I am Donna Taylor, married to Mark, living in Springwater Township just a few feet north of Barrie, Ontario. I am a retired nurse but have a few hundred jobs here at home that I rush through every day in order to get to my sewing room, my favourite place. I have been sewing since I was a kid, but nothing that didn’t have straight lines and likely hung windows. (although I did make a poncho in grade 10 home ec) In 2009 I bought a new sewing machine that could embroider things and I started to make all kinds of things with everyone’s name on it. Since then I have expanded my skill set somewhat, with thanks to Google, Youtube and Pinterest where anything can be learned and where new ideas abound. As result, I am never ever bored. The pandemic has not been a huge hardship for me, however I so miss having friends in to sew with me.

I have learned to quilt and love the patchwork process. I’ve made a 1000 masks. My favourites though, are toys and dolls and things made from felt. Mainly I sew for fun and to create gifts for friends, but I will accept orders here and there. Please feel free to text me at 705-730-1671 or email at donmark@rogers.com if you’d like me to make you something. Take a browse around here; I’m currently in the process of updating the pages with newer things, so the site may seem like a jumble.

Meanwhile, please take a look at my lovely room and please come visit once we are free again.

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If you look beyond the sewing machine to the TV in the background you might see I am watching COVID numbers rise as another lockdown is announced. Thank goodness for my sewing room. Today, my favourite machine gets a new cover as well as pockets for keeping all those vital things like scissors, tiny rulers and little oil bottles. Because Mark created a recessed area on the table to help accommodate my sorevleft shoulder, the old cover was just too tall.
And too brown. The fabric came in a sewers club box, a gift from Meg. I love it. What do you think?

I wrote a post about it here: Spring make-over in the sewing room.

I made a new under-the-machine pad to catch wayward needles and threads and to hold the 3 pocket that contain the little bits and pieces I want at my fingertips:

Pocket #1 Needles for embroidery, quilting, stretch, etc etc and new rotary cutters and a case for the old ones, as well as a used Rx bottle to hold broken sharps. (this is basic public health prevention and control for blood -born infections.) 🙂

Pocket #2: that little hem ruler with the red slider that we all have that is indispensable(officially called the 6″ sewing gauge with slider) and assorted tweezers and tiny scissors for embroidery mainly.

Pocket #3 Oil dispenser, brush for getting at the tiny crevices in the bobbin casing, needle types I never use but if I want one it must be handy. (like leather, and twin needles), Stitch card. I need this because my Berninia will sew about 200 or more different stitches. It is awesome.

And because my machine is recessed, I needed (aka had to have or I could not continue ) a cover that was shorter to fit perfectly while the machine is in it’s little recessed bed. And I was compelled to use this sweet sewing-room fabric, so made appliqués to suit. Now I don’t do any sewing at all. I just sit and look at the prettiness of it. 🙂

Please ignore the TV’s

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