New Machine

For a while now I've been thinking of getting an overlocker, but couldn't bring myself to buy a new one. A friend of mine mentioned to me that the one she had bought a while ago, was sitting idle, after a difference of opinion between har daughter-in-law and herself, on the subject of hand-made clothes for the Grandchildren! I tried my hand at mediation, as the DIL is also a friend, but to no avail.

So, the upshot is that my friend decided to sell the overlocker/serger to me at a much reduced price, despite it only making two garments! It is a Bernina 800DL. She bought it in the Netherlands, where she's from, so I bought some English instructions, just in case I had difficulty reading the Dutch ones!!!
So last Saturday, I headed off, child-less, to collect the machine and get some tuition on it. The short version is, that having only used it twice, my friend, Siena, was no expert on it, so I took it home not sewing, and had to learn from scratch. Needless to say, I am glad I have English instructions! I have the 3 thread stitch working spot-on but the 4 thread is giving me trouble, I'll come back to it.

On the way I stopped in my local fabric shop, taking advantage of the fact that I was on my own, and got a couple of plain fabrics that I thought might go well with the Denyse Schmidt Hope Valley fabrics I got here a while ago.

And I also picked up some very fine, printed, corduroy.I was thinking of a skirt for myself perhaps?


But the thing I wasn't expecting was that my friend Siena was not only getting rid of her overlocker, She also decided to de-stash. I came home with all this.....
and this......
She also gave me several unopened cones of thread for the overlocker......

Such a generous friend.... I love being at her house, it is so peaceful and lovely (maybe that was the lack of children!) I always enjoy my visits with her. She and her husband moved from Holland to Ireland in the 70's and lived near my father, he was the first Irish person to speak to them, they then introduced my parents and the rest is history, as they say. The two families have remained friends over the years despite several several changes of address. So thank you very much Siena. For the overlocker, the fabric and all the kindness.
PS. I forgot to mention that it was this lady who introduced me to Ottobre magazine too!
Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday