The Author Wants You to Know...
Name: Sue Phillips
My daughter’s name for me says it all ~ Susie Sewer ~ life long stitcher and worrier. Happy in my sewing room with Mabel the cat.
Instagram: @homespunwithlove
Readers can enjoy a discount code on Sue’s creations. Read on for the code.
"Yes, life has become very stressful for little old me. It’s changing too quickly and I can’t keep up."
Oh dear - you may have opened up a hornet’s nest for this sexagenarian ~ Now, where do I begin, and more importantly when do I stop babbling on?
For me, nostalgia has to be all about memories - days gone by, but also a yearning for ways gone by ~ I’m trying desperately to cling on to methods that have always worked for me, but technology is saying I no longer need, or corporations are making the decision of how I must now live my life ~ but there is also a saying…
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”
* I love to see houses that have been cared for, with their original features kept and maintained, especially the windows. I love seeing original leaded windows, wooden sash windows etc. I could rant on for ages about UPVC windows - but everyone loves that they are maintenance free - no they’re not. I’ve seen so many where the seals have gone, filled up with water and mould spores running riot. Oh but they’re better for the environment and save energy we’re told. No they’re not - they are made of plastic! - a derivative of oil. In the good old days (a phrase you’ll see me mention often) we just had heavier weight curtains with proper thick, thermal linings.
* Paper copies - I have embraced some technology, but when it’s important, I still like to make paper copies that can’t be accidentally deleted or lost in the nether world of the computer. I still keep an address book, print off tickets in case the online version doesn’t scan at the venue (annoying as it’s a waste of ink, but I have seen people refused entry because they hadn’t got a paper backup, when their device wasn’t working). I still like to fill out forms with pen and paper. I find it very difficult to take in and digest information on a screen. I also find doing things on paper slows me down and the job easier and more thorough.
"On a screen everything seems so rushed. I miss the written letter, receiving postcards with a few notes about a current trip - even if it did arrive after you’d got home."
* Knobs - I like to be able to switch a device on with a real switch/knob/button, I can visibly see and touch directly on the actual piece of equipment. Not something that is remote. Light switches in hotels, tv switches, cooker switches. I remember once whilst staying in a rented cottage it took 3 adults over 15 minutes to switch a cooker hob on. I don’t want to have to be spending hours reading an instruction manual, to find out something as basic as switching a device on.
* I’ve never been able to embrace Blue tube or whatever it’s called. I’m so happy vinyl has and is making a comeback. I’ve got my little turn table set up in my living room, and I’m quite content listening to my old LP’s and singles. I’m so glad I never consigned them to landfill. I was once informed by a music teacher that the sound from vinyl is ‘true’ and the quality much better than digital sound.
* Mobile phones ~ a friend recently posted on Instagram bemoaning about her mum who wasn’t answering her mobile phone. Mine is more than likely permanently switched off. I don’t like this concept of being available 24/7. Very irritating for those who have grown up with these devices and have the expectation that we are instantly obtainable. I like being switched off and not being disturbed whilst I’m shopping, working, out with a friend and socialising. You can always reach me when I get home - on my landline.
Yes, life has become very stressful for little old me. It’s changing too quickly and I can’t keep up. This list could go on infinitely.
"I'm not against change, but honestly, have the changes made, really made our lives better?"
However, it is nostalgia for the past and a love for the traditional skills that keeps me going - it’s not all doom and gloom. The nostalgia for us creatives is booming at the moment, and I have just recently spent a joyous week in Cornwall, attending a week of workshops, talks, and a Brocante at the end of it.
It was and is so joyous to see the number of like-minded souls attending this and numerous other workshops and events around the UK and abroad. Meeting people who have an appreciation for these traditional skills is heartwarming. The chitter chatter at these events is just wonderful and I think it’s something a lot of us are craving: All of us clinging on to a world we understand and can relate to.
Nostalgic Peg Doll
It’s time to share a nostalgic creation ~ a little peg doll. Peg dolls are often made by hand using a traditional dolly peg. These are easily available from your traditional hardware store / ironmongers. If I’m lucky to come across vintage pegs I will snap them up, as I love the patina of age on the wood.
Materials required
Dolly peg
Pipe cleaner
6 cm narrow lace
Scrap of cotton fabric for skirt and hair bow.
Black acrylic paint
Sewing thread
RS = right sides
Instructions
* Paint shoes at ends of peg, with acrylic paint.
* Paint 2 dots for eyes and a dot for the mouth (I used red for the mouth).
* Cut out 2 pieces of fabric - 20cm x 8cm (skirt) and 3cm x 7cm (sleeve).
* Glue lace to top of peg. Centre at the back, and bring the two ends round to the front, overlapping them to make a dress bodice.
* Place two short edges of skirt piece, RS together, and stitch by machine or use a back stitch - make a narrow seam. Turn to RS.
* Sew a running stitch along the top of the skirt using double sewing thread. Draw up gathers and slip over peg doll. Position so it overlaps and hides lace ends at the front. Distribute and tighten up the gathers around the peg. Fasten off securely. I add a little dot of glue just inside the top of the skirt at the back, to stop it slipping down.
* Fold sleeve lengthways in half, and join along the long edge, with a narrow seam, to make a tube. Turn the tube to the RS - this can be fiddly to do.
* Fold pipe cleaner so the two ends meet in the middle, to make two arms.
* Slide pipe cleaner inside sleeve.
* Tuck the sleeve ends in to make a hem - I use my needle to make the job easier.
* Sew a very small running stitch on each hem, and pull up tightly so the sleeve fits tightly round the pipe cleaner. Fasten off securely.
* Take sleeve and fix to the centre back of skirt - glue or hold in place with a few stitches. Bend and position arms round to the front.
* Make a small contrast bow with a fabric scrap. Glue to top of head.
To view some of Sue’s beautiful homespun creations, visit her Folksy store and use code Celebration10 for 10% off all orders:
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