sewing machine – Stacey Stitch

You may have noticed I’ve done a little overhauling on the blog recently. Not only do I have a fantastic logo/header thanks to the amazing Lucy Blue and a new layout, I also have those lovely new buttons with links to my social media accounts.

Here they are in button form if you’d like to click and link up:

Vintage Sewing Pattern Give-away

In addition to the little online housekeeping I’ve been doing some at home too.

You may have read my post about my new sewing area.

I decided a couple of weeks back to go through the vintage sewing patterns I have and sort them into things I would make/things I haven’t made/things that aren’t my cup of tea/things I’ve made but wont make again.

As many of these were given to me I would like to return the favour and pass them on to someone who’d like them, so keep your eyes peeled because as of this month I’ll be offering up a different pattern from my collection for one lucky winner in every month in 2014.

January’s is this lovely Economy Design dress, which was the first dress I made when I started sewing a few years back. The give-away will begin on 30th January and end a week after, good luck!

It was my birthday on Sunday (all the threes if you’re a bingo caller) and because my family, in-laws and husband are wonderful I got a new sewing machine and a dressform.

As I have mentioned before I’m using my Nana’s old late 50s Singer currently which is amazing but has now come to a point where it’s more frustrating than quirky, getting the tension right is a constant source of annoyance for me and it often starts out fine then drops stitches as I go. I will be keeping hold of it though because it’s beautiful and I love it and I feel all sorts of sentiment about it.
I now have a Brother LX17.

I have tonight finally managed to get it out of the box, and had a tinker about. Things that have blown my mind so far (you may understand from this exactly what I have been working with previously):

4 step buttonhole (no more by hand button holes. This is the BEST news EVER)

It takes 10 seconds to sew a straight line.

Pedal not sticking.

Easy to fix tension.

Easy clip feet.

You can sew buttons straight onto your garments (seriously…when did this happen?!)

Easy and quick threading.

It runs like an absolute dream and I cannot wait to get going!

I also have a Diana Adjustoform dressform. I no longer have to borrow my friends or go through the whole trying on every step of the way and trying to pin things while I’m wearing them.

I am all set up and ready to go.

I am, however, going to have to wait a couple of weeks before cracking on. I spent Saturday having more of my sleeve tattoo done so my arm is a little sore at the moment, give me a couple of weeks and I’ll be on it though. In the meantime I can get myself organised and make some plans.

I did have a little mooch about the local antiques centre to see if they had any patterns but someone had been there before me, there were only 80s and 90s ones left and nothing I fancied.

So I went home and sat in the sun with my friends and ate cheap cake and enjoyed myself very much!