Marzipan does sewing! - 19/9/11

As I said in my last post, I've got my sewing machine back with me again after two years of it being in storage. It was my granny's machine, so it's about 75 years old and still works really well.
The main thing it can't do that new machines can is sew backwards (which is generally solved by turning the work around!) and sew in zigzags, so I can't easily do buttonholes. It's hand powered so you have to be able to feed the work with one hand, but that's not too difficult and it makes it much easier to regulate the speed. It probably helps that I'm left handed! Here it is:

A thing of beauty

is a joy forever.

Inside the little box are all the extra feet to do things like hemming, attaching braid, quilting and sewing on zips. Luckily I also have the original instructions so I know how to use them. I'm very glad to have it back!

 

So, apart from gazing at it's beauty, I'm also getting on with some projects I've been meaning to do for a while now. First I thought I'd start with something small and (allegedly) simple - a cover for my Bible.

Bible open

Closed up (I managed to get the church on the front cover!)

All unfolded

There's a pocket for a small notebook and a pencil too.

Making it was more complicated than I expected, not having made a book cover before. I probably should have made a paper pattern first but I just used the book to find the sizes. The cover is quite tight-fitting. It's fastened by poppers, which I sewed on the wrong way round to start with!
Not bad for a first attempt at machine sewing for two years though. My friend has asked me to make her a dress so I need lots of practise!