UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion

Beautiful little outfit, Jud, it really looks well made

I'm usually a bit hap dash when it comes to hobbies but I'm realising that spending a little extra time to iron the material and to iron 'memory hems' into the fabric before sewing really do make a huge difference. It's worth the little bit of extra effort

I remember when I realised that having the ironing board out when I was sewing made such a huge difference! Unfortunately the next thing I should really sew is a new ironing board cover, though.

I have a list of things to sew and a plan to get the machine out, spend a week clearing everything and feeling that warm sense of achievement. A spare week, however, is a rare thing: I think I may need a time machine.

I know, I tend to binge sew. Kitty will go down early one night and I'll sit for 4 or 5 hours sewing everything that I have been cutting out for the last x amounts of weeks. I wish I had a room that I could leave my sewing stuff set up all the time and do a little bit here and there as it takes my fancy

Oh, yes! We fantasise about having a studio for all kinds of projects! About as likely as a time machine, though, sadly.

Oh a sewing room! *lusts*

Rosemary (grooving with the Picts) wrote: "Oh a sewing room! *lusts*"

Something like this, maybe?

Probably pretty much exactly like that, actually!

Needs more space for more fabric. but other than that it's perfect!

And flat workspace for drawing and painting and various paper-based models, and lots of wool shelves - but yes, you're on to the right idea!

Well there's lots of space behind the camera, of course...

That did occur to me! Shelves of fabric, baskets of wool, and a big bench with lots of light but not too much direct sunlight, and all my paintbrushes and colouring pencils arranged in separate tubs ... And somewhere to put a cup of coffee where I won't knock it over on something important, but at the same time won't find it congealing five hours later. Is it too much to ask?

Now the children have moved out, I've moved my stuff into their rooms. I don't encourage visitors...
Into its second year, and finally I have finished the ABC patchwork and applique quilt for my grandson, thank goodness!
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/group...
I've managed to get shingles and wasn't feeling too brilliant but now I'm feeling better I decided to push on and finish the quilt. Housework? what housework?

Oh, lovely! and the housework would only need doing again, whereas the quilt is there, done.

Very true!

I refuse to acknowledge the existance on housework. The spiders are all very happy about this. Except the one who walked across my chest while I was reading in bed, and ended up ground into the carpet.

Aaargh!
I've noticed the really big spiders tend to wait till evening and I'm sitting on my own before they come out and terrorise me.

This was just a little one - gave me a big fright though!

I think they get a kick out of it. All eight legs too...

I would love to see a spider doing kick-boxing!

This is beyond a joke. This evening, I'd just sat down to watch GBBO, and happened to glance up to the corner of the room above the TV and there seemed to be a lot of legs hanging over the edge of the picture rail. Am sure it knew I would notice it there. It was doing it deliberately to provoke me. Had to go and get the hoover so missed the start of the prog. Am not sure how long it's going to take it to find its way out of the hoover (well, its a Henry actually) but at least I got to watch the rest of the prog in peace.

While I sympathise to an extent (the spiders certainly seem to be bigger this year) I'm having an ongoing problem with frogs. I like frogs, in their own place, but their own place is not my kitchen, or indeed halfway up the stairs. Would someone please tell my cat?

Mum gets slugs coming into the kitchen ~ perhaps you could send some frogs to her!
Amazed at them coming indoors tho , you'd think it was too dry , and there's no food, weird

Well, there's cat food, and also the occasional slug on a wet night, and perhaps tomato plants and cucamelons to hide in (though I haven't actually spotted any amongst the plants yet). I think the cat's bringing the frogs in, but they don't seem that keen to leave!

Ah - definitely blame the cat !

Actually I'm not sure I can any more. I've just been out to put stuff in recycling, and found a frog heading determinedly for the back door. Not put off by me, either!

Do you have some kind of frog catnip (frognip?) in your kitchen? Obviously the word is spreading around the neighbourhood!

In the spring (forgive me if I've mentioned this before) we rescued a clump of frogspawn from the road gutter between parked cars, and took it home to our minuscule pond. Next day I found the dim frog had done it again, and had to rescue a second batch from the same place, where the puddle was now drying up. I think we have helped perpetuate a particularly stupid local gene pool.
Or perhaps I ought to check to see that family members remembered to put the second batch in the pond, and didn't just absent-mindedly leave it somewhere in the kitchen to hatch?

It could be time for a thorough spring-clean (autumn-clean) of the kitchen. Preferably by one of the family members ;)

No, surely the situation's not that drastic!!

Lol!

Ok, maybe not. I'll bow to your judgement.

I think it's quite common for them to do that Lexie - I've found quite a few dollops of frogspawn in puddles on the verge of drying up and rescued them.

Perhaps it just has to happen when it has to happen!

Caught short in the egg department?

That kind of thing, yes!

https://goo.gl/photos/RsHe4qicbsmDi1JH8

I made some pretty dungarees last night, reversible! I must make all the dungarees now

Love the stars!

They're gorgeous!

Finally completed my knitting project https://goo.gl/photos/RsHe4qicbsmDi1JH8

Thanks for all your help with it Karen!

I don't seem to have made much lately, at least not since finishing Josh's bed quilt. Think I needed a break. But I have at last signed up to do a City & Guilds patchwork and quilting course (level 3 not the scary diploma). Am just going through the design exercises in the first module and it's all great fun so far. Won't be any sewing for a few weeks yet and even then it will be just the basics. It may take three years to complete the course so I hope I don't run out of steam before then!

Sounds lovely! I'm still knitting furiously and planning that week of sewing that still hasn't happened. Oh, well!

Has anyone got any tips for sewing denim? I'm repurposing some old jeans but I haven't done it before!

It'll need a stronger needle , specially for jeans . Otherwise it shd be OK as its only a heavyweight cotton fabric and doesn't slip.

I've turned old jeans into skirts a couple of times: the only tricky bit is if you have to sew over old seams, as they're very thick. Stronger needle certainly a good idea but I've managed with an ordinary one (maybe my jeans were unusually thin and worn!).

Thank you, think I might give it a go on the machine but I suspect I'll end up doing it by hand!

I am still hoping to sew a fabric holly wreath, in time for Christmas this year... at the moment, with mum back in hospital, and daughter's baby now overdue (from Sunday), not sure I'll get anything done this side of Christmas! At least I am thinking about it. I've still got to get the patchwork samples done for the course module. Not looking forward to the hand sewing on those. My stitching's as bad as my handwriting.

Why does everything happen at once?

I'm trying to get some gloves knitted for Christmas - four pairs, I think, and a cardigan. Shouldn't take long, in theory, but somehow I'm dragging my knitting needles!

As long as you're not dropping stitches!!!

Like autumn leaves, everywhere!

Glad to say new granddaughter arrived safely in early hours of Friday. Her brother is now 2 and a half, and I'd forgotten just how tiny newborns are - and she was above average weight at 7lbs 7. Daughter was using the little quilt I'd made for grandson, so glad it came in useful again. Mum's safely back in nursing home, albeit with a cough she caught in hospital, so I finally did a bit of patchwork for my C&G course.