Bustle & Sew Magazine August 2017 Sampler

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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

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Welcome to the August Issue August brings the long school summer holidays here in Englan Predictably the warm sunny weather has vanished, the heavens have opened and the sound of thunder is only drowned out by that of Daisy’s snoring haha!!

But even if it’s raining outside, there’s lots of lovely sunshiny summer colour between the covers of this month’s issue. We have tropical birds (and a house to put them in), a ballerina bunny and even a cute little alpaca applique. There are two very talented makers as well - Polkadot and Jose Heroys - Rosie’s Recipes with some delicious al fresco dining ideas (assuming the sun makes a welcome return), a look at some of the most common hand embroidery mistakes and how to avoid them and much more besides.

I hope you have a lovely month, whether the sun is shining where you are or not, and do look out for the September Magazine which will be published on Thursday 31 August (and will include the first of this year’s Christmas designs - eek!)

Have a lovely month!

Helen xx

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Tips for Stitchers Some people love it - others hate it - I am in the first camp and find Sulky Sticky Fabri Solvy has revolutionised my stitching.

If you do decide to try it out, do be careful not to get it wet whilst stitching as it will simply dissolve away. And when you’re ready to soak it off, do allow plenty of time to allow all the stickiness to disappear.

I soak my work for at least an hour, and often overnight, face down in cold water. This allows any ink particles time to fall to the bottom of the water completely away from my design. If they aren’t completely removed then the ink can bleed into the background fabric, ruining the finished project.

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60 Between this month’s covers …

Tips for Stitchers

Page 4

Lavender’s Blue dilly dilly ….

Page 35

August Almanac

Page 6

Nature Notes: The Wasp

Page 39

Happily Ever After Hoop

Page 8

Ballerina Bunny

Page 40

Lovely Idea: Tropical Birdhouse

Page 11

The Countryside in August

Page 43

Meet the Maker: Lisa of Polkadot

Page 12

Tastes of the Season: Aubergines

Page 44

A Country Diary

Page 15

Rosie’s Recipes: Al Fresco Eating

Page 45

Trio of Cactus Cushions

Page 16

Tastes of the Season: Cornish Sardines

Page 50

Nature Notes: The Flight of Swallows

Page 20

Alpaca Applique

Page 51

Anatomy of your Sewing Machine

Page 21

Llama or Alpaca?

Page 54

Tips for Great Machine Applique

Page 23

Meet the Maker: Jose Heroys

Page 55

Lovely Idea: Jar Lid Magnets

Page 26

A Very Little Guide to Scissors

Page 58

Embroidered Bowl Covers

Page 27

Tropical Birds Lampshade

Page 59

Poetry Corner

Page 31

Home Comforts

Page 63

Common Embroidery Mistakes

Page 32

In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables

Page 64

Instagram Roundup

Page 34

Templates

Page 65

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“Living a hillbilly lifestyle!�

Meet the Maker

Lisa and her daughter, Sophie of Polkadot work from a home studio, always a paintbrush in one hand, and maybe a slice of cake in the other !

Where in the world are you? Are you city or country based?

(and do still have a Etsy shop) but it didn't quite suit me so I tried several different ones until I found the perfect one for me.

My studio is based at home & I live on a farm in Buckinghamshire with my Husband Matt (who is a farmer) daughter Sophie and our Mastweiler. Me and Matt got married when we were still teenagers and will shortly be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.

You attend lots of fairs too - do you have any advice for somebody who wants to begin doing this?

We live a slightly hillbilly lifestyle, chopping wood for the fire, having access to lots of space to walk the dog, no neighbours, you can't see another house from where we live. I really enjoy being a bit of a hermit!

Can you tell us a little about your creative background? How did you get started?

I don't have any formal art training, in fact I quit my A level art as I didn't enjoy it at all! I always painted for pleasure though and at the beginning I specialised in Celtic art.

My parents are Irish & Dad's family were Romany gypsies & I loved all of the beautiful decoration associated with the culture

Fairs can be absolutely heartbreaking if you don't pick the right one for you and quash all of your enthusiasm before you get going!

Do your research. How will it be advertised, will the organiser limit the amount of stalls for each discipline, you don't want to turn up and half the stalls are selling stitched hearts. Will the visitors be children spending their pennies or people who want to buy a quality, individual piece of artwork.

Find out exactly how much space you will have and do a mockup of your stand in advance, make sure you display your prices clearly too, customers often would prefer to walk away rather than ask how much something costs!

And how did Polkadot come about?

You're a mother/daughter team - what do you feel are the advantages/disadvantages of working with a close member of the family?

As with a lot of creative businesses it started slowly with friends and family asking me to make things for them. It became a 'proper' business in 2000 & I then progressed to suppling several shops with wholesale goods, all sorts of things, pottery, paintings, signs etc. and then one of the shops I supplied shut down & I took over the lease on a mad impulse.

I think the biggest advantage is that we can be honest with each other. Sophie will tell me if something is an awful idea rather than pussyfooting around.

I ran the shop under my name 'Polkadot' for the next 8 years.

I had a studio area at the rear & customers would come in to watch & chat & order commissions and I somehow managed to keep the shop fully stocked with items too. I was making an enormous volume of goods at the time.

What are your favourite products to work on - and why?

I really like the random products. New pieces that I make in between orders that I can just make up as I go along, with no brief to work from. I'm enjoying working on the wooden figures at the moment, painting their outfits & surrounding them with animals or cakes or teapots!

I think if we worked together full time & lived together as well spending too much time with each other would be a disadvantage, but Sophie only works park time with me and then has her own solo work away from home so that all works out well.

What has been your proudest moment so far?

It sounds a bit drippy but I always feel proud when I recognise the customer name on a new order. The fact that they have wanted to return & buy something else from me is wonderful.

I would say 60% of business is repeat custom which makes me really happy!

Also I had a 8 page article in a glossy home magazine a couple of years ago, that was pretty great.

It's the weekend, how do you relax?

What has been your biggest challenge in promoting and selling your work online?

Ahh, well, as soon as I married a farmer weekends stopped, I don't know what day it is most of the time.

It was a real gamble when I shut my shop and changed to online sales. I'd been gradually trying to build my social media presence so when I finally shut the doors I hoped there would still be potential customers out there.

We really don't have a standard working week and Matt rarely has a day off so I tend to pack a picnic & hop on the tractor with him if I can or I'll just catch up orders when it's especially busy.

It turns out it was just the right time, I found it relatively easy to build a following using Facebook & now Instagram, my biggest problem was finding the right website host to use. I liked Etsy

Finally, please describe your style in three words

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Pretty, folk-art, heirloom.

Nature Notes: The Flight of Swallows When the Swallow flies low, and skims over the surface of the ground or the water, frequently dipping the tips of its wings or bill into the latter as it passes over its surface, we may always expect rain. The probable cause of this bird flying low before rain is, that its insect prey foreknowing the approaching change, get lower in the air, and sport under the shelter of outhouses, by the sides of ponds and lakes, and under the shade of trees, Martins and Sand Martins do the same. I have not noticed this habit to belong to Swifts; but certainly in fine and settled weather all the species of Swallows fly higher in the air than they do just be fore or during a showery or rainy time.

We have noticed, in addition to the above, that before and during rainy weather, the Swallows flying low, and skimming over the surface of a meadow where there is tolerably long grass, are frequently seen to stop in the course, and hang about the blades of grass, as if they were gathering in sects which might be lodged there. The Swallow arrives in the temperate part of Europe about the beginning of April, and continues till the end of September or beginning of October.

The Pocket Encyclopaedia of Natural Phenomena,

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Anatomy of a Sewing Machine (a very little guide) 1.

The needle thread comes from a spool on the top of your machine and, in order to achieve the correct tension and feed, must pass through a series of channels and loops before you actually thread it through your needle (your manual will explain how this is done).

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Your machine will have a numbered dial that you can use to adjust the needle thread tension when working with different fabrics. There is no equivalent for the bobbin thread. You should not normally need to adjust bobbin thread tension.

The bottom, or bobbin, thread must be wound onto a bobbin before it can be used. To do this you disengage the fly wheel (normally there’s a pull out in the centre) so the machine doesn’t try to stitch while you’re winding the bobbin. Then thread the end through one of the holes in the edge of the bobbin, place it on the special winder and use the presser foot to wind the thread onto the bobbin. Go slowly at first until the thread is secure enough to let go of the loose end, and slow down towards the end too otherwise the thread may begin to wind itself around the actual winder once the

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Tips for Great Machine Applique

I was a bit apprehensive about trying machine applique for the first time - after all my sewing machine was running smoothly so why would I want to mess things up by doing something as scary as dropping the feed dogs? And in any case how exactly should I do that? I am so glad I persevered though as this is such a speedy and simple technique that’s great for using up scraps and gives ( I think) very attractive results too!

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Where did it all go wrong?

Some embroidery mistakes are just unfortunate and these form an inevitable part of your learning curve - but others are totally avoidable - if you know to watch out for them in the first place that is …!

Not reading the instructions properly It may seem a bit like stating the obvious, but if you’re in a hurry to begin a new project it’s easy to tell yourself it’s all perfectly obvious and skip this step. Bad idea! Always read the instructions carefully - twice is good! If you don’t take note, then you may discover you’ve been using the wrong type, colour, or number of strands of floss. This may mean you could run out of thread before you reach the end, your stitching may appear thin and gappy - or thick and lumpy and disappointingly your project won’t look as you had hoped.

Choosing the wrong transfer method There are so many different ways of transferring your design from paper to fabric. Sometimes it won’t matter if the transfer lines are permanent as your stitching will cover all the lines. But sometimes your lines won’t be completely covered - perhaps if you’re working an open or lacy design without a solid outline. In this case you will need to be able to remove the transfer lines once you’ve finished stitching.

Always take time to consider the nature of the finished design and the stitches you plan to use before you choose your transfer method. If your design lines won’t be completely covered, choose a transfer method that can be removed after your work is finished. Ceramic chalk pencils, dressmaker’s carbon, water-soluble pens and even my favourite Sulky Sticky Fabri Solvy are all good choices in this instance.

Choosing the wrong needle: If your needle is too large this may result in holes in the fabric where your needle and thread enter and exit. Alternatively if your needle is too small it will be difficult to thread and hard to pull through the fabric, resulting in wear and tear on the thread which will eventually fray and break, and will make your fingers sore too.

knots. They’re also more tiring to use as your wrist and arm has to work harder to pull them through the fabric.

As a general rule of thumb, my mum used to tell me to use threads around the length of my arm from wrist to elbow and certainly no longer than around 18” maximum.

Starting your stitching with a knot

The type of needle you choose is also important. Freehand surface embroidery requires a sharp needle as it needs to pierce the fabric, whilst a ball-point needle should be used when the needle needs to pass between threads in the fabric without piercing them, as in counted cross stitch, pulled thread, and Hardanger embroidery.

Knots are bulky and will prevent your work from lying flat when pressed and mounted. They wobble around and may work loose, causing your carefully stitched work to begin to unravel. Begin your first thread with a waste knot, and subsequently begin and end by weaving the tail of the thread in and out of previously worked stitches.

Choosing the wrong fabric

Working in poor light

Most surface embroidery techniques require a nice firmly woven foundation. Using a background fabric that’s too loosely woven may well result in poorly-formed stitches. You can overcome this problem though, if there’s a fabric you particularly want to use, by fusing interfacing or a more firmly woven fabric to the reverse of your chosen fabric before you begin stitching.

I don’t know how embroiderers of the past managed, as even though you think you can see your work perfectly by normal household lighting, you are probably wrong. Ordinary lights don’t show true colours and may cast odd shadows that are often the cause of messy or inaccurate stitches. If you don’t have a proper daylight lamp for sewing, then consider in investing in one - or even fitting a daylight bulb to an ordinary light - you will be amazed at how much difference it will make to your embroidery.

Cutting your thread too long: As your thread passes through the fabric multiple times it is experiencing wear and tear, and the longer your thread the more wear it will experience. You may not notice the changes immediately, but if you use very long lengths of floss your stitching won’t look as bright and fresh and glossy as it would if you used shorter lengths.

Additionally, longer threads are more likely to tangle , leading to frustrating knots and to wasted time, trying to pick out

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And finally ….

Don’t be afraid of mistakes - or you’ll be worried about trying anything new. Try to view them as a learning experience, or even an opportunity for creating a new technique!

Remember, you’re usually the only one who will notice your mistakes, and you’re always your own worst critic.

Whatever you do, don’t let a mistake keep you from stitching!

“Here’s flowers for you; Hot lavender, mints, savoury marjoram” William Shakespeare

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Rosie’s Recipes: Al Fresco Eating

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Greengages and Cherries: Two Fruit Tarts

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Alpaca or Llama, what’s the difference?

1. Ears: an alpaca has straight, pointed ears while a llama has banana shaped ears.

2. Wool: Llamas have no wool that is used for garments, rather hair that protects but can’t be used for knitwear. Alpacas on the other hand are bred purely for their luxurious wool which is one of the finest in the world.

3. Face: The face of an alpaca is a lot fuzzier and woollier than a llamas face which doesn't have so much hair. A llamas face is also longer while an alpaca's face is more blunt with a bit of a snub nose!

4. Size: The llama is a lot bigger and can weigh up to 400 pounds while alpacas are a lot lighter and weigh in at around 150 pounds.

The llama can have a height of more than 110 cm, while alpacas are generally not much taller than 90 cm.

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Purpose: Llamas are known as the "Ship of the Andes”and can carry heavy weights for long distances. Alpacas on the other hand, are all wool and couldn't even carry a small child.

6. Personality: Alpacas are very gentle and shy while llamas are very confident and brave animals.

7. Strength: Alpacas can't protect themselves and need protection. Llamas on the other hand can and will protect themselves and therefor often serve as herd guards for alpaca breeders.

8. Spitting: Llamas will spit quickly when they feel threatened, whereas alpacas are much more gentle and just spit as their last resort when they're really angry or afraid.

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If you love Jose’s work and would like to see more, then please do visit her online ‌.

www.joseheroys.com https://www.facebook.com/joseheroys/ www.twitter.com/joseheroys www.instagram.com/joseheroys https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/JoseHeroys

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Home Comforts When you’re serving up your al fresco feast it’s nice to have big plates, platters and bowls that can be passed along the table from diner to diner for an informal feeling. Try big bowls of salad and dishes of roasted vegetables, or present cooked meats on a long platter so everyone can help themselves. Big paella pans make an amazing way to serve your food - they’re great for BBQs too, can be purchased fairly cheaply and best of all for outdoor dining, they’re not breakable either!

Don’t forget to think about any young visitors, who may quickly become bored and fed up if they have to sit still at the table for too long. Why not make them a simple wigwam from poles and a blanket that can become their den as the adults chat long into the afternoon, and for a magical feeling add long strings of fairy lights too. And don’t forget a rug for them to sit comfortably.

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