Crafty in the Med

I am here to enjoy meeting other bloggers and to share my love of craft ,mostly crochet, my thoughts and my daily happenings here in Alicante,Spain, my adopted country. I belong to a local choir because singing and music makes me happy. Flea markets and book shops are two of my favourite places to be. I read lots......sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I walk and walk and walk for about 10 months per year during the hot months I swim.

Sunday, 9 December 2012

from ME to ME


LIKE A FRUITCAKE!

You probably think me daft .... you know doolally ....or perhaps even losing my grip.....lost a screw..... but I am feeling absurdly content with the early present I have bought for myself from myself for Christmas ..........


....for months now I've been reviewing comments online about this machine ...that machine trying to decide which sewing machine would be the best one for me, considering I am a complete beginner....a total ignoramus where sewing machines are concerned. All this time I've seen some very nice sewing machines,terribly tempting and at really good prices but I have hesitated with the persistent thought that what if I spend all that money and then I muck up the machine because I don't know what I'm doing, it would be such a waste.

About a month ago a friend mentioned that she had a cheap Silvercrest sewing machine which she bought from Lidl and that she was very pleased with it. Since then I've been checking out the reviews online about this brand and found that most of the comments were quite favourable when you take into account that its a very cheap basic machine. I continued to hesitate thinking also the Silvercrest machine could turn out to be a cheap nasty bit of junk too....but as fate would have it....last Wednesday I heard on the Tv that Lidl would have a new model Silvercrest sewing machine for sale as from Friday 7th December for 89€ (that's approx 73 pounds)!!!!.

Now then fate seems to have stepped in again here because I gave my last class at The Red Cross Friday morning and my return journey home goes right past the Lidl supermarket and I tell you I swear it was as if my car had a mind of its own, as before I even knew it I was parking my car in the Lidel parking lot and was queuing at the till with a great big white box in my arms that contained .....yes of course the Silvercrest sewing machine! 
That's not all though I have already threaded it AND fitted the bobbin in AND sewn a bit of fabric together to check it works ok AND now I am looking around my house trying to decide what I am going to make first.....this may seem all very simplistic and dum dum to you expert sewing machinist out there but I feel CHUFFED ( translated as over the moon)that I have got that far.....and now I am going to celebrate with a nice glass of red....Rioja I think!!!



have a great weekend

Amanda :-)

27 comments:

  1. What a brilliant gift! Well chosen and well given! Fully expect to see lots of sewing postings from now on :)

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  2. Good for you Amanda !! congratulations on buying your first sewing machine. I know exactly how you feel, I had to leave my sewing machine behind when I left Syria and to be honest I hadn't used it for years, then a couple of years ago I got the urge to sew again, I wanted to make some pillow case dresses for African girls, so I pondered like you and I like you found myself with white box in hands at Lidle too, same make but probably different model yours looks posher than mine, mine is boring plain white no fancy red trims like yours haha. Anyway I have made all sorts with it even sanitary towels for girls in Africa and have had no problems except for threading the needle, but that's not the machines fault just my poor eyesight! I'm sure you will enjoy trying out all the different stitches and I look forward to seeing all the lovely things you make with it, have fun !! xx

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    1. Hello Linda,
      Funny you should mention the needle I've had the same problem but as you say not the machine's fault. Glad to hear from another person who is using the same brand of machine


      A xx

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  3. Happy "Over the Moon" to ya, Amanda. I am sure you will have yourself lots of "fun" and .... ???? xx

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  4. You go girl. Such a bargain too. I hope you have many wonderful days with your Silvercrest.

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  5. What a fantastic present to give to yourself, can't wait to see what you make.
    Happy Weekend,
    Meredith

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  6. I'm so happy for you. Have a great machine makes for great projects! Have a wonderful week of sewing:-D

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  7. you did well!!! what a fantastic present !!!!
    xxx Ale

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  8. What a nice gift you gave yourself :) Can't wait to see all the fun sewing projects in the upcoming posts!

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  9. It looks very retro! Happy sewing! :)

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  10. Wow - that looks a fabulous machine for such a bargain price. Look forward to seeing your makes :-)

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  11. Lovely. I'm considering buying a sewing machine too, but as it would get little use I'm thinking about getting a functional toy for children.

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  12. Very nice! I am so happy for you! Can't wait to see all your projects!

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  13. IRYPY - Yay!!
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  14. Hi Amanda...Wow, your machine is fab!...(I haven't seen this design before)It has a wonderfully vintage look to it that's a winner. I think you have have made the perfect choice. For me, I never find it easy to change my machine...so many choices out there these days...I think this will be perfect for you.
    Wishing you many years of happy sewing ahead...You are going to have so much fun!
    Susan x
    P.S Thank you so much for your lovely comments about Romeo..made my day!

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  15. I am so excited for you, Amanda! I have never gotten comfortable using a sewing machine, although at least in theory I want to:) I hope you really enjoy it! Guess what just came in the mail??? Your wonderful Snowflake Swap!!! Thank you so much for your generous gifts to me. I already have the snowflakes put on my Christmas tree and my grands have put the magnets on the fridge. The teapot cozy fits perfectly and I so love it and the bell and Christmas tree you crocheted!!! The heart pins and pin cushion/sachet are unique and I will enjoy using them! The china from Spain is so special...I love the colors of the designs! The Christmas tree material, the laces, ribbons, embroidery thread and sequins are tickling my creative imagination and begging to be used for special projects:) The soap is lovely and I will enjoy using it. AND you wrote me a letter!!! Thank you so very much!!!
    I am having so much fun blogging, but I have a lot to learn about the technical end of it. I thought I had your blog in my blog roll, but I am off to investigate to see what I did wrong, because I have missed so many of your posts since I first met you through Kate. I hope you receive my gifts soon and that they will not disappoint you...the parcel is flat, but the contents are meant to please you, and I loved putting it together for you:) Blessings to you and yours. xx from Gracie

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    1. That was QUICK Gracie....I am surprised!
      Very Very glad you enjoyed the contents

      Amanda :-)

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  16. That looks fabulous and very trendy too! Hope you share all the things you make with us! Happy, scrappy Christmas, jenx

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  17. Hello - thanks for your comment on my blog - I have emailed you :)

    A very snazzy looking sewing machine - am sure you'll have hours of fun with it :)

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  18. Hi Amanda,
    It looks like an attractive piece of kit. And now you've had a few more days to use it, does it perform as well as you'd hoped?

    I'm thinking of getting this as a Christmas present for my partner. If you don't mind me asking, what is the model number? I can't find this anywhere else but Lidl and there are no reviews aside from yours as far as I can find, so I'm wondering whether to go for this or shell out a bit extra for a make I know, with numerous reviews - albeit less features and extras.

    Many thanks
    Matt

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    1. Hello Matt,
      Thank you for visiting my blog.
      Unfortunately I cannot as yet expand on the comments I have already given on this post about how my SM (Model Nº SNMD 33 A1)performs as I haven't had the chance to do anything else with it yet. I have to wait for the weekend to enjoy crafting. If you scroll up here to Linda's comments (a fellow blogger) you'll see she also praises this brand of sewing machine too although her model is different from mine. I was quite surprised when I got it out of the box to see it is a proper sewing machine and not a sophisticated toy,a thought that was going through my mind after I bought it. It is basic of course ,very easy to set up for a beginner like me but I imagine that its not going to last a long time although it does have a 3 year guarantee. It is a Lidl brand so I don't suppose you can purchase one anywhere else except in Lidl. At present I am pleased with it,time will tell.
      This link maybe of use to you:
      http://www.sewingguide.de/en/product-overview.html

      keep well

      Amanda

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  19. And there I am over on my blog asking what treats people celebrate their small triumphs with ... Rioja for you.

    I don't do much sewing these days but I used to do a lot. It's addictive and so much fun. Enjoy x

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  20. Hi Amanda, Great machine! I got my first one this year and it is so much fun. I'm still a beginner but I'm getting better slowly. It's really addictive, you'll see :) Also, stop by my blog when you get a moment, there's an award there for you ;) Besos

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  21. What a nice looking machine. xxx

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  22. We deserve to treat ourselves now and again don't we. I'm thinking your new sewing machine looks very exciting and groovy. I'd like a new one, mine is groaning a bit, it only ever gets cleaned and serviced at christmas when I stop making stuff for a few days.
    Happy sewing. x

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  23. Craft kits should use non-toxic, environmentally friendly materials.

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Thank you for your comments. I do read them and try to reply to all as well.Please keep them coming. Amanda :-)