Organised Sewing Space

I have not done  a lot of sewing recently but we have been away, that is the first excuse, the second is that I could not see my sewing table for mess and I think I had become a bit complacent about sorting it all out.  I have kept adding to the clutter and so has everyone else in the house! Not all the stuff on there is mine,  some of the stuff is used school books my son was asked to sort but he has just popped them in a pile on my desk.

On the table are also some of my T shirts I need to shorten ( my own alterations always get left and other peoples get done straight away) also my Spanish book (two weeks of school holiday over and I have not done any) and of course various bits of fabric, bags of fabric on and under the table, a tin of decking stain beside the desk (why??)   So I think this was no longer a very inspiring area.  I got on and went through every bag, you would not believe the amount of fabric under the desk. It took ages to clear this small area as I culled all the fabric bits that will never be used as I have had them forever.  Small shelf from beside the desk has been removed as people see it as somewhere to stuff shoes because it is near the door and other nonsense.  When everything was wiped down and clear I felt so much better and I wonder why I have let it get that way. (oh yes, procrastination)

That's better you can actually see desk now.

I have some sewing to do for a couple of friends and my mum this week so that will get done, I always prioritise other peoples stuff.  I need to get some sort of order in my life for prioritising my own projects though.

  I have not made any more baby dresses as  I only sold two privately from a friend through facebook and I really didn't want to get stuck with a load of them, that feels a bit like giving up but the cost to make them is not worth having them sitting in a cupboard forever. 

 I know people who sell have loads of stock sitting in storage or whatever but it just drives me nuts.  The money saver in me is always complaining I have wasted cash but how can I get anywhere if I don't try.  

I need to have a serious think about what I can try next, but whatever it is, time consuming and expensive it shouldn't be, as people do not have the funds at the moment and they do not want to pay a premium for all the hours it takes for custom items.  

I have a tidy space to work in now, I just need some ideas and inspiration before it's time to go back to the day job!

Charity Shop Dresses and Feeling Good

I have just had a few days away in the caravan at  Whitby and lucky for us we picked a good week.  The sun has shone the whole time and it only rained one evening during the night.  Anyone who has a caravan will know that this is good news as there is nothing worse than being stuck inside while it pours.  We always take the dogs so it is not as if we can go and do an indoor activity if it rains because you can't usually take the dogs in anywhere.
 So lovely sunshine and a little bit of a look in the Charity shops, I don't know  why but Whitby and Scarborough have all the best Charity  shops or at least I always seem to spot something when we go there. We had a day at Scarborough also as it is just a short drive but Whitby was just a two mile walk so we walked there and back everyday.

Scarborough

When we get such good weather it really makes a difference.

So I had a look in the Charity shops like I said and spotted three dresses. Each one was £5 and I love them all, to be honest I saw more than three but I did restrain myself from buying more I'm going away again later this year so I though I had better pace myself. 

This one is a Dorothy Perkins dress and I have  a yellow dress in similar fabric that can be just washed, hung up and never needs ironing ( so a favourite of mine) I don't know how the little pleats will survive without an iron though, it is in the wash now so I will soon find out. 

This one is a make I don't know (Voodoo ?) again that lovely fabric that doesn't need an iron.  A summery dress but one that I think could be layered in the Autumn.

This is a definite summer dress but I love the colours.

So for £15 I have three new outfits. I am not some one who lets clothes sit in the wardrobe unworn, so the little bit of advice that tells people to get rid of clothes they haven't worn for a while rarely applies to me.

  I like to wear something nice everyday if I can.  If I am home on my own that makes no difference because I like to wear  clothes for me and not other people. 

Some items will only be worn in the summer but they will come out again next year and the year after.  This will go on until they no longer look good or I am fed up with them, if they are still in good condition when I tire of them they will go back to the charity shop.

It would have cost me more to make any one of these dresses and while I love to sew I also like to be practical about the value of it.

I think a dress is quick and easy you don't have to hunt around for something to go with it and I think they always look nice I'm also most comfortable in them.  

My mum likes to buy herself clothes to go out in at the weekend (she goes out once a week) she buys a lot, something new most weeks, however she will only wear these items for her weekly night out.  I really don't get this, she has an ever mounting collection of nice clothes that are rarely worn as she is always buying new but wears the same things day to day.  Her logic being 'but they are too nice to wear every day'  Why? Are we only allowed to look nice once a week?  

It is up to individuals how they dress and how they feel about this I know, but my feeling is if I think I am well presented then it makes me feel good, and I want to feel good everyday.  If other people don't like like that then that is up to them.  I don't think it needs to cost the earth and I certainly don't go in for expensive beauty treatments but if that is what makes you feel happy and you can afford it ( very important that bit!) then good for you. 

I have an amazing book called 'The 24 Hour turn Around' I think I may have mentioned it before...

My book doesn't have this cover it is very old and has been read many times.

In this book there is a whole section on appearance,( not as vacuous as it sounds) it is about they way people feel about them selves about how others perceive you.  It states that often when people have anything from a splash of perfume to cosmetic surgery it is not the thing that creates the feeling or change in appearance or mood, but rather the confidence it has given the individual that brings about the most change. 

If you have never read this book I would recommend it, some bits are cheesy but the positive message it has on many different aspects of life are just brilliant.  It is a quick read, intended to be read and digested over 24 hours, I read it a t 23 and have read it again many times since.  After my first reading of the book I enrolled in higher education, gained a degree, changed my job and my attitude, reassessed my attitude towards money and many other areas.  It was originally given to me by a friend  who never read it, I offered it back to her saying you should really read this, she didn't she wasn't bothered.  Personal development reading may not be you thing but you can get this book on Amazon for £1.77 it will be worth every penny. 

I might just mention  I have no affiliation with Amazon nor do I advertise or promote for pay, this is just a tool that I have found useful in my life. Let me know if you read it.

Share, Recycle and Save

This past weekend my husband and older son helped my mother in law move house.  They were in need of a lawn mower and my husband mentioned that we have a nearly new one that we no longer need. ( We have slate and pebbles now)  So this one got passed on to them.  It got me thinking about the amount of times we might buy something that we hardly use.  Now a lawn mower will get used regularly in the summer so you may not be wanting to share this but what about tools or decorating equipment?
 I used to have my own wall papering table but it broke, the last few times I decorated I popped to my mums and just borrowed hers then took it back. It is not a high cost item but it would be unnecessary and need to be stored.  Now my parents don't own many tools but we do, so if a job needs doing my husband has gone round to their house and helped them.
  If you think in terms of tools that only get get used a few times a year or decorating items like wall paper strippers or specialist items would you not be better sharing them among the family.  This would save everyone if you decided who would have what then borrow when needed.  I understand this would not work if your family doesn't live close by or you don't get on etc.  There is also the option of just hiring large items if you only need them for one off occasions, a carpet cleaner for example may be more powerful if you hire one than just buy a cheap one and only use it once a year.  I  found this one here to rent for £30, I know that when we bought ours it was about £120 and we have used it twice on a couple of rugs!
I think that years ago it would have been more common to share items in this way but now that everyone is always dashing around and not speaking to their neighbours we all own every item even if it is rarely used.
We go away in our caravan but if you enjoy camping you  could club together with other family members and share a tent if cost is an issue.  You would have to agree on who is having it when, but if you all enjoy the same style of holiday why have one each. (Unless you all go together of course)

I think it is sometimes the same with things we have around the house, we tend to double up on items when it is just not necessary.  I was recently sewing in the back room when I thought I could use a music set up for in here.  This was a pointless thought as I have a digital radio upstairs which I have a cable for to plug in my mp3, all I have to do is bring it down! 

 On that occasion I must have been having a lazy moment, needless to say I realized how pointless the thought was.  I think it just shows that sometimes we need to think things through before we buy, has someone got one we can borrow? How often will we use it? Is it a fad? 

  Some things will be worth every penny, others not so much.  My mum grumbled about me buying my first sewing machine  at 16 saying I'd never use it, on that point she couldn't have been more wrong, however there have been other items over the years which I could have probably done without.