Gifts and prizes :D

I've had a run of luck and awesome things lately!

Fashionary memo pad from Beajay

In the post just the other day I got a prize from Beajay, who sent me, all the way from Australia, a Fashionary sticky memo pad. This is a photo from the Fashionary website because the real thing didn't photograph very well. How cute is that! I am going to use it for sure. :D Thank you Beajay!

My present from B! :D Isn't it cute?

Next, my friend B who JUST got into sewing and is loving it sent me one of her very first projects as a gift. I sent her some of my early stuff when I started sewing 18 months ago, and I am super excited to have a rl friend who sews <3 (She is more into home dec and household linens at the moment, but just wait, I'll seduce her to the dark side.)

My new old sewing machine!

A much larger gift! After my grandfather died towards the end of last year, my grandmother moved in with my parents. My mum is currently clearing the house they used to live in. That was where I got my knitting yarn from, and I was also given this mid-1950s straight stitch only vintage sewing machine. I kind of love it already. It sort of works, in that everything moves as it ought to, though I haven't had a chance to get it working properly yet or oiled it or anything sensible yet. It's a Jones machine, which was a Manchester firm later bought by Brother. My grandmother was never really into sewing so it's had very little use. It weighs a TON though.

I was also given an old-fashioned cantilevered sewing box, which I love. I haven't really sorted out the contents of it yet which is why it doesn't close properly. Also I need to tighten up the screws a bit. This isn't very old -- my mum bought it for my grandmother as a gift -- but my mum has one as well so it feels like continuity with her sewing, somehow. There was a lot of rubbish inside, and also a giant box of buttons. Most of the buttons aren't very exciting, but they might still come in handy.










And finally, a knitting update. On the left, where I was up to the last time I posted. On the right, as far as I've gotten tonight. I've actually almost finished, and it's quite enormous, really. I've got 2 full balls of yarn and 2 three-quarter balls left, plus two very small balls I've set aside to sew the side seams. I am hoping to finish it this week :D

Knitting comparison! It's actually straight edged on the right, it just curled under when I was taking the photo, honest.

Next time I post, it's going to be a revisit of my radical re-imagining of my wardrobe plans.