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The Vernal Equinox is upon us and we are getting some appropriate weather this weekend (the sunny, warm kind of spring weather, not the shower-y, chilly kind).

Lastpointe said:
and I love the new pic header
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Take A Bow Thank You GIF by Elton John


There's an announcement in WC2 New & Business with the full picture.
 
Good sunny morning to you all! A lovely weekend lies ahead I think. I have a GC43mtg online at noon; then we move into birthday celebrations for my mate - son & gf are arriving later to cook a wonderful meal & play socially distanced Briscola card game this evening. Yes, we will enjoy some wine too :-) and possibly a video chat with our dtr later this evening. And tomorrow we are going a good friend's for a birthday bonfire with socially distanced chat & probably a hot toddy. We're on 3 wait lists for vaccine ... so hoping we will get a call when lists open up more next week. All is well.
 
Sometime in my young adulthood, I purchased a kenmore sewing machine -new to me at the time. It sewed curtains, fixed little boys clothes and did it's job, but over the last 20 years primarily gathered dust. Clothes were hemmed at tailors. Pillows were purchased.

Recently, I had gotten it out and found that it now only could do a zigzag stitch. It also can only go forward.

My mother was a seamstress. She made ALL my clothes. Even my undergarments. I didn't sew much, but did lots of crafts with her machine - a rolls royce of sewing machines - a Bernina. I was spoiled by a quality machine that did it's job and then some.

I've been planning making new seats for some 1920s spring steel chairs.and had the fabric. Got out the kenmore and was doing ok, but not great stitching. Not having a straight stitch is a detriment.

Decided to go out and shop and came home with a new Bernina sewing machine.

First thing to do use the coolest bobbin filling and automated needle threading.

So much fun.

Husband applauded when he came home as I rarely spoil myself
 
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I am more of a Singer fan, but I just bought a set to make inspirational mug mats, hoping to teach my goddaughter how to use the rotary cutter and mat set I gave her for her birthday

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Still have Mom's Singer, with free arm for doing sleeves. Needs the occasional tune up. She paid a LOT of money for it in the late 50s.
 
Pinga said:
Note: I'm sure there are better machines. This machine had a bit of nostalgia with it even though it's new.
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Oh, I have no idea what are the better machines. I used to have an old foot pedal non electric Singer machine I learned sewing on. Had to leave it in Germany. Just nostalgia to still stick to Singer.
@Tabitha is certainly the right person to teach you.
 
And I'll go five years without cracking the case open, then, find it, set it up, works as it did 50 years ago. Plain reliable machine.
 
There's actually a box in a closet, that has the other accessories that came with it - button hole, zig-zag. I think no-one has ever used them, although my "sewing sister" may have looked at them...
 
I had to learn all kinds of crafts in OT school. Sewing was one of them. We had a very stern looking sewing teacher. My attitude to sewing is that is gives quick results and if you don’t look too closely at straightness of seams, it looks great. My sewing teacher used to look at my work and sternly say: “ Ms. Anteater, what have you invented here?”
We also had to graduate in one of the crafts ( two full days of making a craft according to given measurements.) I think I only graduated because in the draw of which craft we were going to be tested in, I was lucky to not draw sewing.
 
My mother hated sewing, but loved fabric, and was always buying "ideas". She rarely finished them.

However, she had three little girls in ballet lessons and the accompanying recital costumes, then later, a daughter in serious choir performances, that often required "blouses". Somehow, this got to be my job. I am, to this day, accomplished at making things look sturdier than they are, in fact. I was the Queen of Hallowe'en costumes for a while.

I no longer sew, but I can, if I need to.
 
BetteTheRed said:
My mother hated sewing, but loved fabric, and was always buying "ideas". She rarely finished them.

However, she had three little girls in ballet lessons and the accompanying recital costumes, then later, a daughter in serious choir performances, that often required "blouses". Somehow, this got to be my job. I am, to this day, accomplished at making things look sturdier than they are, in fact. I was the Queen of Hallowe'en costumes for a while.

I no longer sew, but I can, if I need to.
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I can turn a pair of sheers, and two metal clothes hangers into angel wings, all hand-sewn, faster than you can imagine, lol. The McGyver of Hallowe'en...
 
Mom was a pattern follower. She used simplicity primarily. I liked vogue in my teens. Oh, how she hated those patterns, yet, she always made them for me without complaints. I just knew she struggled to understand them.
 
My mother sewed us clothes in the 70 ties. Oh, how we hated those selfmade pants and wanted to wear jeans. She also added borders to the pant legs and patches on the knees so we could wear them a little longer.
 
The "free arm" is a lovely feature that modern sewing machines would have done better to emulate. Makes setting in a sleeve/shoulder so easy; also good for other fussy turny things.
 
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