A New SAGA Smock Along!

A new SAGA Smock Along is about to start!

This Smock Along is designed and lead by Vaune Pierce and is a bag designed to hold your rotary cutters which has a smocked insert.

The list of supplies to get ready for the first lesson is available on the SAGA Smock Along Facebook page.

I see lots of other uses for this bag such as a cosmetic bag, travel bag, small clutch bag with an added strap.

An Essential Sewing Tool

So, what tool is the most essential for sewing?

A needle of course!

Do you think of your needle as a sewing tool? If not then you should, as without it there wouldn't be much sewing done! Whether it is a hand or machine needle, both work very hard to help you create your heirloom garments and projects.

So for this blog, I thought I would share some of the vintage needle packets I have acquired through the years. They are so much more interesting than the packets you buy theses days.

                                                 The packets had nice artwork on them.

 Unwrapping the packet was like opening a present- You never know what you will find!

                                                              Love the artwork!

                                       You could save the wrappers to get a free needlecase!

                                          The wrapper was full of information to read!

 Some of the information was on how the needles had been carefully made to make sure it didn't cut your threads!

         Some of the information was advertising for the company's other product-thread.

And may of these vintage needles are still usable today as they have not rusted over the years!

Drinks Anyone?

Need a little refreshment to help keep you cool during the hot summer sewing?

Then try a bottle of Thimble Island beer made by the Thimble Island Brewing Company here in Connecticut!

Or if you prefer wine rather than beer, what about a glass made by Bodkin winery in California?

I am sure there are more examples of drinks with names related to sewing items or terms, but whatever your tipple please remember to be careful when consuming alcohol. Don't drink and drive or operate a sewing machine!

(There is no affiliation between SAGA  or SAGANews and the above mentioned companies).

Cover Story

The next issue of SAGANews (Volume 38 Issue 3) will soon be in the mail. 

This is the cover to watch for.

It is nice and bright , so should stand out from the rest of the mail!

I hope you enjoy it!

(If you can't wait for your hard copy, it will be posted on the
SAGA website Member's Only area soon).

Machines

When wandering around the fields at Brimfield (or any antique show or store) I am always looking for items that relate to sewing. I do look at other things, but sewing is my passion and all things related to it interest me! Textiles and vintage clothing also attract me as they often showcase the type of stitching and work that I love to do.

 So it was interesting to see that there were actually a lot of sewing machines for sale at various booths at Brimfield this July. Some were just everyday Kenmores or store brands but others were more collectable, like this New Home that the booth owner opened up out of the cabinet just for me to photograph for the blog!

Check out the beautiful foot pedal!

Then there were the three Singer Featherweights. Very collectable and some people  I know have many of them. I already own one that was given to me by a friend and have no desire to have more. It was easy to walk passed these ones especially as the prices were more than I would have been prepared to pay! I have no desire to collect Featherweights- and without checking these out more closely I couldn't tell the condition.

Then as Lisa and I were just ending our walk-about, we spotted this machine. Okay, it isn't a sewing machine, but a mangle or ringer (depending on where you come from). There would have been tubs that went into the front and back areas to hold the laundry or water.

The 'key' at the top right can be turned to adjust the pressure on the rollers.

The flap at the front can be used either side to direct the water squeezed out by the rollers.

More Brimfield

 So what else did I see at Brimfield? I have to say a lot of 'stuff'- some really nice things and some I wondered if they had just piled the contents of their basement into the car and put it out on display! I just wonder who would buy what actually looked like junk!

Household textiles nicely displayed

Anyway, that said, there were few vintage linens and certainly fewer vintage clothing of note. I wonder if that had to do with the fact that the vintage textile show was not held this July? It is usually held at a hotel in Sturbridge on the Monday of Brimfield week, but this year they cut the July show.

The only children's clothing-the middle item was smocked.

There were a few booths with baskets of trims, mostly just in a 'rats nest' pile and not good quality. I was not in need of any of that and did not feel in the mood to dive into these untidy displays. Had they taken time to untangle the mess it would have looked a lot nicer and more appealing.

Cute baby dress with faggoting on the collar

Small sewing tools and items were not very prevalent either. I know a lot of these items get thrown out in downsizing or estate clearances as no one knows what they are! I did spot an Avery needlecase. Very nice it was too along with the price tag!

Brass Avery Needlecase to left of the MOP spools.

Also saw this cute display of baby bonnets. At least they looked clean and were displayed nicely, so looked appealing to potential buyers.

Three cute bonnets

And this gown, with the wonderful eyelets and pintucks. The price wasn't bad, but I really do not need to add to my  textile collection! I am at the stage where I maybe need to think about downsizing  rather than increasing it..... An item has to be really special for me to actually buy it these days.

Whitework gown

Detail of the diagonal pintucks and whitework embroidery with eyelets

 Maybe I will get to the Vintage Textile Show in September and see more pretty  linens, lace and textiles.

Disappointment to Happiness

The disappointment was when I pleated the fabric to make this Mary De and found the pattern was printed off grain and I had to re-pleat it all. Rather than follow the grain I had to follow a pattern line.(See SAGANews blog May 15, 2017)

 

The happiness is that the little dress made up easily (this was my first Mary De) and looks lovely. I did remember to make an adjustment before I hemmed the dress to allow for the fact I had lost over an inch from one side to the other when I pleated the front piece.

Check out the cute buttons I found-they match the fabric design perfectly!

All in all I am very happy with my handiwork!