2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Baileys_Babe

Baileys_Babe said:

PipneyJane said:

Baileys_Babe said:

PipneyJane said:

Baileys_Babe said:

PollyWollyDoodle said:

Cherryfudge said:

I wonder if I should give the sewing machine a name and embellish it with stickers or something? To build up a positive relationship with it?!

You should definitely get to know it better and make friends with it!  My sewing machine doesn’t have a name, but my overlocker is called Pearl, you can probably work out why. 🙄

I really recommend a little book called “Me and my Sewing Machine” by Kate Haxell. It explains all the basics and gives you really clear examples of different stitches. Even though I had used a sewing machine for years, when I bought an electric one I got this book and it was very helpful. It’s like anything else, the more you use it, the less daunting it seems.

Thank you for the book recommendation @PollyWollyDoodle I have ordered a preloved copy which should be with us within the week.

Ditto.  Even though I grew up around sewing machines - my mother trained as a dressmaker and pattern cutter - I think a good reference book on sewing machine maintenance will be useful.  (I got mine via Abe Books.)

- Pip

Snap - less than £3.50 including postage 😊

So was mine.  Hopefully, they haven’t sold us the same copy, twice.

Those of you living to north of Much Mending, on the road to Northallerton, my friend’s mum sent me a lovely surprise yesterday.  She lives near you and found a new wool shop in Thirsk, Ewe & Yarn.  This is what she sent me:

It was a lovely surprise!

- Pip

How lovely of your friends Mum.

Fingers crossed they have more than 1 copy 🤞

My copy arrived this morning, looks like new. @PipneyJane I hope your copy arrives soon, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

PollyWollyDoodle

Well I hope you’ll find the book useful, it’s a bit like recommending a holiday destination and feeling very nervous that nobody who goes there will like it!  I certainly found it useful and I wasn’t without experience of using a sewing machine.

I’m lucky enough to have a dressmakers dummy, donated by my sister – I’ve never actually used it though! That’s a good tip about the waistcoat, because I’m pretty sure it’s not quite my size. At the moment it lives in my bedroom and wears several long scarves. 

After a rather fraught period of waiting, looking at numerous houses, considering buying something that would’ve needed an extension… In the nick of time before I signed up for a 12 month rental agreement, I found a house to buy. Not perfect because there will be a gap of about six weeks (I hope it’s no more) when I won’t have a home, but if I can push things through I will be in before the end of September. I am going to have a dedicated sewing room! It’s only a small bedroom, it may have to double as an office as well, but I am determined that it’s going to be somewhere I can put the sewing machine up and leave it out. 

Baileys_Babe

I have had a quick skim of the book earlier @PollyWollyDoodle I found it both informative and easy to understand.

PipneyJane

@PollyWollyDoodle fingers crossed re your new home.  How are you going to manage for those 6 weeks?

@Baileys_Babe - I checked the delivery date for my copy.  They quoted 27th July. 

In other news, you may remember that I knitted a hat for my Big Sis who was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.  Well, I spoke to her this morning and she raved about that hat keeping her head warm.  (It was 11c today in Melbourne.)  She sleeps in it and wore it to virtually all her hospital appointments.

- Pip

ETA:  I posted this and then heard the postman struggling to put something through the letterbox.  Guess what just arrived?  My copy of the book.

PollyWollyDoodle

I’m glad you like the book, @Baileys_Babe. 

I have had numerous offers of spare rooms from friends but I think it might strain the friendship if I took up residence for several weeks and I don’t want to keep moving around, so I’m hoping to get an AirBnB for most of the time. The cats will go to a cattery 😿 not ideal but they’ll be safe there.  Since I was looking at paying out six months (at least) in rent, suddenly these costs don’t seem too bad. Obviously I am hoping it’s less than six weeks. I’m very relieved to have found somewhere that I like. 

PipneyJane

PollyWollyDoodle said:

I’m glad you like the book, @Baileys_Babe. 

I have had numerous offers of spare rooms from friends but I think it might strain the friendship if I took up residence for several weeks and I don’t want to keep moving around, so I’m hoping to get an AirBnB for most of the time. The cats will go to a cattery 😿 not ideal but they’ll be safe there.  Since I was looking at paying out six months (at least) in rent, suddenly these costs don’t seem too bad. Obviously I am hoping it’s less than six weeks. I’m very relieved to have found somewhere that I like. 

Fingers crossed, @PollyWollyDoodle

- Pip

Baileys_Babe

PipneyJane said:

@PollyWollyDoodle fingers crossed re your new home.  How are you going to manage for those 6 weeks?

@Baileys_Babe - I checked the delivery date for my copy.  They quoted 27th July. 

In other news, you may remember that I knitted a hat for my Big Sis who was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.  Well, I spoke to her this morning and she raved about that hat keeping her head warm.  (It was 11c today in Melbourne.)  She sleeps in it and wore it to virtually all her hospital appointments.

- Pip

ETA:  I posted this and then heard the postman struggling to put something through the letterbox.  Guess what just arrived?  My copy of the book.

I love the thought of your hat hugging your sister during her treatment.

Pleased your copy has arrived too.

Laura_Elsewhere

Well, I'm rather pleased with how my version of this 1919 pattern has worked...

I cheated with the buttons I made eyelets (which I'm quite happy to make by hand) on both edges. Then I made... well, almost like cufflinks - a tiny 8mm 2-hole plastic pearlescent button linked to a 3mm glass opalescent bead with a tiny 1mm pale-yellow glass bead on top to anchor the thread; through and through 4 times and then buttonhole the shank. Finally, push the beads through from the back of the "buttonhole" band eyelet, and there we are, bead-buttons removable for machine-washing (as the beads are glass) and not a buttonhole in sight

The straps are adjustable (paired opalescent-glass beads) at the front but fixed at the back.

I did the bottom hem with a very small drawn-threadwork hem-stitch which is wasted really as it's not visible even when I know it's there I tacked down the hem with the pale-yellow crochet thread and single-crochets all along.

I'm pleased. It feels pretty, looks pretty and wasn't particularly tricky to make. I can very easily adapt the filet-lace band for edging knicks if I want.

I shall be making more, in other colours, I think! 

PollyWollyDoodle

Absolutely gorgeous, I already commented on the sewing thread but I couldn’t let this pass now I know the detail! Fabulous

Laura_Elsewhere

Thankyou! I must have started this 3 or 4 times in the last few years but only this time has it all finally come together and been completed!
And no coupons! The white linen I have had for years (in fact, it had been half-sewn into a plain camisole in the early 2000s, I remember doing it...!) and the yellow cotton Size.30 thread was from my enormous collection...