300 – a Giveaway with 'Made at Home'
July 23, 2010 By 25 Comments
What was the first thing you made when you began your sewing adventures? For me it was a cushion cover. As simple as you like, two squares of fabric and a zip. I didn’t know enough to be scared of zips, and I thought silk was a lovely fabric to work with, and I didn’t know a thing about interfacing. It stood me in good stead for longer than you’d think, considering how slap dash it was.
Congrats on the anniversary.
The first thing I ever made with a sewing machine was a dress for one of my dolls. I was ten or so, and my mother helped me with the gathered skirt. I did all the straight seams. And then she made the matching bonnet.
Don’t include me in the giveaway as I already have the book, but just wanted to say Happy 300th post! x
Happy Anniversary, 300 posts is quite something! The cushions look great, one can never have enough cushions.
Congrats, that is some milestone!
I have actually read all 300 I believe – went through your archive last year and read every one!
Lovely book and fabric – thanks for the generous giveaway.
Here’s to the next 300!!
Cheers,
AJ
the first thing i made when i started sewing again was a lovely apron for my nanna- she loved it!
Congrats on your 300th post. May you continue.
Oh I have looked lovingly at this book!
I started trying to make clothes for my Barbie doll from a young age and have sewn on and off since, but I am not a neat person and it sometimes leaves a lot to be desired!
Love
Lyn
xxx
Many Congrats. Like Peppermint penguin above I have actually read all of your archive – and learned a few things about my sewing machine in the process (double needles etc)
I don’t sew at the moment as I am trying to overcome an inability to cut out accurately – I am in too much of a hurry, I have a 5 year old and work full time.
The first thing I sewed (school doesn’t count as I never finished anything) was a ball gown ! The material was dupion I think, about £40 total.
We had moved to anglesey. It was the holidays between yr 2 and 3 at university…I hadn’t managed to get a holiday job and my mum was on a break from work (due to breast cancer). We’d driven to Chester for the day and decided that we were going to do a project together and spent the summer making this ball gown.
We were in rented accomodation and all are possessions were in storage so we purchased a second hand singer for £35 and spent the summer together making this ball gown slowly together.
The next thing I made was a pair of curtains – I know what was more fun !
Happy 300th post Jo! does that mean 100 posts a year? xx
Congratulations on 300 posts! I did quite a bit of hand sewing as a child (clothes for my Cindy doll) etc and my Mum finally let me loose on her machine at aged 13 to make myself a skirt so tight I couldn’t actually walk in it. I’m slowly getting back to clothes sewing again, but for a long time sewed nothing but hems and curtains!
I took needlework O’level at school and made a horrific seven gored blue tweedy wool skirt. Totally foul!It’s a wonder I ever made anything else!
Happy 300th post.x
Congratulations on 300 posts! The first thing I made with my machine was a very basic tote bag. I didn’t follow any pattern, just made it up as I went along – it wasn’t lined and I didn’t even finish off the raw edges inside! Thankfully, I know better now!
Like Susanne, I started my sewing adventure stitching for my dolls, but was making clothes (at my primary school) when I was 8, just wish I had more time to get back into the swing!
Congratulations on reaching your 300th post.
3 years- quite an achievement.
And I don’t think I’ll ever overcome my fear of zips.
Congratulations! Mine was curtains (our first home and needs must). But then I went to a quilting class and I’ve been learning on the job ever since.
Congratulations! I also have recently started to ‘create’ and also to ‘blog’ and know just how hard it is. I love your site (just found) and also the book and fabric. Fingers crossed. Will link this to my blog!
My home is overflowing with books, but as someone who has just inherited a fabulous old Bernina (and with not much of a clue as to how to use it!) I am intrigued when I read reviews of books on the subject, especially when they say that they wish they had had them when they first started out! another one to add to the wish list perhaps..are there any other books you would recommend to someone who has also just made her first (three) cushion covers?!x
Congratulations! You are the winner
Email me your address details and I’ll get it out to you asap.
As for other sewing books, it does depend where your sewing love takes you – will it be dressmaking, quilting, homemaking, bag making?
A good all purpose book of techniques never goes amiss though and I personally like The Sewing Book by Alison Smith.
I did find that making bags was a good place to start expanding skills, while still ending up with something useable at the end of it, rather than a garment that dishearteningly looks like a sack. For that I’d recommend waiting for Lisa’s The Bag Making Bible, if you want to make your own patterns, or start with an Amy Butler pattern. They have fabulous instructions for beginners.
I hope you enjoy the book and the fabric – can’t wait to see what you turn them into! x
Gosh – 300 posts – Congratulations!!
The first thing I sewed was a pincushion made from canvas which I tent stitched – I must have been around 7 ( a very long time ago!!) but my mum kept it for years on her dressing table
Gill
Congratulations! The first proper thing i made was a cushion from a pair of jeans – i cut it up into triangles and sewed them into squares and then bigger squares etc – all by hand – denim is not fun to sew by hand – however the effect was fantastic and looked fantastic in my student bedroom!
Would LOVE to win this!!
happy_haylee_3(at)hotmail(dot)com
Congratulations on your 300th post! The first thing I made on a sewing machine was a beachbag in textiles at school. My parents still use the bag, though the stitching is all over the place. I still remember feeling scared of the machine and it running away with me. It’s no wonder it was 15 years before I used a machine again – to make some cushions as it happens!
300 post! wow! and many nice things that you have made and share with us! Thank you
Congratulations!! I think my first machine sewed thing was a skirt, that I wore like 2 times… I still have to conquer my fear of the sewing machine
Wow, 300 posts, your blog is what I’d like mine to be if only I could get my head round setting one up, any top tips?
The first thing I made on a sewing machine was an appliqued cushion cover, my Gran kept on her sofa!
I’ve just ordered a new sewing machine and the first thing I’m going to make on it is a summer top, in hope that the sunshine returns soon!
Happy belated anniversary!
Unless you count the awful bag I made at school, I think that Martha Stewart’s baby kimono tops were the first things that I made – by hand, using an old t-shirt of my husband’s…