One of my
inspirations for doing this is the humble headscarf. I wear headscarves a lot
but finding the right one can be tricky. I wear a headscarf the vintage way..
think Hilda Ogden (minus the rollers), the traditional land-girl look. For this
method you need quite a sizable scarf as you need one to cover everything. The
ideal size is 80cm x 80cm. However finding a scarf with these dimensions can be
a chore. It is my plan to produce quality homemade headscarves for me to wear
and hopefully one of the first things I'll be making.
As my
creative gusto seems to be in full swing I am going to grab the sewing bug by
the needle and get cracking. So to start myself off I spent a lot of time
surfing the net and reading up on the exiting world of sewing. First of all I
was amazed at all the information is out there on the subject and how simple or
complex it can be – the choice is yours – and there are plenty of useful places
for the novices.
To get me
started I wanted to purchase the basic equipment – now you may think my first
purchase was a sewing machine and you would be wrong. Before I take the plunge
to buy my dream machine (which I am currently researching) I thought I would
buy the basic equipment you would require if you were to hand stitch. This
includes scissors; thread; needles; pins; tailors chalk; tape measure; and a
book for beginners and of course, some dreamy fabric. I believe this is enough
equipment to get you started and I hope I am not proved too wrong early in my
journey.
To select
the brands of my specific equipment again took some research. As I am setting
out on this adventure I want tools that are going to last without going over
the top on cost. Now you could buy these items off the internet but then you
miss out of the shopping experience and the smell of the haberdashery (that I
am new too but all ready loving) plus how do you know if they are too heavy,
too light, good quality – a photo on a computer screen says a lot but not the
same as touching and feeling the item. So I pulled out my rollers, rolled up my
faux bang, put my red lippy on and with hubby in-toe went into London for my
first sewing expedition.
So where to
go?? During my exploration I found some great places all across London. I would
have loved to visit each and everyone but then time is an issue here so I
selected Ray Stitch (Nr Highbury and Islington) and MacCulloch and Wallis (just
off Oxford Street) as my choices of location. By the time I had traveled from
Chiswick to the store I was like a kid at Christmas – I was so over excited at
the prospect of purchasing some bits and bobs. Ray Stitch is a great sewing
shop – easy to find and I love the fact it mixes the genres of sewing and a
café! A cup of tea whilst pawing over gorgeous fabric and bits was heaven. I
calmed down and went into the shop and suddenly realised I had forgotten my
list! Luckily I had read it so often I know what I wanted and went through the
shelves methodically. I purchased Coats 100% cotton thread; Pyrm needles; Prym
pins; tailors chalk; tape measure; and of course, some cotton vintage flower
fabric (how could I not buy the fabric!). This little lot came to £18.90 which
I was pleased about as I had a £20.00 budget for this shop. I left with a big
smile on my face and got on the bus to go to my next shop.
Forty
minutes later I was in MacCulloch and Wallis. MacCulloch and Wallis is set over
three floors of fabric and haberdashery wonderment. The stock was endless and
filled with people buying all the necessities for their own projects. However I
was specifically on the hunt for a decent pair of scissors as this is one of
the crucial piece of equipment in your tool kit. They had a good range of
scissors and in the end I went for Fiskar (Made in Finland) and for right
handed 21cm scissors. They seemed a good weight, comfy for my hand and a good
price point of £17.04 so went for them. Again this was a great success for me
and in my £20 budget – my cheeks were hurting from smiling all day.
The only
item not yet in my armory (on this particular day) was a good book for beginners.
Now, again after exploring and asking fellow Twitters on this numerous
responses came back. In the end I went for 'All
you need to know about machine and hand sewing - Sewing Basics' by Sandra
Bardwell which was £18.99. It covers all the basics from what equipment you
need to threading your machine to undertaking complicated patterns to how to
identify what stitch is required for what project. Perfect for me and my novice
experience.
So a tip top
day and very pleased with my purchases. A summary of my top tips perhaps as I
have bamboozled you with info….
· Research
shops and products you need to buy
· Try and buy
the items from a shop – feel the products not just look
· Take a list
(my mistake!)
· Budget
where possible
· Enjoy the
experience… make it part of the magic
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