Hey Blog! This week I’m going to share with you a creative talent I have. That’s right, it’s sewing!
I do sewing quite a lot. All my Scouts badges have been hand-sewn onto my shirt, or blanket by me. We have a sewing machine and other sewing equipment, and these past weeks I have used the machine to do a remarkable sewing project, which shall be mentioned later. It’s really fun to do, watching a line of thread seemingly grow out of the fabric when you put the needle on top of it; and is really educational – who knows what you will make, or when you might need to call on your sewing skills!
A few months ago we discovered a TV show called The Great British Sewing Bee. Started in 2013, it is a spin-off idea from The Great British Bake-off, and a quest to find “Britain’s best home sewer” as they say on the programme (that ‘sewer’ is someone who sews, not your toilet waste removal pipe!). We are currently watching old episodes on BBC i-player, quite often with a “Daddy gü pot” alongside! Judged by two excellent, if slightly crazy judges from top sewing institutions, it is a fabulous programme and we are really enjoying it. Watching the programmes inspired me to do this next project…
Last Friday I started making a bag. It is in the style of a reusable shopping bag, with four sides and a bottom piece, and was made as a bag to use when I go swimming and to sew my swimming badges on. I drafted the pattern (a paper template around which you cut the fabric, commercial ones usually include notes on how to make the finished item), and stitched the entire bag in about eight hours, though it was done over three days. I used a basic stitch to do most of the sewing, but did two other ones in the making of the handles, one of which was for decoration and the other for attaching. Here is a picture of it:
The project I have not started this week is making myself a cloak, though I have all the measurements. My idea is to make a semi-circle cloak, the “older”, more mediaeval kind, which I can wear outside and not just for a fancy-dress outfit – albeit I’ve never seen anyone out wearing a cloak! I’ve decided to make a simple-ish kind of hood to go on the top of it, made of three pieces – two side ones and an over-the-top one. I chose a really nice fabric on an internet website, but when we went to the haberdashery to look at the fabric I found it wasn’t thick enough. For now we are looking out for a large blanket or pair of curtains to alter, but as yet haven’t found anything. When I make it I will very likely put it on Home Ed In A Shed, so keep looking out for posts!
Anyone can do sewing, as all you need to have is a needle and thread. However, if you want to invest in it, you can buy all sorts of fancy things. Hand-made gifts, home-made clothes…they all state who you are, and anyone can be proud of that. Sew why not pick up a needle?