Simply Stitchy

  (C) Olwen White Hi all Last year I had a go at processing raw sheep fleece. By that I mean, unwashed fleece straight off the sheep’s back. Still pretty much intact, complete with bits of straw, grass, bramble, and other debris that sheep tend to roll in. So my first job was to pick out as much of that jumble of vegetation and manure as I could. By hand… and yes, it was as icky as it sounds! Step 1 - Washing and Drying the Fleece For my first fleece, I used warm water and some Woolite . You can use a special scouring soap like Unicorn Power Scour , but I didn’t have any. I would have used hot water, but as I was processing the fleece outside, I couldn’t get it any hotter than warm. The camping stove I was using couldn’t cope with the sheer volume of water needed to wash a fleece. Besides, if the water is too hot you can felt the fleece rather than clean it, so I figured warm would be safer. I mean wool is usually washed in cold water, right? So warm should be fine… ...

  Hi all, I've got a new toy! Isn't she a beauty? Well, when I say 'new' I don't mean brand new. I mean new to me. She's actually an antique. She's a Singer 66 with Lotus decals from 1914. That makes her 102 years old!  Her name is Lotti and she is a very welcome addition to my vintage and antique sewing machine collection.  Made at the Kilbowie Factory in Scotland, possibly between January and June of 1914, this machine is 2 years younger than Grandma, My Singer 27 from 1912.  Singer 27 She's also in much better condition! Whereas Grandma has had a hard life and has damaged paintwork and decals, Lotti is in incredible condition for her age.    Lotus Decals Lotus Decals Back Lotus Decals Across the Arm The Lotus decals were added to machines that were made at the Kilbowie plant. Although they do turn up in other parts of the world, you're more likely to find them on machines in the UK. Interestingly, they are also known as Thistle decals. A nod to th...

    Hi all, I haven't done much knitting for years. I think my last completed project was a floppy Brim hat back in 2010. It was a bit of a flop if I remember correctly... Nice shade of lavender though! Anyway, I joined the local Fibre Arts group back in April which has rekindled my interest in both knitting and crochet.  One thing that has surprised me is how much you can forget about both skills. So much of this year has been taken up relearning how to do both. It would appear that they are perishable skills. In my eagerness to knit and crochet as much as possible, I've been surfing the internet for patterns. Nice easy patterns to ease me gently back into the world of all things yarn related.  One of the first things I made was a Snoopy head. It was supposed to be a whole Snoopy... but I used the wrong size crochet hook. Say 'hi' to Franken-snoop!      I thought he came out kinda cute so I entered him in the local fair. He didn't win anything but he...

  It’s that time of year when we can shake off our winter blues and look forward to a summer full of sunshine and warm weather. Particularly the warmth! It may be April, but my part of the world is still desperately trying to shake off winter’s grip. It’s freezing right now! As I don’t want to spend much time outside in the cold, I decided to spring clean my sewing area. Having spent the winter months working on three different quilt tops … actually, I think it might have been four… the area is looking a little bit lived in.   Not only that, but the local thrift store is closing down. Never one to turn down a bargain, I have spent the last few weeks topping up on sewing supplies. A couple of hem markers, a little bit of fabric, some different fabric, and just to be safe, more fabric. There are sewing machines and piles of fabric everywhere. I’m feeling in need of some re-organization! I already have some filing cabinets but, they are all full to bursting. ...

 Hi all I've always been a fan of charity shops. Even before they became a fashionable way to reuse or  repurpose other people's unwanted clutter.  To me, they have always been a gateway for feeding my addiction to vintage and antique sewing machines.  Like this one.  Isn't she a beauty? According to the markings, She is a New Home machine made in West Germany so I'm guessing she's a post war... maybe 1950s... electric sewing machine.    She has a bolt-on motor and the shortest electric cable I have ever seen on a sewing machine! Look at it! It's tiny! That's never going to reach any of my electrical outlets. I'm thinking that this vintage sewing machine was made to be in a cabinet... or a previous owner cut the cable for some reason.  Maybe their outlets were mounted on a desk and they didn't want long cables cluttering the workspace?  Who knows? One thing I do know, is this sewing machine is going to give me a little bit of a headache!...