Sewing Machine

I came by an old singer sewing machine in a wooden case about 2 years ago,and would love to get started but not very confident especially all the threading and bobbins and what have you,it wasn't my strong point at school,we have a fent shop in kings Lynn and also dunelm mill and the range and I look longingly and wish I was clever enough and confident enough to start,E has chosen art and textiles for her GCSE course so it will come in handy ...next problem is to where we put it for cutting out and would love a work cum utility room...enjoy your haven gracesmum

I still sew and currently have a Bernina although I have not used it for a while now. I have loads of fabric and need to do some sewing come the Autumn. I found John Lewis great for all sorts of bits and pieces. I find fabric quite pricey though, and do look on the internet for bargains. Whilst in Turkey I used it loads but foolishly left it plugged in but switched off. It blew the chip or rather a power surge did, so my suggestion would be to unplug as well as turn off and/or buy a powersurge protector. Fortunately I was able to get it fixed on return to the UK.
Enjoy

Yes, I recently bought a new sewing machine and have been enjoying learning its fancy ways. I've done some alterations and repairs, and I'm now plucking up the courage to make a skirt from some double jersey fabric, which requires stretch stitches. Not quite got the hang of that yet!

I bought a new sewing machine from a sewing machine shop that was closing down recently - and it's still in its box

nellie, I remember that fent shop in King's Lynn - I lived nearby, in West Winch, for seven years. I bought a fairly basic, but adequate, Bernina in Nairobi in the 60s - made loads of cotton dresses for myself and, later, dungarees for the children as well as curtains each time we moved. I freecycled it a few years ago as it was far too heavy for me to pick up! I then bought a small, lightweight one which I use mainly for repairs and adjusting hems.

annobel it is still going strongxx

I went in a local shop for materials, having been there many times before and always got what I wanted. This time, the shop was in chaos and no-one knew where anything was. The jersey materials were under the organza and the cotton gingham mixed in with tablecloth vinyl. I went online and got great quality jersey and gingham for a fraction of their prices, delivered the following day by courier for £2. I hope the shop improves. It's such a shame to see businesses go when they've been around for so many years.

nellie when I got my new sewing machine, I spent an afternoon practising threading the needle and filling the bobbins with thread, then sewing patches of material before embarking on the real stuff. It all comes back with practice, but you're right - you need a bit of confidence to know you're not going to break the thing by threading it wrongly.

When I bought my Bernina all those years ago, the shop put on a course on Saturday mornings to show us how to use the machines without wrecking them.

When mum went into a care home we cleared out the glory hole cupboard where she had kept stuff for years and discovered her old Jones sewing machine (virtually identical to a Singer) that she taught me to use when I was about 11. We even found the instruction book where my father had written notes in the margin to simplify some of the very formal instructions. The sight of his handwriting brought a lump to my throat. My DH gave it an overhaul as bits had siezed up and now it is working perfectly. I haven't started any projects yet as I am up to my neck in decorating and gardening but I thought it would be a lovely winter hobby. I'm looking forward to making new cushion covers and hopefully new curtains for our bedroom. A friend of mine is a very experienced seamstress and she still uses her old Singer so I'll know who to go to for tips.

Annobel I nearly bought my machine from a Macclesfield shop that was recommended on here, but in the end I got it online for much less, with freebies of scissors and all the thread I might use in a lifetime, so I missed out on the free tutorial. However, I've now discovered hundreds of YouTube lessons for anything you might think of, and they are easy to follow as most sewing machines are alike.

I had to replace my trusty Singer about 10 years ago and I bought a Pfaff. I think they are now the only machines made in Europe. I think that is such a shame when we did have a thriving industry for so long. The one feature this Pfaff has which I think is great is a second sort of foot which sits on top of the fabric being stitched and works in conjunction with the feeder plate beneath the layers of fabric - this stops any slippage of the layers as they are being sewn.
I too used to make all clothes for myself and daughter and of course household stuff.
One day when buying fabric DS asked would I make him something ( knitting didn't count!) so we chose a shirt pattern with cowboys envpbroidered on the yoke etc. all made carefully and when he came to put it on I had done the buttonholes on the girls' side!!! Never lived that down and he was SO cross.
How do those who make clothes find patterns are now - I hate those multisize jobs. Any good brands and suppliers you know apart from JL ?

I still have the Jones sewing machine which my parents bought me for my 21st birthday (I am now 64). When we moved here nearly thirty years ago we had it overhauled, and it is still going strong. I used to make my own clothes and used it all the time for clothes for the children. A friend from Derby used to get the most wonderful velour and terry towelling off the market - it made fantastic shorts, trousers, dresses, etc.

Nowadays I mostly use the sewing machine for curtains, cushion covers, etc. - it was very expensive when it was bought (£50), but has been worth every penny.

Bez my 'English' sewing machine turned out to be Japanese, although it has a German name! I bought it as an own brand which was actually a Janome, but because the factory had stockpiled Frister and Rossman machines, they asked me if I would accept one with that name on it - they are all the same machine! Anyway, I don't mind what it's called - it's excellent.

I've still got the Jones machine I bought about 40 years ago - I used to make curtains, cushion covers etc. but haven't used it properly for years, just occasionally to put a new zip in trousers or do minor alterations.
When my GDs were born I anticipated being asked to sew all sorts - but DD isn't a big fan of home-made anything!

GillieB I got my Singer for my 21st too, I'm now 66 and it still works, but only rarely as it takes both hands and a huge intake of breath to lift it!

Yes - mine's very heavy too! When I bought it I brought it home on the bus and then had to walk up a very steep hill to our then house - in the middle of a heatwave. Took me a long time......

I've been trying to remember how we got mine home as my parents didn't have a car!

I keep my Jones on an old fashioned tea trolley so I don't have far to lift it on to the dining room table. The bottom shelf is a good place for my sewing box. I can then wheel it all back into the alcove where it lives - behind a wine rack.

That's a very good idea, merlot! I don't think we've got enough space, but it's certainly worth thinking about.

I almost bought a Janome last time - the Pfaff is German made and so was my previous Singer - that was a wonderful machine - nearly cried when I had to replace that.
No one has mentioned any good pattern makes / suppliern and I thought I would get loads of advice.

I bought the tea trolley in a charity shop so DH did one of his 'strengthening' jobs on it. Not quite an RSJ but you get my drift!

Oh yes, merlot - I've got an OH like that!

I still do quite a bit of sewing, Bez. Have a look at www.sewessential.co.uk - they have a good range of patterns. I would just be a bit careful about sizes - I find New Look patterns very easy to follow but the sizes are a bit behind the times ie a size 14 is still a 38 inch hip.

Something that I often do with skirts/trousers that are a good fit but worn out is to unpick them and use them as a pattern.