15 November 2006

The Blue Hand Gang and other stories

Silly me, I gave the FB some squares of coloured tissue paper to play with this morning. He's had a great time screwing them up, cutting them up into different shapes and generally decorating the floor with them. Then this afternoon he discovered that if they got wet the ink ran and he could make patterns with them. Very inventive I thought, then saw the carpet, his hands, legs (the FB would, if allowed, spend his life naked) and feet. They are blue, and it won't come off.

We are on day 3 of enforced rest and boredom has well and truly set in. I am now an expert on all CBeebie programs - Doodledo is fantastic (Smarteenies should be taken off air, ughh) and the Numberjacks has the best music I have heard on a kid's tv show. And of course Underground Ernie is back on much to the happiess of a certain little boy.

My copy of The Crafter's Companion arrived this morning and there is the most gorgeous sewing bag in it (top row, otherside of the elephant purse). It will have to wait until after Christmas though as I won't have a sewing machine until then. So a question for you all. Is there a particular sewing machine you would recommend to buy or stay clear of?

7 comments:

kirsten said...

Where do I start on sewing machines? A subject about which I have vast and intense opinions! Because I teach quiltmaking I get to see and try hundreds of different machines. Ahem, check out Husqvarnas (my favourite). Berninas and Pfaffs are great,too, although Pfaffs are pernickity and need to be babied. The best brand pretty much depends on your price range - most lower priced models are asian made and not very good. The exception is Husqvarna. MOST* of their machines (including lower priced models) are made in Sweden and all have the same basic frame, from cheapest to most expensive.
(* they do have one or two very cheap machines which I think are made in Asia)
Also, consider buying a second-hand machine if money is tight. They can be hard to get hold of (because people trade them in and then the manufacturers landfill them!)but I would look for old Elnas or Husqvarnas - really old - 1970's models. There was a ten year period during which some superb machines were made. There's also lots of rubbish - you'd need to try them out.

kirsten said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bec said...

Love the idea of his blue hands - very Celtic!!

Anonymous said...

You can't go wrong with a Bernina. I'm a quilting fanatic and also sew for my little granddaughter. I've had it about 16 years and I love it..in Irish the words for black people are "daoine gorm" which means,literally, "blue people"...how about that?!

Jess said...

No idea...I'm one of those girls that bitched until they let me take wood shop instead of home ec.
(Sigh) And now I wish I could sew.
I like the ellie phunt purse too!

velcro said...

we had to do all three at school - learn to sew, cook and do woodwork. for one term I even got taught to use a spinning wheel!

any advice about Singer machines?

Anonymous said...

Singers work fine--good basic to start you off without breaking the bank. They try to bamboozle you with all the fancy stitches--and then charge you more of course. You can go far with just the basics--straight stitch and zig-zag. Lotsaluck! It's fun....