Start at the Start

In teaching my friend Kate to sew I was reminded of how I was taught at school.

In Fear - was the most common memory.

Don't do that! hold the fabric here, no not there! You have left the needle in, sewn your skirt to the machine, Mind your fingers!!!!

REALLY IRRITATING - My nerves were in bits after the last year of GCSE Textiles. Don't get me wrong I loved my teacher but I thought that if she moved even an inch away from me I would impale myself on the needle or ruin all my pinning, tacking and chalking up work.

So ,in teaching Kate, I said "don't worry there is nothing you can do to my machine that I can't fix and just have a go."

Our first major issue was the machine. Kate has a , rather gorgeous looking, Jones machine with a iron base and external threading system. Thankfully it came with an instruction book! Unfortunately the book was written in the native language of a technical wizard. So after about an hour and a half of threading, finally right, ten minutes of bobbin encasing the flippin thing would not sew. SO, I had my machine and we used that one. Sorry Kate but it was either that or I'd have thrown the  heavy load through your patio doors.

She did really well, not sure how long ago she used a machine but we went through the basics and she was off.

For starts, she tried to follow pre drawn lines for shapes. A square and then a swirl. Made a simple seam, tried a bit of zigzag and turned up a hem. Magic!

Next to the marveling moment of making something! Ok, it was only a little bag but a bag (with handles) none the less. And she managed beautiful, even baby zig zagged all the raw edges.

What will be her next success. I'm thinking cushion, apron, peg bag.... She's thinking clothes, clothes, clothes. In a desperate move to run before walking Kate wants to make clothes.

Hmmmm Maybe a few weeks my apprentice.......