1
A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2017 The right of Helen Dickson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate. However, due to differing conditions, tools and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses and other damages that may result from the use of the information in this book.
First published 2017 by: Bustle & Sew The Cottage Oakhill Radstock BA3 5HT UK www.bustleandsew.com
2
Welcome to the July Issue We’re off to the beach this month - and I do hope you’ll enjoy our coastal and seaside theme. Inside you’ll discover how to make your own windbreak - an essential for our chilly English shoreline, as well as top tips for rock pooling. There are six new Bustle & Sew projects of course - this month’s favourite for Freddie is Captain Bearbeard and Long Tom Tiger - who have already been taken for a drive in the car and tour round our local supermarket! We find out how to take care of every sewist’s best friend our sewing machine - and enjoy some fresh seasonal produce in Rosie’s Recipes. Then we chat to two very talented makers, explore what’s happening in the countryside around us this month, and there’s even a seaside poem! I hope you have a lovely month, whether you’re visiting the sea or not, and do look out for the the August Magazine which will be published on Thursday 27 July. Have a lovely month!
Helen xx
3
Tips for Stitchers To keep thread, floss & yarn from tangling and knotting when sewing, every so often hold the tail of the thread with the needle dangling and let it unwind. Another trick to keep thread, floss & yarn from tangling and knotting when sewing is to thread it through a bit of beeswax before starting, or thread it through thick unscented and non-tinted lip balm.�
4
49
24
25
61
40 30 50 Between this month’s covers … Tips for Stitchers
Page 4
Seasonal Ingredient: Lettuce
Page 39
July Almanac
Page 6
Rosies’ Recipes: A Taste of Summer
Page 40
Ice Cream Beach Bag
Page 8
Lemon Printable
Page 45
An Old-fashioned Holiday
Page 12
Seasonal Ingredient: Fennel
Page 46
Meet the Maker: Sally Nencini
Page 13
Octopus Applique
Page 47
A (very) Little Guide to Identifying Fibres
Page 16
Poetry Corner: The Sea
Page 49
Lovely Idea: Foam Sailboat
Page 17
A Little Look at Feed Sacks
Page 50
Ship in a Bottle Hoop
Page 18
Lovely Idea: Car Planter
Page 53
Loving the Beach
Page 20
A (very) Little Guide to Fusible Interfacing
Page 54
Only a Fool says “It’s Just Fabric!”
Page 21
Swishy Fishy Zipper Pouch
Page 56
Make your own Windbreak
Page 24
Meet the Maker: SewCalledLove
Page 58
Two Fierce Pirates
Page 25
Home Comforts
Page 61
The Countryside in July
Page 29
In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables
Page 62
Taking Care of your Sewing Machine
Page 30
Templates
Page 63
Country Diary (1)
Page 34
Hand Embroidered Patches
Page 35 5
July The countryside is transformed once again this month as crops begin to ripen and fields turn slowly from green to gold. Soft fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants are available in abundance - on garden bushes, in shops and supermarkets and at pick your own fruit farms, and enthusiastic jam makers can sometimes be spotted slaving over their hot preserving pans late into the evening to make the most of this summer bounty. July brings the beginning of the holiday season and though it’s one of the hottest months of the year, weather lore seems to be preoccupied with rain - most famously on St Swithin’s Day which falls on the fifteenth of the month. The Roman soldiers who, almost two thousand years ago, occupied much of England and Wales knew that this month could be hot and sultry, a time of thunderstorms and flies. They noted that at this latitude Sirius the Dog Star rose at dawn in July, adding they supposed, to the uncomfortable effect of the sun’s heat. Even now July has retained its reputation as the “dog” month of thunderstorms and showers. Trees now take on a deep green colour as chlorophyll levels change in their leaves whilst in towns the common lime tree becomes festooned with dropping heads of blossom. Its sweet perfume is designed to attract the bees and hoverflies needed for pollination and so intoxicating is its nectar that bumblebees can fall helpless to the ground. Later in the season these limes become infested with aphids which exude a mist of sticky honeydew onto cars parked beneath. July 1 is Canada Day, commemorating the Canadian Confederation of 1867; the union of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the Dominion of Canada and then, across the border, the 4th is of course Independence Day in the USA. The first official celebrations of this day took place in Massachusetts in 1781, and by the mid-1800s the tradition had become widespread across the country. Back in Europe, the famous San Fermin Festival begins in the Spanish city of Pamplona on the 6th. The most famous part of the festival is perhaps the Pamplona Bull Running. At 8 o’clock each morning from 7 - 14 July those who are either foolish or brave enough to risk life and limb run approximately 800 m to the bull ring whilst being chased by six stampeding bulls. The event lasts for only a few minutes, but is watched by thousands. Unfortunately fatalities have occurred over the years.
rewarding the small effort of sowing a few packets of seeds earlier in the year. It’s hugely satisfying to be able to wander outside to gather the contents of a summer salad from your own plot, serving to family and friends within the hour - almost while they’re still growing! Even the best organic produce purchased from a shop can’t compete with the vibrant taste of food this fresh, whilst soft fruit varieties, grown for their flavour rather than shelf-life or eye-appeal can be a revelation. It’s now an almost unbelievable 32 years(!) since one of the most ambitious and successful fundraising events of all time, the Live Aid concert at London’s Wembley Stadium and at the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia took place on July 13 1985. The event was organised by the rock singer Bob Geldof to raise money for the starving in Africa. The concert featured stars such as Status Quo, Dire Straits, Queen, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Elton John at Wembley, and the Beach Boys, Duran Duran, Bob Dylan and Madonna in Philadelphia. Phil Collins performed
“The luxury of all summer's sweet sensation is to be found when one lies at length in the warm, fragrant grass, soaked with sunshine, aware of regions of blossoming clover and of a high heaven filled with the hum of innumerous bees.” Harriet E. Prescott, , August 1865 for the London audience at around 3.30 pm and then flew across the Atlantic to reappear on-stage at the JFK Stadium at about 1.00 am UK time. Donations made or pledged to famine relief during the course of the event amounted to £30 million.
Here at home, there seems to be an unending supply of salad leaves to pick fresh from the garden - amply
6
Earlier I mentioned St Swithin’s Day that falls on July 15th. St Swithin was an English monk who became Bishop of Winchester in 852 and died ten years later. According to popular belief, at his own request he was buried in the churchyard so that his grave would be watered by rain and trodden by the feet of passers-by. On 15 July 971 his remains were moved to what was considered to be a more appropriate resting place inside the cathedral, an operation that was disrupted by heavy rain which continued for 40 days thereafter. This story is the basis of the superstition that a wet or dry St Swithun’s Day will be followed by 40 days of rain or sunshine respectively - a long range forecast that has proved to be rather less than accurate over the years. Towards the end of the month the cornfields are nearly fully ripe and across the countryside the golden fields are edged with blue scabious and purple knapweed, whilst the hedgerows bloom with willowherb, yarrow and other wild flowers. Purple thistles are also blooming, and are much in demand by goldfinches which love their seeds. Having raised their young, garden birds are ceasing to sing and are going into moult, but the chirping of the meadow cricket provides an evocative background sound for lazy summer afternoons, whilst on lakes and rivers you will see solemn processions of fluffy grey-brown cygnets paddling along behind their graceful and majestic parents. Summer is here and it seems for a few short weeks nature is on “pause” while we make the most of it.
7
An Old Fashioned Holiday In the heat of the summer, there is a familiar, tired air about our city streets as though, for a week or two, they seem to carry a multitude slightly out of step, for thousands are strangers which tread them in the casual, dawdling footsteps of holiday; whole thousands of their workaday families have forsaken them for the mainline termini where the “Holiday Specials� await, their engines pointing north, south, east or westwards to the sea. Holiday time upon the beaches of Britain, beaches of all kinds, from the horizonless sand-flats of Norfolk to the rosy, rocksheltered covers of Cornwall, Devon and western Wales. Wherever the tides run within touch of human habitation there come the holidaymakers to shake hands with the sea. Sometimes in crowds, sometimes in discriminating ones and twos to those wild and lonely parts of the coast where the big Atlantic bursts, chocking at the feet of the tall cliffs. Here are no donkey rides, concert parties, Punch and Judy shows - just the boiling of the surf, the wind among the dead-heads of the thrift, the calling of the kittiwakes in the spray.
C Gordon-Glover Extract from
1953
8
http://.sallynencini.com https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SallyNencini https://www.facebook.com/sally.nencini/ https://www.instagram.com/sallynencini
Only a fool says “It’s just fabric”
10
Stitching isn’t simply about achieving a great end result. As I’m sure all our loved ones would agree, a true stitchaholic often has multiple obsessions with not only fabric and floss, but also the tools we use. There are needles, hoops, frames … thimbles, rotary cutters and a seemingly infinite number of scissors in various sizes … seam rippers, wadding and fabric …. just don’t mention my stash! Well actually, yes, let’s talk about my stash for a little while. I love to talk about it whenever I get the chance and these days I don’t get so many chances. The family seem to find extremely urgent tasks to accomplish or appointments to meet whenever I try to tell them about my latest wonderful purchase and how exactly it fitted into the grander plan for my hoard. In younger days I used to feel a little embarrassed about the sheer quantity of fabric I possessed. I tried to disguise the full extent of my addiction by storing it in bags, cupboards and boxes – just about anywhere I could find to hide it away. This had two difficulties though – firstly I could never find the fabric I wanted to use for any 1. particular project, and secondly – every time a family member opened a cupboard door they ran the risk of serious injury caused by large amounts of fabric falling upon their defenceless bodies. I have cotton, linen and wool – vintage and new, felted blanket, felted cashmere and felted
“that-was-my-favourite-jumperhow-did-it-get-in-the-hotwash!?” I have Liberty prints, Japanese Zakka, quilting weight, upholstery weight, cotton duck, mangle cloths and old jeans (for that faded denim moment). And that’s just the half of it! Now most of the world, that is to say the non-stitchers, won’t understand why you have just so much fabric stored in your home. Indeed they may well comment if for some reason they realise the full extent of your collection. You could try responding as follows: • Wow, I’m so glad you’ve noticed – building this stash took forever, but I think I’m finally beginning to glimpse the result I’ve been aiming for • Yeees, it is a lot, but I can’t stop until I have some of the extremely rare Heeney Weeney Atomic Print – that’s the original 1954, not the repro version. • I need to keep this much spare in case a virus hits cotton production and I can’t get any more before the year 2032. Of course not all the fabrics in your stash are going to be delightfully 2. coloured, wonderfully patterned and generally aesthetically pleasing. There will be the odd unfortunate purchase that took place when you had an overwhelming need to add to your stash, but couldn’t find anything half-way decent to spend your hard earned pennies on. So you had to make do.
If questioned about these items, I offer you the following explanations …. • Well, I thought it would make nice dungarees for a boy (not mine) but the family emigrated before I had time to make them. • It didn’t look so bad under the shop’s fluorescent lights. • I had to support the local fabric shop – and this was all I could grab in a hurry • It was reduced (this happens a lot!) • Lilac and orange is the new uber-cool colour combination in quilting so I had to snap this up before anyone else. But remember … there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with buying fabric. Never feel you have to apologise for the size of your stash. Lots of sewists feel guilty about the quantity of fabric they own and apologise for it all the time. But think on …. Stamp collectors – thousands of those little itsy bitsy scraps of paper – to what purpose? Model railway enthusiasts will acquire miles and miles of track – which can never be up-cycled into 3. something both useful and beautiful … etc etc. Providing that your compulsion to purchase fabric does not exceed your available funds to pay for it, then you don’t really have a problem. If you find yourself selling the family heirlooms to get it, then it might possibly be time to seek help.
12
Your Sewing Machine Filled with excitement and enthusiasm for your latest piece of work, it’s easy to forget about taking care of your essential sewing workhorse - your machine is a piece of equipment that’s often taken for granted even though it can easily be the most expensive item in your workspace. Follow these easy steps to keep your machine running smoothly so it’s always ready to take on another new project. And if things do go a bit wonky check out our hints and tips to get you sewing again. The simplest and easiest thing you can do to help keep your sewing machine in good shape is to make sure you cover it when it’s not in use. This will stop dust, lint and (especially in my home) pet hair from penetrating into the mechanics of your machine. Most machines come with a cover, though these are usually less than inspiring and it’s fun to make your own to suit your personal tastes. Ideally you should clean your machine every so often, especially if you’ve been using textured fabrics as the main problem is lint - the short threads that are shed from the fabric you’re working with. Lint can easily build up and will attract dust too, clogging up the workings of your machine so it won’t work as efficiently and may even, if not brushed away regularly, contribute to long term damage. Along with regularly brushing away any build up of lint, you should also change your needle regularly. It’s a fact that most sewing machine stitching issues are caused by the needle. Continuing with a bent or blunt needle is very likely to result in skipped stitches, broken thread, or large loops in the stitches. It may also damage your fabric and even your machine. My mum always told me to change my needle after every project - this is a bit excessive I think and I usually aim for every eight hours of sewing. Be sure to choose a needle that’s right for the fabric you’re using. You should also change your needle if you change to a different kind of thread. This is because thread wears a groove in the needle eye and different brands will affect the needle in different ways.
It’s also important to use the bobbin type recommended by your sewing machine manufacturer so that it runs smoothly in the case. Don’t be tempted to wind a new thread onto an already partially filled bobbin as this will create extra thread tails that can jam your machine. Sadly (I say sadly as I really winding bobbins), it’s best not to use pre-wound bobbins unless the manufacturer states this is OK. I have been tempted by them, but have never achieved good results. Ideally, if you use your sewing machine regularly you should have it serviced annually by a qualified technician. He or she will check and adjust the tension and timing as well as professionally cleaning the parts of the machine the user can’t access. Your machine will also be checked for wear and tear and any parts replaced as necessary. This should keep your indispensable asset running smoothly. Sometimes, in spite of all your care and attention, you will experience problems with your machine. If your machine isn’t working properly, then here’s a look at some of the most common problems and how to fix them ….
Nest of tangled thread This usually happens when you haven’t threaded your machine properly. Even though the tangled mess is on the lower or bobbin side of your work, don’t assume the problem is with your bobbin. Raise your presser foot and unthread, then rethread the machine paying particular attention to the route the thread should take, using your sewing machine manual as a guide if you’re at all unsure.
13
Uneven stitching If your row of stitching has large loops on one side of the work and is too tight on the other then you may think that the thread tension setting on your machine needs altering. You might be right, but before you begin playing around with adjusting the tension setting, take a look at your bobbin as this is more likely to be the cause of the problem. Take the bobbin out of the case and check you’ve inserted it the right way round. This is usually with the thread unwinding in an anticlockwise direction, but do check your manual if you’re at all unsure as it could be different. The bobbin itself might have been unevenly wound or you may not have pulled the thread through the groove in the bobbin case. If you’ve checked the bobbin and this isn’t causing the problem, then try adjusting the tension dial and test stitch on a scrap of the same fabric you’re experiencing problems stitching until the stitches are even on both sides of the fabric.
Skipping stitches Back to the needle again! The likeliest reason for your machine to skip stitches is that you’re using the wrong needle for the fabric your sewing. Needles come in different weights for different fabric - that’s the easy part - but they also come in different shapes for different fabrics/techniques. Check you’re using the right needle for your project!
Rosie’s Recipes: The Taste of Summer
14
Tastes of the Season: Fennel Aromatic fennel has a wide variety of uses in summer cuisine. The young leaves can be used to add delicate flavouring to salads whilst the bulb can be fried, braised, grilled or stewed. When eaten raw the texture is crisp and there is a strong aniseed flavour which softens and mellows once the plant is cooked. The smallest, youngest bulbs are the most tender. Choose white specimens with no blemishes that feel heavy for their size. Their feathery green tops should still be fresh and bright looking with no wilting and yellowing. Fennel will keep for up to three days in the fridge when wrapped in damp kitchen roll
15
Feedsacks: a world of colour and pattern
In the USA, from about the late 19th century, stable goods began to be transported and distributed in fabric bags - a much easier and more economical means of packaging than the previously used wood and metal storage containers. These had not been an ideal method of storage as tin would rust and the handmade boxes and barrels leaked and were damaged easily. They were bulky, heavy and difficult to transport.
Magazines and pattern companies began to take notice of feedsack popularity and published patterns to take advantage of the feedsack prints. Matching fabric and even matching wrapping paper was available, too. Directions were given for using the strings from feedsacks in knitting and crocheting. A 1942 estimate showed that three million women and children of all income levels were wearing print feedbag garments.
Manufacturers were anxious to find another method, but didn't consider the cloth bags of homespun linen used by farmers to store goods for use at home because the hand sewn seams wouldn't be strong enough for heavy use.
An amazingly wide variety of prints were produced - as well as the small floral designs that we all associate with feedsacks, you can find larger florals, polka dots, stripes and plaids as well as many novelty designs for special occasions or events.
All of this changed in 1846 with the invention of the stitching machine, which made it possible to sew double locking seams strong enough to hold the contents of a bag. These bags were often re-used many times, although later they were specially woven from white cotton and often bore the logo of the mill where they had been made.
In the same way that fabric companies do today, feed sack fabric designs were printed in several colourways to attract a wider audience. Manufacturers also realised that women loved to stitch for their children, so they made prints with images that would appeal to mothers making clothes for their children, as well as feedsacks printed with dolls and toys that could be cut out and stitched together.
Feedsacks were initially made from heavy canvas, and were used to transport flour, sugar, meal, grain, salt and feed from the mills. They were reusable, and the farmer would return his empty sack stamped with his mark to the mill to be filled. This changed when weaving inexpensive cotton fabric became possible in the late 1800's.
Many sacks had themes. Some of the more collectible sacks now are those with Walt Disney themes such as Davy Crockett, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland; movie themes such as Gone With the Wind; comic book themes such as Buck Rogers; and nursery rhyme themes such as Little BoPeep and Humpty Dumpty.
Feed sacks, or feedbags as they were known then, were initially printed on plain white cloth and in sizes that corresponded to barrel sizes. For example, a one barrel bag held 196 pounds of flour, whilst a 1/8 barrel bag only held 24 pounds. The brand name of the flour was simply printed on the side of the bag.
After the second world war, technological developments meant that more hygenic and effective packaging could be made from heavy paper and plastic containers. These new containers were cheaper to manufacture too. A cotton bag cost 32 cents to make, as opposed to 10 cents for the paper bag, and so the use of fabric feedsacks began to decline. The start of the 1960's saw sack manufacturers trying to tempt customers back with cartoon-printed fabrics, from Buck Rogers to Cinderella. There was even a television advertising campaign, but it failed to generate a significant upsurge in sales.
The dress-print feed sacks that are so pretty, and so lovely to use in all kinds of sewing, from patchwork to applique and even for softie-making, had a relatively short lifespan. Most of us will associate these printed sacks with the Depression period of the 1930s. As the economy was plunged into recession, and people had to economise and utilise whatever came to hand, fabric and grain companies began to realise that thrifty housewives were using these feed sacks to make clothing and household textiles, and so they began to print them in beautiful patterns to attract such customers.
It's still relatively easy to acquire these lovely old fabrics - especially if you're in the US - as they can often be found on eBay at reasonable prices. They can easily be mixed and matched with modern designs and it's fun to incorporate some into your projects - ensuring that your work will never be duplicated by anyone else!
It was not unknown for wives to send their husbands to the store to purchase their feed in bags printed with a specific design so they could complete their project as it would take, for example, three identical sacks to make a dress.
16
Home Comforts Lavender flowers at this time of year and it’s really easy to make a soothing bath essence from its fragrant flowers. Place 1 cup of dried o fresh lavender flowers in a bowl. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over them and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain, then add the solution to warm bath water and soak your cares away for about 15 minutes. This is great at bedtime, and really helps with getting a good night’s sleep. It works as lavender contains relaxing and soothing essential oils which the warm bath water will help your skin absorb. Lavender also has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties which help heal wounds. The botanical name for the plant, Lavandula, is derived from the Latin verb “ which means to wash.
17
18
19