April

This month I have made a few stop starts at sewing: at the beginning of April ... a bit of up-cycling or customising by changing buttons and belt on a trench-type jacket with patterned material covered ones. For this idea I followed something similar from the beautiful book " The Liberty Book of Simple Sewing". It is full of lovely projects from a small rag doll to a large quilt and the pages are filled with stunning Liberty prints.

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I have always wanted to do  free-machine sewing but didn't trust myself to use my machine in case I managed to damage something that couldn't be fixed. So, when I saw an article in a local magazine that there was a day course only a bus ride away I booked myself on to one of Ginn's Creative Workshops. I could use one of her machines or take my own. I took my sewing machine, having oiled it and given it a good clean inside and out.....
I was concerned that it might not be fit for the job being more than 33 years old, and was over the moon when Ginn told me that my  Bernina Nova machine was one of the best. I'm sure it purred at the compliment!

Ginn's workshop is at her home in a very pretty garden full of spring flowers, shrubs, trees and birdsong, in the village of Tillington past a row of conker trees. Ginn made me very welcome and I had the rare privilege of having one to one tuition as another participant had to cancel. It was a lovely informal, relaxed day and I learned lots of techniques and new skill that I shall now put into practice at home, with a useful hand-out memory aid. Ginn also gave very helpful tips such as having a pot of lots of spare needles in case of breakages and needles blunting with changing fabrics, using dissolvable film to add lace effects, and keeping snipped threads to sew in as part of the design, instead of throwing them away. Love the idea that they can be creatively recycled! Ginn is a skilled crafter and generous with her knowledge she also makes you feel at ease in her company and at home in her home.

I had a fabulous day learning and sewing. Thank you Ginn x And thanks to her husband for making us a delicious home-made soup.

You can find out more about her workshops which include block printing at www.ginnscreativeworkshops.co.uk and on facebook.

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First attempt samples

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