewing machine bag and the velvet box pouch which I made for the foot pedal. With these I’ll look most coordinated when I venture out!

I’ve a couple more projects planned specifically for my ‘take to’ machine’s sewing bag - mainly so I don’t forget the essentials when I go (as I have already!) and I’ll share more of those when I actually make some progress. So far I’ve gathered the materials I need, and even eaten a tube of Pringles in preparation, but I need to find some time to plan it out properly before I start. And then hopefully there’ll be no stopping me!

I also need to look for my next ‘take to’ project, or decide if I have projects just for the ‘take to’ machine or move current projects between the two machines. I guess that will come with time, and may even depend on what I’m sewing and how far I’ve got, but it’s nothing insurmountable is it?

Birthday bunting, a year on

Last summer we celebrated my dad’s 90th birthday and to mark the occasion I made some bunting. I’d printed the individual flags much earlier in the year at the Indian Block Printing course at our local library. Even then I was clear that a traditional ‘happy birthday’ banner was a lot of work - and would need a fair amount of space to hang, and I wanted something smaller.

In the end I settled on five flags, spelling I am 90 - and both the embroidery and assembly were finished way ahead of our family celebration, which was a relief - and almost felt like it was planned.

Which of course it was, but isn’t it great when a plan comes together?

Earlier this summer dad had another birthday, and so I thought I better provide an update, but without access to the same Indian blocks it would have to be different, so I decided to make it very different.

I’d picked up a large bag of buttons at my Sewing Group’s stash sale (along with the Vogue pictures, which are currently being framed) and more amazingly was able to remember where I put them and so lay my hands on them easily.

I’d drawn a 1 on a plain piece of fabric, and marked out the edges of the triangle which would form the bunting, and then played around with how the buttons would fit into the figure.

And once I was happy with that, I took a picture to remind myself of what I’d settled on, and set about sewing them on pretty much in the same position. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it was very close.

The last button - the tiny white one at the bottom right - didn’t seem to fit where I’d had it, as no doubt other buttons had moved slightly, and I toyed with the idea of leaving it off altogether. But in the end I added it close to where it should have been in my plan.

To hem and finish off the bunting I used a navy thread with a fancy stitch on my sewing machine - they look like Christmas lights to me, or ice creams in cones if you look at them the other way up.

Anyway, job done.

And that odd little button, well - it seems it was supposed to be there. Dad, who was half expecting an update to his birthday banner asked if I’d included that number of buttons on purpose. I hadn’t, but it turns out the number of buttons I’d used was the same number as dad’s birth date. I almost wish I’d thought of doing that myself, but seems that fate managed that all by itself.

How fortuitously weird, huh?