My love affair with sewing has really been revived since I retired. Actually, the real revival was when my granddaughter was born two years ago - at last a little girl to sew for again! And then I discovered all the independent pattern designers online who sell their patterns as PDF instant downloads. Oh my, if only these had been around years ago! But I am making the most of them now. The beauty of these is that you don't have to worry about damaging the pattern because if you do, you can just print it out again! And of course, you don't have to wait for them (I never did have much patience )
I absolutely love to sew little things - they are so much easier to manage than adult clothing . My dining room has been taken over, with cutting mats and two machines (sewing machine and overlocker) permanently in place on the table, and storage furniture bought especially for all the sewing stuff I seem to have so quickly accumulated.
Yes, it can be expensive, but it's such a rewarding hobby and my DD is the envy of many friends. She also gets a huge kick out of being asked by complete strangers where she got 'that beautiful dress/romper/coat' etc.
HildaW I too buy fabric from Minerva and from Doughties, among others. I'm also lucky to have a fabulous shop, Exeter Fabric Centre, within an hour's drive - I always stock up to make the trip worthwhile .