A Peek Inside my Sewing Room

Hello and welcome to my sewing room!  Not many people get to see inside but you are very welcome.  I had a mini tidy before you visited, but it is very much a working room, so please excuse any mess :)

My sewing room has evolved over several years but its current adaptations were a Christmas present from my DH late last year.  I am so happy with it and spend many creative hours in here, sewing, or writing, or just daydreaming.

Are you ready? Here goes!!

The room is quietly situated at the back of the house.  The walls are painted Laura Ashley 'Seaspray' and the cabinets are white, so it has a lovely, fresh and clean feel, and is nice and bright too.

On one side of the room I have my main sewing and embroidery machine, which is an Innovis 1e, purchased from the lovely people at Lord's Sewing Centre, Oswaldtwistle, in Lancashire.  I can't recommend them highly enough for their fabulous service, both in store and online.  I love this machine and it is does everything I want it to, and more!

I have my rechargeable radio here, as I like to listen to BBC Radio 5 Live as I work (unless there's sport on!)  Hiding behind the machine is an iPod/iPad dock so I can listen to music or podcasts too.  There's a triple wall cabinet (just out of sight) above the shelf you can see, which mainly contains fabric.

Above the table I have a little shelf for bobbins etc. and hooks for my scissors.  I have several pairs of Ernest Wright handmade scissors, bought by my lovely daughter and son from the original company before it sadly closed.  The good news is the factory has been bought, and the company resurrected! They are starting with a small range of scissors, hoping to build up to manufacturing a wider range as time goes on.

Between this table and the window I have floor to ceiling storage for projects in progress, as well as my collection of sewing, knitting and crochet books, instruction manuals and so on.  Really close to hand, which is always a good thing.

Underneath the window I have 'Really Useful Box Company' drawer units.  The one on the left holds sewing thread and the one on the right embroidery thread.  The coloured drawers help me to find the right colour quickly and easily.  

Moving around to the other wall, saying hello to Valerie (my dressmaker's dummy), I have a unit that perfectly holds more 'Really Useful Boxes'.  No wasted space and everything is labelled so I can find it easily.  These boxes contain a mix of sewing supplies and yarn, happily living alongside each other.

Next to this is a table for my overlocker (again, a Brother) and my laptop.  This is where I sit and write to you :)  

Underneath you can just about see another set of coloured drawers, which house my overlocker and coverstitch threads. 

Also on this table are some more cabinets of 'Really Useful Boxes', holding teeny tiny things like additional sewing machine feet, various types of needles and other odds and ends.

There's another shelf above this table where I keep elastic, buttons and so on.

Above this is another fabric cupboard.  I'll let you peek in here...

The table to the right of this has my Janome coverstitch. I bought this several years ago, before Brother made a coverstitch machine, but I do really like it and Janome are excellent machines (I just have a bit of an attachment to Brother, mainly due to Lord's Sewing Centre!)

Sharing this table is my 1960s Singer.  This is almost the same model that I learned to sew on as a child, alongside my Mum. Nothing made me happier than when Mum said "Shall we get the machine out after tea?"  We made aprons and gathered skirts together and this is when my love of dressmaking started.  After a few years I became more adventurous than Mum (she wouldn't mind me telling you this) and she became my presser and pinner.  Happy days :)  I found this machine on eBay and it belonged to a lady, about my age, who had inherited it from her Mother, but didn't have any interest in sewing.  I told her I would look after it well, and I do.  It is a real workhorse and I mainly use it for sewing lumpy things, like bags!

I should add at this point that normally all my machines have covers on when not in use, but I took them off so you could see better.

On the last wall, mostly taken up by the door when it's open, is a little shelf with a few more boxes on.  Every inch of space is used!  The Dyson cordless vacuum lives here too.  Useful for a quick clean up at the end of a sewing session. My cutting boards live here, and behind the door ('conveniently' out of sight!) are hooks for my mending!  

You may have noticed that each table has its own daylight lamp, which I find essential these days.  I have two chairs on wheels I can easily move around on between machines.  From the window I look out onto our back garden, and through the trees to the village park and playground.  It's a pleasant view and the room gets the afternoon sun.  I spend many happy hours in here over the course of a week, and try to spend at least a few minutes each day.  It's very much my sanctuary and My Space. 

It's been lovely having you visit, and showing you a bit of my world.  Before you go I just want to point out the little shelf above the window.  It's my memory shelf, of really Special Things - my Holly Hobby doll from when I was little, things the children made me when they were little, my Mum's sewing box and many other bits and bobs. Very special things, for my very special room.

Donna x 

From WIP to Finished!

Hello!

A couple of weeks ago, at Cooper's Creative group in Skipton, my friend @judipop1 showed us a journal she keeps of items she has finished making. What a great idea! I thought about this as I drove home and that evening dug out a little notebook and started my own list.

I sometimes chide myself for starting too many things but for me it's as much the pleasure of planning how I am going to make something and trying things out as the finished article itself. I was pleasantly surprised when I started listing what I had actually finished so far in 2019 and discovered it was seven items!

Some you have already seen, such as the 'Your Mileage May Vary' using the gorgeous hand dyed yarn by my talented friend, Tracy

I also made another one, for my school friend's Mum, this time in Sirdar 'Baby Bamboo'.

DH was pleased that his Christmas socks finally were finished (just in time for Valentine's Day!) and he has been wearing them often.  This was a Regia yarn and I just love the colours.  Fortunately DH likes bright coloured socks, so they are never boring to make.  (Daisy was very mystified by Daddy prancing around in his socks!)

Last winter I made myself a 'Coco' dress, by Tilly and the Buttons, and it has become one of my most worn items of the year.  I made it in sweatshirt fleece, using the modifications on her blog. This January I decided to make myself another one, this time in a lovely red sweatshirt fabric.  It's so cosy!  I wear it with black woolly tights and flat shoes and feel very warm indeed.

I was asked by a lovely lady to make a chemo hat that didn't look like a chemo hat, so I searched the internet and found this free pattern on The Firefly Hook.  I made the bottom one, the Dove, and it came out beautifully. It looks like a beret, and is pretty and functional all at the same time, and so very soft, as I used the same Sirdar Baby Bamboo I used for my friend's Mum's shawl.  

Several ladies at Cooper's are making Attic 24's gorgeous Sweet Pea CAL. I didn't start this one as I already have the 'Mystical Lanterns' blanket on the go, but had watched this from inception being created by Lucy's gifted hands. It all looked so pretty and exciting I decided to use the trellis pattern to make a single colour baby blanket.  I had some Patons 100% cotton in my room so used that.  I am delighted with it!  The pattern is a dream to work, as every row is the same, and it is great for relaxing in front of the television, or taking to a group.  Thanks, Lucy!

Oh, and there was, of course, the Cat Flap Cover :)  The cat flap is in the laundry room back door and previous resident cats have used it willingly.  However, Mango Cat considers it beneath her to use it, preferring to have her 'staff' (us) constantly opening the doors for her, so she can then sit for several minutes deciding if she actually wants to go out after all.  

The redundant cat flap is a bit draughty and as Daisy Dog sleeps in the laundry room at night I wanted to do something to stop the draught.  Using scraps from my son's quilt (can't add that to my list yet as it's still a work in progress) I quickly made a large quilted block, using insulated wadding, and then stitched the corners to make a shallow box shape.  I stitched Velcro to the edges and stuck Velcro to the edges of the cat flap.  It works like a dream and Daisy is now warm and toasty at night.

I felt so pleased with the things I have finished so far, (and it's only February), that I treated myself to another cast on  yesterday, to make the Altair shawl by The Crochet Project.  I am using Rowan Fine Lace, that has been lurking in my sewing room for years.  I love the The Crochet Project Patterns as they are so well written and easy to follow.  This will be a longer make than the usual shawls, as it is such fine yarn and small hook, but, as I said earlier, it's as much the pleasure of making something that I love, as the finished article.

Donna x 

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, our first Valentine's Day since we married last year and it didn't disappoint.  The day started with breakfast in bed, complete with red roses and Lindt chocolate (saved that for later though!) and then the day unfolded to become one of contentment, and happy pottering.

What a beautifully sunny day it's been too.  I spent the afternoon in the garden, tidying here, cutting back there, and admiring the unfurling of leaves and the odd splash of early spring colour.

I love these teeny tiny irises; their colour is so vibrant and their shape so perfectly miniature.

Next to the greenhouse, the clumps of tete a tete daffodils are ready to burst into flower.

The hellebores are such sturdy little things and have been valiantly blooming since Christmas!

Dotted here and there, in sheltered spots, are pots of spring bulbs, ready to flower at their appointed times.

I hung the laundry out on the line to dry in the sunshine this morning and it was dry enough to iron by late afternoon.  I love ironing things straight from the line and the cotton smells so fresh and the creases just melt away.  The little pile of ironing was done in no time and I packed away and had a nice cup of tea.

I made a special three course meal for Valentine's Day and we cracked open the bottle of raspberry gin I had bought for DH.  Yummy! 

The clearing up is done, the fire is on and all is peaceful. It's been a lovely day and tomorrow is Friday, which means a wonderful morning with friends at Cooper's Creative!  I shall pack my bag this evening, ready for an early start tomorrow :)

Donna x 

A Lovely Week

Hello my friends!

I'm having such a lovely week.  I'm feeling almost 'normal' again (whatever that is!) and have been tootling around doing the things that please me the most.

On Monday afternoon my friend from our former workplace came over for a visit.  She too is a 'crafty' person and we talked about our current projects and had some Show and Tell.  We sat by the fire and chatted, cups of Betty's tea in hand and tea plates with cheese scones balanced on our knees.  It was a very pleasant couple of hours.  

I love making cheese scones, as they just work for so many occasions.  Bowl of soup?  I'll just have a cheese scone with that.  Afternoon munchies?  Cheese scone sized solution.  They are so simple to make too.  If you want to try my recipe, here it is!

Ingredients:

12 oz self raising flour

2 oz butter at room temperature

6 - 7 oz of extra strong cheddar, preferably vintage cheddar.  You can also replace an ounce of the cheddar with some grated Parmesan, if you like that.

2 large eggs, beaten.

Milk to mix

1 teaspoon of mustard powder (I use Colman's but if you only have a jar of ready mixed, add a generous teaspoon of that to the beaten egg mixture).

Salt and pepper

Method:

Rub the butter into the flour, stir in the mustard powder, salt and pepper, mixing well.

Stir in about 7/8 of the cheese, saving a bit to scatter on the top.

Gradually add the beaten eggs, saving a little bit to brush on the tops.  Add just enough milk to bind the mixture together.  You don't want to make it sticky, but make sure there are no dry bits left.

Place the mixture on a lightly floured surface and press out with your hands to a generous half an inch thick.  Don't be tempted to use a rolling pin as it will make the dough too thin too quickly!

Cut out shapes with a biscuit cutter and place on a greased baking tray.

Brush the tops with the reserved beaten egg, being careful not to let it run down the sides, which would stop the scones from rising.

Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the scones and bake for approximately 15 - 17 minutes, in a hot oven (210 - 220 Celsius) until golden. 

Cool slightly on a wire rack, and, if possible, eat warm, spread with butter.  Yummy!

They also freeze really well (assuming there are any left, of course!)

My friend gave me some gorgeous tulips.  Aren't they just lovely?  I adore spring flowers, and the feeling of hope they bring.

On Tuesday I went to Cooper's Creative in Skipton for a happy afternoon of chatter and yarny loveliness with my good friends.  I did a bit more on DH's sock (on the foot of sock number 2 now!) and also worked on my Fiona Cardigan by Purl and Jane.  I have loved this pattern for ages and am so excited to be finally making it.  However, a combination of using a yarn with a different tension (Rowan Handknit Cotton) and circular instead of straight needles, resulted in the first piece coming up too big.  Not a fault of the pattern at all, I hasten to add, but the person knitting it.  Ahem.  Me.  I frogged it last night and started over.  I'll get there in the end and I'm looking forward to having a Fiona of my own!  It's a great pattern, and so well written.  

I finished my latest 'Your Mileage May Vary' shawl on Monday, using the gorgeous yarn created and naturally dyed by my talented friend, Tracy.  I am delighted with it, and am wearing it as I sit here, typing away.  It's warm, cosy and deliciously scrumptious!  The wool is Blue Faced Leicester, and you can read more about it on my previous blog post.  I got a bit excited taking photos and even roped DH, home on his lunch break, in to help!

This morning I had a domesticated couple of hours, doing laundry and cleaning,  then called over to see a dear friend of mine. DH came home for lunch, (and to help with holding the shawl for photographing) and now I am in my sewing room, working on my son's quilt.  

This is officially a Good Week.  I hope wherever you are and whatever you are doing, you are having a Good Week too.

Donna x