Teaching Teenagers

Today I have taken the plunge and advertised this on Facebook . . . .

Starting Tuesday 10th January 2017, I'm going to start a new sewing class. This is because of the kind generosity of Penistone Round Table who have provided funding for 3 Sewing Machines.
The classes will be from 4pm to 6pm at St John's Community Centre in the IT Room. The cost will be £6 per evening. This will be every Tuesday during term time. Free tea, coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits will be available as well as the use of the 3 sewing machines and an overlocker.
This is ideal for beginners, improvers or anyone interested in sewing. Maybe you are doing textiles at school and are wanting to finish it at home? If you have your own machine, you are welcome to bring it along. It is recommended you bring a project along with you as I do not stock any material. I have patterns for free loan and I also have a small stock of haberdashery to buy.
As for me, I have been sewing for over 40 years, and been teaching for four. My main passion is clothing, historical costume, corsetry, lingerie, but I also do patchwork and quilting, up-cycling, free machine embroidery, toys and soft furnishings.
If you need to speak to me, either message me on here, or come and see me at the Crafty Business Makers Market on Sunday 11th December 2016 between 10pm and 4pm.
Please share this with anyone in the Pensitone area you think would be interested.
Thank you for reading and sharing.

Let's hope I get plenty of interest!

Zipped Vinyl Pouch

If you look over to the right of this blog, you will see I have a new tutorial in there.

I have been a little bit busy and with the material I have bought from Pennine Outdoors, I have crafted myself a zipped bag.

I have decided to make it 8" by 10", a sort of A4 size, so that I can take projects with me on my travels.  The one I have featured in my tutorial has already been to work with my sock knitting in it.  I put the handle over my wrist and was away.  Happy Days.

For the quilters out there, I have based the design on a piece of layer cake, then with an 8" zip and the vinyl I was on a roll.

Here's the second one I made

I can see my layer cakes becoming pouches!

Loosing My Mojo

Yesterday I was sewing away and felt completely uninspired and my fingers felt like sausages.  Most of this could have been because I am getting over a cold, but it could also be I have been doing too much.

Even so, I have been beating myself up for it.  I've been making myself feel bad.  So this morning I thought it is time for reflection.

Something useful I learnt on teacher training, was the art of reflection.  We very rarely stop to think where we are in life, or how far we have come.  Life is a journey after all, but unlike a journey we have no map, we rarely stop at a roadside cafe and get the map out, see where we have been, calculate how far we need to go and what our are aims should be.

To start reflecting we need a starting point.  I mainly have three things, when it comes to my sewing, to help me do this.  I have three books, one for "Things to Do", one for "Development" of designs/kits, and a third that is a "Journal".

The book of "Things to Do" comes into use now and again, I am after all a Pisces and hate being tied down to demands!  At the moment though it is in vogue with me and I am sticking to it.  I started it again when I felt my Mojo was waning and also because my stash was getting out of hand (again).  Yesterday, when I didn't feel like sewing, I opened my "Things to Do" book and completed 3 items from the list.  So on reflection, yesterday was very productive.

My "Development" book, is one that I am very proud of.  This came about when I started teaching at Oh Sew Sweet Shop.  My lessons, kits and ideas to develop go in there.  

The journal has now been running for over 3 years and everything I sew goes in there.  (I knit and make lace as well, but they don't go in.)  This was started because I work shifts and was thinking that I didn't sew much, so, everyday that I sew I make an entry, sometimes only one or two lines, but mainly a page.  I then bought a POGO printer (these are great, a Polaroid(R) printer producing business card sized pictures that are self adhesive) and take pictures to put in my journal.

Along with quilts, craft items and gifts, I have also been adding to my wardrobe.

These are my wardrobe items so far:

A-line skirt developed for sewing lesson

Linen Dress for a Wedding

A-line skirt variation 

Pillowcase dress variation

Kimono style dressing gown

Dress Upcycled to skirt

Skirt upcycled to a top

Silk Maxi dress

Librarian Blouse in Liberty Cotton

A pair of jeans and a dress upcycled to a skirt

Shift dress in John Kaldor polyester

Mock wrap dress in John Kaldor jersey

Blouse made from left over silk

Pencil skirt made from stash

These are items I have made for my wardrobe, as well as these I have made 54 other items either sewn or knitted.  That is more than one item per week finished, plus working full time, plus teaching 3 hours a week.

On reflection I have made loads of things this year so far,  I should be very proud of the new items in my wardrobe, also I have a right to be tired - I've been busy.

Now where is that grey and purple tartan . . . . . 

Up-cycled Skirt

In my last post about my Uncle's Army Buttons, you saw a rare photo of me.  In this photo I am wearing a linen suit and a silk top.  Would you believe the top used to be a skirt?

A beautiful silk skirt

The skirt was a great find at my local market.  On the market is a woman who sells second hand clothes, but always great things.  I believe I bought the skirt for £4.50 and it is 100% silk, with pin tuck and insert detail.  The colour is unusual, a dusky pink, dusky burgundy mix.  Over the years I have tried to wear it, with cream, taupe and dusky pink tops, but the colour match and tone were never right.  

Then on Facebook this summer there was a lot of chatter about the Collette Blouse pattern and that it was free.  Duly downloaded and adjusted I realised that the skirt was big enough to use as the material.  All the detail on the skirt would be incorporated and give a great accent.

When I wore the skirt no one ever commented, but people love the top.  Also I find it goes better with  linen as a blouse than as a skirt with a linen coloured top.

An even better blouse