The Sewing Room

Savvy_sewing

Well I did my first tabletopsale at the new village market. Was only allowed 20 items, but then only paid 25p to have my piece of space. Sold a cushion and a shopping bag made out of a pillowslip. Now I need to find the time and energy to make another different 20 items to put on on Saturday, to catch the eye. As all the things that I am using are to be recycled, or upcycled etc I have given myself a bit of a task there, as my spondylosis has been agravated for the last few days, and I have not been able to get near a pair of scissors, nevermind the sewing machine. I am hoping that tomorrow I will be a bit better. Oh and I got an order for a toaster cover, to be done by saturday. So as I dont have a pattern I am going to have to measure my toaster and have an experiment.!
Had interest in the fact that everything on the table were recycled, and there was someone who is having a craft fair in October and has invited me to have a stall there? We will have to see if I have bitten off more than I can chew. (health wise).

r.mac_2

has anyone bought sew magazine before? any thoughts about it? theres a new issue out and I thought I might treat myself................................

PootleFlump_3

Dearme - Yes you have done it right. Your blog is beautiful!!

Mooloo - Good to hear from you! Hope you and all the family are well.

R.Mac - I subscribed to "Sew" for 3 months (3 issues for £3). It was OK and great value for money with the subscription but I cant say I would be overly impressed if paying full price for it. Ive heard that Sew Hip is quite good (Im still trying to find one in my local supermarket so havent read it yet but have heard good reports about it.) x

Savvy_sewing

PootleFlump wrote: »

Dearme - Yes you have done it right. Your blog is beautiful!!

Mooloo - Good to hear from you! Hope you and all the family are well.

R.Mac - I subscribed to "Sew" for 3 months (3 issues for £3). It was OK and great value for money with the subscription but I cant say I would be overly impressed if paying full price for it. Ive heard that Sew Hip is quite good (Im still trying to find one in my local supermarket so havent read it yet but have heard good reports about it.) x

Hello, PootleFlump! (and everyone else of course),
The family isnt doing too badly. Everyone begining to adjust to the changes in the dynamics. Boys look well when I went to see them. Foster mother gave me back the moses basket as DGS1 is HUGE now. As I made the cover etc for him it nice that it was returned, but brings a lump to my throat. So I am going to store it in my Parents loft, and see if anyone else in the family (but heaven forbid not the twins) has a baby.!

I am going to search in the charity shops for some inspiration today. I have a bunting flag to do, as well as a toaster cover, then the items needed for the stall on saturday village market.!

Was unwell yesterday, over did it sorting out DGD's bedroom. Looks good with the bunting and her name on it now. More space for her to play too.

Tete_en_l'Air

Jennie - I found a website when I was struggling with my old Singer which had loads of manuals in PDF format that you could read through (but not download or anything) - might be handy if you're stuck on one thing. Can't for the life of me remember what it was but can try and have a search about later when I check my machine model number?

dearme wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone knew anything about a gathering foot? Its for my singer machine that has drop on feet. I was wondering if they are worth buying. have only found one and its £12 on ebay!!!

I've never heard of a gathering foot. I've always had success just by doing running stitches by hand and ulling them in to creat gathers, is that what the foot is meant to do?

r.mac wrote: »

has anyone bought sew magazine before? any thoughts about it? theres a new issue out and I thought I might treat myself................................

I also had the 3 for £3 offer and I liked it. The thing I don't like is having to enlarge the patterns they give you - I'm lucky that I have access to a good photocopier at work but it's still a faff. I prefer Sew to Sew Hip thugh because at least Sew only prints the patterns on one side, whereas SH prints double sided so you effectively have to choose between the projects (or buy a second copy of the magazine).

Mooloo, sounds like the sale went well! Fab! I'm looking at doing some bunting as one of my next projects. Is 3m about enough?

Bunny200

I fancy a gathering foot but put off a little by the price. I think it would be a good investment as I have 2 girly girls so ruffles are go around here. I've done the large-stitch-length-and-pull method but I have trouble getting the gathers evenly distibuted and I'm terrified the thread will break! Maybe I will go for it........

Tete_en_l'Air

So does the foot sort of scrunch up the fabric as it sews? I quite like the un-evenness of self-gathering, but then I am a bit odd like that.

hart44

Hi everyone and welcome to the newbies here
I am in just waiting to get paid so I can buy a walking foot for my machine (I have finally found one that will fit my Tesco machine :rotfl:) as I love doing patchwork quilts, Im now working on my blue and white one .

The dress I did that turned out like a tent is next on my list, I want to cut the skirt part off the top and add a gathered top part but Im not sure what I should be doing yet so will be playing on google for help but would be very grateful if anyone here can help

I cann't wait for the 6 wk hols so I can sort my blog out as even Im falling asleep reading it at the moment :rotfl: I never have to time to spend on it

Well done mooloo on you stall I mostly use fabric (duvets, curtains) from the CS's.

rosalie-lavender

Bunny200 wrote: »

I fancy a gathering foot but put off a little by the price. I think it would be a good investment as I have 2 girly girls so ruffles are go around here. I've done the large-stitch-length-and-pull method but I have trouble getting the gathers evenly distibuted and I'm terrified the thread will break! Maybe I will go for it........

My gathering foot is a godsend. I like my gathers to be even and don't get on with the large stitch length method and find it very time consuming. As you sew with a gathering foot the fabric collects up and doesn't feed through so fast so it sews gathers in.

My gathering foot is this type.

http://www.brother-usa.com/usaimages/AccessoryImages/Large/sa171.jpg

You adjust the fullness of the gathers by increasing or decreasing your stitch length.

The other sort that is available is a ruffler foot that looks more like this.

http://www.brothersewingmachinesdirect.co.uk/images/products/f051rufflerfoot7mm.jpg

They put more of a pleated effect in and will do various depths of pleats in the edge of the fabric. They are much more expensive. I think my gathering foot for my Husqvarna machine was about £11 compared to the £40 plus that I paid for the ruffler.

There is another hand method for gathering where you lay a strong thread or cord along the length of where you are gathering and zig zag over it not catching the cord. Then you pull the cord to gather up the fabric. You need to anchor one end of the cord first so you don't pull it out.

zombiecazz

Good day ladies. Just catching up after a long absence.
Loads of nice work BTW.

Thought I'd mention this little stitch a long that's happening on craftsters.

Teesha Moore fabric Journal

At the start you'll find links to Teesha's fabric journal tutorials on you tube. Have a wee gander.
Basically you make little pillows with two different fabrics, stuff them lightly and then quilt them. You then sew them all together to make a journal cover or a bag or.....
I'm having great fun with it and not that much skill needed.