Sewing in general

The break-up of my first marriage found me cashless, job-less, and stuck at home with two children under three. I needed to find a way of making some money that didn’t involve a massive financial outlay, or have me going out to work only to pay most of what I’d earned to a childminder. At the time, my solicitor suggested I had two options – I could become a childminder myself, or… stick a few cards in ‘phone boxes and stand around quite a bit on darkened street corners – quite what he thought I was going to do with the kids while on the job he didn’t say. The red light bulb idea was abandoned pretty quickly (straits were dire ...  Read the complete review

Sewing seems to be a dying art that is reserved for dear old fogies like me! Over the past few decades I admit to having worn out many a crewel needle and hopefully intend to keep on going for a good few years yet. Sewing can be addictive, interesting, time consuming, fascinating, challenging and absorbing. Just take a moment to think about some of the amazing needlework that has been produced through the ages. Many years ago huge tapestries were worked, I would suppose that the most famous of these has to be the Bayeux Tapestry. The Flemish worked some incredibly elaborate tapestries and wall hangings depicting lifelike scenes. the 19th century ...  Read the complete review

I have been sewing since I was a mere teen and have a normal sewing machine and overlocker. Although I do cross stitch when a friend announced her pregnancy the mind went into creative overdrive and I decided the time had come to buy a sewing machine for embroidery. I looked into it for about two months getting all the brochures. In the end it came down to two machines both Brother. The 300 does normal stiching as well as embroidery pictures frames and three alphabets for £795. The PE150 does the same with out the normal stitching for £469. The embroidery sewing area is the same for both these machines. I eventually decided on the PE150 as I already had a ...  Read the complete review

If you want clothes at a fraction of the price you pay in the shops, then learn dressmaking. At first you may well think that you cannot do it, but like everything, practice makes perfect. If you start off by making simple things like cushion covers and curtians, then progress onto a little bit harder things. The main thing you need to be able to do is to sew in a straight line, get an old curtain or sheet and practice on these until you can sew in a straight line. The best kind of sewing machine to buy is the ones that do everything eg: buttonholes, buttons, hemming stitch and overlocking. If you have one of these kind, they are ...  Read the complete review

A Millennium cross stitch kit lured me into cross stitch. My mom said she would buy the kit if I sewed it. When it arrived I could not believe it was simply a blank piece of Aida and that I had to count each stitch. I foolishly thought the design would be printed on. I was very close to sending it back, but I enjoy a challenge and became determined to suceed. Two years on it is still not quite finished as I have had breaks whilst doing Christmas, birthday and even engagement cards. Now I've got the bug, I no longer want to buy cards, but cross stitch them instead. I find designing your own is so much cheaper. I would also recommend buying one or two of the cross ...  Read the complete review