Two important basics: A machine, and a sewing buddy!

I have always loved art and ‘making things’.  As a child, I insisted on making outfits for my dolls, and I regularly followed the legendary Valerie Singleton and did the Blue Peter Christmassy / Mother’s Day makes (those were the days!).  As a teenager, I made most of my own clothes – oh, my wonderful ankle length denim pinafore dress!   But that was a year or two (or forty!) ago, and no one was more surprised than I was when I got bitten by the dressmaking bug this spring! 
Out came my 21^st birthday present, a lovely heavy old Bernina 807. 

 OK, so she has a pretty limited range of stitches, but she’s solid and trusty and happily changes needle position, speed setting, stitch width and length.  She good-naturedly does everything I’ve needed to make and make and make, with just one service in her long life.  The more I see and hear of more modern machines, the happier I am with my unfussy good quality old workhorse.  She doesn’t seem to get hiccoughs and indigestion so often as the youngsters do, bits don’t break, and her rich engine purr is so reassuring.
 

 

The other invaluable asset I've found is my 'sewing buddy'.  Claire Mackaness is the brilliant lass who taught me ( very patiently) to crochet, needlefelt, and so much more at Beautiful Things (www.clairemackaness.com ), and when she got the dressmaking urge, she swept me along with her.  We have occasionally made the same pattern simultaneously, and we even made a joint (experimental) dress together!  

 

Claire modelling our joint venture - made of a curtain and a sheet.  It looked so good on both of us, that I made my own with the other curtain!!

We have learnt to draft and adapt patterns for ourselves.  More of all these projects later. 

Coco day tea party - the pattern was Coco by Tilly and the Buttons.

                                                            

Moneta pattern by Colette
 

 

Most often, however, we ‘parallel sew’ like infants, each working on our own thing, but with the companionship, encouragement and advice of having someone alongside.  And it’s even her fault I’ve started this blog, so all complaints go to her……