I soothed myself (and no doubt everyone else too!) by sitting quietly in a corner rippling. This is the perfect thing to do when I'm under the weather as it's not overly complicated and has such a gentle rhythm to it.
It's only cheapo acrylic yarn - as I still can't bring myself to spend loads on the good stuff for such a yarn-hungry project - and is my attempt at stash-busting as I've only bought three balls of yarn for this. It's also very warm and snuggly :-)
I made one brief foray out into the world on Saturday. Moogsdad wanted to go to a wine-making shop in a neighbouring town and I happened to know there was a sewing machine shop very close by.
I went in with Minx to see if they sold the very old needles for my very old (ca. 1900) hand-cranked machine.
They didn't.
So did I come home empty-handed and go on the internets to find some for just £3 on Ebay?
No, I did that later.
After I'd bought this!!!
It's a 1960's Singer hand-cranked sewing machine that takes modern needles and modern bobbins. This is for the children - honest - and they love it.....although they haven't learnt to thread it yet so I keep getting shouts of 'Muuuuuum, can you thread the neeeeeeedle?'
Just in case you're wondering....the current sewing machine count in this house is as follows:
sewing machines - 4 (would have been 5 but I sent my Mum's old one back up to Birmingham at Christmas for my niece to use on her textile course!) - this may seem a lot but includes the one I use almost every day, the very basic one that's kept as a spare, my very old hand-cranked one that doesn't work right now and this 'new' one
overlockers - 1 (for now!!!)
embellishers - 1 (note to self - must use this again!)
Ahem.
Moving on.
I'm not getting my usual Friday off this week as I have a busy week at work. Therefore, I had a bit of yesterday afternoon off and decided some sewing was in order and felt a project from this lovely new book was just the ticket:
I wanted to make this lovely pincushion caddy, with the great little 'well' in the middle for keeping scissors etc to hand.
Something went wrong with mine, however, and it looked like an overstuffed tractor tyre!
Humph! Most unimpressed, I thought I'd better quickly scan through the instructions again - but slightly less quickly than I scanned through them the first time......and that's when I spotted this:
Aaah - that would explain why my 'well' in the middle didn't have nice crisp straight sides. At least I'll know next time!
Did I mention my apparent inability to read instructions?
I consoled myself by sewing some secret somethings
and a couple more of the Melly & Me wallets. The blue one is for Minx's best friend's birthday. I made her a red cushion last year but we decided on a wallet with some spending money this time. The top one is for me as a treat for being so grumpy this weekend :-)
Just in case you were wondering - this is what we had for lunch on Saturday. Carrot and coriander soup from this recipe. The verdict? A resounding yum!
I'll leave you with a little reminder that spring is on it's way. My first Tete-a-Tete daffodil growing on my windowsill - perfect :-)
Looking at how this week is panning out I should imagine I'll be back at the weekend!
Have a good one xxxxxx
29 comments:
Crumbs! You are amazingly productive for a manky sick woman aren't you! Your ripple blanket is HUGE and I think you've done about two others since I started mine!
But, come on missus! 6 sewing machines in one house? Bit excessive don't ya think? I've only got
um,
er,
counts on her fingers..........
5!
But one of them is completely-broken-dead, two are old hand cranked beauties and another is a Little Betty that has never really worked. So really that only leaves me with one proper working one that I use!
Cool wallets by the way!
Me xxx
Glad you are feeling better?
I love your rippling thingy!
I have 3 sewing machines, one that I use, one thats an old singer in a foldout cabinet and one that I cant get rid of because its a lovely turquoise colour!!
Clare
I be ashamed to confess that I eventually threw out my old (broken)machine when I got a new one? (or at least I think I did.... hmmm... another thing to check when I get home)
Wasn't being all Cornish or pirate-y in that last comment, supposed to read 'SHOULD' at the start of the sentence.
How I envy you just knocking up those unbelievably gorgeous things?? That would take me a year, and the colour would have faded with grubby fingers.
Hope you're feeling better now.
You have no idea how happy I am to see that daffodil! Give me hope that there may eventually be something other than gloom around here :)
Nice ripples btw, and wallets and tractor tire ;)
Glad you're feeling better.
xMx
I know all about feeling pants and just wanting to get on. I have not being motivated at all and have been dragging my flu riddled self around the house in an attempt to tidy up after Christmas.
I am jealous of your produciveness!
I have three sewing machines in my house, I did have four but I managed to give one away. You can never have too many sewing machines in my opinion!
I do like the image of you sitting in a corner rippling gently.
Oh, hang onm, you meant ripple crochet didn't you? A different image entirely ;-)
Well, you'd sure never know you've been ill from this post. You've been a busy girl! Love the new little wallets and the funny, overstuffed pincushion -- you just need skinny scissors and thread! Hope you're feeling better this week.
Hope you soon feel better leslie and thats an impressive collection of sewing machines. Your ripple blanket looks magnificent. Jane x
How many sewing machines??!! I don't even have room for the one I've got, let alone any extras! Your blanket is looking fab - I am tempted to try and teach myself crochet so that I can have one too!
Hope you feel better soon
Rachel x
SOMEONE is going to have to teach me to ripple, because I see all this ripply loveliness going on and just don't know how. Not yet though - I need to familiarise myself with gussets first. And then perhaps zippiness. And after that I might turn my attention to rippliness. Because of course, I don't have much else to do. At all.
Sorry to hear you're still poorly sick - sounds like the horrid thing we had in November. I'm still coughing :-(
Get well soon.
xxx
PS: Where on earth do you actually keep that many sewing machines?!
Sorry to read that you're feeling pants but well done for struggling through and carrying on crafting.
Gorgeous rippling - all the lovely crochet around recently is making me desperate to get hooking again!
And it's great to see that you're passing on your sewing prowess to the next generation .... sew cool!
:)
Poor you, it's rubbish being ill all the time. We seemed to have cold/flu/viruses for the 3 months after Twiglet started nursery - bleurgh! I think you've been very productive. I have a thing about old sewing machines Mr Twigs has banned me from Freecycle, I have 2 vintage ones and I'm scared of both of them :)
Twiggy x
Tete a Tete daffodils are absolutely beautiful. Thank goodness Spring may be on the way!
I hope your feeling much better. that man flu is dreadful. Don't work too hard this week if you can help it.
What an inspired idea to get a sewing machine for the children, they will love using it. I love the wallets too.
Ohh I hope you are feeling heaps better soon. There is nothing worse than being sick but at least you are achieving things while you are a bit under the weather.
Love the new sewing machine. I don't feel quite so guilty about my nine machines now...vbg.
What a fantastic idea for a pincushion. ohh and I like the stuffed tractor tyre look...vbg.
Poor you - feel better soon! It's hard when mothers get sick, I think. Still, you got so much done! I am impressed. Loved reading about your sewing machines! I wish I had six. I love those old treadle ones. Mine is stuck in Singapore where I grew up. I wrote about it at
http://bupbilla.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-life-as-defined-by-gadgets-sewing.html
when I was feeling particularly nostalgic. Still, I think it's healthy to have more sewing machines than, say, toothbrushes. Or cars. Or ovens. I mean, one must have priorities.
Drats, forgot to say that I REALLY like that ripple blanket. It's beautiful, and happy cheery colourful. What a lovely thing to make in the middle of boring winter!
what a cool machine!!! i love it! and kids-friendly too?!! wow!
You are a bit productive for someone with man flu! I don't know how you ripple so quickly... my blanket is growing very slowly. Hope you're feeling lots better!
wow, if this is what you're like when you are poorly you must be immense when you are well!!!
hope very much you get better soon!
love your rippling - need you to teach me!!
xxx
Good grief - if thats what you can produce when your ill then Minx is going to get a fantastic wardobe when you are feeling better and working on full speed.
The blanket is looking lovely. Mine is growing slowly, I wonder how Gina's is doing?
Hope your feeling better now.
Whew! I feel SOOOoooo much better for having only two sewing machines. And I TBG thought I was nuts because I have my eye on another (unbought as of yet).
Love the ripple - sandly, can't crochet to save my life :(
What's the secret sewing? Putting together a swap a-la LLP?
Love the ripple blanket. Just a quick message from Santiago. I am very lucky to have you as my fat quarter swap partner.
And I am loving your blog! take care - I will get in contact properly when I get home next week.
And 6 sewing machines - boy am I jealous!
hehe! I love your hand machine! My nana had one of those .. and your puffy container is rather cute .. it reminds me of something 'mr soft' might have! and it looks perfectly usable .. Hope you feel better soon xx
Love your ripple blanket - this is one of my favourite crochet patterns. You have been so productive considering you've been sick! And don't worry - you're not the only one who never reads the instructions!
Love the doughnut pincushion - def unique!
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Love Ally x
PS Hope you are now feeling 100%
Love carrot/coriander soup. Debenhams do a nice one in their cafe, where I frequent on occasion, in my lunch hour. Soup is the best for a cold, I hope you feel better soon. x
What a action packed post. I'm with you I absolutely hate being sick it is such a waste of time. I love the ripple blanket....I can not crochet I keep trying to knit with the hook.
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