In the grip of the muse

Sometimes you just have to go with where the muse takes you.   Today that was from this

which pleasingly turned into this 

Louis Theroux appears to approve of my endeavours, ably assisted by my daughter

Breaking up is hard to do

Curse those hoarding genes!

I'm really happy to be passing this on to someone who needs a machine so why does the hoarder inside whisper to me?!

Extra, extra, save some thread!

Noodling about on pinterest, I saw this 2 Unexpected Tools for the Sewing Room.  I'm not so sure about shoving a screwdriver near a needle, but I've definitely used the thread starter idea.  Even better, if you run off your sewing back onto scrap fabric, you end up saving a lot of thread.  (Probably better if you're going to sew over such stitching or if you've done a few reverse stitches to fasten off and don't intend to work the end in)

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I just can't damn well resist

I love charity shops.  You never know what you will find, if anything.  So, after adding to government statistics at lunch time, I stopped off at a post office and popped next door to what my kids call 'The Funny Shop'.

Now, the last time I was in there I asked to see the knitting needles, only to be told that they’d thrown them all away as no one but me asks to see that particular drawer (hidden away in their beautiful haberdasher’s cabinet).  I persisted though as I could see the drawer, then suggested that she let me have everything in there for £5 as there were at least a few things I wanted (I couldn't bear the thought of them going to landfill). DH and I spent an hour matching up needles and sizing everything using the vintage gauge that was in with everything

Today, I could see that the drawer had been filling up again.  I swear, it's my version of crack cocaine,  So, after raking though, I returned home with not quite as bargainous a set of items, but still:

This contains a thread colourway that would not be allowed today - Romany Brown.  Almost as disturbing as the N-word brown crayon that I remember using at my grandparents

I never knew that you could get cotton napkins on a roll!

Playing with machines

penguinpals1
Originally uploaded by lalheg

I was inspired by fellow ravellers and their penguin friends this week.

I tried to use my lovely Singer, but she was having none of it, so over to my trusty Viking and I was soon happily looking at these two little penguin pals who are about 2 - 2.5" high

I used reverse applique and free machine embroidery and loved their quirky characters

Then I was asked to make another tiny one so used applique techniques as I thought that there would not be room for the reverse applique to work

I am really pleased at how these have come out and my mind is buzzing with ideas for more creatures and pictures that I could make

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• A new love (alteredeye.blogspot.com)

A new love

I've been gently chided by a kind friend that I've been neglecting my blogs.  I have, there's no point denying it.  I'm in a bit of a funk - maddened and despaired by my current job situation - so I've not been posting.

However, there are so many things to be grateful for in my life.  One of these is a new love.  It's OK, my lovely hubby has not been deposed.  I am talking about yet another vintage sewing machine.  As some know,  DD has a hand crank.  A few weeks ago I found a sewing table for it and it's lovely.  I was therefore ecstatic when someone advertised on freegle that they wanted to pass on another machine in its own table.  I was lucky enough to have it gifted to me:

So I am now the proud owner of a mucky, chipped and well used Singer 319k with all of its attachments, cams, plates and a couple of spare bobbins.

I was a bit scared of all of its jiggery pokery - so much to fiddle with.  I can't get the stop on the stitch length regulator to budge yet, but I'll work on that.

Poking around on the Internet, I was a bit dismayed to find out that these machines work on a different needle system.  I was therefore horrified when I broke the needle when testing it.  Friends on Ravelry found me UK and USA stockists.  I was perturbed when the UK stockist told me to buy as many needles as I could if I ordered from him as they weren't made any more.  I spent the afternoon sulking and wondering if I should just pass the machine on and save myself future heartache.  Finally, at about 5pm I had a brainwave.

Tentatively I fitted in a normal needle - a Klassik sharp that had come in the biscuit tin of attachments.  I gently turned the wheel by hand to see what happened.  By rights this should have been a disaster as there's a length difference with the needles and so the timing of all the gubbins inside the machine should be wrong. It seemed OK, so I tried a test sew - bang - needle broken.  I took a deep breath and tried a different brand of needle.   It worked going forwards, but not backwards - that broke the needle.  I fitted a third and resolved to just sew forwards.  Lovely, lovely, lovely.  Then, in a fit of not quite knowing my controls yet and thinking I'd adjusted the stitch length to zero, I accidentally sewed backwards with great success.  So, I now just need to stock up on Pony needles or experiment again with other brands.

I don't know why these needles worked - they shouldn't have done.  I looked at the bobbin case and it's not had the cutaway mod.  Maybe the previous owner had got the timing adjusted?  It was definitely a 206x13 needle in there originally as it had the groove down the centre.  Whatever, I am just so excited to have this machine to play with

Now to think what I want to sew on it!

Luckily quilts never go off

I'm just about to start some hand quilting on a lap quilt that I labelled as soon as I pieced it.  I started quilting it then got distracted by paper crafts and knitting, so it has been sitting in my WIPs since June 2002.

Time I got on with it I think!

Vintage Sewing - lucky me!

Back in the mists of weeks ago, I was really happy to write about a fabulous charity shop find - the most darling snake charmer basket stuffed to the gunnels with wonderful sewing and knitting things.   Here's a collage tour for your delectation - if anyone wants to see larger pics of any of the items, just let me know and I'll oblige.

Personally, I'm taken with:

- the old cotton reels - there's an eau de nil one which I love, plus a darker wood large reel that is  swoonworthy by itself

- British Safety Pins - would this be a wartime packaging - very sparse

- hand painted green buttons - teeny tiny mushrooms

- advertising descriptions on the needles

- old bags - memory lane

safety pin box - bless!

and more - summarised as 'I love it all!'

Anyone used this fabric supplier

I do not need any more fabric, I don't. but just in case - anyone used croftmill?  Any other online suppliers you could recommend.  just for research purposes of course

Jelly roll quilt

Through Ravelry I got tempted back to quilting and am working on my first jelly roll quilt - a garden trellis design.

This morning it looked like this:

just long strips of fabric sewn together

I'm going to do a bit more decluttering then as a reward set to with my rotary cutter - hope it looks a lot more exciting after that!

I've used a roll from fabric freedom in a William Morris colourway.  I'm not totally sold on the whole jellyroll concept - it seems a bit like cheating getting all of the fabrics matched and the process becomes a bit more mechanical than I like.  Maybe that's just the design I chose though.  As for this particular roll - I had an odd number of strips and some of the strips aren't cut on grain or have been cut with pleats / folds in so they aren't straight edged.  I checked on Rav and someone else has had the same kind of problem with a moda roll, so at least I know it's not one manufacturer.

I'll update you on my progress later, off to get rid of some stuff first....

Bibs

The girly appliques went down really well with the mum of the recipients - very gratifying! The others will be handed over this weekend - hope they are so well received. I played around with appliqueing some bibs - I think I'm in love with the apple one.

So, do I take the plunge?......

Baby Applique

I had such fun doing these simple appliques - some to match the bootees, some for fun and the pink top to please the delicious big sister of the baby who will be wearing the flowery bootees and matching body

I'd love people's comments on these - not sure if I should carry on experimenting with them and put them in my shop

Karate Kid

I was tidying out a drawer and found my son's old T shirt that I had enhanced with applique and free machine embroidery, along with a few permanent pen marks. I think I found a book image that I traced then machined over before tearing it away.

I feel textiles calling me at the moment

Ooh I loved making these

Two friends have recently and not so recently had a baby, so I have returned to an old love - bootee making. I need to get my groove on and make some matching body suits (just a bit of applique and maybe some FME to tart them up). What do you think
There's the larger pair for a wee boy and a dinky pair for a tiny baby girl


What do you think?