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| Janome! And eBay safety specs as I don't trust myself not to sew over pins |
Hello there! I intended to follow up my 25 Before 23 - The End post with a new list some weeks ago but starting my new job & adjusting to that meant it fell by the wayside. I'm taking some time this weekend to sort things out and get properly rested. The students two doors down ruined the resting part, their loud party wasn't showing any signs of abating when I fell asleep from sheer tiredness at 4.30am. I dissipated some frustration by making a noise complaint at 2am but it didn't have any immediate effect - the council's noise team stop work at 3am. Bed at 8pm today I think.
Anyway, despite not making it onto blogger to write I have been using my forty minute bus commute as blog-reading time (hurrah for smartphones!) and getting some sewing in in the evenings. I'm a software engineer so I really can't escape from looking at a computer screen all day and, as you might expect, using my laptop just doesn't appeal in the evenings.
For my birthday (and in lieu of a couple of previous ones) my parents bought me a sewing machine. It's a Janome DC3050. John Lewis initially delivered me a needlefelting machine (apparently that's a thing - a scarily 5-needled £300 thing) which led to a couple of days of waiting in for couriers to collect the wrong machine and deliver the right one, but it's here now.
I'm slowly getting to grips with my Janome (which needs a name, something 50s sounding perhaps? Definitely female) but finding it frustrating at times. However I've almost finished my first item made with it, which I'll post about soon. I still need to show the internets my Simplicity 2451 (which finally has some seam finishing) but haven't got any decent photos of me actually wearing it yet. Sigh.
I wanted to go to the London sewists meet-up last weekend, which was amazingly co-ordinated by Rachel of House of Pinheiro, but sadly it didn't quite work with trains/buses and my sister's coursework schedule. I did spot from the pictures that Katy of Sleek Silhouette has made a lovely McCall's 6503 which has reignited my wanting to make one. I already have the pattern and 3m of cheap navy polycotton, plus old bedsheet for a toile, so it's just a matter of getting around to it.
I don't actually have any crochet on the go at the moment. I need to decide upon and commit to a project with some of my more special wool which is stagnating in my stash. Once I've decided I can take whatever it is on the bus and make fairly speedy progress :)
I'd also like to learn to knit but that's not going to be something I can do easily on the bus as the best way will probably be via YouTube. Anyone know of any good tutorial videos? I can do basic stitches but I don't think I'm doing them right and my tension is horrible.
Right, I'm off to enjoy the fact that I can afford to use a coffee shop as my sitting room for a bit. I've got a lot of hem to catch stitch and a 24 page paper pattern to assemble on their decent sized tables. (Honig Designs Garden Party Dress in case you're interested - it's recent and free!)
Oh dear - I'm so sorry the students kept you up, Sarah! They are the boys who live below me and are so anti-social... thankfully I knew about the party beforehand and went to stay with my boyfriend, so sorry you had to suffer! Have also tried complaining many times in the past... Anyway lovely to read your blog and hope your job is going well!
ReplyDeleteHey, hope the new job's going well - exciting! I am notoriously awkward with sewing machines, but I hope you and yours become firm friends. Knitwise, I find http://www.purlbee.com/ and http://www.themakingspot.com/how-tos/knitting really helpful if I get stuck. Or pin down your nearest knitter and demand guidance! :) x
ReplyDeleteI'm doing the opposite to you, got about three knitting projects on the go but trying (and failing) to get the hang of crochet! Darn if it doesn't annoy me that I can't figure out what I'm doing... I second the comment about Purl Bee, they have some lovely (easy!) patterns there too :)
ReplyDeleteAhh, that sounds like much the best thing to have done. If you could try to remember to tell me if they warn you about another that would be really good :)
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
ReplyDeleteI think the weirdest thing is it being computerised as I've only previously used my Mum's 70s Bernina. I haven't quite worked out what it's going to do when (unexpected locking stitches & speeding up) but I'm sure I'll get used to it. My flatmate is having to put up with me shouting at it for now...
I'll ask the ladies at stitch 'n' bitch for some practical help but I shall get as far as I can with internet help first so I don't turn their afternoon of knitting into one of teaching! Thankyou for the links too.
I think there's a point with crochet when it all clicks and you manage to turn at the end of the row without getting horribly confused - getting used to what it looks like is the key :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think easy patterns are what I need.