Summerhouse Hideaway

Hello

Today's sunny weather has inspired me to sort out the summerhouse, my intention was to just use it as a shed but when it was put up it was so lovely, it was a shame to use it to store stuff.

Soooo, had a tidy up.  Recycled an old metal shelving unit.  The shelves were very rusty and scanky as they were used to store tools in a garage.

 So I cheated, tidied them up with some grey spotty oilcloth and covered the shelves, gluing it down with hot glue gun.  Burnt my finger in the process, ouch.

These shelves have to house practical stuff like paint, brushes, tools etc.  Used old tins and baskets to store them in.  Didn't know that there were Yorkshire Fish Cakes but apparently there were some once, the old wooden tray that held them is next to the radio tin that I saved this from going in the recycling at one of my customers.

The small cupboard is pure Art Deco.

Finally, my Singer 201 in its original sewing table.

Ooops seem to have created somewhere to sew in the garden, I am a lucky girl.

I needed to cover the windows couldn't decide on making curtains or using a frosted window effect film.  Decided on the film, mainly to protect the fabrics from the sun.  It cuts out the view of the garden when I am in the summerhouse but realistically, I probably will only use the summerhouse when its too hot to sew or sit in the conservatory, so the doors will be open.

Haven't spent much money on this apart from buying the paint for the summerhouse, the timber for base, tin roof,  Llloyd loom chair, new lock, oilcloth to cover the shelves and the frosted film for the windows.  The Singer was free from Freecyle, shelves, cupboard, drawers, chair all came from my parents house.  Books came from Anita and the bookend (aka cobblers last) from Dad's garage.  The summerhouse was free, a gift from my new neighbours, they brought it with them when they moved in but then decided that they didn't want it.

Roll on the summer.

PS.  Everything is level its just my photography that's cockeyed!

Cheers
Sharon

DIY Upholstery Lesson - Lloyd Loom Chair Makeover

Hello

Have been keeping an eye out for a Lloyd Loom chair for the summerhouse for a while, but strangely non in the local auction houses.  Finally found one on Ebay which wasn't too far away, left a bid on it £9.50 bargain.  Brought it home on Thurs so yesterday's job was to sort it out.

Buzz was very interested in it, was looking for the cat that left all the hairs.  I took the top cover off and found the original fabric on the seat but it was scanky so decided to have a go are reupholstering it so took it to bits.  Underneath all the padding, there was a beech frame and four large springs attached to the frame to make the seat a sprung seat.

Was going to unpick the fabric to use as a pattern to make another cover but decided that I quite liked this fabric and if I could get it clean?

Tried soaking it in pure soap flakes which didn't do a great deal so chucked it in the washing machine with Ariel washing powder, it worked, lovely and clean.  Gave it a good iron.

While I was waiting for the fabric to wash, gave the chair a paint .  I was going to use Laura Ashley eggshell paint but when I got the tin out it was nearly empty.  Couldn't be bothered to drive to town to replace it so used the cream fence paint that I had used for the summerhouse windows.  It worked a treat.

The seat cover was a tight fit when I put it back on, it might have shrunk a little.  I used the old tacks to fasten the fabric to the frame, I could have used the staple gun but liked the idea of using the original tacks. Some of them had rusted so broke when clonked with a hammer.  It was a bit of trial and error, haven't really done upholstery before, the tacks took some hammering in which surprised me.

Pleased with the finished result.  Going to make a cushion for it.

The lady I bought it off reckoned it was 100 years old but I think the fabric is more 1920/30s. There is no Lloyd Loom label on it so not sure who made it.

The summerhouse is just about ready as a garden getaway (sewing place), just need a few finishing touches and then I will let you see!  

Cheers

Sharon

Farndale Daffodils

Hello

These descend from the Farndale Daffodils.  For those who are not from England, Farndale is the National Park of the North York Moors and it's famous for wild daffodils.

Aren't they gorgeous.

There is a little tale about these Daffs, my Great Aunt Clara was married in 1908 and sometime between then and WWI, she went with her husband Percy, on a trip from our village in a charabanc (which is an early bus) and took a spade with her!  She helped herself to a clump of daffs and brought them home.  These daffs were split and moved about the farm, then my Dad took over and carried on splitting the clumps eventually moving some to his bungalow garden.  I have my own clump in my garden so over a hundred years of family tradition is in my hands!

I treasure them more than anything passed down the family.

PLEASE NOTE, TAKING THESE DAFFODILS IS NOT ALLOWED NOW, YOU WOULD PROBABLY BE THROWN IN JAIL AND THE KEY BURIED WITH THE DAFF BULBS!

Cheers
Sharon

Luscious Liberty Prints

Hello

I have been a very lucky girl.  My friend's Mum Anita, a quilter arrived with a car full of goodies for me. Talk about combined Christmas and Birthday all at once.

All sorts of quilting books to give me inspiration.  Quite a library.  Packs of writing paper and envelopes with quilting designs on them.  A bundle of wadding for my hexie quilt.

A lovely collection of Liberty prints.

A huge collection of fabulous fat quarters in all sorts of colours and prints.

And finally, the lend of a floor mounted quilting frame for me to try.  I had mentioned that I was struggling on the larger quilts to keep the fabric from bunching up when I hand quilt.  Did try a hoop without a stand but just couldn't get comfortable with it.

How exciting is that, now I need to find somewhere to store the fabric.  Will have a clear out of any fabrics that I already have but will never use.  A spring clean is in order.

Need a shoehorn to squeeze the fabrics into the cupboards and drawers.

A huge thank you to Anita.

Cheers
Sharon

Ivorine and Silver Pin Pot

Hello

My mum used to have a sweet little pin pot when I was a kid but I hadn't seen it for donkey's years.  When we were clearing out the house I thought that we might find it but alas no sign of it.

I spotted this on Ebay so had to have it, there was some dosh in my Paypal Account so I left a bid.

The silver writing has a London hallmark for 1902 with the makers mark for Casimer Widmer & Sons of St Johns Street, Clerkenwell, London, the box itself is ivorine which is an early plastic (celluloid) but it has the appearance of ivory.  Much more elephant friendly.

Not sure it if was for sewing pins (I like to think so) but more likely for an elegant lady's hair pins.  Put a bobbin so that you can see what size it is. Cute.

It is very delicate as the ivorine is so finely made so it will be easy to break which probably explains what happened to Mum's.  Think that I will just look at it rather than use it. Wouldn't want to break something that is 113 years old.

Cheers
Sharon

Wadding Too Thick Quilt

Hello

I like to give my quilts names, for example, Snuggle Quilt.  This quilt should have the name "Wadding Too Thick!"

I got carried away when buying some wadding for my hexagon quilt, so some unknown reason apart from being an idiot skinflint, bought thick polyester wadding instead of cotton wadding.  It was loads cheaper but wasn't wide enough so would need to be joined, problem No. 1, the fibres stick to the feed dogs.  So it was rolled up and its stayed there for a couple of years.  I lined the hexagon quilt with an old blanket which didn't work too well either so it still unfinished.  The hexagon quilt is jinxed.

Made this quilt top ages a go when I first got my Featherweight but again, another unfinished project.  I dug it out, and again to save money decided to use up the wadding, my Yorkshire genes coming out, we don't like wasting anything.

Was going to have a go at free motion quilting but it was too bulky for easy moving under the hopping foot.  So got the Featherweight's walking foot out and tried it on the 201, it fit yippeee.  So quilted with straight lines (well nearly straight, it was a tight fit).

Here is the walking foot, got it from America from the wonderful April at  April1930 Walking Foot.  I have only used it for putting the binding on quilts as I normally hand quilt.

Bulky wadding.

The pretty pink fabric is vintage Linda Beard polyester cotton which is really soft to touch.

Back to that name?  Its a really "cozy quilt" so perhaps that should be its name, will embroider a name tag for it.

Regards
Sharon

Heaven - Great British Sewing Bee

Hello

It's Thursday night, got a half bottle of red wine and watching the The Great British Sewing Bee

Great British Sewing Bee

This week, sewing with Lace, it even had a bit about bobbin lace making.  I made bobbin lace for years, might have to dust off my bobbins and give it another go.

I really admire the contestants, sewing difficult things against the clock, I would have a nervous breakdown.

Cheers
Sharon