for the love of sewing.....

I have always loved sewing. Ever since I can remember, I have always had a project of some kind going on.
Of course, I come from a long line of haberdasherly gifted women....
My grandmother Mary Gladys Graham..(nee Crombie) or Dolly as she was often called, was a dressmaker. It was very rare for any of us kids growing up to have store bought clothes. School uniforms, shorts, skirts, dresses, you name it, Grandma could sew it!
Two generations on, and my sister Jacki also became a very talented dressmaker! Trained and apprenticed at the famous Jean Fox bridal, Jacki became adept at bridal dressmaking, as well as all other aspects of dressmaking. Scary things like pintucking were no match for my sister!. Christmas time for me as a child meant loads of home made, perfect miniature fashions for my Sindy doll...all made lovingly by my clever sister. Dresses made for me were coveted as no one else had the same and even though money was terribly tight, I felt rich getting around in my beautiful frocks! I would hang around Jacki and grandma, watching them devise patterns, Grandma on her old treadle Singer and Jacki with her noisy electric one. (I do think Grandma was a little dubious about the fancy new machine, and quite regularly scoffed at it, while extolling the virtues of her trusty old model which never broke down!) I just loved piecing together discarded scraps of fabric, painstakingly tacking them together, making all sorts of things.
It wasn't long before I also caught the knitting bug!
My Mother was a terrific knitter, so I learned at a very young age how to knit one, pearl one...and so on....
Crotchet I mastered on my own as no one in the family was into it, except for Auntie Belle, so imagine how proud I was when I taught my 84 year old grandmother to crochet!
I made that many throw rugs, several of which are still around as cat blankets!
I have especially developed a love of handsewing, rather than machining.
Patchwork is my favourite, but I also love embroidery, especially cross stitch and I really enjoy the challenges of graphing a pattern, then stitching it. Long stitch is fun and quick to do.
I made my Mother a beautiful cross stitch shortly before she got really sick. It was of flowers with several butterflies. I had it professionally framed and I was so proud when Mum told me how much she loved it!...But after she died, I found it wrapped up in a sheet under her bed. I wish I had hung it up for her...It now hangs on the wall at my place. It reminds me of Mum, but it also reminds me to use and enjoy things and not hide them away...
The Husband has bought me two awesome sewing machines in the last year or so. I needed a new embroidery/all rounder, and my Singer is superb! It is very easy to programme and sewing is a breeze, even when my eyes are so bad...it does beautiful embroidery.
I also have a quilting machine which is a great help when my eyes let me down, as it has guides and a good light. It has come in handy for making cot quilts etc for the babies!
I just finished sewing a gorgeous blouse which I am going to wear out to dinner this weekend! I am not a fan of fixing tears in clothes, replacing zippers etc, but more often than not, those jobs save throwing out an otherwise good garment!
I guess sewing is my lovely escape...when my mind is troubled, or I just want to relax, my favourite thing is to sit and create something with my own hands....so if you ever feel like joining me for an hour or two, let me know!
I can recommend it! xxxx