The sartorialista and her sister

Handsome isn't he?

My mother bought this sewing machine back in the 1960s

and started making all our clothes.
No frock was too floral, too bright,
or too short.

Pretty soon I was using it too.

I remember the thrill of leafing through the huge pattern books

produced by Simplicity and Butterick, McCalls and Vogue

and coming home with a fat envelope of

flimsy folded patterns which had to be accurately

laid out and pinned to the fabric.

But if I didn't find what I wanted, I improvised

with old sheets, tie-dyeing them with those tiny tins of Dylon, 
(so impossible to open without liberally spotting everything 
pink and purple, orange and green,)

and then slicing holes for my head and arms.

I also customised my jeans by ripping up the outside seams

and inserting flowery panels to make them more flared.

Paired with chokers and belts made from a huge bag of 
leather and suede offcuts,

I was very well pleased with the overall effect.

Today I hauled it out to make some curtains,

but I was half tempted to make the curtains

into a tunic...

Getting dressed is just so boring these days.

LIfted directly from Wikipedia; Husqvarna was 

originally a military arsenal founded in 1869 to produce

muskets for the Swedish army. 

The company Husqvarna has since grown,

and its production has changed from weapons, sewing machines,

kitchen equipment, bicycles and motorcycles

to lawnmowers, chainsaws and construction products.