The Sewing Annexe

Rummer

Diflower wrote: »

Oh no, what went wrong?

I am just generally inept! The cutting went badly and I am struggling to grasp the instructions even though I am quite sure they would be clear as day to anyone else

hakeber

I really love sewing i learn't to use my machine 7 years ago and have not looked back. It is the most money saving "hobby" ( or obsession ) i have.
I thought it would help others if i listed some of cheap things i've done.
We no longer buy any birthday, wedding or Christmas presents except for our children.
I buy children's curtains from charity shops to make duvet covers.
i make cushion covers from old shirts and jumpers.
Our advent calendar is huge as it is made out of pockets from trousers
I love this book which i repeatedly borrowed from the library and have made every animal ( another obsession) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Your-Misfits-RosieShort/dp/1907030271/ref=sr_1_1s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325872901&sr=1-1
hobby craft own label fabric glue is brilliant and fine for clothes to be washed too.
ask all your friends for their old curtains and bedding and any clothes they are about to take to the charity shop.
I only recomend 1 fabric shop its not online but anyone that lives s.yorks and derbyshire should go it's great.
http://www.economy-fabrics.co.uk/

bek

jpscloud

Aldi have a Singer machine for £89 - I don't know how good it is, being a novice, but thought people might like to know.

I'm trying to make a start on T shirt yarn tonight but the cat thinks I'm spreading a little bed for her every time I put a T shirt down to cut it, and promptly leaps onto it!

Rummer

jpscloud wrote: »

I'm trying to make a start on T shirt yarn tonight but the cat thinks I'm spreading a little bed for her every time I put a T shirt down to cut it, and promptly leaps onto it!

My cats are like that too :rotfl:you should see the glint in their eyes when I bring out a ball of yarn!

vl2588

Rummer wrote: »

I am just generally inept! The cutting went badly and I am struggling to grasp the instructions even though I am quite sure they would be clear as day to anyone else

Probably small comfort but I always fail to understand pattern instructions too, and tend to end up throwing things across the room when I can't get them to work. I am starting again with simpler things and will build up to more complicated things later. If you can have a friend (or MSE forum!) on tap to help explain things that always helps!

miffy257

Cats love to sit on stuff don't they. Years ago when I made a lot of my own clothes I would invariably have a cat or two sitting on the pinned out fabric. My dog loves wool too he loves to tear off the label and unravel it, fortunately it is still usable when I unravel it.

miffy257

vl2588 wrote: »

Probably small comfort but I always fail to understand pattern instructions too, and tend to end up throwing things across the room when I can't get them to work. I am starting again with simpler things and will build up to more complicated things later. If you can have a friend (or MSE forum!) on tap to help explain things that always helps!

OMG I thought I was the only one who did that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1:eek:

vl2588

Yes!!! Exactly the same cat problem! They always used to come over when I was playing the recorder too...weird animals!

sillyrabbit

Well, I have updated the blog (link on my profile if you're interested!) which I'm going to keep up regularly, and ball 2 of the sock "yarn" is made :-) Going to make a start on ball 3, then see if I can successfully turn this stuff into something useable! If I can, then I guess I could write a basic tutorial...

Editing to add that I've also been requesting free samples of fabric from various websites - lots do them! I've emailed a couple of larger firms asking them if they can send me any bits and bobs they have lying around too. I had a lovely reply from Cath Kidston, saying they could send me 5 free samples, so I said please surprise me and they said OK lol. Got a great parcel of various fabrics fro somewhere else today too, a lot more than I was expecting! A good way to increase the fabric stash :-)

Diflower

Rummer wrote: »

I am just generally inept! The cutting went badly and I am struggling to grasp the instructions even though I am quite sure they would be clear as day to anyone else

Oh trust me, you're not alone I am totally inept and have to read, re-read, hold bits of paper and material this way and that, check and re-check...and get it wrong:o.
The shopping bag in my handbag is mine because I managed to sew the handles on inside out for heaven's sake, how can anyone do that?!
This is why I didn't sew for most of my life, believing I just couldn't do it. But actually, so long as the instructions are written/explained in a way I can understand, then yes I can do it...eventually. And I don't half feel chuffed when something goes right:)

I honestly think it's like some kind of dyslexia, we just need a bit of help/patience, but the results are worth a bit of perseverance.