Sewing Machine Nostalgia

One half of us here at Helter Skelter Kids has been muddling through on some rather old equipment of late.  Me.  So this past Saturday, I finally found a chance to leave the family at home and give my full attention to the matter of sewing machine shopping.  My new machine was delivered today, but I've become a bit sentimental about the one I'm putting back on the shelf.

Elna Lotus ZZ

Many moons ago, when I complained to my mother how nice it would be to have a sewing machine at hand to take up hems and whip up cushion covers, she kindly bought me an Elna Lotus ZZ.  Its a funky little number with sides that fold down and a lovely tan hue.    Produced between 1968 and 1977, it is roughly the same vintage as me (along with some of our dress patterns).  It has a aluminium handle and when it is all folded up, it may well pass for a handbag.  You can't say that about many modern appliances, can you?

Style aside, it has been a real trouper of a sewing machine.  I've expected it to sew more volume than it was probably ever designed to and as long as I take it for a regular service and kept the lint out of its innards, it kept on going.  

Sadly for the Lotus ZZ (which stands for zig zag, one of "4 practical stitches" it can create) it isn't up to the task of producing large quantities of sewn goods and so an upgrade has been organised.  Don't feel sad for it though, because after another service it will stand ready and waiting to stitch as my reserve machine.  The Lotus is a long way from broken and still has a long life ahead of it.  It will be the perfect machine to start my children sewing, should either of them show an interest, as it is beautifully simple and all its functions are easy to understand.

Lets not forget that this is a sewing machine produced by the masters of machinery - the Swiss.  In recent years, Elna has been bought out by a Japanese competitor and although I have every respect for Japanese manufacturing (my new model is made there) I'm also nostalgic for a time when Europe manufactured excellent machinery.  Indeed, I puff up with pride and announce "It's Swiss made!" whenever anyone inquires about it.  Alas, manufacturing goods like these in Europe has become cost prohibitive.  My salesman on Saturday assured me that if my new machine has been manufactured in Switzerland, it would have cost six times the price.

Elna Lotus ZZ, I salute you!  You have served me well to this point.  Helter Skelter Kids has benefited from your diligent stitching and for that we are grateful.

xx
Jane

Something for the Boys!

All too often, a shopper passes by our market stall, admires the pretty things we make for little girls only to announce, "I have a son.  What do you make for boys?".  

Now, both Sliz and I are mothers to little boys and we know how frustrating it can be to see lots of lovely things for the girls and nothing great for our sons.  We quickly realised that we didn't want to be the kind of label that produces only girly things.  

So, I offer to you, kind blog reader, the first of our outfits designed with boys in mind.  We think our karate tops worked out beautifully and just as good if you were taking your boy to a wedding as they would to a more casual affair.  We looked long and hard to find the right kind of fabrics for boys, which proved to be a real challenge.  We finally found a few fantastic ethnic style prints, plus some great vintage style fabric featuring classic cars and planes.

To match, we have these fantastic trousers that roll up to become a pair of shorts.  They stand alone, really, (although not literally) because they could be worn over and over with any matching shirt or bodysuit.  They are absolutely perfect for crawling, as you can adjust the turn up so that your baby's knees are covered, or not, depending on your preference.  The fit is lovely and roomy, so there is plenty of room for a nappy - cloth or disposable.  Both of us have a Helter Skelter baby who tested this trouser design for us when they reached crawling age and we give them a gold star for performance.


As with our apron dresses, layer the top with a long sleeved t-shirt and your shirt is as good to wear in the winter as it is in the summer.  As for the shorts, just roll the legs down and you have a pair of full length trousers.

Now that I've convinced you of their masculine charms, take another look.  They'd look pretty sweet on a little lass too, don't you think?  If only more girls' outfits could make that claim.

Sizes start at 3 months and extend up to 24 months.  Get 'em now on Etsy!  Sold separately.

E17 Designers Market

 Our apron dress and karate top @ E17 Designers

The best thing about selling our wares in a market environment is that we get to speak directly to our customers.  We learn what they like, they say lovely things about the stuff we've lovingly crafted and they give us the encouragement we need to keep everything going.

It is even more insightful to speak to our potential customers, the ones who browse but don't buy anything.  Understanding what makes them want to shop with us means making a more desirable range of items, which means our little business will thrive.

We met plenty of lovely shoppers at the E17 Designers Market  a few weeks ago.  It was a perfect late summer's day, bathed in sunshine and warm enough to wear t-shirts.  Plenty of people were out and about as part of Walthamstow's fantastic annual Art Trail, so there were loads of folks passing through the market hall.

Helter Skelter Jane at our stall

The atmosphere was boosted by a delightful performance form the Rose and Crown singers (who set up adjacent to our stall, so we had front row seats).  I remember enjoying their version of "Scarborough Fair" very much.  Also passing our stall were a steady stream of cafe patrons, who had discovered that a good cup of tea and a slice of amazing homemade cake were to be garnered from one of the hall's back rooms.

Sliz and I had a terrific day, making our most sales yet for a market stall.  We left the hall beaming with pride and bouncing with motivation.  We hope to be a part of many more E17 Designer events in the future.

Sewing Mania and the Craft Fair

Before Sliz and I joined forces I'd been talking to friends and family, trying to gauge whether my sewing ambitions were sensible and if other people thought I might be able to make a living out of it.  One kind and supportive friend suggested I participate in the local fair she'd been helping to organise at our local toy library.  Preparations were underway at the time, but the fair was still months off and it seemed like a great motivator to kick start this little business.

And so our first deadline was set.

Teaming up with Sliz was great because it simultaneously gave the business focus, while broadening its horizons.  Now Sliz had other stuff to keep her busy, over and above caring for her family.  She was already sewing to supplement the household income, plus she was (and is still) managing a pile of duties for an exciting pop up restaurant at the Glastonbury Festival later in the summer.  So she offered to make a start to our partnership by helping out on the day of the market and manning the stall.  That didn't last for long because she was fabric shopping and assuming the sewing position behind her machine. 

Two weeks before the fair we were confident that we had enough time and stamina to get all our stock sewn and our stall looking good, but that's when the universe started throwing obstacles our way.

To begin with a nasty tummy bug hit Casa Sliz, leaving all of her family laid up in bed (including their visiting grandparents).  There were teething babies, explosive nappies and needy toddlers.  Both our husbands left town on pre-arranged business, while the volcanic ash from and Icelandic eruption threatened not to bring one back on time.  A great piece of marketing for the Glastonbury restaurant meant that Sliz' admin work mushroomed overnight.  Then the tummy bug came to my house.  Our fabric was delivered late.  My sewing machine broke down.  I cried.  All the while, our nights saw us sewing late, late into the night and our days were spent on short fuses for having gotten by on too little sleep.

The night before the craft fair we gathered around the kitchen table, amazed that we'd reached our goal of sewing 30 of our lovely little apron dresses (more about them in another post) and matching bloomers. 

The fair was a success!  We made a few sales, but more importantly, we'd been able to to talk directly to our customers and understand what they'd like from a label like ours.  So far, what we'd produced were pretty dresses for baby girls, which garnered lots of admiration.  What we found, though, were plenty of parents saying "What about something for boys?".  Then some said "I have an older daughter who would love to wear a dress like that" or "Do you have a website?".  Not so much food for thought, but more of a feast. 

After a week of intense sewing and stressing we decided to relax, or at least that was the intention.  We couldn't stop ourselves brains from whirring in fast forward though, so much to plan, so much to do!