1
Welcome …… September brings the turning of the year as the seasons change once more and we enjoy that magical time when late summer fades gently into the autumn. There’s a change in the atmosphere, as we wake to a feeling of crispness in the air, an the light seems somehow clearer and sharper. There are rosehips in the hedgerows and the swallows’ time with us is nearly over as they begin to flock together for their journey to the south. But as well as a time of ending, September is a time for new beginnings as we cast off our summertime sloth and discover a renewed enthusiasm for stitching, crafting and creating. This month you’ll find your magazine has some new goodies to enjoy as my daughter Rosie has joined Bustle & Sew HQ bringing with her lots of ideas to make it more than just a sewing mag. I’m particularly looking forward to trying my hand at Cinnamon and Nutella Muffins from Rachel at Sunday Baking (page 21) - definitely a case of “Do more of what makes you happy” - this month’s hoop art on page 7. One aspect of life that never changes - for me any way - is that September is the time when I first start to plan my Christmas projects. The last two patterns in this month’s issue are the first of my new designs for Christmas 2014 and I do hope you’ll like them. But Christmas is still a long way off and hopefully there’ll be lots more warm and sunny weather to enjoy before then - so don’t forget to take your stitching outside while you still can! Back next time with some warm and woolly projects for you. Until then happy stitching!
Helen xx
October issue published Thursday 26 September.
2
When you’re having trouble getting your needle to come up in just the right spot – for example when working extremely small stitches or when the canvas is already quite crowded and you can’t see well or stitch without catching other threads accidentally insert the needle in from the front of your work so you can see exactly where you’re putting it and wiggle it around for a moment. Then take it back out again without making a stitch. When you remove it the hole you’ve made will stay open long enough for you to take the needle round to the back again and push it up through the hole easily in the exact right spot.
3
Contents September’s Stitching Tip
Page 4
Look! Washi Tape Flags
Page 22
September Almanac
Page 6
September House Pin Cushion
Page 23
What Makes You Happy Hoop
Page 7
Poetry Corner
Page 29
A Nice Cup of Tea
Page 9
American Quilting: Blocks & Bees Page 30
Sleepy Fox Tea Cosy
Page 11
Look! Mouse Celebration Cake
Page 32
Zip it Up!
Page 14
Winter Penguin Softie
Page 33
Favourite Five - Teapots
Page 16
Sewing with Metallic Threads
Page 36
Appley Dappley Cushion Cover
Page 17
Woodland Friends Hoops
Page 37
By Candlelight
Page 19
Tutti Fruity Shopping Choices
Page 40
Star Baker
Page 20
September’s Favourite Blogs
Page 42
Cinnamon & Nutella Muffins
Page 21
Templates
Page 43
4
September brings the turning of the year once more as summer draws to a close and autumn is just around the corner. The children return to school and life takes on a new tempo after the fun and frivolity of the summer holidays. The word comes from the Latin and its use in English dates back to the 14th century. In the USA is preferred and this term appears in 16th century texts in the longer phrase “fall of the leaf” which was eventually shortened to fall.
to pick them late in the season - the final date for picking is Michaelmas, 29 September because after this time the Devil will have spoiled them. Michaelmas itself is the feast day of St Michael and All Angels and is one of the four days on which quarterly rents are paid. There is an old tradition of serving goose for dinner at Michaelmas which may have its roots in the practice of giving one’s landlord such a bird as a gift. It was also thought that eating goose on Michaelmas Day would bring financial prosperity in the year ahead. The geese were fattened for the table by allowing them to glean fallen grain on the stubble fields after the harvest.
The most important event in September is of course the gathering of the harvest, and Harvest Festival services are held in churches across the country. There are many different historic rituals to accompany the final act of finishing the grain harvest. It was common for the cutting of the last sheaf to be accompanied by a triumphant shout, known as “Crying the Neck” and in many areas it would then be crafted into a doll known as a Kern Doll or Harvest Queen. This has been revived in recent times in the craft of making corn dollies. As well as cultivated crops there is a natural harvest in the hedgerows at this time of year. Blackberries are tasty and abundant, but it’s considered to be extremely bad luck
5
What Makes You Happy I don’t know for certain - but I suspect if you’re reading this then you are probably just like me - and an afternoon spent with your sewing machine and some lovely fabric, or hoop and floss is definitely one of the things that makes you happy! This design would make a great addition to any workroom wall, or a gift for a similarly-minded friend. Simple applique, machine and hand stitching all
Ÿ Bondaweb
Materials
Ÿ Temporary fabric marker
Ÿ 12” square light pink check background fabric (I used part of an Ikea tea towel!)
Ÿ Embroidery foot for sewing machine
Method
Ÿ Scraps of lime green dotty fabric for sewing machine and blue floral fabrics for fabric and heart
Ÿ Transfer the design to the centre of your fabric using the method of your choice. The pattern is given full size and also reversed to help you do this.
Ÿ DMC stranded cotton floss in colours 154, 335, 597, 602, 718, 726, 907 and 3849
Ÿ Using the reversed template trace off the shapes for the sewing machine, heart and fabric to the paper side of the Bondaweb and cut out roughly. Fuse to the reverse of your printed
Ÿ Small (approx ¼”) white button Ÿ Black and a light coloured thread
6
A Nice Cup of Tea Enjoying a nice cuppa - the quintessentially English solution to any problem is to put the kettle on. Who can forget those photos of bombed-out evacuees sitting amid the rubble, cuppa in hand during WW2. But the history of tea goes back much, much further than that …… Legend credits the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung (28th century BC) with the discovery of tea. He had observed that boiling water before drinking it seemed to protect people from disease so always insisted on this. One day, whilst travelling, he stopped for a rest and his servants gathered branches from a nearby evergreen bush to build a fire to boil his water. A passing breeze blew some leaves from the bush into the boiling pot, and soon a delightful aroma arose. Intrigued the emperor drank some of the brew, and finding it delicious ordered his servants to gather leaves from the bush to take back to his palace.
Tea was also popular in the American Colonies. So much so that when King George III decided to use tea as a source of revenue and raise the import tax on tea sent to the Colonies, the independentminded Americans rebelled. The Boston Tea Party of 1773 when colonists dressed in Native American clothing dumped a cargo of tea into Boston Harbour is one of the events that launched the fight for independence. …….. Anna, Duchess of Bedford (1783-1857) is credited with introducing afternoon tea in England. In those days people used to eat a large, heavy breakfast, a late dinner or supper and not a great deal in between. Towards the middle of each afternoon Anna used to feel a “sinking feeling” which she remedied by dining in her boudoir on tea, cakes and biscuits at around four o’clock in the afternoon. Soon others followed her example and in just a few years the custom of “taking tea” in the afternoon had become well established. At first it was limited to the wealthy upperclasses, but eventually became so popular that tea shops and tea rooms began to open to cater to the general public.
News of this discovery quickly spread throughout the land and soon everyone in China was drinking tea. Gradually over time the knowledge and love of tea spread to other parts of the Orient, and then westwards with the first Portuguese and Dutch traders. Tea first reached England in around 1660 and was served first in public coffee houses and outdoor tea gardens, then later in people’s homes. It was very expensive - hence the invention of the lockable tea caddy to prevent your servants from trying your precious leaves.
7
Sleepy Fox Tea Cosy In September as the leaves begin to change colour, almost imperceptibly at first, my thoughts turn away from the beach towards the woods… and so the idea for my Sleepy Fox Tea Cosy was born on one of these long woodland walks. This cosy uses really easy machine applique, and I’ve included instructions for measuring your teapot so you can make your cosy the perfect size. The instructions are for a cosy measuring 9” across the
Materials Ÿ Two 12” squares of green mediumweight fabric for the exterior Ÿ Two 12” squares of medium or quilting weight fabric for the lining I used a pre-quilted fabric for my cosy, but you can add a batting layer or even use old woollen blanket pieces that have been well washed and shrunk if you prefer.
Ÿ 8” square cream felt Ÿ ½” black, brown or dark grey button for nose Ÿ Bondaweb Ÿ Black and a lighter coloured thread for your machine, Ÿ Embroidery foot Ÿ Temporary fabric marker pen
Ÿ 12” square fox coloured wool blend felt or woollen fabric (pre-wash if you’re worried about shrinkage)
8
Zip it up!
9
Appley Dappley Cushion Cover This is a quick, easy and fun machine applique design inspired by the apples falling from the trees in my garden in the autumn … Choose some of your most favourite and funkiest red and green fabrics to create a cheerful seasonal design. I turned my panel into a cushion cover - but it would look great on the wall too, perhaps with the names of some varieties of apple embroidered beneath each one… Ÿ Very small amount of dark brown felt for apple pips and stems.
Materials Ÿ One 16” square piece of natural coloured medium weight fabric
Ÿ 3 ½” square cream fabric for inside of one apple
Ÿ Two 12” x 16” rectangles of the same fabric
Ÿ Black and cream thread for your sewing machine
Ÿ Scraps of red or red-mix fabric for the apples. You’ll need enough for 9 apples, each measuring 3 ½” across.
Ÿ Bondaweb
Ÿ Scraps of green fabric for the leaves - each leaf measures 1 ½” long x ¾” wide.
Ÿ Embroidery foot for your sewing machine.
Ÿ Temporary fabric marker
Ÿ 16” square cushion pad
10
By Candlelight … During September the seemingly never-ending days of summer give way to a change in the air. The days shorten rapidly and it’s time to have your chimney swept, check your log supply and bring out candles to lend a mellow glow to evenings increasingly spent indoors again. The soft light of a candle brings beauty to a room and is flattering to the skin, but its romantic connotations are not without risks. “Choose neither women nor linen by candlelight” runs the old country wisdom - to which list I would definitely add floss colours! But did you know that if you place new candles in the freezer for a few hours they’ll burn for longer? And another good tip is to dip the end of your candle into very hot water to soften it before putting it into your candlestick - heating it with a match marks it black. If the holder is too loose, then wrap the end of your candle in adhesive tape.
How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.” William Shakespeare “The Merchant of Venice” 1596
11
Katie Alice Vintage Baking Pudding Bowl, Creative Tops Ltd (www.creative-tops.com)
Greengate Amy Tin Flour Shaker, Love From Rosie (www.lovefromrosie.co.uk)
Star Baker
Katie Alice Cottage Flower Whisk, Creative Tops Ltd (www.creative-tops.com)
Cook up a storm in your kitchen!
Rose Pink Kitchen Scales, House Envy (www.house-envy.co.uk)
Botanical Measuring Cups, dotcomgiftshop (www.dotcomgiftshop.com)
Candy Stripe Baking Cups, Berry Red (www.berryred.co.uk)
12
Dreamers Tea Towel, Iapetus (www.iapetus.co.uk)
Cinammon & Nutella Muffins
Ingredients 150g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 200g granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 240g milk 420g white whole wheat flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt 12 teaspoons Nutella
Method Ÿ Preheat the oven to 220C Ÿ Spray a muffin tin with cake release spray and set aside (You can use muffin cases if you prefer) Ÿ Using an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar together on a medium speed Ÿ Slowly mix in the egg, vanilla extract and milk Ÿ Stir in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Ÿ Spoon 1 heaped tablespoon of muffin mix into each muffin hole in the tray. Layer with 1 tsp Nutella in the centre and then top with another teaspoon of muffin mix. Ÿ Bake at 220 C for 5 minutes Ÿ Leave the muffins in the oven and reduce the oven to 180C. Bake for a further 13-15 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Ÿ Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes. Ÿ While the muffins are cooling, make the sugar coating
Ingredients for the sugar coating Ÿ 50g granulated sugar Ÿ 2 tsp ground cinnamon Ÿ 3 tbsp butter
Method Ÿ Melt the butter for about 30 seconds in the microwave (until fully melted) Ÿ In a separate small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon 13
Ÿ Dip the top of each muffin into the melted butter and dip into the sugar mixture make sure each muffin is well coated. Ÿ Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
Sunday Baking http://www.sund aybaking.co.uk/ Rachel started her blog back in 2013 after she posted some photos of cakes she made for a friend who suggested she started a blog… “The aim of Sunday Baking is to prove to everyone that anyone can bake. Nothing on my blog is too complicated and I try to break it down as simply as I can so anyone can follow the recipe. I want to share my passion with everyone!”
Look! a lovely idea ------------------
Washi Tape Flags
Pretty up your parcels with these delightful washi tape flags. So quick and easy to make, your parcels will be looking lovely in next to no time! Image: www.abouthenicethings.blogspot.com.es
14
September House Pin Cushion If you’re like me and always mislaying all those vital pieces of sewing equipment you need to make the perfect project - or nothing is ever to hand when you need it - then you’ll love this little cottage pin cushion. In fact to call it a pin cushion is misleading as it’s so much more than that with space to store needles, scissors and tape measure too. Measures 6” x 5 ½” x 3 ¾” Ÿ Two ¼” buttons
Materials
Ÿ 2 sheets (A4 or Letter size) of light weight cardstock
Ÿ 12” x 18” medium weight pink check fabric Ÿ 6” square wide blue stripe fabric
Ÿ Beach pebbles/rice/polybeads to weight base
Ÿ 6” square Provence Rose fabric
Ÿ Toy stuffing
Ÿ Scraps of coloured fabric for applique
Ÿ Bondaweb Ÿ Black and cream thread
Ÿ 9” square green felt Ÿ Stranded cotton floss in blue, dark brown, pink, red and green
15
Ÿ Temporary fabric marker pen Ÿ Embroidery foot for your sewing machine.
Ÿ To prevent fraying machine zig zag stitch along all the raw edges of the pink check pieces. Use cream thread this stitching will be covered when you join the pieces together.
Method Ÿ From your pink check fabric cut out: Two 3 ½” x 5 ½” rectangles (front and back of cottage) Two cottage sides (see templates for measurements) Two 3 ½” x 4” rectangles for side pockets
Ÿ Using the templates (actual size) trace the applique shapes onto the paper side of your Bondaweb. Cut out roughly and then fuse to the reverse of your fabric scraps. Cut out and then position on your rectangles using the templates and photographs as a guide. Fuse into place when you’re happy with the positioning.
Ÿ Turn over ¼” twice along one of the shorter sides of your pocket rectangles, press and machine stitch. This will be the finished, top edge of your side pockets.
Ÿ Draw in the washing line with your temporary fabric marker pen.
16
A Little History of American Quilting Part Two: Blocks and Bees Last time we left our little history of quilting at an exciting time as we briefly visited the Boston Tea Party. We learned that at this time taxes were so punitive that a length of fabric in the Colonies cost around four times as much as it did in England and that an additional tax had to be paid by anyone using a spinning wheel or loom at home. Clearly this was a bad thing in most ways, but the cost and scarcity of fabric was a massively important factor in developing the skills of patchwork design.
This was all very well, but it wasn’t always practical or even possible to sit around sewing little pieces onto the edges of large quilt tops to form pretty patterns. And so the idea was born of creating the quilt top not piece by piece in its entirety, but rather in smaller, easily managed, lap-sized blocks which were pieced separately and then joined together to form the quilt top. …….. From these two innovations - the idea of patchwork patterns and building your quilt from blocks - came the single most important characteristic of American patchwork; a design created within a single block which is repeated to make an overall pattern in the quilt top. The first, and simplest, of these blocks were either created from four or nine patches - such as Checkerboard …
Once the colonial woman could afford to waste just a little fabric, she began to cut up her carefully hoarded resources into attractive shapes to create patterns in her quilts rather than just a sea of irregular shapes in her These early examples were also used and practical, but not always very attractive, crazy recycled so that almost none have survived. quilts. We only know what they look likes as their 17
Look!
Turn your cake into a celebration with these cute little mice and their pretty cake bunting.
a lovely idea ---------------------
Celebration Cake Bunting
Image: http://bustleandsew.com/tutorials/never-trust-amouse/
18
Winter Penguin Softie Everybody loves a penguin at Christmas time - their wobbly gait and plump bodies make them an irresistible addition to our seasonal decorations. This little fellow measures just over 6” tall and is wearing a very cosy scarf and hat cut from an old woollen jumper. He’s weighted with a beach pebble to make sure he doesn’t wobble and fall down. The construction of this softie is really easy - but you do need to follow the instructions carefully as there are darts as well as seams to stitch.
Materials Ÿ 8” square black or charcoal grey wool blend felt Ÿ 6” square cream or white felt Ÿ Scraps of golden felt Ÿ Two small black spherical beads Ÿ Two ½” black buttons Ÿ Stranded cotton floss in black, cream, pale pink and gold
Ÿ 4” cut from bottom of sleeve of old jumper (for his hat) Ÿ 14” x 2” strip of old jumper for scarf Ÿ Toy stuffing Ÿ 3” square lightweight card (eg from cereal packet) Ÿ Cream and black thread for stitching darts Ÿ Pebble/polybeads/rice to weight base (optional)
19
Using Metallic Threads As I begin my Christmas designs, I face once again the challenge of working with metallic threads. Here’s some tips to make this a little easier …
Using metallic thread can be frustrating as it splits, frays, tangles and snags. This does not make it the most relaxing experience which is how stitching is supposed to be. There are a variety of metallic threads on the market from all the major manufacturers of cotton embroidery threads and it is important to purchase the appropriate type for your project. …….
20
Woodland Friends Christmas Hoops The first part of my series of six little embroidery hoops for the festive season. Inspired by the trend for selfies, the owl, deer and robin have posed for their Christmas pictures! I used 3” hoops, but you could resize the pattern if you wished. The applique’s really easy though the embroidery is probably more for an intermediate level stitcher as I’ve used turkey stitch and chain stitch worked in two colours.
Materials Ÿ 3 x 5” squares of medium weight blue dotty fabric for background Ÿ Scraps of natural coloured fabric for the animal bodies Ÿ Scraps of coloured fabric for the details.
Ÿ Stranded cotton floss in yellow, blue, pink, red, dark brown, black and metallic gold. Also a colour that matches the natural coloured fabric you’re using for their bodies. Ÿ Three x 3” embroidery hoops (optionally painted white) Ÿ Temporary fabric marker pen Ÿ Bondaweb
21
Linen Cushion, Annabel James (www.annabeljames.co.uk)
Autumn Apples Greetings Cards, Free Spirit Designs (www.freespiritdesigns.co.uk)
Tutti Fruity! Add a touch of tropical to yourhome with these gorgeous accessories‌ Lili Strawberry Tshirt by Soft Gallery, The Kid Who (www.thekidwho.eu)
Pineapple Lamp, Heico (www.littleville.com.au)
Watermelon Lamp, Heico (www.littleville.com.au)
Pineapple Clutch, Blue Bungalow (www.bluebungalow.com.au)
22
23
What Makes You Happy Templates are given actual size and reversed. This is to suit your preferred method of transfer and also use the reversed pattern to trace your applique shapes onto the paper side of your Bondaweb.
24
Sleepy Fox Tea Cosy The template is given actual size to fit my teapot (see full instructions for measuring your own pot on page 12). It is reversed for tracing onto the paper side of your Bondaweb and I have also included a right way round smaller version for reference when placing your applique shapes.
25
Appley Dappley Cushion Cover The template is given actual size
26
September House Pin Cushion The transfers are given actual size , but the diagram for the house side is not, it simply illustrates the shape you must cut.
27
Penguin Softie The templates are given actual size to make my penguin, but you can enlarge to any size you want. I wouldn’t go too much smaller though as the seams will become rather fiddly.
28
Woodland Christmas Friends Hoops The transfers are given actual size to fit 3� hoops and also reversed to fit your preferred method of transfer.
29