Written by Caroline Walmsley
Apply paint, stamp, stamp
Apply paint, stamp, stamp
Apply paint, stamp, stamp
Apply paint (I wonder if there’s anything good on at the movies…), stamp (OH, NO! Turn stamp around and concentrate…), stamp
Apply paint, stamp, stamp...
And thus another batch of labels was prepared for our most recent Tote All Recall bag sewing bee on 14 April.
Familiar faces were joined by four new ones, including some who hadn’t sewn anything for years, and others who obviously had. Experience and knowledge were shared over the sound of sewing machines whirring and home baking being enjoyed.
For the first time, we met someone who preferred to use a hand-crank Singer sewing machine. We all paused to admire the beautifully maintained antique, and to wonder at how the operator could sew with only one hand (the other being used to power the machine) – or maybe that was just me!
Over 10 fabric bags were produced during the workshop and many participants took patterns or material home to be able to contribute further to the Tote All Recall bag library scheme.
If you’re interested in joining us for a sewing, chatting and snacking session, our next workshop is on Sat 9 June 1.30-4pm in the barn at Ambury Farm. Put that date in your diary. If you’re keen to sew but prefer to do so in your own time, fabric and patterns can be obtained from Mangere Floral Studio in the village.
All bags are donated to the Tote All Recall bag library, supported by Friends of the Farm, which allows locals to borrow a reusable fabric bag for their shopping, instead of saying yes to the endless numbers of single-use plastic bags provided in almost every shop visited. Bags can be picked up from the Mangere Bridge Library or at Paul’s Mangere Bridge Fruit ‘n’ Veg shop on Coronation Rd. Please return your bags when convenient, so they can be re-used by somebody else – in the same way that library books are used then recalled.
