What I've been up to

A word of warning to people that actually do know me...sit down while reading this.

Lately I've been wanting, Needing and so much HAVING to have a go at something that all else gets put on the backburner.  (Mainly housework but who really wants to do that anyway!)

What I've been wanting to do has a LOT to do with the following:

After tidying up and decluttering the spare room a couple of weeks ago as well as reading some wonderful blogs of very talented ladies who make lovely things..I decided that I really needed to sew.

I've been working out what I want to make, cutting out patterns, cutting out material, pinning things together and basically getting a pile of things ready to sew.  If you want the truth I was really putting off the sewing side of things because that meant I had to get out the big, scarey sewing machine.

I think I was 7 or 8 months pregnant with Little Miss R last time I used mine and that was to make some very dodgy curtains for the baby room.  They looked great as long as you didn't get too close to them.

In the end the need for sewing outweighed my trepadition and even though hubby was at work and both kidlettes were home, I started.  I have to say that the kidlettes were fantastic.  The were fascinated and asked 20 zillion questions but then they ask that many questions on just about everything you do anyway.  My children are definately NOT shy or QUIET. 

I spent a very happy afternoon zooming the fabric through the machine and being so unbelievably surprised at how much I was thoroughly enjoying it. 

...and then it had to happen.  My machine made a few clunks and then started to chew holes in the fabric.  Everything I did to try and fix it wouldn't work and it just wouldn't sew and kept breaking the cotton off.

The above picture is not my old clunking machine, it's my Mum's who has lent me hers so I can finish some projects.  Funnily enough, this is the machine I learned to sew on when I had a bit of a flutter during my teenage years.

I am now researching sewing machines to buy.  There's probably no point in getting my old one fixed as it used to me my Grandma's and she passed away 20 years ago.  My Mum and I worked out that the machine would at least be 40 years old so no wonder it was making some clunking sounds.  I just wish it didn't have to give up the ghost just when I was starting to enjoy myself.

So do you want to see what I've made?

Of course you do.

It's not terribly difficult, just an easy-peasy A-line skirt with an elastic waist.  Truly not glamorous I know but it will do me for an 'everyday' skirt and I already know what I'll be doing different next time.  Isn't that the important thing...to learn from your mistakes?  I just hope I get a new sewing machine soon and do some more sewing so it's not another 6 years before I start on another project and completely forget what I'm doing.

An impromptu model in my very messy room with such stylish rubber 'pluggers'  (they do match the colour of the skirt though).  I also thought that the photo was really blurry and it is to a slight degree but I've taken this in the mirror and realised that Master M has been kissing, licking, painting and who knows what else down at his height. 

Looks like I really do need to clean the mirror.

Oh and so I don't quite give up the sewing gig after making one item, I've got the fabric ready to go for a bag for Little Miss R.  My ploy is that I've shown it to her which means I will be HOUNDED until it's finished.  More sewing to come it seems.

I now just need that new machine I've been looking at which means I need to convince hubby this is not a 'one off' whim but something I mean to go on with.

Perhaps I should cut out a lot more material and pin them up ready to go...

xxx Susan