My ongoing and ever improving relationship with my sewing machine.

Ages ago I purchased myself a second hand Janome sewing machine from a colleague.  I was so excited about starting sewing but then I realised I wasn't very good at it.  Initially I just gave up and put it away but soon realised the only way to improve is to practise.

The first thing I made that I was particularly proud of was a knitting needle roll.  It was a disaster from the start but fortunately my bodging skills at that point were a lot better than my sewing skills and I fixed the problem of the inside being on the outside, the ribbon being within the lining not outside and various other issues.  I still use it now which is a testament to its strength despite it's poor make up.

I didn't do a lot more sewing from this point as I didn't feel the need or the inclination.  Then I went on my embroidery course with Jane Lightfoot (look up her page she is amazing) and I found an interest again because she showed me how to do the simplest of things that I had never figured out before.  I just love the finished article.

This lead to the creation of a wonderful glasses case for my Mum for Christmas, this took a lot of brain power as I had to figure how to join the lining to the case without a visible seam.  Instead of just jumping straight in with the sewing machine I tacked the fabric first to make sure my idea worked, it did!

Then, this week I decided to make a crochet hook roll for my beautiful new harty hooks from Fleabubs, they didn't fit in the knitting needle roll and I couldn't have such beautiful hooks laying around.  I raided my stash of donated fabric samples and chose two pieces that complemented each other because done alone was not big enough.  I spent time planning this item so that the stitches for the pockets were not visible on the back so the ribbon was attached in the seam rather than stitched on afterwards.  I had so much fun making it that I am ready and raring to go with larger projects.

I do plan on making a quilt but I have no timescale in mind for such a thing so we shall see if that ever gets finished.