Pantettes...

What on earth are pantettes, you might wonder!!! When I found my old school Needlework Sampler Book, inside, I found the one and only pattern I have ever drafted. In my head, I'd always remembered drafting bloomers, but on seeing the pattern, on the outside, written in my best handwriting, were the words Pantette Pattern.

1960s Sampler Book...

I've often referred to the sampler book I had while at school and lamented the fact it no longer existed, or so I thought. Doing a clean up not so long ago, I found it!!! I still have my old Sewing Sampler Book!!! I was so excited when I found it tucked away with other bits and pieces. The sampler book fills in some of the gaps in my memory, but also confirms the way I remember the beginnings of learning to sew back in the 60s. 

Where it all began...

I've mentioned before, I learnt to sew at school, many moons ago. When we entered 3rd Class, at about age 8, the girls would do sewing once a week, while the boys did cane weaving.

I have no idea what we did first, but it was all hand sewing until we reached 6th Class. I do remember we had to keep a sampler book each year and I suspect the majority of our sewing was learning new skills by making a sample, which we then glued into the book. Oh, how I wish I had kept those sampler books!!! They contained examples of stitches, embroidery and different sewing techniques.

I Will Wear It in Public...

Rikka, from Ricochet and Away, is hosting the I Will Wear it in Public Garment Sewing Challenge. Here are the guidelines.

1. The theme of this challenge is to sew any garment that YOU will be proud enough to wear in public. 
2. This is a sewing challenge so machine or hand sewing is a required element in your entry. 
3. You must make a new garment for this challenge. 
4. Upcycling and refashioning of existing garments is acceptable as long as you follow the second guideline. 
5. Don't confuse garments with accessories like hats, scarves, belts, etc. 
6. You must try something new when creating your garment. That's where the "challenge" part comes into play, right? Maybe you've never used a pattern, or sewn with knits, or installed a zipper. Here's your chance!

Topkids..

Look what arrived in the mail yesterday...

Bloomers...

This month, I'm joining in with Kristy, over at Hopeful Threads, sewing bloomers for children in orphanages and foster care in China. The bloomers, in solid colours, are to be worn with dresses, during the Summer months.

I first heard the term, bloomers, when I was about 9 or 10 years of age, in sewing class at school. There were suppressed giggles around the room as Mrs Club described the pattern we were going to draft. We all had visions of the HUGE underpants that we imagined our grandmothers might wear, but NOT US!!! I have no idea whether I successfully drafted the pattern or whether I actually made any bloomers, but I most definitely did not wear what Mrs Club was proposing. Perhaps I can blame Mrs Club for my reluctance to attempt to draft my own patterns, even to this day.

Several years later, when I attended High School (beginning at age 12), our Physical Education uniform changed from shorts and top, to a very short dress and.... bloomers. This time, however, they were vastly smaller than my first encounter. They were still, however, made of a very, thick, cotton fabric and not particularly attractive to teenage girls. The upside was that they were totally practical, adequately covered what they were meant to cover and everyone else was wearing them... at least, all the girls were wearing them. So, for the next six years, I wore bloomers with my PE uniform. My mother (who reads this blog... hi Mum), would have sewn those maroon coloured bloomers along with the PE uniform.

Huckaback Embroidery...

My Spring cleaning seems to have come to a stop. Yes, I know, one day and cleaning out two cupboards hardly counts, but oh, that was so tiring... I have other more important things to do. Yesterday it was sewing and then gardening. Today, so far it's been sewing and later on I'll go for a stroll around the garden and maybe pull up a few weeds.

Hopefully I won't find a red-bellied black snake, like Mr TMW did the other day. It's the time of year we call snake weather. It occurs in Spring when the weather starts to warm up and again in Autumn. The red-bellied black snakes are more scared of us, than we are of them. However, I still find them scary. It's time to do some Spring cleaning in the garden and keep the plants off the paths and clear up any old things left lying around.

During my mammoth clean up inside, I found some huckaback embroidery that I did at school, many moons ago. I had wrapped the material around a glass plate to protect it.