Introducing Barbro, our 10th Wollyonline Team Member

6:28:00 AM

And hooray, here we are at 10 Wollyonline Team Members! Barbro is her name and let's get to know her a little better : )

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I'm Barbro from Norway, 51 years old, married, mother of two grown up children & a spoiled cat. I live in a small village near the Atlantic Road, a beautiful part of the country.

How old were you when you started sewing?
I have been sewing as long as I can remember, and I think I must have been about 5 years old the first time I used my mum's white Husqvarna 2000

What started your sewing career?
My sewing career  was bound to happen, as my grandmother was a seamstress, and my mother was very skilled too. My grandmother did sew to feed her family, my mum to dress herself, my sister and me. I'm sewing because I love to, it's my hobby & my passion.

What was the first thing you made?
I can't remember the first thing I made, but I suppose it must have been something for my Barbie. The first time I did sew, I do remember. My mum allowed me to zigzag around the parts of a pair of pants she made me. The machine was set on slow speed, and mum taught me how to control the material and the machine. A big moment for a little girl!

What are your favorite things to sew?
My favorite things to sew changes all the time. I tend to make 5 or 10 of each item before I get fed up. I make bags, blankets, draw string bags, box pouches, girls dresses, doll clothes etc. What I love to do is to make something new from something old, and I got quite a bit of clothes, curtains, bed linen etc in my storage.
What would you love to never ever sew again?
I once upholstered a sofa, and that was not something I liked to do!

Who is/are the main recipient(s) of your sewn items?
I sell the things I make at markets and in my friends yarn store.

What is something that you always wanted to make but haven’t yet?
I would love to make a fabulous wedding dress, or an amazing ball gown. Unfortunately I don't have the skills I need to do that - yet :)

What was your biggest sewing project to date?
It's the sofa project.

What was the most important sewing project to date?
The project that has meant most to me is a quilt I made for the local nursing home. It's made in white & off-white tones, and I gathered all kinds of fabric before I started sewing. It's a simple quilt made from squares, and in it lies the history of many lives since the squares are cut from the things like sleeves of a wedding dress, the shirt of a groom, embroidered table cloths,  curtains from a different era, the 50's dress of an old aunt etc. For me that was the right thing to do since the quilt was going to be used for showings.

What was the last thing you finished?
The last thing I finished was a cushion cover. I made it from material with maritime print.

Were you happy with the result?
Yes I am since it got a zipper, and zippers can be a bit scary to work with : )

What was the last thing you had to throw out because it failed desperately?
It was a Japanese knot bag. Easy to sew if instructions are followed. I thought I didn't need to, and that did not work out at all.

Could it have been saved?
Yes it could, but I gave myself the luxury of throwing it away instead of getting mad over seam ripping.

What was your first sewing machine?
My first sewing machine was given to me by my uncle, and it was the old hand crank type.
I absolutely loved it, and I'm sure I stitched my way half way around the world with it.


What machines(s) do you use these days?
My main machine is a 20 year old Pfaff Tiptronic 6270. I fear the day it'll be worn out, because I don't know what machine could replace it. I also got a serger, Elna 654. I've spent hours cursing over the threading, but I still wouldn't want to be without it. The last addition to the family is a Janome 350e embroidery machine. We are working on becoming friends 😊

Which on is your favourite?
My favourite is my Pfaff machine, no doubt!

What other crafts do you do?
I knit, crochet, and also I love to upcycle all kinds of items.
Fun Detail: the black bag is made from bicycle inner tubes...!

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1 comments

  1. Welcome Barbro! We culd be twins.....;-)I'm curious what you'll be sewing next!

    ReplyDelete