an artists' view

an artists' view

Tuesday 1 June 2010

Irene's sewing machine





Last Bank Holiday weekend, I kept busy, despite the rain!
Went to get some more Morning Glory seeds - for a 'give-away' project I'm working on. Morning Glory are the most fussy plants - the seeds have to be soaked overnight: then put into propagators/plastic bags and kept warm: kept warm...but not too warm! And then when planted out, they're to be put out of direct sunlight.

It makes me wonder how they've ever managed to grow without the assistance of human hands!
Anyhow: the Morning Glory seeds are in various stages of germination - so hopefully the give-away is underway.

As the rain was in for the day, we pottered about at home. I got out my sewing machine, and sewed a new sheet onto the patch-work bedcover, re-creating it as a duvet cover once more.
It was the first job for the newly reconditioned Jones machine. It's got a new motor, and new treadle. And it works beautifully!
I was reliably informed by the man in the repair shop that the Jones sewing machine is 70 years old. Which makes it older than me, and a good 13 years younger than my mum. Mum gave me the machine a long time ago, but it's lived in my loft for years, as I couldn't get on with it. Now it's working so well, I'm able to flex my seamstress' fingers!

The patchwork bedspread is one I hand sewed over 30+ years ago, and is random squares of fabric sewn together...in a not altogether accurate square!
It took me months to complete, back in the late 1970's. I started off by using odd bits of fabric from my mum and my sister. So it was me coming full circle, 30+ years later, to use my mum's old sewing machine (now mine!) to replace the worn sheet with a new one.
Come the cold winter months, we'll have the patchwork duvet to use and keep us warm and cosy. Something to look forward to in the dark of the year.

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