Sewing machine blues

Recently I've been getting into sewing a lot more, well all things crafty really...

Anyhoo, with an increased desire to create I decided it was high time I got a better sewing machine and went for the Janome 525s. I wanted to show support for a local business in town and by doing so luckily got a 10% discount making it about £23 cheaper than anywhere else, plus I didn't have to pay shipping which I would have from an online retailer. When I ordered, it the lady in the shop said it'd be about a week, but it's now been a whole month :-( Apparently the company are out of stock & today was the new date she gave me for its arrival, but I haven't heard from her still. I gave my old machine to Simon's Mum and so haven't had a machine for about 3 weeks now, which isn't a very long time in the grand scheme of things, but I've got a list of projects as long as your arm, all of which require a machine! BOO!

Anyhoo...isn't it beautiful?! It isn't fancy, but is so very much nicer than my old one - and quieter too! Little things, like a thread cutter at the back, larger plate, transparent bobbin housing & an horizontal spool holder make it great. I know these things come as standard, but weren't present on my old one. It was a good machine, don't get me wrong, but I think over time it would have irked me. This one is a more robust with more reliable stitches (i.e.:  a zigzag is a zigzag rather than sometimes being a straight stitch!), plus comes with a hard case. It has it's own little place on the shelf waiting for it to come home to :mrgreen:

My wonderful Da is also fixing my sewing box. I bought it online from an hospice with a load of thread in it - most of which were differing shades of purple! It was a little more rickety than advertised, but still a good £20 cheaper than a new cantilever box, plus I feel good that I've reused something that had already been made and clearly used & loved. He's coming up next week so I'm excited to have it back - I can put my bits away rather than fishing about in the two rather fetching plastic tubs which are the temporary accommodation for my threads/needles/scissors/pins/miscellaneous sewing accessories etc.

In other crafty news: I made this hat from two and six's beautiful blog (isn't her son the cutest?) Yes, I've made it for Isaac, but it's definitely too big for him just yet! Although I'm sot sure by how much because I finished it this evening after he went to bed so I haven't had a chance to check. A small job for tomorrow. I know it looks a big like a giant egg cosy, but the shape will change, when his head is in it & the right size for it, to a bit more like a giant egg cosy LOL!

I'm well chuffed. It's only a small project, but I achieved 3 firsts; I did my first attached i-cord hem, used Kitchener stitch for the first time and used backstitch for the first time in knitted seam sewing. I have a marvellous book which I bought about 4 or 5 years ago called Simply Fabulous Knitting. I knew it would be useful, but lost touch with knitting and didn't give it another thought until I was faced with Kitchener stitch. Of course, it was in there! PLUS the method in the book i.e.: flat (minus the starching, although I can see how that would be helpful on occasion) was so much easier than the on-the-needle method which is just confusing and weird.  I have to say that, even though it is only a hat, it had the best seam I've ever done on the top. I guess I must be taking knitting more seriously these days. So now I have a seam-free, tassel-tastic hat for the boy. At least he'll never be short of hats - hurrah!

I found this pattern for a beret a while ago and would quite like to use the yarn  stipulated (Louisa Harding  Grace) rather than substituting for a change. Luckily Yarn,  just outside Nottingham sells it. Whilst on my search for said yarn I found Threads of Life in Castle Donnington. It's about the same distance as the other place and looks totally fabulous! I like the first thing the owner says on her site:

"If you are interested in working with yarns or threads there’s nothing quite like coming into a shop where you can enjoy the colours and textures of a wide range of wools and silks. It’s a bit like being a child in the middle of a sweet shop!"

Couldn't have said it better myself. Isaac and I will be paying her a visit in the not-too-distant future :-)

P.S.: I just got an email from Lion Brand telling me that my order has been shipped. Amigurumi ahoy - whoop whoop!