The Sewing Annexe

Rummer

Tomorrow I will get my bag started!

jackyann

Re: old odd socks. When my kids were younger we regularly made a gift (I think originally from Blue Peter!) like this:
stuff an old sock with other old socks until it is nice & fat - you need a tube, so use either the foot or the leg, whichever is the longer. Tie off at the end and frill out the edges. You can make this look like pouty lips by putting a pair of "eyes" on. But the main use is as a shoe buffer to give them a quick shine - I used to keep a couple by the door.
I am a great fan of making pot holders out of scraps - you can make them as elaborate or simple as you like, use old towels or fleece to pad them, and they are always useful.

Libretia*

Hi all, im a newbie to sewing really. I just bought a machine, just a cheap one because i dont kn,ow if machine sewing is really my thing and didnt want to spend much money if i dont take to it.

The first project i think i will be doing is cutting a large piece off my bedroom curtains because they are way too long for the bedroom window and cover most, if not all of the radiat or. May have a go at it tomorrow! Will let you all know how i get on. Now off to peruse more of this thread...

sillyrabbit

I'm excited because I've thought of a use for my odd socks! It *may* not work but I thought it's worth a try. I've posted about it on my blog, but in a nutshell I was thinking about how I could best utilise the material in the socks and realised I could probably cut them into strips. I cut them down one side, then cut them widthways in a kind of zigzag. You end up with a wonky sort of strip for each sock, minus a few trimmings for the toe, heel and ankle elastic.

I then attach the sock strips together and roll them up into a ball - my intention is to make a braided rag rug out of them once I have enough strips, following this tutorial.

I think that if I use all my socks up I should have enough material to braid into a rug, which will then grace my bedroom floor :-D

Oh, and and update on my decluttering - I filled 4 black bags this evening with stuff for the charity shop, plus we've taken down the Christmas decs and put them all away in the loft. Getting there!

jackyann

How lovely! I'm sure you can do this - I was taught as a child how to make braided rugs from scraps. Although I have kept nearly all of my family's thrifty tips and skills in making things, this is one I let lapse.
These rugs were much admired and my grandmother's friends were quite competitive about who made the best etc. I think they were made more than quilts because they really could use scraps that couldn't go into a quilt, and as they wore out more quickly than quilts, there was always one on the go.

jpscloud

Now you've done it sillyrabbit! I've just ordered a set of crochet hooks because at the bottom of that (excellent) braiding tutorial is this one on making t shirt yarn!

I have an enormous mountain of old t shirts which are such good quality I couldn't bring myself to throw them out (inevitably some have never even been worn, but some are much pre-loved). I was trying to find something to do with them on the sewing machine, but that can wait, I'm now itching to make t shirt yarn and crochet some scatter rugs

Rummer

Right I am away to cut the pieces out for my bag, wish me luck.......

lori64

Yip, Im one of the people who bought the new quilting magazine today.
I havent a clue about quilting..and to be honest Im a total sewing newbie who cant even thread a sewing machine:rotfl:

I doubt if I will subscribe to the magazine, as Im hopeless at following instructions and I dont really "get" what the magazine is trying to instruct me, as I fare better if Im taught how to do something by actually sitting next to somebody and being shown how to do it!

The quilt in the magazine is beautiful, but doing the maths, it would cost a fortune to complete the collection of mags.

Can anyone give me sewing machine advice as Im a total novice.....would one of those "baby" £25 machines from argos be any good for small projects like cushions or even a small pair of curtains made of gingham? Would putting a header tape on curtains be too much for the machine? Im clueless, but interested to make a start in a small way.
Thanks folks.

vl2588

For people looking for bargain machines don't forget you can get second hand ones! I imagine you'd get a better machine for the same money that way?

I forget how to thread regularly but my 1970's singer has a lovely reminder diagram

Rummer

I tried and failed