All posts filed under: Let’s Get Sewcial

Handmade Harrogate

Back in June last year I organised a meet up in Harrogate. It came about after I called in to Fine Fabrics of Harrogate and was chatting to Sandra about the possibility of and she kindly offered her place as place for us to meet, and there was the mention of cake. So it was a no brainer. Fabric + Cake + Lovely sewing pals = Fab day out And it was! We met about 10am, I think there was 18 of us. or there abouts. Sandra had organised coffee and chocolate brownies, and she also had a goodie bag for each of us! We said our good byes to Sandra and headed into town. Sandra’s shop is just on the edge of town, on Skipton Road. It’s walking distance to the train station. There are parking restrictions outside but if your calling in Sandra can lend you a permit so don’t worry about not being able to park close by. Our next stop was Bobbins and Bolts. I bought my Lander Pants pattern there …

#SewDownDewsbury 2019

Yup, 2019. No, it’s not a typo! Last year I organised 3 meet ups – 2 in Dewsbury and 1 in Harrogate. I also attended Sew Up North in Leeds. But I didn’t blog and show you all the pics of the amazing times we had. Sorry! But with another little mini meet up this Monday I thought I’d post over the next 3 days and share with you what we got up to, and wet your appetite for this years’ sewcial meet ups. Our first one was on Wednesday the 6th March. Weekdays aren’t the best days for meet ups due to people having work commitments, but Wednesdays are a fab day to visit Dewsbury if fabric shopping is your thing. As well at the main shops we visit, it’s also market day. We met in our usual spot, Wetherspoons. There were new faces and old (old as in old friends!). And also the added surprise of Janet coming – Janet was on the 2019 series of the GBSB and it was being aired …

#sewdowndewsbury 6th March

Hi Everyone! Sorry for the late update on our SewDownDewsbury meetup next Wednesday. We’ll be meeting at our usual spot – Wetherspoons – the area on the right as you go in.  I’ll be there from 9:30.  We usually hang around until about 10:30, before hitting the shops. If you haven’t been to Dewsbury or not sure where Wetherspoons is, there’s a map and photos of landmarks on THIS blog post from our 2017 meet up. There’s lots of cheap parking in Dewsbury (see the map on the link above).  Please don’t park at Fabworks for the day.  One it’s not a big car park, and two your car might get locked in as has nearly happened before!  No names mentioned! If you’re going to be arriving a bit late and need to know where we are, drop me an email ( thimberlina.blog@gmail.com ) or message me via instagram and I’ll give you my mobile number so you can contact me when you arrive. There will be a pattern and fabric swap if you would …

“Crafternoon Tee”

Yesterday was our monthly Crafternoon Tee at the golf club. The Crafternoon Tea (or Tee as it’s a play with words – golf tee!)  came about as there’s quite a few of the ladies at the golf club who have gotten back into sewing after catching the bug.  There’s also a few who knit and crochet.  And there’s ladies who I know who don’t play golf who come too. We meet around 11am, (so it not afternoon!) and we are usually good and don’t have cake (so it’s not afternoon tea either!).  But there’s always lots of laughs and we usually wear something we’ve made and really inspire each other. Here’s some pix from yesterday… I did an hours speeding sewing first thing in the morning and made myself a new top to wear, another Mc Calls 6612.  I’m not sure of the patterns of what the rest of the ladies have made but I’ll add them when I find out. Karen wore a wool skirt the’d made: Lorraine modelled Jean’s newly finished hat: Gaynor …

#SewDownDewsbury 2019 & last years pix

Hi Lovelies!  I’m like a bloody bus this week.  No posts for ages, then 3 in quick succession! For the 5th year in a row I’m  organising a meet up (or 2) in Dewsbury for those of you who live far and wide and enjoy some proper Yorkshire Fabric Shopping!   If you’re thinking about coming, no distance is too far. In 2017  Chris came all the way from Germany (her flights were cheaper than Anne’s train fare from Newcastle!!), and last year Sheila spent over 5 hours stood up on a train all the way from South Somerset!  In 2016 Manju came all the way from Carlisle.  In 2015 Corrine came 90 miles from Scarborough, not knowing a soul and not knowing what she was letting herself in for as it was the first Yorkshire Spoolettes meet up. About the meet ups …. They’re very informal, very friendly and very expensive! Only kidding about the expensive bit!  That’s all down to you!  But I’d compare shopping in Dewsbury with like going to Lidl instead …

#SEWDOWNDEWSBURY 28th July 2018

Hello!! Here’s just a quickie to let you know about the next Dewsbury Meet Up.  I posted on Instagram a while ago but thought I’d best just add it here too as I know not everyone’s on there.  Apologies if you’re only just finding out and it’s too short notice for you to attend😢. So we’re meeting from 9:30 at Weatherspoons.  I’ve called in the and they are going to reserve the small area immediately on the right so don’t worry if you’re coming alone, you”ll soon see a friendly face. After an hour or so we can hit the shops! I’ll be mainly at Lucky Fashions as they were going to close that day as they have a family wedding.  They were struggling to find someone to open it so I said I’d help out. Once you’ve exhausted your purses we’ll meet up back at Weatherspoons for a bite to eat and a pattern and fabric swap for anyone who wants to join in.  You’ll need to hang on to your own swaps until …

#GBSBLIVE 2017 & The Japanese Asymmetrical Top

The Great British Sewing Bee Live was fabulous and just what the doctor ordered!  I’ve been AWOL for the past few weeks, I won’t go into detail but I’m doing ok and hopefully there will be some action on the blog and in the sewing room very soon, and I’ll be back firing on all cylinders. I don’t know about you but the best thing to get my creative juices flowing is having a special occasion to attend.  As the date of #GBSBLive loomed and the days ticked away I was at loss as to what to make, and decided to have a flick through the GBSB books and patterns which accompanied the show. I’d left it to the last minute so I needed to make something quick and easy.  The Japanese Pattern Top from the latest book looked a fairly simple despite the odd shaped pattern pieces. I’d seen on Hila’s Vlog about this top that the pattern pieces were huge, and she wasn’t wrong! Lucky I had some Burda tissue paper which easily …

#SEWUPNORTH 2017

What a day!!  Even bigger, and dare I say it better than last year!  Sally and Becca really pulled out all the stops and were super organised! It included a pattern and fabric swap,  a huge gathering at Costa, lots of shopping and chances to mingle, and a raffle of amazing prizes at the end of the day which raised over £750 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance!   Well done ladies!! Here’s a couple of jersey fabrics I took to the swap…… And a few patterns……. Meeting up with our 2 hostesses with the mostess!  Becca was not impressed with my tan!  And the lovely Wendy who you might remember from my last Sunday Sevens post. Wendy made the actual garments on some of the knitting patterns for sale in John Lewis! How cool is that!?  We made John Lewis our first stop as there was a sale on, Wendy bought some gorgeous silk, I just did lots of stroking.  A random fella took a pic for us in the new arcade outside John Lewis. …

#SundaySevens 96 And We Have A Winner or 2!!

Well, I finally gotten round to doing my Carol Vorderman bit and added up the total mileage of how far everyone travelled to the #sewdowndewsbury meet up.  And I was absolutely flabbergasted!  Even before the 808 miles from Chris who came from Germany were added you guys travelled 1,111.2 miles!!!  So in total that’s…….. So the UK winner is Cathy from nanacathydotcom who guessed 1876, so she was only 43.2 miles under, and doesn’t live too far away herself so hopefully we’ll meet up at a future sewing gathering. Last year Sam won the competiton and this year she came, so you never know! The international winner is Rachel, all the way from Malaysia, who blogs at SewSouthLondon. Rachel’s guess was only 54.8 over … 1974. Well done ladies!!  If you email me your addresses I’ll arrange for your goodie bags to be posted off to you!! So now on to what else happened last week……included some sewing.  I’m a bit worried that you’ll think I’ve given up the sewing blog in favour (or should it be flavour) …

Giveaway Time! How Far Would You Go?!

  Remember I said there’s going to be a prize for someone who couldn’t make the #sewdowndewsbury meet up? Well there’s going to be 2! The ladies who attended were such a generous bunch, here’s what you could win in the giveaway……                               All you have to do is guess the total number of miles that everyone travelled to get to Dewsbury. There’ll be a UK winner and an international winner.  I’m going to share the goodies between 2 winners.  The whole lot of prizes weigh in at 7 pounds, so when I’m putting the 2 prizes together the UK one will have the heavier gifts. Also, if someone wins the international one and they live in Australie I won’t give them Chris’s wooly hat! Please leave your guestimate in the comments below, and maybe say where you’re from and how far you’d go to have a fab day with sewing crazy ladies! The giveaway will close on Friday 17th March at …