Skills swap
You might have noticed a lack of sewing here on silverpebble (except for the lovely things made by other bloggers). There is a good reason for this. I am daunted by sewing machines and last used one in 1983. Imagine! I wanted to remedy this embarrassing situation so I chatted to Val at Dottycookie, who lives not too far away. She wanted to learn to make things from artclay - the special ceramic I use to make my silver designs. We felt a swap coming on, but a swap of skills, rather than things we had made.
Last week she popped along to the pebbly cottage and we got busy with little pieces of clay with a view to making silvery prettiness.
Dottycookie hands making silvery things.
We squished and rolled, pressed tools into it, baked, filed, smoothed, and fired it. Flames came out. It was exciting. Most very exciting of all though, after firing it we polished away the white silver oxide from the surface and burnished with a knitting needle. Would you like to see what she made?
There was a momentary concern that, like Lord Percy, we may have made a piece of the purest green, but they were actually beautiful little Dottycookie designs of the purest silver (that can even be hallmarked!). There was cooing, and then some twiddling and a gorgeous necklace resulted. Job done I think!
Right, now for the other half of the swap….. Time skips forward a week. I currently have my Granny’s sewing machine and first of all Val gave me some tuition in the ways of threading it up. That done, I snipped a bit of calico and ahem, wait for it, you may not believe your eyes, I made some stitches. Your read that correctly - I sewed, using a machine, on a piece of fabric. Oh!
I was very excited indeed. My stitches appeared to be in neat little rows. As though that wasn’t enough we went on to make a little bag, with a ribbon and toggle drawstring, on which I drew a little bird with a fabric pen and sewed on a vintage button. Oh oh!
I MADE this!
I now keep my old marbles in it, in case I lose them, as it were. Thankyou thankyou Val - I am so very giddy about entering the world of machine sewing. I have been meaning to get my bottom in gear in that area for a very long time indeed. FINALLY I have sewed something. A very small something, but it is a very exciting start.
Tweet.
What we both hope now is that you out there will swap some skills. We reckon that a two hour meet up is enough for the following very important activities:
Chatting
Drinking tea
Eating baked goods (in our case berry muffins and raisin toast)
Swapping a skill
We had two such 2 hour meet ups and as you see, we got results we were both delighted with in this time. Skills top-ups, such as passing on some further crochet, knitting, embroidery or quilting tips could also work. This is not an organised swap as such, but we hope that some more swaps will take place amongst both bloggers and non-bloggers. I have a plan to approach a local basketmaker , teach her to make jewellery and I hope that she might teach me to make willow obelisks for my garden. It’s a sociable and thrifty way to learn new things. Not only that, there will be cake! Cake, as we know, is very important indeed.
So, if anyone decides to do a swap we’d really love to hear about it and see what you have made so contact myself or Dottycookie. Perhaps we will start a flickr group for the swap results.
January 28th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Lovely work, can’t believe all was achieved by complete beginners in just 2 2hr sessions, fantastic!
Excellent idea to skill swap.
January 28th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
What a wonderful idea and what a great little pouch you made. I love the bird
January 28th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Oh what lovely things you both made! I’m so cross that I work on Wednesdays!!!! Perhaps I can swap with you another time?
January 28th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
What a fantastic thing to do! I love what you have both made - those little silver flowers are gorgeous and I am totally in love with Mr Birdy guarding your marbles so you don’t lose them - brilliant plan there Missus Pebble!
Maybe we could organise a group skill swap in London?
Locket xxx
January 28th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Thats such a great idea and isn’t the bag great?
January 28th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Oh oh oh - it’s all so lovely!
Kristina (Jolly Hockey Sticks) and I are about to embark on a joint project together. I will suggest to her that we join your group - it’s a fab idea. I have been thinking about similar things for a while now too…
January 28th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Lovely, lovely - both of you! And what a great idea. Trouble is I’m seemingly a zillion miles from most bloggers (except Pipany!). I’m also prone to exaggeration…ok, not quite a zillion!
January 28th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
What a great idea sharing your skills like that….sounds like a very enjoyable way to spend some time ;o)
January 28th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
wonderful things, wonderful idea, and cake too, what could be better xxx
January 28th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
i love what you’ve both made - absolutely brilliant!! wished i lived nearer and i could maybe show you some crochet or quilting!!!
xxx
January 28th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
You clever women - Monica taught me how to crochet and I taught her how to make buttercream icing (read the directions on the bag). Somehow, I know who got the better end of the deal!
It’s all an excuse for a giant tea and natter fest though, isn’t it?
January 28th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Adorable bag and such talent to share between you. I shall ponder on the swap idea here in the west.
January 28th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Am hoping to organise a teach-me-how-to-crochet session with Maria. Am not sure what I can offer back. Do you think I could get away with just cake?/
January 28th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
what a fab idea and lovely results! What a great treasure bag - loving the birdie on it and the pendant is lovely too
I have a sewing machine but it is up in my loft gathering dust as I can’t even remember how to thread the bloomin thing, must pester Mum to teach me.
You lot all seem so talented not sure I can offer anything in return for a swap-a-skill-session not unless any of you want to learn cross stitch. Fab idea though!
January 28th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
What a productive skills swap with such lovely results! But how did you fit in the tea and goodies, too? You must have caught on more quickly than I usually do! K x
January 28th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
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January 28th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
This is just the bomb - a great unpresured way to learn - and have cake !
Awesome !
January 28th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
What a brilliant swap, learning something new is so invigorating and such a boost to creativity. Of course chatting and eating muffins is good too!
January 28th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
I absolutely love this idea (and the results of your swap too). Don’t suppose there is anyone in North Wales who wants to learn how to make herb jellies? I would love some knitting or sewing or embroidery tuition in return.
Can do the baked good and the chat!
January 28th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
That’s a great idea and well done to both of you for making such lovely things at your first attempts! :o) Who can I swap with in Lincolnshire for cake and tea?
January 28th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
That’s a great idea! I would love to learn crochet but unfortunately I don’t think there is anything I can teach!!! Love the results.
Mel xxx
January 28th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
well done. A great achievement. The little bird drawing is so sweet . You have a lovely style and did you know you can draw with the machine?
January 28th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
What a lovely, lovely idea. I would love to skill swap, but sadly I have no swappable skills! I could just hover around in the background, and provide plenty of tea and cake.
Bertie x
January 29th, 2010 at 1:32 am
Great idea Emma. You both really got a lot out of it aswell as great chatty cake time.
I’d love to learn piano basics and how to decorate cakes, plus oh so many other things.
Lisa x
January 29th, 2010 at 2:25 am
Oh, rats!!! It’s a lovely idea, but I have absolutely nothing to swap! Unless somebody wants to learn how to give her partner/children a massage… Or make some really easy herbal medicines or aromatic potions. Note to self: develop some kind of crafting ability, asap.
(Gorgeous work, DC and SP!!!)
January 29th, 2010 at 4:17 am
You guys are killing me here!!! Oooooh — to only live close enough to swap with you. One day… One day Ms. Pebble. I can hardly wait!!!
January 29th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
what a lovely thing for you both to have done and then to have showed us! I just love the little bag…….. so very simple and understated.
January 29th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
I LOVE this idea, but as Diana says, we only live near each other! We do meet up, chat, knit, eat & drinkl though! Anyone else in Cornwal, though gawd knows what skills I could swap. Duck/hen rearing maybe or embroidery/knitting in return for teaching me crochet skills which I have lost over the years? Ah well… x
January 29th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Isn’t it wonderful to share skills like this? Both of you did an excellent job! I am lucky enough to live in a neighbourhood with lots of talented women with whom we have taught skills like knitting and sewing. Our next project is reupholstering, none of us are experts but we figure between us we’ll crack it!
January 29th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Well done with the sewing- that’s great progress! I have trouble sewing in a straight line with my sewing machine, so only small things are machine sewn in my house!
Love the idea of the skills swap too!
January 29th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Fabulous idea! I like Locket’s idea of a group skills swap in London too. If anyone is near West Kent and would like to learn basic knitting/sewing skills do let me know. Or perhaps I could trade a mean brownie recipe for something?!
R x
January 30th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Your little bag is lovely just perfect for little treasure’s. It’s a lovely idea to share your skills.
January 30th, 2010 at 10:49 am
What a great idea…if there’s anyone listening in New Zealand who can waterski I’d be very grateful for a lesson…what can I give back? I do a great ‘how not to belly flop’ tutorial and I’m always at the ready for a wine tasting! x
January 30th, 2010 at 11:49 am
This has filled me with hope as I am about to dig out mum’s old singer sewing machine ! Last used one aged 14 in school needlework class - am 46 now !
January 30th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
That’s a great idea and your results are lovely! I’d love to have a go with silver clay, I tried a silver smithing class but never really got over being scared of boiling metal! Pathetic!
January 31st, 2010 at 12:20 am
Such a great idea Emma - the bartering of skills goes way back I’m sure. I read somewhere that the bartering of goods and services is set to come back in a big way too. It certainly makes sense these days.
I love your little drawstring bird bag.
Thank you for your comment at mine. I’m glad you like my little group of birds. They’re actually painted metal and I bought them from that lovely little interiors shop in Southwold (whose name escapes me at the moment!). Looking at them again they are very you and ’silver pebble’ aren’t they?!!
Jeanne x
January 31st, 2010 at 2:08 pm
A surprise awaits you on my blog!!
Andrea
January 31st, 2010 at 3:33 pm
What a great idea. I’m up for a skills swap in Kent!
February 1st, 2010 at 9:50 am
What a wonderful and generous arrangement! You’ve both made such lovely things.
February 1st, 2010 at 10:39 am
that is amazing!
what a great swap… wish you lived closer… sigh
February 1st, 2010 at 11:58 am
Arrived here via Dottycookie. Love your little bag! Your swap sounds like such fun!
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:43 pm
I just saw this on Dottycookie and think it was such a great idea. What wonderful things you both made too! Hope your well and Cambridge is gorgeous as ever.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:56 am
What a great idea! And very in keeping with your living on thrifted or handmade items for a year, wonderful! Thank you so much for the link to the silver clay site, what amazing stuff! Maybe the starter kit would be a good gift, how very wonderful. I love the distinct handmade look to these silver clay pieces, I really like that you can see the work of a hand in them, and they’re beautiful. Love Vanessa xxx