The Sewing Place

Poppy skirt Simplicity 8128

Silver Rose

Re: Poppy skirt Simplicity 8128
« Reply #15 on: July 01, 2021, 12:24:28 PM »
I am wearing the skirt today  :D just what I need to brighten me up.
@Bumblebuncher cutting out on a table has always been difficult for me before the hip replacements, waiting for the second one to be done. I haven't got an adjustable table and I am fairly tall so bending is painful. I just take my time so I don't mess up.
Still learning

Elnnina

Re: Poppy skirt Simplicity 8128
« Reply #16 on: July 01, 2021, 14:49:50 PM »
For Silver Rose and Bumblebouncer I used to visit a lovely little shop that was called Snippets in Blyburgate, Beccles, Suffolk, so right up on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, and that shop even though it was tiny was packed with dress fabrics - I used to go up to visit my parents near Halesworth, and after lunch on a Saturday would leave my parents to have their afternoon nap and I would go fabric shopping - once I walked out with my bin bag of fabrics having spent around £140 and all of this was half price - at the time of going I did not know they had a half price sale on everything.  So every time I went up to visit my parents I went to Beccles, hence the huge stash I have today.  However next door to this shop was another handicraft shop and I have a feeling that after the lady I knew in Snippets retired, that the handicraft shop took over Snippets, and if so that must now be a super sized shop with a lot to offer - it is now called Beccles Sewing and Handicrafts in Blyburgate.

Silver Rose

Re: Poppy skirt Simplicity 8128
« Reply #17 on: July 01, 2021, 16:03:43 PM »
Thanks @Elnnina I used to visit Beccles a lot, it is a nice train trip from Ipswich but I must have missed this shop.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2021, 16:16:30 PM by Silver Rose »
Still learning

Elnnina

Re: Poppy skirt Simplicity 8128
« Reply #18 on: July 01, 2021, 17:11:29 PM »
I have to admit Silver Rose that it is while since I was up that way, but on looking at Google this place in Beccles is still there.  At the time I managed to buy some beautiful fabrics, and got friendly with the owner who retired, and after my parents had passed away I was still able to buy some fabrics by mail order from her - that may have been a rather one off though.  The fact that the handicraft shop and the fabric shop seem to have combined probably means they are doing well - do hope so as it was a nice place.  I did go into the handicraft shop one day, and the owner - a man - was delicately cutting out a teddy bear in fur fabric, and was carefully snipping away the fur that would have gone into the seam.  I also bought some overlocking thread there at the time as the fabric shop did not sell overlocking thread, but hopefully all that has changed now.

Perhaps once your other hip has been done and you are fully mobile again a good excuse for a day out!

Silver Rose

Re: Poppy skirt Simplicity 8128
« Reply #19 on: July 01, 2021, 17:34:49 PM »
Thanks @Elnnina  I can't wait to get back on the trains again and go places.
Still learning

Bumblebuncher

Re: Poppy skirt Simplicity 8128
« Reply #20 on: July 02, 2021, 11:51:24 AM »
@Elnnina  I do believe that is the place where I took the handcranks.  They are given a good going over and sent to people in Africa so they can earn a living. For the life of me can't remember the name of the charity, but me and my friend had a good day out taking them down there, although as I was in the middle of decluttering I didn't buy anything  :rolleyes:
As it neared the top of the grade, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I—think—I—can, I—think—I—can." It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, "I thought I could,  I thought I could."

Elnnina

Re: Poppy skirt Simplicity 8128
« Reply #21 on: July 02, 2021, 14:57:19 PM »
Bumblebouncer I have a place near me in Chesham called Workaid and they refurbish old sewing machines and send these along with other tools - woodwork and gardening - to East Africa.

The tiny shop that I knew in Beccles was called Snippets, and I think their number was 15b, and the shop next door which was the handicraft place was 15a, and I think these two have merged together and now it is Beccles Sewing and Handicrafts.  There is also a totally different needlecraft shop elsewhere in Beccles that deals with embroidery, tatting, etc. - I have been there but cannot say exactly where it was.

Recently I was given a cast iron treadle base in excellent order, I might well give this a coat of Hammerite to smarten this up, and hopefully over the weekend I am going off to see a wooden top with yet another hand crank machine attached, with the intention that I use the wooden parts for the top of my base and put my lovely 201 machine in to this, and depending on the state of I believe a 1914 28K I may keep this or donate to Workaid - until I see these I don't know.  Trying to find a wooden top for a treadle so that it can still be used as a treadle is not easy, and someone about an hours drive away from me has 5 of these for sale, one wooden top looks a lot better than the others, but I am prepared to have a go at sanding down and treating with polish or varnish as I want to actually use the treadle.

As you know so many fabric and sewing machine shops have disappeared over the years they are few and far between these days, so it is always nice to learn of new places.  If we go further afield I always take a list with me of any possible fabric shops nearby and that is really how I found the place in Beccles at that time and as my parents lived up that way every visit we made I went up to Beccles and came home laden with fabric - yes I have enough to stock a shop!!!!

Bumblebuncher

Re: Poppy skirt Simplicity 8128
« Reply #22 on: July 02, 2021, 17:04:20 PM »
@Elnnina Definitely the place then!
I used to have a double bedroom full of fabric and other things, now I am relegated to a corner of a single bedroom that is mainly full of bunkbeds for the grandsons, but I kept all the nice stuff and going to work my way through as much as possible.  DH is from Bolton and i used to have regular visits to Immanuels in Burnley when we visited his mum. 
i still have a lot left  :dance: but handed over the panto fabric so managed to clear quite a lot out.
BB
As it neared the top of the grade, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I—think—I—can, I—think—I—can." It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, "I thought I could,  I thought I could."