williamsews

  Please visit my blog at;  william-sews.com I have discovered a whole new source of patterns on eBay & Etsy. eBay has the edge on Etsy because most have free postage whereas Etsy’s postage can be ridiculous; around $20-$25 just for postage alone, the patterns are inexpensive enough, so it’s a pity, it makes the cost prohibitive – I don’t know why it’s so much because patterns only weigh about 45g. Anyway, there are local Etsy suppliers who have free postage, like these two. The one on the left is a real treasure, from 1958 and untouched. The western one didn’t have an envelope, so I found a photo of the cover and printed it out, this pattern is also unused. The 1950s one will be great to make, I just have to figure out the best way to copy the pattern without marking it. I’m going to make a few face masks from scrap fabric pieces today…I could very easily have matching masks and shirts, but that would be going too far. Time for a coffee and crumpets. Regards,  Will.

  It’s certainly taken longer than a day to make this shirt, I must be slowing down in my old age. Didn’t like this shirt as it was being made, which is probably why it took so long but it’s OK. I usually make trim 2mm wide but thought 1mm could be interesting, it is actually very fiddly and not worth the trouble. It’s made with sheeting fabric and it’s rather dense and creases easily but should be comfortable to wear during summer. It was difficult to sew straight and pull the tiny trim out fully…lesson learned, 2mm is MUCH easier. A shirt for someone else is next. Regards,  Will.

I like fabric so much that I disliked wasting any but the smallest scraps, cutting tiny pieces to make quilt squares. Each of these 18 pieces is 5cm square. And this one is the same. Also eye-jarring crazy quilts. Roman Wall pieces are 5″ x 2″ and the smaller version; 2.5″ x 1″. I’m a bit more relaxed about it now and don’t go to such extremes – I haven’t actually thrown all the tiny pieces out, just put them away. The perfume of Jasmine is in the air.  Quite a few gardens nearby have masses of Jasmine in the garden, I have some outside the sewing room and it smells wonderful. It has finally rained, it’s been a very dry, warm spring so far. Working on a shirt and doing a few alterations today…what could be better on a wet Sunday. Thanks for reading my ramblings. Regards,  Will.

  I’ve been lucky recently and found several vintage patterns, ranging from 1971 to 1984…and all in my size. This ‘Safari Suit’ style would be interesting to make; comfortable for summer. This formal shirt is a bit much, I was trying to figure out a way to incorporate lace into a shirt – but I don’t think this is it. I never did get to wear this type of shirt in the ’70s (probably just as well, it means no photographic evidence). This one arrived today, I’ll make the ‘Grandpa’, pullover style. I liked these way back when and made quite a few. I made a pattern and a sample recently and it worked out well but perhaps a pleat in the back would work better and the pattern has a longer placket. This is my version. Looking forward to trying the pattern. Stay well,  Regards,  Will.

Please visit my site:  william-sews.com   One pattern I like is hexagons, I’ve made a couple of these quilts and am slowly finishing another. This is it pre-quilting. Being quilted. And the back – could be better, but still… This is a section of one I finished and gave as a gift, it travelled all the way to the UK. These are made as blocks because I thought ‘Quilt as you go’ may be easier – joining squares piece by piece instead of a whole quilt, then joining with sashing, haven’t tried it yet but it must be better than trying to shove a whole quilt under a sewing machine. Back to sewing. Take care,  Will.

  Quilt squares gone bad…Some of the mistakes made along the way. A bad mix of fabrics, the one on the left is gloomy. Not enough contrast. And so it goes, not proud of any of these, They will probably end up in a charity shop, ready for anyone brave enough to use them for something. I shall probably return to a quilt I started quilting (layering) at least a year ago; I like the patchwork part but not the quilting. I have finished about seven and given them as gifts but they always seem to be a battle between machine and quilt – it would be easier to have them professionally quilted but it’s very expensive. Please visit my site at:  william-sews.com That’s my lot for today. Regards,  Will.

My site;  william-sews.com   I haven’t been sewing much for the last week or so, but have been buying sewing stuff. One purchase; another vintage pattern (1971) in my size…great. I bought this on eBay and have ordered another, also 1970s. Looking forward to making them. Otherwise, I’ve only bought a few notions, including heat erasable pens – they are so convenient and better (and safer) than water-soluble. A friend has several shirts with no pockets, so I thought I’d try to make welt pockets for them–the practice would be good. It’s the second day of Spring and a delightful day. Things are buzzing and budding. It seems a short while ago that I posted this tree in its autumn splendour, and now it’s ready to burst forth with a new set of leaves. Time for a walk in the sunshine and I’ll leave the sewing to this evening Regards, Will. william-sews.com