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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 July Magazine July brings summer heat, and long warm summer evenings, when the heat of the day dissolves into purple twilight and golden shadows. Its the perfect time to take your sewing outdoors and enjoy these few, all too brief weeks of sunshine before the nights begin to draw in again. This month we have lots of summer stitching for you, inspired by the blossoms and blooms in my own garden - this year the roses are simply spectacular, perhaps a combination of the long cold winter and now these long hot days. Rosie takes us all on a picnic in her recipe corner, and we visit the beach too - a perfect expedition for this time of year. We chat to two very talented makers and there are tips for those planning to sell their work at craft fairs this summer. I do hope you’ll enjoy this month’s edition, and just a quick reminder that the August issue will be published, as always, on the last Thursday of the month - in this case Thursday 26 July. 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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Tip for Stitchers Your needle should make a clear opening in your fabric to allow the thickness of your thread to pass through cleanly. If your thread keeps breaking your needle is probably too small. If it seems difficult to keep your stitches even and you’re working with fairly fine thread then your needle is probably too big. If you want to weave a few stitches without changing to a blunt tipped tapestry needle push the eye of your sharp pointed needle through first and it won’t split or pick up unneccesary threads.
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Between this month’s covers … Tips for Stitchers
Page 4
Writing Great Product Descriptions
Page 47
April Almanac
Page 6
Lovely Idea: Sock Shark
Page 49
Embroidered Glasses Case
Page 8
French Bulldog Cushion
Page 50
Loving the Beach
Page 11
A Little Look at Interfacing
Page 53
Nature Notes from July: Gilbert White
Page 12
Preparing for Craft Show Success
Page 55
Meet the Maker: McKenna Rees
Page 14
Making a Den
Page 57
Lovely Idea: Driftwood Planter
Page 16
Meet the Maker: Renee Katsigiannis
Page 58
Always be Nice Hoop
Page 17
Two Floral Brooches
Page 60
Poetry Corner: The Flower Seller
Page 21
Lovely Idea: Paper Philodendron
Page 63
Home Comforts
Page 64
Blast from the Past: Plant a Garden Hoop Page 22 England in July
Page 28
In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables
Page 65
Embroidered Bunny Pin Cushion
Page 30
Templates
Page 66
Tastes of the Season: Raspberries
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Rosie’s Recipes: Time for a Picnic!
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Tastes of the Season: Calamari and Squid Page 42 Cactus Mini Bunting
Page 43
Summer Printable
Page 46
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July July was named in honour of Julius Caesar, as it was the month of his birth. Before him it was called Quintilis, Latin for “fifth” as it was the fifth month in the Roman calendar. The month brings high, high summer - it’s the most summer it will ever be in this country. Our gardens are alive with the buzz of bees and flutter of butterflies whilst the drone of lawnmowers can be heard in the distance - and it’s tempting to believe that summer will never end. But daylight hours have peaked now and during the course of the month the day length will decrease (in London) by one hour and six minutes, to 15 hours and 27 minutes. July is the month for summer thunderstorms, but these often follow periods of warm - sometimes even hot - weather bringing with them welcome relieve from the heat and the wonderful fragrance of wet earth and green foliage. Everyone knows the folklore of St Swithin’s Day which falls on the fifteenth of the month - and in particular that it never ever comes true! If it rains on that day then we’re
not going to experience a forty day deluge and if it’s sunny then we are by no means guaranteed a barbeque summer. But there is a small kernel of truth that may have inspired the legend, which is that summer weather patterns established by mid-July will often persist well into August. So the day itself won’t tell you a great deal
“St Swithin’s day, if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain; St Swithin’s day, if thou be fair, For forty days ‘twill rain no more.”
about the weather ahead, but a look at the general trend might give you more idea of what’s to come. July is also the month in which the most crop circles appear - that is to say stems of wheat, barley or other
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cereal crops trampled or bent into beautiful geometric patterns within golden fields. Amazingly the earliest known report of a crop circle was in 1678 in Hertfordshire, but it was during the 1970s that they began to appear more frequently with up to fifty appearing every year. Most crop circles appear in the southern English county of Wiltshire which as well as large flat arable fields - has a plethora of mysterious prehistoric monuments. The circles are often found in the vicinity of Stonehenge and Avebury and the smaller prehistoric sites around them. Although many circles are without doubt the work of hoaxers, still a small kernel of doubt and awe remains. Watering your garden c an be a problem at this time of year, especially if it’s a long dry summer and hosepipe bans are in force. One of the best ways to get around this problem is to purchase a water butt. This can then sit discreetly tucked away beneath the downpipe of a gutter giving you lovely fresh water for your garden hopefully all year round.
talks to us about her mini LaMancha goats, her proudest moment and how she started her business, Based in Park City, Utah, McKenna runs her business around her family. She raises mini LaMancha goats and makes beautiful soaps with their milk.
My husband came up with it. He sells stone and brick and we live by a river so it came together and we loved the sound of it!
I have always loved having goats. My family had them growing up for their milk to make cheese, yogurt, and for drinking. I wanted to learn about more things goat milk was good for and the internet said it made great soap so I gave it a try! I immediately fell in love with the process and the product and I started having people in my family and some friends suggest
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A little more about how to run a business. I also wish I’d known more about how shipping works and profit margins so I would actually have a profit. But some things you just learn as you go! Here is an example of using all that math you learned in school!
I start by milking my goats, straining the milk, and getting it in the freezer. I milk all summer to stock pile the milk for year round product making. I am not a cold weather milker! I purchase good quality soaping products based off my favourite tried and true recipes. Then I research and brainstorm essential oil blends and fragrance ideas. Then I try to create a bar that matches my vision of the scent of that bar. I love changing up looks and trying new ingredients. Making all natural products is my
Notes on stitching ● Transfer your design to the centre of your cream fabric. The templates are given full size. ● Use two strands of floss throughout. ● The two colour flowers are worked in radiating straight stitch. I find it easiest to imagine a clock and place my first stitches at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock then go around and fill in between them - this helps me make sure that they are even.
Stitch Details Bullion Stitch Bring your needle through your fabric at the point indicated by the arrow on the diagram above. Insert your needle back through your fabric at the required length of the stitch and bring it out exactly at the arrow again.
Don’t pull your needle right through, but leave it lying in the material as in the diagram and twist your thread around it close up to the emerging point. Six or seven twists are an average number, but this can be varied according to the length of stitch you want to make. Place your left thumb upon the twists and pull your needle and thread through your fabric and also the twists as carefully as possible. Now pull your needle and thread away in the opposite direction. This movement will force your little coil of thread to lie flat in the right place. Tighten it up by pulling your working thread, then reinsert your needle at A.
Whipped Spider Wheel Stitch
Detached Wheat Ear Stitch
I tried to think of the best way to describe this stitch but to be honest I think this is one of those occasions when a picture works best. Begin by working a some radiating straight stitches with ends meeting at a centre point. Make sure they’re not too closely packed together. Then bring your thread up towards the centre of the wheel you’ve created and weave your thread as shown below:
Work two short straight stitches at right angles to each other, meeting at the point of the right angle. Then bring your needle up again through the fabric and pass it through both stitches at the base of the angle.
French Knot
Stop before the ends of your straight stitches so your wheel has little “legs.” Woven Wheel Stitch Again I think a picture works best. Begin by working an odd number radiating straight stitches with ends meeting at a centre point. Make sure they’re not too closely packed together. Then bring your thread up towards the centre of the wheel as before and weave your thread as shown below:
Weave as many turns as you can to make a nice fat flower.
Bring your thread through to the front of your fabric at the place you want to place your knot. Hold it down firmly with your left thumb and first finger and twist your needle two or three times around the held thread as shown by the upper needle in the diagram above. Then, with your twists pulled fairly tightly around your needle and the thread still held firmly in your left hand, turn your needle around and push it back through your fabric very close to where it first emerged, still keeping your thread tight with your left thumb.
Pull your thread through firmly and the knot will be left on top. If you’re having problems check that you’re twisting the thread around the needle in the same direction as the diagram above and keeping your thread nice and taut. The secret of successful French knots is in the correct twist of the needle and the tautness of your thread.
England in July July is a time of little events, many and intimate, hidden under the quiet routine of village days. Go through the village street at twilight when thatched roof and lean-to are blurred against the silver sky. The cottage gardens are dotted with squat, headless ghosts, white against the dusk. Lean over the fence and peer closely and you will see no phantoms, but harmless, old lace curtains swathed round ripening fruit bushes, against the ravaging of birds. For the soft fruit harvest has come again. Throughout the long evenings of July, the village women bend low in their gardens over raspberry cane and currant bush, gooseberry and loganberry. Time after time, baskets of shining fruit, purple currants and red and yellow gooseberry globes are taken into the gloom of the cottage kitchens. The gardeners care for their rule-straight rows of vegetables, staking the swelling peas and beans, watering, hoeing and weeding. Allotments gleam with lines of pale green salads, contrasted with tossing plumes of darker carrot tops; the pods of peas range up and down their staked plants like crochets on a page of written music. Soon will come the time for the Annual Village Show, when the pick of the vegetable gardens for mile around will lie in state, washed and trimmed, under marquees in the Rectory Meadow, and lucky bunches of giant onions or clumps of scrubbed potatoes will proudly bear the blue card of First Prize. But it is not only the fruit and vegetables that call just now. The cottage flower garden is the most essentially English thing of our countryside, and this month it flames with blossoms. Bees tumble among the rainbow colours of the herbaceous borders and roses smother cottage porches and darken casement windows. This love of flowers is so strong, that in his cabbage patch the farm labourer will sacrifice some of the limited space to them, and splashes blue and crimson bloom among onions and beans. Even the village railway station glows with flowers, and the old stationmaster hoes between his rose bushes as he awaits the arrival of the uptrain to London. It is summer’s turning point and everything is full and lush, be it rush of flowers in the gardens or fling of convolvulus over the hedges in the lane, or the milky stream of meadowsweet in the ditches. The sunny days are hot and heavy with the sound of bees, while the lanes are full of fledglings that as yet know no fear, while the air is broken by young swallows learning to fly. Night falls upon the village very gently.
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Tastes of the Season: Raspberries For some reason the raspberry doesn’t seem to be nearly as popular as that other summer berry, the strawberry. Yet these delightfully tart, luscious and juicy fruits deserve to be loved just as much as their larger cousins. The reasons for their comparative lack of popularity may be that they are just to soft and delicate to transport easily when ripe, and also be cause they spoil to quickly. These two factors combined make them a supply and distribution nightmare for supermarkets and greengrocers. There is a way around this problem though - you could visit a pick your own farm and gather your own punnet of berries on the day you’re planning to eat them. Or why not try growing your own? They’re relatively easy to grow in any sized garden as they work well in containers if you only have a limited space. Pick your raspberries on a dry day if possible when they’ll be at their fragrant best. Wash them as little as they need, and only ever under a very gentle trickle of water. Eat in various ways - including very simply with just a little sugar and cream to mellow their tartness - the perfect taste 14
Rosie’s Recipes: Time for a Picnic! July is high, high summer here in England, and though the days are already beginning to shorten, there is real warmth in the air, while the evenings are long and balmy. So what better time to pack your picnic basket and set off for the beach, beauty spot or wherever takes your fancy?
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A Day at the Beach Although I no longer live on the coast, still we’re not too far away from the sea and the long summer holidays wouldn’t feel complete without at least one day spent on the beach. Children love the chance to paddle (it’s not often warm enough for swimming here on the English Channel coastline), explore rock pools and build sandcastles, whilst adults of a certain age (myself included) are overcome with nostalgia for Thermos flasks of oddly tasting tea and sandwiches served from Tupperware boxes with an extra sprinkling of sand. Even the most IT-savvy children still love a bucket and spade when a trip to the beach is planned. To enjoy a day at the beach with children you really do have to plan ahead. Things can quickly turn bad
Clotted Cream Fudge What could be nicer than popping a piece of homemade fudge in your mouth while you’re beach combing, paddling or just sitting enjoying the view? I can’t pretend this is in any way healthy, but am sure it’s good for you - when enjoyed in moderation that is! Makes 1 ½ lb.
Ingredients ● 50g butter, plus extra to grease ● 450 g granulated sugar ● 170 g can evaporated milk ● 113 g carton clotted cream ● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method ● Lightly grease a shallow 7” (18 cm) square tin. ● Put the sugar, evaporated milk, clotted cream and butter into a large heavy based pan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. ● Bring to the boil and boil steadily, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. The mixture is ready when it reaches the soft ball stage - or registers 115C on a sugar thermometer. ● Remove from heat, add the vanilla extract and beat with a handheld electric whisk, scraping down the sides form time to time until the mixture is thick, paste-like and no longer glossy. This will take around 5 minutes. ● Pour the fudge into the prepared tin, patting it into the corners with the back of a spoon. Cover and chill overnight until completely set. ● Cut into squares and pack into boxes. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Selling Online? Tips to help you Write great product descriptions
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your customer feel good? Is there something especially unique and special about it?
First you need to do a bit of research. Visit online handmade shopping sites such as Etsy and Folksy, looking at similar items and read other people's product descriptions. Make a note of those you find particularly appealing and consider what you like about them. While you're online have a look at your shop's analytics. Some sites, such as Etsy, do the hard work for you - just go into your shop stats and you'll find a really useful page that tells you where your visitors have come from. It also tells you what search terms they used to find you. If you have your own website then consider installing Google Analytics which will do the same thing. Try pretending you're a shopper and search on different words and combinations of words that you think are linked to your products. What can you find? Products like yours, or something completely different? Make a note of any suggested keywords that show up as you might find a search term you haven't thought of before. Be sure to make a note of all the most relevant words as you'll want to use them in your product description. Now write your description. Don't over-think the process - just get your words onto the page you can tweak and fine-tune it afterwards. Remember that today's shoppers are megabusy folk and so you need to capture their attention in the first couple of lines - otherwise they'll get bored and click away from your shop. It's a great idea to write as though you're actually talking to your prospective customer. Ask and answer questions as if this was a real conversation. Use the word "you." Consider the benefits your product offers. How will it make
Don't fall into the trap of using generic phrases such as "xxx is excellent quality" - that's not unique and doesn't reflect your own voice. You could say "xxx is handcrafted from the highest quality vintage linens in my studio overlooking the sea." (if it's true of course). This will also help your customer form a picture of the making process in their mind - you will have begun to make a connection with each other. Please don't think I'm suggesting you exaggerate or mislead your customer, it goes without saying that's a definite no-no. But now is definitely the time to blow your own trumpet - he or she can't actually see or handle the product for themselves, all they have to go on is a photo and your description. Let your style, passion and personality shine through your description. If you really can't bring yourself to show off, then why not consider quoting a previous customer who reviewed your product to tell the world how wonderful it is. Don't forget to include a comprehensive physical description of your product. Include physical measurements but also be sure to describe the length, weight or size in a way that most people can understand. Think about including at least one photo that shows the comparative size of an item by adding in a coin, ruler or other common item. And finally - go back to your original description and edit it. Prune it, cut out any waffle, surplus words and repetitions. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes - they are unprofessional and give a bad impression - a little as though you'd left a knot showing in the middle of your stitching or dropped a stitch while knitting a garment. You may want to include a lot of information such as return, payment or shipment policies to reduce the number of queries you receive, but put that at the end so the shopper will read it after you've had the chance to wow them with your product.
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Craft Fair Success ….. You’ve been making all winter, building up your summer stock, and now the season of the craft fair is upon us. Now you’re about to start selling your work at a craft fair or art festival and so here are some simple suggestions to help you make the most of this summer’s events Finding and Booking Craft Fairs Great places for finding local craft fairs include websites, forums, local papers and social media sites. These are great tools for finding out about craft fairs in your local area as well as ones all around the Country. But also don't forget to check things like notice boards, local authorities' websites and newsletters for small fairs that may go under the radar. Start booking up in advance as some will fill up fast. Before you book a craft fair you have
to look into the legal requirements such as Public Liability Insurance for yourself and your products to cover liabilities. Another factor to take into account is that some event organisers can have a strict Handmade Goods policy. If this is so, then you may need to show examples of your work to let them know what you're intending to sell.
Get to know your Market Don't just book every craft or gift fair you come across, think about the type of people that will be attending and ask yourself if your craft will fit in.
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Think about your Stall Make your table or stand look as nice as possible - although you may get a table that is covered with a white cloth, bring along your own, better quality material to cover your table that will stand out from your competitors. Good display stands can be bought on all good auction websites such as Ebay, at affordable prices. This may allow you to buy a number of different stands instead of spending a fortune on just one. As you do more and more fairs your display will change and improve as you discover what works for you.
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Home Comforts Summer nights can be warm, making sleep hard. But whatever’s keeping you from your slumbers, this aromatic idea may help prevent nightmares and lead to a lovely deep and restful sleep. Take 3 teaspoons of chamomile flowers, 2 teaspoons of peppermint and 3 teaspoons each of rosemary, sage, valerian and thyme. Place in the centre of a small piece of cotton fabric and fold the corners in so the herbs sit like stuffing in a cushion. Secure the top with string and place inside your pillowcase, or next to it. Chamomile is a sedative that helps relieve anxiety and insomnia, whilst valerian - the most important ingredient - is calming, relaxing and has a soporific effect.
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