Welcome to Touch and Sew!

Hello! This is my blog to chat about all things sewing. Since losing most of my eyesight 3 years ago I've been struggling to find work (like millions of others, sighted and blind alike), plus feeling lost when trying to think about how to do the creative things I used to do.

Then one day I made a comment about some hair accessories for an outfit Magpie Mimi was making and I thought a hat would go well with that. I've always liked hats and thought, wouldn't it be cool to try and make one. And I thought, well why not!

So here I am. Not starting with hat making but rather with quilting, since there's a class just started up at Center for the Visually Impaired here in Atlanta. So that's what I'm doing, and my plans for the year extend beyond that to felt making and then hats.

Of course for someone who hasn't picked up a needle and thread in 25 years this poses something a challenge. Even if I could see the eye of the needle I'd strugggle to get that thread in... I'll talk about accessories that are available to help blind / low vision folk in later posts.

The title Touch And Sew is chosen because I discovered at class one that that's the way to try and keep in a straight line. Put some sticky tape along the edge you wish to sew up and feel for the tape, making your stitches close to that marking. Also feel for your last stitch as you make the next one, so you can sew close to it and in line with it. Well, that's the theory! More about my experiences at the first class very soon! Suffice to say it's a very touchy-feely kind of thing!

Thanks for stopping by to read this. Please come back and follow it and chat in the comments. I'd like to hear other people's sewing activities, whether a newcomer or a pro, 20:20 vision or blind as a bat!