Passing on old hobbies and learning new skills...

I have always loved sewing and remember when I was about 6 learning to use my mum's old Singer hand sewing machine.  I used to make clothes for my dolls (not that I remember playing with my dolls much, just making them clothes). I find sewing relaxing and de-stressing.  I find the clothes I make last longer than those I buy. So when I had a daughter I wanted to pass on my skills to her.  She had very different ideas and had no interest in learning to sew.

I had always hoped that she would be interested in what I was doing when I made clothes or was embroidering. She never did.  However, she is now doing A-Level textile product design having learned to use a sewing machine at school and learning to make clothes during GCSEs.  She is interested in learning only what is necessary to get her through her exams.

This all started with an interest in fashion.  She was not initially interested in what a garment is made of or how it was constructed.  Now she is making her final piece for her A-level and has started to ask me to teach her embroidery stitches.  She has learned 2; Satin Stitch & Stem Stitch which she has used to write phrases on her piece.  Last night she asked me to show her how to hand sew an invisible hem.

Despite learning these new skills, she still has no interest in hand sewing.  She finds it all too time consuming.

Is this what has come from modern life and society - we all want things instantly, we have no time for pass-times like our ancestors did as a necessity to make their lives more comfortable eg. rag rugs, mending and improving our clothes rather than just rush out and buy a whole new set of clothes.  Will these skills be lost for ever?

I still sew and mend.  Not as my ancestors did as a necessity, but I have been known to make repairs to favorite items of clothing to keep them going as I can't bare to throw them out - for example I had a chiffon skirt that got a cigarette burn at a party and I embroidered a silver flower around the hole and then branches of silver flowers growing up one side of the skirt.  My daughter would have thrown the skirt out even though it was a favorite skirt.

I am pleased that my daughter has taken an interest in sewing and that I have passed on some of my skills, but sad that she does not find it the enjoyable and relaxing pass-time that I do.  Maybe she will take it up later in life, who knows what the future will hold.

It has been a while

It has been quite some time since I last blogged.  So much has happened.  The company I work part-time for merged to form a new organisation called Community Action Suffolk and we have been undergoing a re-structure. The management team has been in place for a couple of months now and as of this week staff are all in place so we now start the exciting phase of stepping forward and making this seed of an organisation grow.
All this excitement in my work life has meant that I have not had much time for sewing, so this has been put on hold a bit.
One high light back in the spring was being commissioned to make an Edwardian skirt for a lady who was going to the Beamish Museum with her vintage bicycle group and needed an an Edwardian skirt she could cycle around the museum all day in.  My skirt made the front cover of their cycle club magazine - The Veteran Cycle Club

And last week I filled an order for custom made petticoat for a lady who is having a Gold and Navy themed wedding.

I am hoping to get some more sewing done and create some new stock for my Etsy shop in the next few weeks - watch this space...

The hotest day so far this year and I think I am losing my touch. I went to a carboot sale this morning and it was too hot to shop. I love hunting through all the stuff people have cleared out looking for that bargain, but not today. I did get some new fabric off a stall who has rolls upholstery fabric and 4 rolls of liberty print cottons. He wanted £4 a metre. My daughter and I chose 3 and discovered that he did not have a tape measure. He unwrapped the roll about 4 or 5 times and said that was a metre. I was not convinced, but my daughter doesn't like it when I complain so I help my tongue. Then proceeded to cut it with the bluntest sheers I have ever seen. My kids had sharper plastic scissors for paper when they were little. The guy would have been better off starting the cut and then ripping the fabric; it was painful watching him trying to use the scissors. When we got home I checked it by holding one end and stretching it across my chest and the piece we bought that was supposed to be 1 metre measured 1 yard on one side and just short of a metre on the other. My son got a tape measure out as he doesn't like my guestimate methods and I measured 36 inches on one side and 97 cm on the other. Mum's guestimate wins again;)He then decided to check all the others too. Despite the dodgy cutting and the guys obvious lack of metrication in his optical estimate measuring, I think we did ok. If I hadn't been so hot I think I would have spoken up and haggled more over the length of a metre and because of his lack of cutting skills. I probably won't get to use much myself as my daughter has plans for 2 pieces of the fabric. I will definitely get a blouse out of it though. I have a great wartime pattern that promises you can a blouse out of 1 yard of fabric. So I am off out into the garden on this wonderful hot and sunny British summers afternoon to start cutting out with proper sharp dressmakers scissors.

Snow Time

The snow is here and my home made designer winter coat is falling to pieces. This is not good timing. It will take a while to take it to pieces to repair the detail and put in a new lining, which is what it needs. The actual fabric of the the coat is fine. My solution is to create a new coat. I am using a 1940’s pattern and some home spun Scottish fabric in green and grey checks. It will look great. I only hope it is going to be big enough for me as although I have made it bigger than the original, it still looks like it may be a tad tight. I will use the new coat once it is finished whilst I will take my old coat to pieces and rebuild it. Once my old coat is finished; new ribbons are sewn up the seams and the new lining is put in, then the 1940’s repro coat can be sold on Etsy in my shop Pettycoatjane.

Valentine's day

Valentine's day is coming up fast and this year is a leap year.  Tradition says that on a leap year the lady can ask her lover or boyfriend to marry her, but must wear a red petticoat when she does this.  I plan to make a few red petticoats to list in my Etsy shop for the ladies out there planning to pop the question this year.  If you would like a pettycoat made for you.  Go to my etsy shop www.etsy.com/shops/pettycoatjane and convo me with your size and whether you want a 50's style net petticoat or the traditional red Flannel style petticoat.  The price of the petticoats is around £20

Prom Shoes

Today I am trying to sort out a problem.  First I will give the background:-
My daughter had a very definite idea of what she wanted her prom shoes to look like.  We went to London and trudged around the shops even a great shop in Carnaby Street which had some wild and wonderful shoes, but they were not quite right.  We ended up in Harrods and there were some shoes at half price there, but not in her size.
I suggested that she design and make her own.  She has designed them, we have found the shoe to use as a base and have mirrors, gems and chains to decorate them with.  The problem is sticking the mirrors and gems to the shoes.  My daughter has said no to Evostick because it is yellowy coloured when it has dried and super glue did not work.
I need advice.  If anyone reads this and has any ideas or experiences to share, please post them here.