Hey Sewists!

If you’ve been following along you’ll know that I’ve had a literal (in more ways than one) break from sewing recently. Four weeks and counting with a broken wrist. I’m starting to go a little stir crazy to be honest with you. Now, I’m not crying for a pity party here, I am fully aware that there are many other people, way less fortunate than me, with way bigger crosses to bear, for way more extended periods of time. But I would say that as a generally creative person, who’s (pretty much) always doing something with their hands (… sewist… hairdresser… sign language, anyone…?) … It’s still pretty tough going.

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This last week I’ve also bought a proper laptop. I  haven’t used a pc since ‘Windows 98’ believe it or not. Yes, that’s pre ‘Y2K’ – so after being mollycoddled for years by iPhones and iPads with interfaces that a baby can use, you can imagine that it’s a bit of a learning curve for me. Now that I finally have a full qwerty keyboard to write my blog posts on, it smarts a bit to only be able to type with one hand at the moment… slower than I am with one thumb on my phone! But I’m using what I guess would have been sewing time as getting to know my laptop time.

A while back in This Post I mentioned that I’d had to upgrade my wordpress account (as I’d used all my storage allowance up with blurry and unnecessary photos of amateur sewing techniques…) with this upgrade came a free domain name – even though I have now claimed this, I am still unsure of what it actually is and what it means. Maybe it means I lose all my followers and no one will ever find my blog online again…? Maybe it means something else. I guess only time will tell. (… or perhaps a short course at the local adult learning centre…?) But what I do know is that it gave me a chance to change the name of all this. Well, truth be told, my hand was forced as it seems that mensew.com has already been taken by someone (although I cannot find any content under the title as yet) so I couldnt have that anyway. Also, the more I thought about it, the less I thought it represented me and my sewing… It was meant to represent men who sew and anyone interested in sewing (or reading about sewing) menswear. But I’m not sure that’s a clear message.

On a seperate (but also related…!) note; when I first started on Instagram I was a social media virgin, unschooled and green. Nervous of having any kind of online presence I didn’t use my real name, and in lieu of any decent sewing puns I simply stated my new hobby and my childhood nickname (a bit like when you make your porn-star name from your first pet and the street you grew up on…) thus ‘BusterSew’ was born.

So, to bring these last two paragraphs together: I needed a new name, and I’m taking the opportunity to streamline my digital output under one title. Again, in lieu of a decent sewing pun I have decided to take my favourite past-time and my actual name…

Hello, I’m SewAndrew!

(Cool, self-designed, totally professional and grown-up looking logo to be inserted here…)

Moving forward I have no idea what this means, but I can assure you, you’ll be among the first to hear about it! If however, you never hear from me again, please have a little search for SewAndrew as I may be hiding over there!

There’s not much sewing to tell you about I’m afraid. But I have finally updated my post about The Mystery Blogger Award (click the link and scroll down to the update!) to include my answers to the great questions posed by Sarah at Wanderstitch.

The threat of that needle-case tutorial is still looming over all of our heads. But I have designed a new bag. Two variations which I’m very much looking forward to making and sharing with you. Especially as the smaller one will be my first foray into sewing with leather. Well, pig skin to be precise. Well, pig suede to be exact… I know, the thought sends shudders through me too, but I was given a pig skin, tossed out by the fashion trade, and I’ll be damned if I’ll see that poor little hide go to waste. He will not have died for nothing… I’m making a bag… Probably a few wallets and purses too.

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Happy Sewing! … and please don’t break any limbs.

Notes to self;

  • Having a big wide screen makes me write much longer paragraphs. 
  • A laptop screen is much less forgiving than a tiny little phone screen.
  • I must stand further away from the camera!