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A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2018 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 2018 by: Bustle & Sew The Cottage Oakhill Radstock BA3 5HT UK www.bustleandsew.com
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Welcome to the June Magazine June brings Midsummer and the longest day of the year. Our gardens are at their best with an abundance of roses, sweet peas, all kinds of herbs and early peas, beans and more, whilst strawberries are eaten with every meal, making the most of the midsummer glut. Rosie’s recipes this month features a host of strawberry recipes, and we have more floral delights for you with articles on roses and lavender too - as well as a little lavender bag to sew. I do hope you’ll enjoy this month’s edition, and just a quick reminder that the July issue will be published, as always, on the last Thursday of the month - in this case Thursday 28 June. So if you’re a subscriber watch out for it arriving in your inbox then! Until then, I hope you have a wonderful month!
Helen xx
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Between this month’s covers … Tips for Stitchers
Page 4
Instagram Round Up
Page 44
June Almanac
Page 6
A Strawberry Summer
Page 45
Baby Rabbit Hoop
Page 8
A (very) Little History of DMC
Page 47
The Wildflower Meadow
Page 11
Marching Elephants Cushion
Page 48
The Rose Garden
Page 12
Lovely Idea: Happy Days Printable
Page 51
A (very) Little Guide to Buttons
Page 16
Meet the Maker: Clare Buswell
Page 52
Lovely Idea: Pom Pom Ballerinas
Page 17
Lovely Lavender
Page 54
Laundry Bag
Page 18
Lavender Sachet
Page 55
Loving your Linen Closet
Page 21
Home Comforts
Page 57
The Legend of Arachne
Page 24
In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables
Page 58
A (very) Little History of Press Fasteners
Page 25
Templates
Page 59
Giraffe Trophy Head
Page 26
Tastes of the Season: Gooseberries
Page 28
Rosie’s Recipes: Strawberry Fayre
Page 29
Tastes of the Season: Garlic
Page 37
Practically Perfect Pennant
Page 38
Poetry Corner
Page 43
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June The word “summer” comes from Old English - many people believe that it literally means “more sun,” though this isn’t true. The Latin name for the summer season was “aestas” from which the English words “aestival” (of the summer) and “aestivate” (to pass the summer) are derived. June is of course the first month of meteorological summer which comprises the three months of June, July and August. During this time the countryside around us will gradually change from the fresh greens and bright colours we see this month, through the gold and brown of ripening crops and scorched grass in July and August, to the early signs of the approach of autumn in September. Agricultural workers are busy with haymaking, fruit-picking, sheepshearing and preparing for the harvest ahead, but most of us simply look forward to picnics and barbecues, swimming and maybe sailing, or even just relaxing in our
gardens. This is a great time for eating healthily too, as there is a steady succession of locally grown
“June has now come, bending beneath her weight of roses, to ornament the halls and bowers which summer has hung with green. For this is the Month of Roses, and their beauty and fragrance conjure up again many in poetical creation which Memory had buried….This is the season to wander into the fields and woods, with a volume of sterling poetry for companionship, and compare the descriptive passages with the objects that lie around. We never enjoy reading portions of Spenser’s Faery Queen so much as when among the great green trees in summer.”
fresh produce coming into season
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- asparagus, cherries, strawberries, blackcurrants new potatoes, tomatoes, peas and all kinds of fresh green herbs. Each year we hope for a “flaming June” but sadly we’re far more likely to see a month that begins fine and warm, but then descends into rainy weather round about the middle of the month - at the exact time that the summer season of festivals, fetes and sports events begins. Nearly three out of four Junes are actually rather damp - not to say positively wet - so perhaps it’s wisest to hope to need your sun hat - but take your umbrella as well, just in case! In June the twilights are long - and for Muslims the actual time of dusk is particularly important as the moment they can break their Ramadan fast. This year the holy month of Ramadan runs from 16 May to 15 June, beginning and ending at the sighting of the crescent moon.
The Coronation of Elizabeth II as Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Head of the Commonwealth took place on 2 June 1953. The events of that day were witnessed by eight thousand guests in West Minster Abbey, three million onlookers who lined the London streets to watch the procession to and from the ceremony, and more than twenty million television viewers worldwide who tuned into the BBC’s live coverage, which was broadcast in 44 languages. Some people purchased their first (very small, black and white) television set just for this day, and invited neighbours round to share in the historic occasion. Away from London, across the countryside, hedgerows and roadside verges are full of the first foxglove flowers, wild honeysuckle, dog roses and bramble flowers, that later in the year will become succulent dark blackberries, perfect for crumbles and jams. In the past it was often customary to light a midsummer bonfire as the sun set on Midsummer Eve. The celebrations may also have included torch lit processions and the rolling of a burning wheel. The smoke from the fires was supposed to have a magical quality - cattle would be driven through it and young men would leap over the first
hoping this would bring them luck in the year ahead. Long-burning kitchen hearth fires would be extinguished and then relit using burning brands from the midsummer fire, as if in an attempt to hold onto the height of summer and keep away the dark months ahead for as long as possible. Sweet peas begin to flower in June, and you must pick them often in
“Where the bee sucks, there suck I, In a cowslip’s bell I lie; Merrily, merrily shall I live now, Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.”
order to stop them setting seed. A jar of sweet peas on the kitchen table is a sure sign that summer has arrived - in our house at least! June 5 is World Environment Day, aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues, and encouraging action to protect the environment. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. The day is celebrated in many ways - from concerts and festivals to tree planting and more. Each year the United Nations Environment
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Programme announces a theme and a host nation for the main celebrations. This year the host nation is Canada and the theme is “Plastic Pollution” - an issue that has been very much in the news lately. Across the Atlantic, June 25 marks the anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand - the day in 1876 when the US cavalry officer George Armstrong Custer led a column of some 650 soldiers into battle against thousands of Native American warriors in the valley of the Little Big Horn River. Custer had been ordered to wait for reinforcements before launching his attack and his decision to “go it alone” resulted in the death of 267 men, including Custer himself. Equally as well known are the events of 26 June 1284, when 130 children were allegedly led out of the town of Hamelin in northern Germany by the Pied Piper, a handsome young man wearing colourful clothing and playing irresistible music on his pipe. According to a later version of the tale that dates from the midsixteenth century, the Pied Piper had rid the town of a plague of rats and had not been paid his agreed fee, so he lured the children away as an act of revenge. The children disappeared into a nearby hill and were never seen again.
Baby Rabbit Hoop When Rosie and Dan were living in Bristol and I was in Devon, I used to travel up to see them quite regularly. During the summer months I preferred to make the return journey starting very early in the morning and in certain places at this time of year the grass verges along the edge of the road would be teeming with baby rabbits. They always used to pop their heads up from the long grass in a startled manner as I drove past - in just the same way as the baby rabbit in this hoop. Last month I included a little cat with very densely stitched fur, this rabbit is much quicker and simpler to stitch, using only two shades of floss. Shown mounted in 8” hoop.
Materials
Stitching Note
● 12” square background fabric. I used a natural coloured linen blend. Be sure to choose a fabric with a fairly fine weave as the bunny is stitched in a single strand of floss and it will need to stand out on the fabric.
The rabbit (including eyes and whiskers) is stitched in a single strand of floss. The garland is stitched in 2 strands of floss.
● DMC stranded cotton floss in colours blanc, 310, 604, 720, 839, 840, 906, 907, 3771, 4045
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hoop on the next page so you can easily see the stitch direction
Stitching Guide ● Transfer your design to the centre of the background fabric using your preferred method of transfer.
● The darkest areas of the rabbit’s fur should be worked in a single strand of 839, and all other parts in 840.
● Stitch the rabbit first. I have included the original pencil sketch to help with the shading. The fur is all worked in straight stitch - and the direction of your stitches will determine the direction of the rabbit’s fur this is probably the single most important factor in the success of your project. I have included a large photograph of my finished
● The nose is worked in the same way - and there are also a few tiny pink stitches at the bases of the ears. ● The eyelashes are 839 and the whiskers are each a single long stitch in 840. ● The eyes are black satin stitch - again using a single strand of floss with white stitches
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worked over the top for the highlights - or sparkle in each eye.
● The pink flowers are bullion stitch in clusters of one or two stitches.
● The garland is worked in two strands of floss in accordance with the colour chart on the previous page.
● The large leaves have a central “spine” of broad stem stitch in 906 then this is surrounded by 907 satin stitch worked at an angle to the centre.
● All the stems are back stitch.
● When you’ve finished stitching, press your work lightly on the reverse being careful not to flatten your stitches and mount in hoop to display.
● The smaller leaves are worked in 4045 lazy daisy stitch. ● The yellow flowers are also lazy daisy stitch.
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The Wildflower Meadow A meadow in bloom is a quintessentially British sight and a real sign that summer has arrived, but it is a landscape that takes on many other beautiful aspects through the changing seasons. In spring the grasses are punctuated with fritillaries and other bulbs, in summer there is an invasion of colour, bringing with it an abundance of insect life - bugs, bees and butterflies, as well as the creatures that feed on them, and as autumn turns to winter the desiccated seed heads will be rimed with frost. As well as being beautiful to the eye, meadows provide an invaluable source of food and shelter for a multitude of small mammals, insects and birds.
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The Rose Garden
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Roses must be one of the best-known and most-loved flowers in the British psyche, then appear again and again in poetry, prose and art - and no garden is complete without them. From Greek and Roman times to the present day the rose has been a powerful symbol of beauty and love. Its romantic origins lie in ancient Egypt where Cleopatra famously carpeted the floor of her boudoir with rose petals in order to seduce the Roman general, Mark Antony. The rose itself is much older than this though, as fossil evidence shows - it dates back around thirty-five million years. It was first cultivated by man in central Asia around 5,000 years ago. According to Greek mythology it was Aphrodite that caused roses to be red. Upon seeing her true love Adonis mortally wounded she ran to him and in her haste scratched herself on the thorns of some roses. As her blood fell on the mythical white blooms they became stained, forevermore to remain red in colour. Roses were used in Roman houses for table decorations. Guests were showered in fragrant rose petals, in the belief that the rose was both an aphrodisiac and an antidote to combat drunkenness. The Romans also began the custom of planting a red rose on a dead lover's grave and a white rose on the grave of a young
woman purity).
(to
demonstrate
Medieval art often shows the Virgin Mary in an enclosed rose garden, a representation of Eden, but also a place where courtly lovers could retire. The Christmas rose – a hardy white flower with five petals that blooms at Christmas time is a symbol of the Nativity that appears in medieval carols and seasonal hymns to the Virgin. There is no rose of such virtue As is the rose that bare Jesu; Alleluia. For in this rose contained was Heaven and earth in little space; Res Miranda.
It was said that the rose’s thorny stems were twined around Christ’s head during his Passion, and its red flowers are a symbol both of worldly love and of martyrdom, which is possibly why they have, over time, become associated with St Valentine’s Day. The era of modern roses was established with the introduction of the first hybrid
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tea rose, "La France" by the French breeder, Guillot in 1867. Though today we love to include roses in our gardens - indeed can any garden be complete without least one variety of rose - it hasn’t always been easy to incorporate them into a cottage garden or one where the overall feeling is natural and unstructured. In municipal parks and gardens up and down the country roses have traditionally been planted in bare beds, with stiff, angular stems and with their branches carefully pruned. For those who enjoy a more formal style this is ideal, but if you like informality and rustic charm this approach simply doesn’t work. After the Second World War, new rose varieties in vibrant colours with modern names such as “Majorette” became very fashionable. In the midtwentieth century garden centres (an new concept from the USA) presented roses in serried ranks of containers that were purchased in their thousands - “man-made” was all the rage and natural was out. Novice gardeners could now buy plants as easily as purchasing groceries from the
“A Red, Red Rose” O my Luve’s like a red, red rose That’s newly sprung in June; O my Luve’s like the melodie That’s sweetly play’d in tune. As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I: And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till a’ the seas gang dry: Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun: I will luve thee still, my dear, While the sands o’ life shall run. And fare thee well, my only Luve And fare thee well, a while! And I will come again, my Luve, Tho’ it were ten thousand mile. Robert Burns, 1794
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supermarket (another recently introduced idea), without having to seek out specialised nurseries, ordering their plants in advance - which then arrived bare-rooted necessitating some prior thought and planning as to how, where and when they should be planted. Only real enthusiasts knew where to find the old-fashioned roses celebrated by the poets of times past. By the 19802 though, fashions had changed and the nurseries that had remained loyal to the old fashioned varieties found their loyalty rewarded. Now a good garden centre will stock a selection of them and it’s definitely very convenient and easy to be able to purchase them container grown to plant at any time of the year. For true romance and a much bigger choice though, visit the websites of specialists and enjoy reading the details of each rose available - you’ll probably find you end up with a wish list of maybe twenty or more varieties, and will have to spend quite some time making your final choices! You won’t receive a plant purchased in this way until the dormant season - perhaps at Christmas or even later if the winter has been mild, but its still best to order early in the year as if you leave it too late you may find that the plants you want are out of stock. Roses are very tolerant plants and although they naturally prefer a clay soil they’ll grow
almost anywhere, so you can make your choices based on colour, scent and how well they’ll fit into your garden. The reason the old-fashioned shrub roses blend so well into a mixed border is that their colours are gentle and their growth pattern less stiff and formal than the modern rose. Consider the colour and height of the other plants in your border and you’re sure to find a rose that will be a good companion to them. There isn’t complete agreement about the date that divides old roses from the modern varieties, but this isn’t really something to worry about. There is also a category called English roses, bred since the 1970’s that combine the appearance of old roses with improved disease resistance. Organic gardeners who don’t like using chemical sprays may find these a better option, though it’s possible by careful cultivation to keep disease to a minimum. In any case gardeners who have fallen in love with old roses tend to concentrate on the beauty of their flowers and turn a blind eye to any imperfections such as blackspot. Certainly Gertrude Jekyll and Vita Sackville-West, who revived interest in old roses in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were not deterred by it. The pleasure and romance of growning a rose that was a favourite of, say, Napoleon’s
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first wife, Josephine de Beauharnais in her garden at Malmaison more than makes up for a few imperfections. However, the English roses do have the advantage of repeat flowering while most of the old roses give you one glorious flush of flowers - and then it’s all over until next year. As well as planting roses in your borders, choose climbers and ramblers for your house walls or your trees but do check first on their final size. Some can be overwhelmingly vigorous for a small garden and thorns are another consideration - it is possible to find thornless varieties - perfect if you have small children in the family. It’s worth paying a June visit to famous rose gardens for inspiration - such as Mottisfont Abbey at Romsey, Hampshire, and Coughton Court in Warwickshire. For a cottage garden choose supports for your roses that look old or natural, rather than modern plastic ones. A woven hazel arch, for example, will blend beautifully with a climber, as will reclaimed old railings.
A (very) Little Guide to Buttons Buttons come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and materials - though when it comes down to basics there are really only two different types, flat (those with holes that you sew through) and shank. You can attach buttons by hand or use a special button foot on your sewing machine that has a small U-shaped base covered in a rubber material - but do be sure to refer to your sewing machine manual before attempting this. You should always choose a button with a depth and diameter that suits your buttonhole. If anything it should be quite a snug fit when passing through the buttonhole as these do tend to stretch and give with use and time. When you’re sewing on buttons by hand it’s best to double your thread to make it stronger. When sewing on flat buttons that are going to be used as a fastening then it’s good practice to create a thread shank which will allow a bit of space between the button and the fabric that will make it lie better. To make a shank push a
cocktail stick between your button and the fabric and stitch the button on loosely a few times. Then remove the stick and wrap your thread round and round the stitched threads beneath the button to create a shank, securing firmly on the back to finish. Shank buttons have a hole or loop at the back that you stitch through to attach the button to the fabric. This makes them great for thicker fabrics and outerwear. If, in spite of the variety available, you can’t find exactly the right button to suit your project then you might like to try covering your own. These buttons come ready to be covered by placing a circle of fabric (especially pretty if enhanced by a tiny embroidered motif) on the front of the button and snapping the back into place using the special tool provided. This is a great idea for soft furnishings and for creating a coordinated finish.
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Look! -------------------
a lovely idea
Peg Doll Ballerinas
Everyone’s familiar with those traditional wooden pegs perfect for making little dolls, and now the prettiest pompom ballerinas too. Thanks to the Sewcial Circle for sharing this tutorial. Find the link below:
Free from The Sewcial Circle: Peg Doll Ballerinas 17
Laundry Bag When heading off on holiday I’ve always included a plastic bag to contain laundry - but this year I thought it would be nice to have something a bit more attractive to bring my washing home! With travel in mind, this bag measures 20” x 13” (approx) and is unlined for considerations of weight (those airline luggage allowances can be very tight!). It also has a loop on the back so it can be easily hung on the back of a hotel room door and two strong tape ties to keep the contents safely inside no matter how long your journey. ● DMC stranded cotton floss in shade 310 black
Materials
● 1 ½ yards x 1” wide white cotton twill tape
● 24” x 14” piece striped fabric (or pattern of your choice of course. If you choose a directional print, then you will need to add a little extra to cut and rejoin the pieces so that both sides of the bag have the print running in the same direction)
● Pinking shears (optional but do give a nice finish)
● 6” square white fabric suitable for embroidery. Choose a fabric that’s heavy enough so that the stripes won’t show through when you applique it to your bag.
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rectangle using pinking shears if you have them.
Method ● First work the embroidery. Use two strands of floss throughout for the line beneath the word “LAUNDRY” which is back stitch worked in three strands.
● Position rectangle on the right side of your fabric centrally vertically and 11” down from the top edge. ● Topstitch into place with your sewing machine using matching thread.
● The letters are worked in long and short stitch, though chain stitch would also look good.
● With WRONG sides together fold your fabric in half widthways to make the bag shape.
● The symbols are all worked in back stitch the hand is satin stitch and the dots are French knots.
● Now make the French seam that will give you a nice strong, tidy interior without the need to line your bag.
● When you have finished stitching press your work lightly on the back being careful not to flatten your stitching. Trim to a 4” x 5”
● Machine stitch down both sides using a ¼” seam allowance. (1) Trim to 1/8”.
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the remaining tape over the ends (4) and machine stitch securely - a good idea is to make a square with a diagonal cross through it.
● Turn bag inside out (ie with right sides together) and press seams flat. Now machine stitch up sides again with a ¼” seam allowance so enclosing the raw edges and making a neat finish. Turn the top edge over ½” and then another 1”, press and machine stitch (2) around the top edge. ● Turn bag right side out and press. ● Cut an 8” length from your cotton tape and fold in half. (3).
● Your bag is now finished.
● Position on back of bag centrally and 4 ½” down from the top. Pin the centre point of
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Loving your Linen Closet
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People have stored their fabrics in cupboards and chests for hundreds of years to keep them fresh and clean, often adding cedar, camphor or other aromatic substances to keep moths at bay. Now the warmer summer days have arrived, it’s a great time to air your clothes and tidy up your closet. Up until the Renaissance people kept their linens, blankets in large wooden chests as cupboards didn’t feature in homes, being found only in churches and used to store holy relics, their doors decorated with images of saints and other religious designs many of which can still be seen on these older cupboards today. Once cupboards had made their way into homes, life became easier for housewives who no longer had to bend over to rummage through the contents of chests to find what they were looking for - usually at the bottom I guess, probably not much different to today! But the new cupboards had shelves for organising their contents and provided much needed extra storage space. Many women lovingly decorated their cupboard shelves with lace or embroidered ribbons. The arrival of hanging rails in cupboards a little later was a great benefit as these enabled jackets, coats and dresses to be hung up side by side, increasing ventilation and reducing creasing. The earliest wardrobes had arrived! Many other weird and wonderful ideas proliferated in
houses around this time, including hangers with long wooden poles that enabled housewives to hang clothing just beneath the ceiling where it would have been protected from most vermin. The trend for hanging clothes in cupboards received a boost in the mid-nineteenth century when clothes hangers arrived. Today we store all kinds of fabrics in our linen cupboards or closets - bed linen, towels, tablecloths, pyjamas and everyday clothing too. I’d like to say that my cupboard features stacks of sweetsmelling, neatly ironed items just waiting patiently for the day when I need them. Sadly however, l have to confess that at the bottom is a pile of crumpled, un-ironed clothing certainly sweet-smelling after being washed, but in no way neat and tidy! Old housekeeping books from the nineteenth century offer lots of advice and tips for storing your linens, many of which are still handy today, and which I really should begin to follow … If you want to keep your linen or airing cupboard tidy, place a piece of cardboard at intervals in any piles of tablecloths or towels, or between separate
sets of sheets. This will also prevent them from slipping as you take one out. Empty egg boxes are also useful for keeping smaller items organised, such as tights and rolled up ties. I remember my own mum carefully using a clothes peg to hold pleats and creases neatly in skirts and trousers before hanging them up - attaching the pegs inside the clothes so they wouldn’t be knocked loose. This will keep the folds smooth even if you don’t wear the clothes for quite some time. If you are using an old heirloom or antique cupboard as a linen cupboard you may find that over time the drawers begin to creak or stick. Previous generations of housewives knew just what to do about this - simply apply a little candle wax - or even vegetable oil to the runners to solve the problem. Drawer liners are a great way to improve the appearance of your shelves (and drawers too of course!) You can often find scented ones - or if not then use wallpaper sprinkled with a few drops of your favourite essential oil (on the non printed side to avoid transfer to your clothes).
Today we have seen a resurgence of the common clothes moth - and a simple way to prevent them from nesting in your clothes and damaging them is to hang a tea infuser filled with lavender blossom in your wardrobe. The contents are easy to replace when the fragrance fades. You can also use herb sachets or wrap a scented bar of soap in paper and place it among your clothes. Alternatively, why not forage in your garden for natural homegrown ways to keep your linen fresh and sweet-smelling. Leaves that are suitable to dry to fill sachets and pillows are scented geraniums, lemon verbena and mint or mixtures of herb leaves or herbs and flower petals. Pick the herbs, flowers and plants on a dry day and pull the leaves from the stems. Scatter the leaves into a shallow basket or wire mesh tray and leave in a warm, wellventilated place to dry. On a warm sunny day they will dry
rapidly in your garden or a greenhouse, but be sure to place them somewhere out of the wind! Dry them quickly to keep their best scent and/or colour. If you prefer, rather than dealing with loose leaves, you can punch the stems and hang them upside down to dry over a stove or again, in a warm, well-ventilated place. You can either fill your pillows directly with the crumbled dried leaves, or stuff the pillow first and then fill a smaller sachet with the herbs and push this into the larger pillow. This will make it easier to replenish the herbs later when their scent has faded. When making scented sachets or pillows it’s nice to try to choose fabrics that complement their contents. Fresh stripes and crisp, clean checks somehow seem to work well with sharp, leafy scents, whilst softer, flowery fragrances seem to suit dainty floral fabrics. If your leaves or
scented materials are at all prickly or dusty then you will need to use a fine and densely woven fabric to contain them, though in this case of course, you will have complete freedom of choice when it comes to selecting your fabrics for the outer covers. For many leaves, such as sweet woodruff, a fine lawn, muslin or inexpensive cheesecloth is perfectly suitable to make the fabric sachet to hold them. Lavender is of course the classic choice for fragranced sachets - in bygone days sheets and clothes were spread over lavender bushes to dry in the sun and absorb some of the plant’s essential oils in the warmth. Country people still did this until quite recently, which is probably the reason why lavender bushes or path edgings of lavender were commonly planted near doors leading to the kitchen, scullery and wash house.
The Legend of Arachne
“Arachne first invented working with the needle, which this mayd of Lydia learned from the spiders, taking her first samplers and patterns from them in imitation� Edward Topsel, History of Fourfooted Beasts and Serpents, 1608
According to Greek mythology, Arachne was a beautiful, young and talented maiden, who was so proud of her skill that she claimed she could spin and weave better than anybody else - even the goddess Athene. When the goddess visited her, disguised as an elderly woman, Arachne unknowingly challenged her to a duel at tapestry weaving - which of course the goddess won. Arachne, in despair, hanged herself and Athene, as a warning to all conceited mortals, quickly changed her into a spider so she could spend eternity practising her stitches. 24
A (very) little history of the Press Fastener Most clothing - and lots of other textile items too - require some kind of fastening and of course by far the most common is the button. Metal press fasteners, or poppers, are the next most popular type of fastening and these were first patented in Germany in 1885 by Heribert Bauer. Poppers are comprised of either two metal parts for the sew-on kind or four metal parts for the riveted or non-sew kind. They make a characteristic snapping or popping sound when they’re closed - which gave rise to the term popper or snap fastener.
fasteners, weren’t rustproof - or even very reliable. But Prym improved the manufacturing process and developed standards that are still maintained today. Its factory produces millions of fasteners every day, 24 hours a day, and supplies a large proportion of the world’s fashion industry with high-quality fasteners. One of the most successful marketing campaigns used by Prym and other manufacturers of press fasteners was to attach then to decorative cards. These havnow become collectibles, depicting as they do attractive country landscapes and other images, including the original Prym logo of a deer with a needle through its antlers. During the 1950s the company slogan was “the most reliable waist fastener of the present and the future.” Even today, with the rise of new options such as Velcro, most sewing kits will include a couple of poppers, proving that they have remained useful over the 130 years since their invention.
If you look closely at the picture above you’ll be able to see the distinctive double S-spring which ensures the fastener isn’t too tight or too loose. The Prym family have manufactured metal goods in Germany since the sixteenth century and are synonymous with press-fastener production since purchasing the original German patent in 1903. The earliest types, also known as ball and socket
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Giraffe Trophy Head I’ve always enjoyed making animal heads, and this little giraffe is no exception. I decided to make him in more muted shades of grey and cream rather than use more realistic shades - the choice of colours is entirely up to you! His markings are geometric felt shapes hand stitched to the head. He has a simple wire in his neck so he is guaranteed never to flop forward and his mane is lovely stiff raffia strands which I feel may possibly be slightly reminiscent of his home on the African savannah. Giraffe measures 15” tall and is shown mounted on a 5” x 9” oval hoop. ● 12” medium weight wire (just the ordinary heavy duty garden wire works very well indeed)
Materials ● 18” square cream wool blend felt
● 9” x 5” oval hoop
● 12” square grey wool blend felt
● Two ¼” diameter spherical black beads
● 11” x 7” backing fabric. This does need to be fairly firm - use a medium weight or else do as I did and fuse a quilting cotton to some felt to give the fabric sufficient body to hold the head upright.
● Beige raffia
● Hot glue gun
● Grey, black and cream stranded cotton floss or perle thread
● Toy stuffing
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● Sew the base to the neck, inserting more stuffing as you go so it’s nice and firm.
Method ● Cut out all pieces as specified on the full size templates (some will need joining together and they overlap to help you do this).
● Sew the two pieces of each horn together and attach to the head using the photograph as a guide.
● Join all pieces with wrong sides together using two strands of matching floss. Make a decorative cross stitch over the seams by first whip stitching over them in one direction, then returning back over the seam, angling your stitches the other way to complete the cross stitch.
● Cut geometric shapes from grey felt and pin into place on the neck (1). Stitch into place with short straight stitches in grey floss when you’re happy with their positioning. The shapes should be larger at the base and grow smaller towards the top of the head. ● Cut bundles of raffia each 2 ½” in length and secure all the way down the back of the neck (2) with a stitch over each bundle. Trim mane so all lengths are equal.
● First join the neck and chin gusset to the body sides from A to C ● Stitch the ear inners to the outers using grey floss and with stitches worked at a shallow angle so they don’t show through to the back.
● Mark position of eyes with pins, and when you’re happy with their position - making sure they’re level from all sides - stitch the eyes into place. Take the thread right through the head and pull tightly to make little sockets for them to sit in.
● Fold ears in half at the base and secure with a few stitches. ● Insert the head gusset from A to B, inserting the ears into the seam as marked on the template. Stuff the head and continue sewing down the back of the neck from B to D. When you’re about half way down fold over 1 ½” at each end of your wire into a loop and insert into the neck packing the stuffing firmly around it to hold it in place.
● Hoop up your backing fabric making sure it’s very taut. ● Glue head to backing fabric towards the bottom of the hoop - you may need to add a few stitches to keep it secure at the bottom. ● Trim away excess backing fabric. FINISHED!
● Continue stitching and stuffing until you reach the base.
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Tastes of the Season: Gooseberries Gooseberries were traditionally eaten around Whitsuntide (the end of May) in Britain and were some of the season’s first fresh fruit available in large enough quantities to begin to preserve and store in different ways. For centuries they’ve been eaten as sauces accompanying rich or oily savoury foods such as mackerel and goose, as well as in puddings and jams. Gooseberry bushes thrive in a cool northern climate and are useful as the fruit can be eaten in their tart young green state (although they do require plenty of sweetening in this case) or they can be left to ripen and become as large and sweet as plums by the end of the summer. Many country children (myself included!) Will remember being sent to sit in the garden to “top and tail” a colander full of gooseberries for a pudding or pie. This is a fiddly process which suits small fingers, though it’s quickly done with a pair of small scissors or even a pinch of your finger nails. Gooseberry jam can be a little dull and stodgy as boiling the fruits with sugar turns the fresh green colour to a warm greenyamber shade. Try making it into a jelly flavoured with elderflower, or even mint (also readily available at this time of year) - this version is delicious served with lamb. 28
Rosie’s Recipes: Strawberry Fayre
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Strawberries are one of my favourite foods - and can be used in so many different - and equally delicious ways! Of course the fruit and cream combo is the classic variation - but have you tried chocolate-dipped strawberries too? The first recipe this month was always Mum’s go-to dessert for summer gatherings in the garden … and I hope you’ll enjoy it just as much as we do!
Eton Mess Think strawberries and cream - then add meringue too - yum! This is a very easy dessert and you can save even more time by purchasing good quality ready-made meringues. As the summer progresses try it with different berries too - though strawberries are my personal favourite. Serves 6 normal people or 4 greedy ones like us!
Ingredients ● 400 g ripe strawberries, hulled ● 200 g caster sugar ● 1 litre double or whipping cream ● Few drops of vanilla extract
For the meringues ● 2 large egg whites ● 145 g caster sugar
Method ●To make the meringue, in a clean bowl whisk the egg white until stiff, then gradually whisk in the caster sugar until the meringue holds firm peaks when the whisk is lifted. (An electric whisk is best for this)
●Spread the meringue in an even layer, about ¾” (2 cm) thick on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Place in the oven at the lowest temperature setting and leave for about 6-7 hours until dry and brittle. ●Put half of the strawberries into a blender with half of the sugar and blend until smooth. Pass through a nylon sieve to remove the strawberry seeds. ●Whisk the double cream, remaining caster sugar and vanilla extract together in a bowl until fairly stiff (don’t over whisk, you need to have some movement in the cream). ●Just before you’re ready to eat it, break the meringue into small pieces and fold into the cream with half of the strawberry puree. Don’t mix it together too thoroughly, you want a ripple or “messy” effect. (If you do this stage too early the meringue will start to go soft. Still nice, but not quite the same!) ●Slice the remaining strawberries. Spoon the cream mixture into the middle of each serving plate, then spoon most of the remaining strawberry puree over and around the outside. ●Scatter the sliced strawberries on top and drizzle with the remaining strawberry puree to serve.
Elderflower Jelly with Summer Fruits Elderflowers are the taste of spring and early summer - and are free too as they grow widely along hedgerows and in wooded areas. But don’t pick any that grow alongside roads as they will be contaminated with traffic pollutants. If you want to make this later in the summer, then it’s fine to use elderflower cordial instead of the flower heads.
Ingredients ● 150 ml Sauternes or other good dessert wine ● Juice of ½ lemon ● About 200 g caster sugar ● 6 freshly picked elderflower heads, or 3 tablespoons of elderflower cordial ● 5 sheets leaf gelatine ● 150 g mixed summer fruits, plus a few extra to garnish.
Method ● Put the Sauternes or other wine in a saucepan with 400 ml water and the lemon juice and bring to
the boil. Add the caster sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring to the boil again and remove from the heat. ● If using fresh elderflowers rinse, pat dry and add them to the warm syrup, then leave to infuse overnight. The next day bring the syrup to the boil again, then strain through a nylon sieve into a bowl. ● Soak the gelatine leaves in a shallow bowl of cold water for a minute or so until soft. Squeeze out the excess water, then add the gelatine sheets to the hot fruit syrup and stir until dissolved. If you’re using elderflower cordial add it at this stage. ● Pour the jelly into a bowl and leave to cool, but don’t let it set. Combine the berries and divide half of them between four smaller bowls, glasses or moulds, then pour in the cooled liquid jelly. Chill for an hour or so to set. ● Top up with the remaining fruits and liquid jelly and chill until set (setting the fruit in two layers like this keeps them suspended in the jelly so they don’t all float to the top). ● Turn out and decorate with a few more berries. Serve with cream or icecream if liked.
Strawberry Frozen Yoghurt This is a delicious way to enjoy your berries - and if you use low fat yoghurt and one of the natural zero-calorie sugar substitutes now so widely available it can be a reasonably healthy treat too. Makes enough to serve 4 - or possibly fewer if your family and friends are as greedy as we are!
Ingredients ● 500 g strawberries ● 3 egg yolks ● 50 g icing sugar ● 150 g Greek yoghurt ● 125 ml whipping cream ● 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar ● Extra strawberries to decorate/serve.
Method ● Rinse, clean and puree the strawberries. Beat the egg yolks and icing sugar together over a warm bain-marie (or use a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water being careful that the bowl does not touch the water) until thick and frothy. Stir in the strawberry puree and the yoghurt. ● Whip the cream and vanilla sugar until stiff and fold into the mixture. ● Place in an ice cream maker and follow maker’s instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker then pour the mixture into a shallow, freezer-proof container, cover with a lid and freeze for one hour. Whisk after one hour to break down the ice crystals and repeat the whisking again 3 or 4 times during the freezing process to ensure your frozen yoghurt has an even texture. ● Serve garnished with the extra strawberries.
The Taste of Summer
Although these days strawberries are available all year round, mum tells me that when she was a child the season was short - just three months from June to August when the English fruit was in harvest. And today we both eagerly anticipate this time as home grown strawberries are so much sweeter and more luscious than the imported varieties. The arrival of sweet juicy homegrown strawberries, firm, plump and heart shaped is the most certain sign that summer has really and truly arrived - at last! We are very lucky to live in Somerset, near Cheddar which, as well as being famous for its cheese, is a major strawberry-growing area. Farmer’s stalls pop up along the lanes, and it’s easy to stop to purchase cartons of delicious juicy fruit, picked straight from the fields earlier in the day. The English strawberry season is short, with traditionally field-grown berries available from only early June to August, though with the arrival of polytunnels, this has been extended by several weeks. But did you know that the average strawberry will have around two hundred seeds, and that it’s the only fruit that carries its seeds externally Like raspberries, strawberries are not classified as berries by botanists (though I must admit I’m a bit hazy on the details!). I do know however that amazingly they are actually a member of the rose family! The strawberry has a long history, the earliest mention being in Roman times, around 200 BC. During the Middle Ages, newlywed couples would feast on strawberries with borage and soured cream, believing them to be an aphrodisiac. Although this claim is uncertain, strawberries are
certainly good for us as well as tasting delicious. The classic dish of strawberries and cream is believed to have been introduced in Tudor times, by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey at the court of King Henry VIII. In Sweden, strawberries are a traditional dessert served on St John's Day, also known as Midsummer's Eve. Depending on area, strawberry pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, or strawberry shortcake are also popular. In Greece, strawberries are usually sprinkled with sugar and then dipped in Metaxa, a famous brandy, and served as a dessert, while in Italy strawberries have been used for various desserts and as a popular flavoring for gelato (gelato alla fragola). Native to many parts of the world, hundreds of varieties of strawberries exist due to crossbreeding techniques. In 1714, a French engineer commissioned to Chile and Peru, observed that the strawberry native to those regions was much larger than those found in Europe. He decided to bring back a sample of this strawberry to cultivate in France. The end result was a large, juicy, sweet hybrid (the modern garden strawberry) that became extremely popular in Europe. Here in the UK we cultivate more than thirty different varieties, with Jubilee often considered to be the
sweetest and tastiest. Most of our strawberries are red, but there are yellow and even white varieties these actually taste more like pineapples than strawberries. In the past they’ve been used to treat digestive problems, discoloured teeth and skin problems. They are high in vitamin C - just five strawberries contain more than an orange, and are also a good source of folic acid, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain high levels of antioxidants - probably linked to their bright red colour. The best strawberries should be unblemished with bright green hulls or stalks. Leave the hulls on until you’re ready to wash and eat your berries as they will keep longer this way. Ideally don’t eat strawberries directly from the fridge, but allow them to reach room temperature as this will intensify their flavour. Strawberries are easy to grow, though they do need a warm area of the garden with plenty of sunshine. They have shallow roots and need good drainage and rich soil, so it’s important to prepare the ground well before planting them. You should be able to harvest your first berries around 60 days after planting and a well-tended bed should continue fruiting for up to three years before needing to be replaced.
Strawberry Roulade Makes one roulade using a 20 x 30 cm Swiss Roll tin.
Ingredients For the sponge:
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
● 4 eggs
● Line the baking tin with parchment. Pre heat your oven to 200C
● 110 g sugar
● Separate the eggs and beat the yolks, sugar and vanilla extract together until creamy.
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ● 25 g icing sugar ● 75 g plain flour ● ½ teaspoon baking powder ● Extra sugar for rolling
For the filling: ● 600 g strawberries, washed and hulled ● 200 g whipping cream
Berry Juice If you have some misshapen or extra berries left over from your visit to the fruit farm, or supermarket, then a great way to use them up is to make juice. For strawberries use 3-4 kg and blend in a blender - if you’re in a hurry it’s fine to leave the green hulls on. Add approximately 900 g sugar (be sure to add gradually and taste as you go as sweeter varieties will need less sugar) and pour the juice into warm sterilised bottles.
● In a separate bowl beat the egg whites and icing sugar until stiff. Fold into the yolk mixture. ● Mix together the baking powder and flour and sift over the egg whites. Mix carefully, trying not to lose too much volume from your egg white mixture. Spread onto the prepared baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. ● Turn the warm sponge over onto a tea towel dusted with sugar. Brush the baking paper with cold water and peel away from the sponge. Roll up the sponge immediately and leave to cool. ● Slice the strawberries. Beat together the cream and vanilla extract and mix with the strawberries. ● Gently unroll your sponge and spread with the strawberries and cream mixture. Roll up again and refrigerate until set.
Tastes of the Season: Garlic Green or wet garlic is the first variety to come into season, becoming available in May, followed by the more usual dry type from June until mid-December. Mature garlic bulbs, which develop individual cloves, are harvested and dried - either in the sun or in large glasshouses. The process takes a few weeks. The Isle of Wight is one of this country’s biggest producers of garlic - and the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm website is well worth a visit if you’re a garlic lover. There are, however, garlic farms all over the country, from Dorset in the south to the Scottish Highlands and varieties grown range from the enormous - even jumbo-sized(!) Elephant garlic to the delicate-looking Porcelain bulb. Garlic bulbs can be kept in a mesh or wire basket, a small bowl with ventilation holes or even a paper bag. Do not store fresh garlic bulbs in plastic bags or sealed containers. This can cause mould and sprouting.
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Practically Perfect Pennant Do you know somebody who would like this pennant I wonder? I must admit I can think of one or two special people in my life for whom it would be appropriate! The quote is from Mary Poppins of course, and the pennant also features some hand stitched flowers. Stitches used are basket weave stitch, bullion stitch, ghiordes knot stitch French knots satin stitch and back stitch. Pennant measures 8 ½ “ wide x 11 ½” long.
● DMC stranded cotton floss in colours 310, 335, 471, 712, 727, 760, 840, 904, 967, 3740, 3761
Materials ● 12 ½” x 9” grey cotton fabric
● Temporary fabric marker pen
● 12 ½” 9” backing fabric (will not be seen when project is hung) ● 9” small diameter wooden dowelling or other narrow rod - I used 1/8 “ diameter Roman blind rod I had left over from a previous project ● 14” ric rac braid or other cord to hang
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● Full stitch details and colour guide are given on the following pages. If you are unsure about working any of the stitches, then you will find more details over on the Bustle & Sew website.
Method ● First work the embroidery. Transfer the pattern to your grey fabric, centering it vertically and with the bottom of the loop of the “y” in every about 2 ½” up from the bottom of the fabric.
● When finished press your work lightly on the reverse.
● The pattern is the correct size and is also provided in reverse to suit your preferred method of transfer.
● Fold your work in half and mark the bottom centre point with your marker pen. Mark a point 3 ½” up from the bottom edge on either side. Draw a line joining each side point to the bottom one so forming the bottom point of your pennant. Repeat with the backing fabric. Cut along the lines. (1)
● The design is worked in 2 strands of floss throughout EXCEPT the coloured letters of “perfect” and “in” which are worked in 3 strands
● Place the front and backing fabrics right sides together and machine stitch around the side and bottom edges with a ¼” seam allowance leaving the top edge open
● The text of “practically and every way” is worked in split stitch in 310 black floss ● The banner outline is also black floss - but this time back stitch (2 strands) Be very accurate with this outline, taking care that your needle enters and leaves the fabric through the same hole as any gaps will show badly.
● Clip corners and point. Turn right side out through the top edge and press around edges. ● Fold over top edge ¼” and then again ½” and slip stitch along the fold to form the channel for the rod.(2)
● The flowers are all radiating straight stitch. I find it easiest to work stitches at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock and then fill in between them - this keeps my stitches radiating evenly.
● Insert rod. Glue or tie braid to the ends. Your pennant is now finished!
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The Lace Pedlar Who’ll buy my laces? I’ve laces to sell! Long laces, strong laces, short laces as well. Laces of cotton, of silk and mohair, Laces of leather, a penny a pair; A lace for your body, a lace for your shoe; Black laces, white laces, scarlet and blue, Here is leather for schoolboys, and silk for a girl; But a queen must have silver with taggles of pearl.
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Inspiration
inspiration
A closer look at some of the accounts we love‌ C:\Users\Debbie\Downl...\penandpaperpatterns.png
@lissova_craft
@jessiedoedesigns
Have you ever seen such cute little cactii? Based in Russia, Tania makes unique paper wall art. Check our her Etsy store where she sells her gorgeous work.
Jessie is a fibre artist based in Bristol. Jessie Doe Designs was created in June 2017 and sells embroidery hoop art and positivity cards, all handmade, through Etsy.
C:\Users\Debbie\Downloads\Ins...\fuzzyandflora.png
@littlehappygorgeous
@varstat
Charlotte makes lovely crochet toys from her home in Mornington Peninsula, Australia. Her creations are handmade Aussie goodies for little & big kids alike!
Olena is a Ukrainian illustrator based in Berlin. She creates beautiful needle punch wall hangings, designs pdf patterns and needle punch kits.
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A Strawberry Summer Today strawberries are no longer a seasonal luxury as imported berries are available year-round in supermarkets across the country. But I can remember how it was when they were only available for a few short weeks in early summer, the first real soft fruit of the year, often cosseted and protected with cloches to bring the fruit to ripeness a few weeks earlier than would otherwise have been possible. Further back in time, in the early nineteenth century to be precise, the list of strawberry varieties grown was huge. Most of their names are unfamiliar to us now as we only seem to grow a few over-large garden varieties, and shops care mostly for berries that look good, travel well and have a long shelf life - only too often at the expense of their taste. In 1829, in his William Cobbett lists among others; Kew Pine, Chili, White Alpine, Red Alpine, Keen’s Seedling and Hautbois. It’s hard to make good strawberry jam successfully as to do so you need good ripe fruit that’s had plenty of sun (which isn’t always the case in an English summer of course). A cold, damp growing season will produce fruit that’s bloated and tasteless, and that contains very little pectin indeed. Even in a good
year strawberries are naturally low in the essential pectin needed to make jam set, so jam makers, in their attempts to achieve this set, are sometimes tempted to heat their mixtures to too high a temperature so the berries are overcooked and lose their fresh flavour.
Eat strawberries as soon as possible after picking and never place them near water which turns them soggy and tasteless. Strawberry preserves almost always benefit from adding a little extra pectin, either artificial or from another compatible fruit such as redcurrants. They’re worth persevering with however, as a good strawberry jam is totally delicious, and justifies its pre-eminent place in the hierachy of preserves to eat at formal teas, in lighter-than-air sponge cakes, or spread on scones with whipped or clotted cream. There are many old-fashioned recipes for making a strawberry preserve where the fruit is kept whole, the aim being to produce a clear scarlet jam with the whole strawberries suspended through it.
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If you have a garden - and you don’t need much space at all for this - why not try growing a few red or yellow alpine strawberry plants? They have an amazing flavour and for some reason don’t seem to appeal much to the birds, which makes them much more rewarding to grow than larger varieties. If you sow the seeds early in the year you can be eating your fruits the very same year. Alpine strawberries do make a delicious jam if you can grow enough to make it worthwhile, but otherwise they’re lovely just to pick a few each day and scatter fresh over cereal or puddings. As well as making delicious jams, preserves and puddings, strawberries can play a part in your beauty regime. They are a good skin conditioner and mild astringent as well as working as a tooth cleaner, removing plaque and leaving teeth fresh and white.
A mixture of creamy milk and strawberries blended together very thoroughly and stored in the fridge can be patted onto the face, left for a few seconds and then rinsed off with cool water. It’s mildly toning and will leave your skin with a finer texture. For a quick, reviving face pack, simply mash a few ripe strawberries and spread them on your face and lie down for a few minutes. A word of warning though this isn’t altogether easy to do as gravity tends to take over while you’re spreading the fruit on your skin. It’s probably a good idea to try this while you’re in the bath, rather than attempt while lying on your best pale-coloured carpet!
A (very) little history of DMC threads DMC threads are one of the best-known and most widely available brands loved and used by stitchers across the globe. The company was founded an amazing 270 years ago - in 1746 as the first organisation to manufacture hand-painted Indian prints in Europe. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century though that the brand diversified into threads. At that time is was managed by Jean-Henri Dollfus-Mieg and the company name was Dollfus-Mieg & Compagnie - also known as DMC
Like the Quaker families in this country, Dollfus-Mieg was concerned for his employees’ welfare, improving living conditions and in 1850 building “Cities Ouvrieres” at Mulhouse - dwellings that were purpose built to house DMC employees and their families. Each house came with a small garden attached and was sold to the worker at cost price giving them 14 to 16 years to pay off the property. He also invested in a school and hospital.
Dollfus-Mieg was keen to learn more of textile developments around the world and in Leeds he was introduced to the work of chemist John Mercer who had discovered the process of “mercerising.” This involved passing cotton thread through caustic soda to improve its strength, silky appearance and longevity. Remarkably this is the same process that DMC uses today to create high quality threads suitable for a variety of sewing uses.
Today DMC operates in over 125 countries and is a truly global company offering hundreds of hand and machine embroidery thread options including 465 colours of its world famous Mouline Special as well as yarn for knitting and crochet, patterns, kits and supplies. Although DMC has evolved and changed over the centuries it still remains true to its values and motto “from one fine thread a work of art is born”
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Marching Elephants Cushion Cover I first created a design based on these cheerful mid-century elephants in the very early days of Bustle & Sew - back in 2011 to be precise (how can that be a whole seven years ago!?) But that was a picture featuring vintage and repurposed fabrics - less popular today with the current trend for crisp, clean and uncluttered interiors. But nevertheless, I think these elephants have stood the test of time, and look just as nice today as they did back then especially with their blankets fussy-cut from some adorable Rifle Paper Co fabric. Sized to fit 18” square cushion pad. ● Embroidery foot for your sewing machine
Materials
● Bondaweb
● One 18” square and two 12” x 18” rectangles of medium weight fabric for cushion outer I used a textured upholstery fabric offcut from a bargain bin!
● Temporary fabric marker pen
● 8” x 16” cream or white felt ● 8” x 16” grey felt ● Scraps of printed cotton ● Black and cerise embroidery floss
stranded
cotton
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● When you’re happy with the positioning fuse into place with a hot iron protecting your work with a cloth.
Method ● Using the full sized templates trace two shapes (facing in opposite directions) onto the paper side of your Bondaweb. Cut out roughly and fuse to your white felt Cut out carefully. Repeat for the grey elephants, but substitute the curled trunk ends so that the greys will be holding the tails of the whites.
● Add the blankets and headpieces in the same way (1). ● Using the templates as a guide draw in the elephants’ knees, ears and eyes onto your felt shapes with your temporary fabric marker pen (2).
● Fold your 18” square panel into 4 quarters and press the folds with your hands. This will help you position your elephants.
● Fit the embroidery foot to your sewing machine and drop the feed dogs. With black thread in your needle and a paler colour in your bobbin go around the edges of each shape twice - not too neatly - you’re aiming for a sort of scribbled effect. Also stitch the knees in the same way as you go around.
● Peel the paper backing off your elephant shapes and position on the cushion using the photograph as a guide. Place them rather more towards the centre than the edges.
● With two strands of black floss work the eyes as French knots and the ears in back stitch. ● Press lightly on reverse. ● Hem one long edge of each of your rectangles of fabric. ● Place your cushion front face up on a clean flat surface. Place the two rectangles face down on top aligning the side edges so they overlap at the centre forming the envelope closure. Pin and/or baste ● Machine stitch around the edge using a ¼” seam allowance. Clip corners and turn right side out. Insert pad. Your cushion is now finished.
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Look! -------------------
a lovely idea
Happy Day Printable
Summer days are happy days indeed - and why not spread the love with this elegant understated printable from Maison de Pax? Free from Maison de Pax: Oh Happy Day Printable 51
talks to us about her love of nature, her design process and how she started her business, Based in Limerick, Ireland, Clare creates hand embroidered jewellery and needle felted creations inspired by nature. She runs her business Mossy Meadow from her home studio.
I do a variety of creative work, including commissions for craft magazines and also illustration work. For quite a while I wanted to start my own little business but like a lot of creatives wanting to open an Etsy shop I kept putting it off until everything was just right or perfect! I had been making a lot of things and sharing them on Instagram and I’d been getting encouraging feedback from fellow makers. I was asked to do an interview with a craft magazine about my illustration work and they asked if I had an Etsy shop and if I would like to include a link to my shop. I had been working on a logo at this stage and I had an idea of what I wanted my shop to look like but this was the deadline I really needed and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. So I really knuckled 52
shop within a month, I’m so glad I did now!
I have a lot of sketchbooks, pretty fabric covered notebooks that I jot ideas down in as they flow out of me. I do come from a graphic design background that has really helped me in the development of ideas, taking an initial concept to a finished product but I usually just follow my instincts. Sometimes I’ll get a big sheet of paper, sketch lots of designs out, maybe add some colour with watercolour but a lot of the time I can see what I want to make in my head and I just go with that! The most important thing for me is for what I’m making to have meaning to me, so I don’t follow trends. I really have to connect to the subject matter to stay interested. I think people can really see if your work is authentic or not.
I don’t particularly like making the same thing over and over again, I get bored easily and have so many
ideas flowing out of me. That’s why l like making little collections based on a theme and I release those together. I do however have one favourite product that I don’t mind making on a regular basis because it is meaningful to me and that’s my Bumble Bee brooch. Nature is the inspiration for all my work and I’ve always been particularly fascinated by Bumble Bees, they’re such amazing little creatures with their tiny wings and huge furry bodies. We live in the countryside and have a cottage garden that’s very much wildlife friendly, I grow and plant a lot of things with the bees in mind and we get quite a lot visiting the garden, so I get to observe them regularly. I also feel like it’s important to promote the importance of bees with the decline in their numbers.
My proudest moment so far has probably been just making those first few sales in my Etsy shop. Despite positive feedback on Instagram you never really know how people are going to receive your work and if they actually want to buy it. So even though we shouldn’t need validation for the work we make it is pretty encouraging when someone buys something you made! It’s also great when you hear back from
customers letting you know how much they love what you’ve made.
My biggest challenge is time management and staying focused, especially in this very distracting digital age. A lot of your time can disappear very quickly when you’re online.
needle felting, so I’ll continue to add more creations to my shop as the emerge from my imagination. I’ve been experimenting with applique recently and I want to design and make coin purses with both appliqued and embroidered elements on them. I hope the Mossy Meadow will continue to grow as I do as an artist and maker.
So a few days a week, I switch off the wifi and my phone, turn on the radio and get a lot of making done!
I wish I’d known about the time it takes to run an Etsy shop, it’s not just about making beautiful things, you have to take good photos, edit those photos, upload your items into Etsy (the amount of sections and categories can be intimidating at first!), then you need to promote your products on social media. I don’t like to ‘sell’ my creations too much, so my favourite method of letting people know about what I make is definitely Instagram. People love to see your work in progress, how it’s made, I know I like to see other creatives at work, it’s inspiring!
I have a lot of ideas, probably too many! I love both embroidery and
Be sure to visit Clare’s Etsy shop & check out her beautiful creations. You can also find her on Instagram.
Lovely Lavender….. Lavender is the most evocative fragrance, reminding us of long summer days even in the coldest winter months. The stalks bear delicate blooms of white, blue, violet and even pink. It’s easy to grow and flourishes in sunny well-drained gardens. Lavender dates back some two and a half thousand years, originating in the Mediterranean. The name derives from the Latin verb “lavare” meaning to wash, and the Romans used it to perfume their baths, beds and clothes, as well as appreciating its medicinal properties. Lavender oil is a natural disinfectant and antiseptic, while both the oil and dried flowers are used to aid sleep and relaxation. Dried lavender is of course also perfect for sachets to freshen your linens and clothes, and try to keep those pesky moths at bay! As a member of the mint family it also has culinary uses, being used to flavour both sweet and savoury dishes. But be careful - a little can go a long way! Chocolate and lavender are a delicious combination, so use lavender in chocolate cookies for a taste that’s just a little bit different. If you’d like to dry lavender from your garden then cut above the foliage, just after flowering, leaving a long stem. Tie into bunches with a string and hang upside down to dry in a dark place for a month.
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Lavender Sachet In the past, though not for some time now, I used to see lots of images of projects using old, possibly damaged embroideries to create attractive new items. I always loved the look, and so I thought it would be fun to create a simple little lavender sachet that looks rather as though it might have been cut from a vintage tablecloth! The embroidery is really simple, using only satin and stem stitch - and only three colours of floss - and the heart is sewn with wrong sides together so there’s no fiddly turning out. This would make it a really good project for the less experienced or a quick make for a craft stall perhaps? Finished heart measures 5 ½” tall x 5 ½” wide (approx)
Materials
Method
● Two 8” squares white linen/cotton or other suitable fabric
● Transfer the embroidery design to the centre of your white fabric and work design using two strands of floss throughout. The lavender flower heads are satin stitch and the stems/leaves are stem stitch.
● Stranded cotton floss in two shades of purple and green ● 12” narrow ribbon for hanging
● When your embroidery is finished press lightly on the reverse.
● Toy stuffing and lavender mix ● Pinking shears
● Place the heart template on top of your embroidery matching up the flowers and draw around with the temporary marker pen
● Temporary fabric marker pen
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back separately around the hanging loop to avoid cutting through the ribbon.
● Place your embroidered panel and the backing fabric square with wrong sides together and insert the ribbon loop at the top. Pin and/or baste.
● Stuff and add lavender. ● Topstitch stuffing gap closed.
● Stitch along the temporary fabric marker pen line you drew leaving a 1 ½” gap for stuffing along one straight side.
● Your heart is now finished.
● Cut out heart shape with your pinking shears leaving between ¼” and ½” fabric around the edge - you will need to cut out the front and
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Home Comforts Cucumber is soothing to skin and tired eyes, and this lotion is a great way to refresh hot summer skin. Cucumber in fact has a pH of 5.48 which is very close to our skin’s own 5.5 Grate, chop or liquidise half an unpeeled cucumber (if not growing your own, then organic is definitely the way to go), and squeeze out the juice from the pulp, either through a sieve or muslin, or just use your hands. Use this juice to cool and soothe sunburned skin just as it is, or mix it with equal quantities of rosewater and witch hazel to make a more astringent toner.
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CLICK HERE for easy to use pdf file containing templates for this month’s issue 59