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Sunday 15 January 2017

Memories... and how I'm going to be a little sewing fiend!!

For some strange reason, I suddenly thought, at the beginning of December, that I would learn to sew and use a sewing machine. Obviously I can sew on buttons, take up hems by hand, etc, but this was new territory for me. I had seen a machine in our local Supermarket, at an excellent price, so, being the little Aries That I am, I took the bull by the horns, and bought one.  Here is my new little friend ....

 

I should point out here, that I last used a sewing machine 56 years ago when I was at School.  That sewing teacher never liked me!! I still have nightmares about trying to thread the bobbin.  I suppose I never really had the need to sew, as my dear mum was a trained Tailoress, even going up to London for her training. I've often thought that this must have been quite daring for a young woman, travelling to the Capital from down here in Devon at that time, as we would be talking about the early 1920's. 

Mum made all my clothes until I was well into my 20's. I always loved the little outfits she made for me as a little girl, from little sun suits for the beach, shorts and t-shirts and pretty dresses. 

 

 

 

I can still remember a shocking pink little number - the suits were always fully lined - with a  straight skirt and jacket. I wore it with a navy blouse, and matching shoes, gloves and handbag. Can anyone else remember when we wore matching shoes, gloves and handbags?!  The following photo is not the deep pink suit I'm talking about, but you will get the picture !  Please excuse the hat - I was attending a friend's wedding 😳.

 

Anyway, all mum's clothes that she made were as beautifully finished on the inside as on the outside. I have so many childhood memories of going into Remnant/Fabric Shops with mum, and I can still remember the smell as we were surrounded by all these bales of colourful materials.  We would browse the materials, zips and buttons and I actually really enjoyed doing that. Then the Assistant would take the big rolls of material down from the shelves and unroll it onto a long wooden counter, with a tape measure running along it.  The material would then be cut off to the required length with a large pair of scissors.  As a little girl, I would take it all in, and be utterly entranced by the whole performance!  I still have mum's treasured tin of buttons of all shapes and sizes.  When my mum passed away, there were so many rolls of material in all the cupboards, many bought in the Sales.  I MISS YOU MUM ...

 

Then we fast forward to when my youngest daughter was a teenager.  She always wanted to get into fashion, and eventually took a Fashion & Textiles Degree at University, and so the sewing began in the family once again.  Actually, I always remember my dad's mum sewing as well.  Her husband was killed at a young age in the First World War, and so my Nan also became a Seamstress, in order to support her two young children. 

So, here we are back at the current time, on a rainy day last week, when my daughter came down to give me my first sewing lesson.  Lo and behold, that dreaded bobbin raised its ugly head again!  When I finally started sewing, I was actually pleased with the result and managed to sew all around the various shapes that my daughter had drawn for me, in a relatively neat fashion. 

 

 

As part of my Christmas present, my daughter brought me a very helpful book, so I'm hoping to perhaps start on a simple little project soon. 

 

 



 

Watch this space!!!  Hope to see you again soon.  

20 comments:

Penny Gadd said...

What an excellent way to start the New Year! Happy stitching!

Southhamsdarling said...

Hello Penny! Lovely to see you here. I think I'm going to enjoy my new hobby, and it will keep me off Facebook! 😂

Suzanne said...


Oh, my goodness, Thisisme! I just love your childhood photos! What a darling on the horse and swing, at the beach. And, I do love the pink suit, hat, gloves and shoes. That was the most fun, dressing with matching accessories. Now, we only accessorize with jewelry, haha! Your mum sure did some beautiful work. My sister was the same way...everything was totally finished!

Oh My goodness, Thisisme! What a great new thing to do. I got a new sewing machine a couple of years ago, and it is still in the box. But, I have some projects lined up and fabric to sew a new wall tapestry hanging, and some nightstand scarves. Hopefully things will calm down and I can start on them soon. This is a wonderful post, just great photos! Happy Sunday to you, see you soon! ♥ Sending hugs!

Suzanne said...

I've got 15 things at least on my mind. Sorry I started two paragraphs with the same greeting! ♥

Southhamsdarling said...

Awww, Suzanne, I'm sure you have so much on your mind right now. It goes without saying that I'm just glad you took the time to come over and leave a comment. Thank you ! So glad you enjoyed the post. I see that you also have a machine, still in its box!! I'm just hoping I can keep this up! 😳😳. Hope the week ahead goes well for you my Texan friend.

doodles n daydreams said...

Good for you. We'll be interested to see how you get on.
Wonderful photos of you as a youngster and then as a young lady :)
My Mum did all our sewing as well, making new outfits for three girls every summer. We never had hand me downs as my grandmother gathered all our dresses, shorts etc up at the end of the summer and sent them away to my aunty for her daughters for the next season. Well meaning I know but I remember Mum telling me years later that it all happened without her say so and made a lot of extra work for her at the start of each summer.

Diana

baili said...

i was kind of cowboy type of girl in my teens so hated the sewing though my mom was really good at her sewing ,needle work and knitting.

i did some sewing when my kids went to school and i had sometime free i made their dresses which were cut and designed all by my own and later were appreciated by hubby and relatives .
i cannot find time for this now due to house chores and giving tution to my kids when they come back from school.

your daughter sound a brilliant fashion designer and so loving as this book looks amazingly helpful !
Best wishes !

flowers on my table said...

Hello Diane,
what a great post! I think it's fantastic that you want to learn a new skill and also that your daughter is kind enough to help you! Your Mum was a very smart lady and all your outfits so beautiful and fresh. I am sure you were the envy of the neighbours! My mum was a seamstress too and she made curtains for people, I still have her dressmaking scissors and her pinking shears. My sister says she can still remember the sound of her scissors as she cut out her patterns on the dining room table. Good luck with your sewing, I shall look forward to seeing your progress. Love Linda xx

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Wow Diane. So amazing. Your mum was so talented. As you say how brave of her to travel to London and train to be a Tailoress..and for your youngest daughter to follow in her grandmothers footsteps. My mum also sewed, making our clothes and lots of hers too. As for me .. I didn't get very far. I did do Seeing at school , had a few problems. But my sister excelled. Made lots of her own clothes.

I think it is brilliant of you to try again. So great that Daughter number 2 is able to help you. Well done and good luck 😊 xx

Btw. We had to wear hats as children with our Sunday Best as we attended chruch. X

Southhamsdarling said...

Awww, thanks so much, Anne! I'm determined to have a real go at this! I'm enjoying it so far, and can't wait to actually try to make something simple to start off with. Yes, it's lovely that I can call on Alison if I have any problems. I agree with you about wearing hats with our Sunday best. It was a different world, wasn't it?! So nice of you to pop by to leave a comment 😊

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for sharing the wonderful picture from your childhood. I always enjoy being able to look back in time. Your new hobby is certainly a unique one for sure. That book should help you a lot and I will be watching for a post in the future with an example of what you have accomplished. Hugs,
Odie

Unknown said...

I think it's a fabulous idea that you take up a hobby that you think you will enjoy. Having Daughter #2 there for guidance is a bonus! I'm excited to see what you make. My mother made a lot of my clothes when I was little. I learned how to sew and made a white jumpsuit for a boyfriend in 1977. I had no patience for it. Enjoy and have fun with it. That's what's most important.

Unknown said...

What an exciting way to start the year. I packed my old Singer in the camper when we started full time rv-ing bit I haven't used it yet. Maybe it's time to start.

Southhamsdarling said...

Hi there Pam. Lovely surprise seeing you over here! Hey, yes, get that machine out and start sewing! But do you have the time?! Hope all is going well for you both 😊

Southhamsdarling said...

Hello Baili. Nice to meet you. I can understand that you don't have much time for sewing with giving tuition to the children. Thank you so much for dropping in to leave a comment.

Southhamsdarling said...

Thank you Bee Bee. I'm hoping I'm going to enjoy my new hobby. Patience is not my strong point, I'm afraid! But, yes, having my daughter around to help me is a bonus! Always good to see you here.

Southhamsdarling said...

Thank you Odie! I know you enjoy old photos. It took me quite a while looking them out! Hopefully I will have a project to show you fairly soon 😊

Southhamsdarling said...

Hello Linda. A treat to see you here today! I think that's lovely that you have your mum's dressmaking scissors and pinking shears. I actually bought myself a pair of pinking shears today! A lovely memory that your sister had. As I said on your Blog, it's good that you're back to blogging again! 😊

Anonymous said...

It would be nice to make our own clothes. i love to do it. Sweet old memories...

Southhamsdarling said...

Hello Weekend-Windup - welcome! 😊 Thank you so much for dropping in and leaving your comment.