Wow @Andymat a positive expert by the looks of it.  Welcome, and yes you may need another machine, even if you haven't thought about a second one now.  We are a real bunch of enablers.

Thank you @Gernella. As my mum used to say, “flattery will get you everywhere”.

I haven’t told you about all the other mistakes I made! And the pictures hide everything.

Not sure where the next machine will go. I have to clear the dining table every time I want to use my current one. Perhaps I will need to move to a bigger house.

Hi, I’m Andy and although originally from Surrey, I currently live in South Tyneside in the North East of England. Moved up here to work for Flymo a long while ago now.

A while ago a friend gave me her old quite basic Jones (I think, is that a make?) sewing machine which I could never make to work properly, didn’t have any instructions for and I probably wasn’t threading it right. So that went out.

My mother was a reasonable sewer and I remember had a yellow Bernina Record when we were young. In the 80’s I think, she got this Pfaff creative 1471 and when she died I took it on temporarily only, as Dad wanted it to go to someone that could make good use of it (!).

I have been using it to mainly to do repairs on jeans but with the sewing bee on the television I have been inspired to do a bit more. I recently made a laundry bag out of some strong canvas material from a pattern in a readers digest book about sewing (from mum) and I now know what a french seem is.

I thought I would try making some clothes, so as a start, I have just finished a pair of T-shirts from some double knit material as I read somewhere that was the easiest for beginners. Got the pattern from Patty Doo in Germany for what seems to be a simple Raglan sleeve design. I ordered 1m of each of red and grey and have done a ying and yang thing with the arms and the bodies.

I’m pretty pleased with how they have turned out although I had problems with the cutting out. On one I cut two fronts and didn’t have enough material to cut another  back so I had to add a piece in around the neck at the back. On the other, having cut out the arms in the grey, when I later came to cut the bodies of the second shirt in grey, I didn’t have enough material in the right places to get both sides in one so I have ended up with a back in two pieces. But some good learning there! But I am pleased with the results.

I am planning to make a hoodie in sweatshirt material soon as then I can get the fit, colours and the design that I want and not just what is available. Win win.

The machine is great with many overlock type stitches amongst others but I initially didn’t know where the stretch stitches were that I apparently needed for sewing jersey. Getting there now. Not sure how often mum serviced it but it would be 20 years since it was used last before me, so I found someone locally who came to look at it, sprayed inside with some lubricant and told me to change the needles. Will see how it goes but I might need to pull it apart to see if I can replace one of the buttons that does not work at the moment. I’m told there are not the parts for old electronic machines nowadays.

I am pleased with my T-shirts, they feel a better material than you buy in the shops and I’m quite excited to do more. And I am pleased to find somewhere like this to hopefully help me along. Hope to be able to contribute too, perhaps in time!

Andy