Bustle & Sew Magazine November 2017

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A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2017 The right of Helen Dickson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate. However, due to differing conditions, tools and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses and other damages that may result from the use of the information in this book.

First published 2017 by: Bustle & Sew The Cottage Oakhill Radstock BA3 5HT UK www.bustleandsew.com

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Welcome to the November Issue I always feel that November brings the really SERIOUS start of the run-up to the Christmas festivities, culminating as it does, in Stir-Up Sunday at the end of the month. We have two more seasonal patterns in this month’s issue, and both our Makers have some great Christmas ideas that I hope you’ll love.

Of course the colder weather really begins to bite now, so Rosie has been busy in her kitchen cooking up some lovely warming soups, perfect for winter picnics and cosy suppers too. Many of the designs in this issue feature applique, so I’ve also included a revised and extended guide to this technique which I hope will inspire you to have a go.

If you’re in the Bristol area, then please do make a note in your diary as Bustle & Sew will be exhibiting at the Etsy Makers Fair on December 2nd and we’d love to see you there!

And finally, do look out for the December Magazine which will be published on Thursday 30 November Have a lovely month!

Helen xx

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Tips for Stitchers Feeling less than creative?

Allow yourself time and space to sit and dream, let your imagination run free and give your ideas your full attention. Daydreaming isn’t a waste of time, it’s food for the creative soul.

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35 18 37

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Between this month’s covers …

Tips for Stitchers

Page 4

Tastes of the Season: Parsnips

Page 36

November Almanac

Page 6

Rosie’s Recipes: Souper Soups!

Page 37

Party Panda Hoop

Page 8

Tastes of the Season: Squashes

Page 42

Lovely Idea: Leaf Stamped Napkins

Page 10

Cactus Pin Board

Page 43

Meet the Maker: Diana Watters

Page 11

Instagram Round-up

Page 47

The Last Show of the Year

Page 14

A Little History of Velvet

Page 48

Two Mugs with Succulents

Page 15

Nature Notes: Gossamer

Page 51

Applique Made Easy

Page 18

Lovely Idea: Tin Punched Votives

Page 52

Poetry Corner: November

Page 24

Reindeer Pennant

Page 53

Chic Pompom Cushions

Page 25

The Countryside in November

Page 56

A Very Little Guide to Thimbles

Page 28

Meet the Maker: Karen Fleming

Page 57

Snuggle Down and Keep Warm

Page 29

Nativity Set Part Two

Page 61

Lovely Idea: Leaf Cake Toppers

Page 32

Home Comforts

Page 63

Nature’s Remedies

Page 33

In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables

Page 64

Of Trees and their Leaves

Page 35

Templates

Page 65

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November November is traditionally regarded as a foggy, grey kind of month and indeed, as we returned from the village bonfire last year, it was the kind of foggy night when figures loom from the mist like a Victorian or Edwardian melodrama, whilst in the towns the diffused glow from the seemingly disembodied street lights barely reached the ground below. But then, other November nights can be crystal clear and the sky as high as the moon. In the country, where there is less light pollution, the stars shine brightly in the cold and the air carries the first taste of winter’s frost. November mornings can be magical as the frost and fog combine to cast a spell across the countryside. All colour seems to be drained from the land until … almost, it seems, reluctantly, the low November sun rises late to burn off these lingering mists and return the rich colours of autumn foliage to the lanes and hedgerows.

At the beginning of the month you can still see the last green leaves

among the reds, golds and oranges of the trees, but by the end of the month strong winds will have stripped most of the remaining foliage leaving the branches stark and bare. As the year progresses towards its final month, the colour in the countryside will drain away so that even on the sunniest days the landscape is a mixture of sombre greys, browns and ochres, highlighted by the brilliant white of frost on the coldest, clearest days.

“No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease, No comfortable feel in any member No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds November!”

Yet even these more subtle colours

The Boat Float, Dartmouth, Devon England

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are beautiful too, and the small splashes of vivid colour that remain stand out even more vibrantly - the scarlet and crimson of bryony, dog rose and hawthorn berries.

November opens with All Saint’s Day, also known as All Hallows day or All-Hallowmas, when all the saints and martyrs of the Christian Church are remembered. This day is also the pagan festival of Samhain, that marks the transition between summer and winter. It begins during the night of 31 October with bonfires and superstitious rituals and was thought to be a time when supernatural activity was at its height, giving rise to many of the customs and beliefs now associated with Hallowe’en.

Here in England, November 5th is most eagerly awaited by children and the young at heart as this is Bonfire Night. On this day in 1605, the conspirator Guy (or Guido) Fawkes was arrested following the most audacious attempt at an act

of political terrorism in British history. He was part of a small group of conspirators who planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the state opening ceremony attended by the King. The plot was foiled as one of the conspirators wrote to his brother-in-law warning him not to attend the ceremony. Suspicious were raised and Government troops were lying in wait for the hapless conspirators when they returned to the vaults below the Houses of Parliament to light the fuse that led to their barrels of gunpowder.

DH Lawrence’s (1885 - 1930) novel was first published in its entirety in the UK on 10 November 1960, and the first run of 200,000 copies had sold out by the end of the day. First printed in Florence, Italy in 1928, the unexpurgated version of the novel had been banned in the UK because of its explicit content. It deals with the passionate, adulterous relationship of Lady Constance Chatterley and her gamekeeper Oliver Mellors and describes their erotic assignations in what was then considered highly explicit detail.

November 11 is of course Armistice Day (in Australia and Canada Remembrance Day and in

the USA Veterans Day in honour of all who have served in the armed forces.). From 1919 - 1939 it was a day of remembrance for those who died in the First World War, marked by a two-minute silence and a cessation of activity at the

“In former times, in London, the burning of the effigy of Guy Fawkes on the fifth of November was a most important ceremony. The bonfire in Lincoln’s Inn Fields was conducted on an especially magnificent scale. Two hundred cart-loads of fuel would sometimes be consumed in feeding this single fire, while upwards of thirty “Guys” would be suspended on gibbets and committed to the flames.

The uproar throughout the town from the shouts of the mob, the ringing of the bells in the churches, and the general confusion which prevailed, can but faintly be imagined by an individual of the present day.”

moment when the guns of war had finally fallen silent in November 1918. After the end of WW2 in 1945, the main observance in the UK was on Remembrance Sunday but in the mid-1990s the two

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minute silence at 11 am on 11 November was revived and is now widely observed across the country.

On 20 November 1947, Princess Elizabeth (born 1926) married her distant cousin Philip at Westminster Abbey. This has proved to be one of the most durable royal marriages of the last century as this year the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will celebrate their seventieth (or platinum) wedding anniversary.

A less happy anniversary falls on November 22, on which day President John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. He was shot in the head and throat as he drove through Dallas, Texas, in an open car. The shots were allegedly fired from the sixth floor window of a building overlooking the scene, and a 24 year old man, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with the offence soon afterwards.

Two days later Oswald himself was shot and killed, an event which has given rise to various conspiracy theories. Kennedy was a popular leader and his death shocked the world. It is said that everyone can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard about his assassination, a phenomenon since termed “flashbulb memory.”

Party Panda Hoop From time to time one of these puzzles pops up on my Facebook feed, and so I thought it would be fun to create a stitched version too.

It’s really easy to spot the “odd one out” though as the little panda is sporting a brightly coloured party hat complete with fluffy pompom, all ready for the party season ahead.

This hoop is very simple to stitch and would make a great beginner’s project - its success depends upon the accuracy of your backstitching, which is all worked in a single strand of black floss.

Shown mounted in 8” hoop.

Materials

Method

● 12” square white fabric. As you will mostly be stitching in a single strand of fIoss be sure that it’s a fine weave. I actually used felt which worked really well.

● Transfer the design to the centre of your fabric using your preferred method. ● All the bears are worked in a single strand of black floss. Their outlines and mouths are back stitch, ear inners and noses satin stitch and their eyes are two straight stitches. Be sure to be very accurate with your back stitching, passing your needle through same hole at the beginning and end of each stitch. Work longer stitches in the straight areas and small stitches around the curves of the mouths and ears to keep the lines smooth.

● 8” embroidery hoop ● DMC stranded cotton floss in 310 (black) and very small amounts of white and three bright colours of your choice

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● The panda’s nose and mouth are also worked in a single strand of floss. The panda chest, ears and eyes are satin stitch worked in 2 strands of floss. The white lines on the diagram right show the direction of angle of the satin stitch. The ears radiate outwards, so you’ll need to work some infill stitches towards the outer edge. There is no need to stitch the bear outlines adjacent to the panda tummy as they will be clearly shown by the edge of the satin stitching. The panda’s eyes are tiny white stitches. ● Work the hat as you choose in 2 strands of floss - I went for diagonal stripes and worked the pompom in ghiordes knot stitch. ● When finished press lightly on the reverse and mount in hoop.

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Look!

-------------------

a lovely idea

Leaf Stamped Napkins

These leaf-stamped napkins are just so elegantly simple - and the perfect way to bring the natural world indoors this autumn.

Thanks to Dusty Rogers of “All Things G & D� for sharing with us

Free from All Things G & D : Leaf Stamped Napkins 10

“Bitten by the cross stitch bug!

Meet the Maker

Diana Watters tells us a little about herself, her business partner Emily Sharp and their online enterprise, Diana Watters Handmade Located in Toronto, Canada Diana Watters Handmade is made up of the dynamic duo of Diana Watters, and Emily Sharp. They are both professionally trained interior designers who have been taking on craft projects with gusto since we were kids!

Their love of craft and passion for handmade goods drove them to create their modern cross stitch business.

They create contemporary cross stitch patterns, kits, and other projects suitable for adults and kids alike!

How do dream up your designs?

As Interior Designers, we've been trained to look for inspiration in unusual places! Sometimes it's fashion, sometimes architecture, sometimes we find great colour palettes in the graffiti on a wall in a back alleyway. We snap lots of pictures, write our ideas in a notebook, and use those scribbles in inform a pattern! Ideas are never the problem for us, it's filtering and distilling those big thoughts down into a clear vision that we work hard at!

How and when did you begin Do you have a favourite project? stitching?

That's a tough one! We love all our Emily and I are both hand crafters at heart! We crocheted, knitted, and did needlepoint as kids while. cross stitch came into our lives a bit later.

I became enamored with cross stitch about 4 years ago when my sister gave me a cross stitch kit she had purchased, but couldn't finish.

Naturally I loved it, and told Emily how fun it was. She was bitten by the cross stitch bug as well, and we haven't looked back since!

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patterns for very different reasons.

I would say our current favourite is a brand new trio of robot patterns geared towards kids! We really focused on making these patterns appealing for both boys and girls.

They're cool and kooky, and full of bright pops of colour!

We'll be launching these in the next two to three weeks.

Can you share any secret stitching tips with us?

If you love Diana and Emily’s style and would like to https://www.instagram.com/dianawatters_handmade/ find out more about their patterns and kits, then you https://www.etsy.com/shop/dianawattershandmade can find them online here ‌. https://www.facebook.com/dianawattershandmade

Good lighting is so important when you're stitching! It seems kind of redundant to say that, but good light can make the difference between an enjoyable stitching experience, and a frustrating one! We like to stitch during the day when we can have the benefit of natural light. That being said, that's not always possible, so a good bright light close by is great for night time stitching.

We love being able to guide the creative destiny of our business together! It feels really amazing that we get to be in charge of making those big decisions that will shape our future as makers. Working together as a team has also been an invaluable benefit for us. We push each other to be better designers, and to strive a bit further outside our comfort zones.

The other important tip that we like to share with people is patience.

Cross stitch is a methodical hand craft that can be very relaxing. We call it our meditation! You have to slow down, focus on the task at hand, and just make your X's. If you try to rush through the project, you'll miss out on the key calming benefits of the stitching process.

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

There are lots of amazing makers out in the online universe, and it can be a challenge at times defining a distinct and unique visual style that people will recognize as Diana Watters Handmade.

1. Spend some time at the beginning really dreaming about what you want the business to be. Clearly define what it is you want to sell, and figure out how you can make that product profitable. If you have a clear vision from the beginning, it'll save you some pain later on.

2. In order to make a creative business work, you have to be fluid and flexible. Finding different avenues for revenue is crucial to staying afloat as a small business. We sell our kits on Etsy, wholesale to retail stores, and do craft markets and larger shows. When one revenue stream is quiet, inevitably another one will carry you along till the other avenues pick up.

What are your dreams and hopes for How early do you begin making It's really important to establish a your business in 2018? strong brand presence that sets us We have some big dreams for 2018! your Christmas projects?

We began designing our holiday ornaments line in the summer. We joke that Christmas happens in July in the craft world!

Magazines generally shoot their holiday editions in July/August, so we wanted to be ready with some items to pitch to publications.

What are your favourite quickmake christmas gifts to stitch?

We are in love with our new wood disc holiday ornaments!

Our Reindeer ornament is super quick and easy to make. We get wood discs laser cut with selective holes that suit just that pattern. Our ornament kits are fantastic gifts for even the most novice of stitchers!

What is the best thing about having your own business?

apart from other cross stitch designers. There is a lot to choose from in the digital marketplace, and the goal for all makers is to be the first place people look to for new projects!

And your proudest moment?

By far our proudest moment was when we realized that we could support ourselves making cross stitch kits and patterns! We've both dreamed of crafting for a living, and through hard work and some serious determination, we're making it happen.

We're planning a series of online video tutorials that will support the kits and patterns our customers purchase. Emily and I are very visual people, and love the idea of providing a video guide that walks our stitchers through the A,B,c's of cross stitch.

We are also planning to expand our retail stockist list to include some more locations in the US, the UK, and new Zealand.

Stitching aside, how do you like to relax and unwind?

We're

both

big

travellers,

so

Do you have any advice for readers whenever there's a bit of downtime, hoping to start up their own craft we tend to hop onto planes to see a bit more of the world! enterprises?

We have two pieces of advice for people thinking of starting their own business:

Experiencing new places provides a wealth of inspiration that really fuels our creative engine.

The Last Show of the year‌ November is the month when, traditionally, gardeners enjoy their last fling, their last riot of colour in the final flower shows of autumn, showcasing their dahlias and chrysanthemums. As a rule, there will also be classes for fruit and vegetables at these shows, where we can see apples that are almost too good to be true, and pears and grapes that are perfection itself. Then there are startlingly white leeks and a yard long, and onions like teapots too.

But many years ago, at a London show, a fierce argument erupted as to the worth of these giant specimens. In the end, a famous chef was asked to come and give his opinion. He said that there was not one thing on view that he would have in his kitchen. But no one will argue with the gorgeous chrysanthemums and when the flowers fade at last their owners will bend their backs and their gaze to ground level and start rummaging around to take cuttings, to start all over again next year. Gardeners there’s no stopping them!

Albert Butler: Book of the Countryside

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Two Mugs with Succulents Succulents remain a popular trend this autumn, and I have planted two lovely enamel mugs, brought back from a birthday trip to Prague a long time ago, with two lovely spiky green plants.

And I like them so much I thought it would be fun to stitch them too, though I have changed the colours a little to fit in with current design trends.

To make a bit of a change I’ve mounted them on 4” artists canvas blocks, though they would look great displayed in small hoops too.

Materials

Method

● Two 8” squares white background fabric (you need extra to wrap around the backs of the blocks to secure)

● Transfer the design to the centre of your fabric using your preferred method. ● Stitches used are back stitch, chain stitch, French knots, satin stitch and basket weave stitch.

● Two 4” artists’ canvas blocks ● DMC stranded cotton floss in colours ecru, 310, 420, 841, 945, 3766, 3824, 3852

● If you’re unfamiliar with basket weave then you might find my Little Stitching Bear tutorial useful. Just click here to download.

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● I have randomly scattered black stars around the mugs - their positioning is up to you they are simply 5 stitches radiating from a centre point.

Stitching Notes: ● Use two strands of floss throughout except where otherwise stated..

● The “soil” in which the succulents are growing is French knots. The stripy mug is all brown, but the heart mug has a mixture of colours. Work knots with different numbers of twists so they look more random.

● Work the leaves of both succulents in a selection of green flosses - choose a good mixture of shades and alter the angle of stitching on each leaf so they reflect the light differently.

● You may find a long needle useful for the basket weave stitch. Work the diamonds on the stripy mug picture before outlining them with pink chain stitch. The chain stitch is worked in a SINGLE strand of floss.

● The main body of each mug is ecru satin stitch. The stitches will be longer than perhaps you might use normally, but this is OK as the pictures are for display only. If you plan to work this design on an item for use then you might wish to consider another type of fill stitch.

● When you’ve finished stitching press well and mount on the blocks. Turn the fabric to the back and secure with your staple gun pulling it tight but not taut and being careful not to distort the design. Work from the middle of each side outwards and mitre the corners, trimming away the excess fabric.

● The mugs and the top of the fabric are outlined in black back stitch. Work this at the end of the project.

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Applique made Easy!

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Each month I try to include projects using a variety of techniques - including different kinds of applique - most usually freestyle machine and also hand finished (though not turned edge - sadly I don’t really have the patience for this, enjoying the quick results that other techniques can give me).

Freestyle machine applique in particular gives great results in a remarkably short period of time - perfect if you’re working to a deadline or if you’re making lots of handmade items for gifts this Christmas. I know many people are a bit nervous of trying this technique, I was most definitely among them, but now I love working in this way and view my sewing machine in a whole new light as means of creative expression, not simply

a method of joining pieces of fabric together.

Over past issues of the magazine we’ve featured some very talented makers in our “Meet the Maker” who take this technique to amazing heights (see work by Emma Giacalone below), but you don’t have to be an expert to achieve really nice results. And even nicer, you don’t need any expensive equipment for this technique as you’ll almost certainly have everything you need already.

You’ll need your sewing machine of course, but it doesn’t need to be an expensive complicated model.

Indeed, this is one instance where simpler is better as you’ll only need to use the basic straight stitch option. You will

Applique work by Emma Giacalone. featured in our May 2017 Issue

however need an embroidery or darning foot for your machine.

This holds the fabric in place for each stitch whilst allowing you to move your work in all directions so you can “draw” with your sewing machine needle.

I’ll come back to machine applique later on, but for now I thought it would be good to begin with some more general hints and tips that apply to both machine and hand embroidery.

Before beginning your project it’s important to take time to look at the design carefully and work out how the pieces fit together, where they overlap, and where it would be best to begin building up your design.

Where pieces overlap you will need to cut extra on the bottom

piece to avoid any gaps appearing in your finished work.

Once you’re clear in your mind about the process of building your design then it’s time to choose your fabrics and then begin tracing your shapes.

If you become really enthusiastic about applique you’ll find yourself hoarding even the smallest scraps of fabric in case they come in useful for one of your creations.

Almost all sorts of fabrics work well, including scraps from previous projects, old clothes or treasures from thrift or charity shops. I prefer working with natural fibres as you can be sure they won’t melt when you fuse your shapes to the background if you’re using Bondaweb. (Be sure to test first if you’re in any doubt).

Fabrics with a small print are great for more detailed elements, whilst you can choose parts of large swirly designs to add visual interest to large shapes that might otherwise be a bit boring. Do avoid very heavy or thick fabrics though as they may be difficult to stitch and will also add unwanted bulk to your design if you have a number of layers.

You should also avoid stretchy fabrics as well as those with a very loose weave as they will fray and distort - remember you’re not finishing the edges in either of these techniques.

Quilting weight cotton is a great choice, and felt works extremely well too.

Have a rummage around the bargain bins at your fabric shop for nice remnants as many designs will use only very small amount of each print.

Choose a medium weight fabric for the background as it’s going to need to support a lot of stitching. It should be either plain or discreetly patterned - if the pattern is too bold then your applique will simply “disappear” into the background. It must be non-stretchy and natural fibres are nicest to work with.

Consider furnishing fabrics, cotton twills and ducks.

If your project is going to need washing, then be sure to wash everything before you begin to avoid spoiling your work through unexpected shrinkage.

Iron all your fabrics before beginning to work.

Hint: Make a cut into the centre of your shapes before fusing the Bondaweb to the fabric. This makes it easier to peel off the backing without picking at (and possibly damaging) the edges of your shape. If you forget to do this then another good trick is to scratch the paper backing with a pin You can of course cut out the shapes from your design and trace around them onto the fabric before cutting out and positioning, but personally I like to use Bondaweb (this is a trade name and it’s also known as

Vliesofix and Vilene). This is a double sided interfacing that comes with a paper backing.

To use Bondaweb, you need to print a version of your design.

Then place the Bondaweb, (which usually comes in 45 cm width and is available by the metre), on top of your design and draw around the shape you want to fuse. Cut the shape out roughly, and fuse to the reverse of your fabric.

Then cut out carefully and peel off the paper backing before positioning your pieces. Only fuse them into place (using a cloth to protect your work from your hot iron) when you’re completely happy with their positioning.

When cutting out your shapes be very careful as the edges will forever be visible on your finished design. I like to use large shears and make long smooth cuts along my traced lines. Hold your shears steady in one hand and then turn the fabric as you cut. Cutting in this way will give you much more control than trying to move your scissors around the fabric. It may seem a little odd to use large scissors in this way, but for me it’s easier to make long smooth curving cuts with their long blades as I don’t have to stop and open them again all the time.

I also have a small pair of sharp embroidery scissors that are good for cutting very tiny curves such as the insides of letters and (on the next page) the mouth of Joseph’s beard!

Starting to stitch: Before you begin to stitch do be sure that all your shapes are firmly ssecured in place - if you’re using Bondaweb, then you need to hold your iron over the shape for 10 seconds.

For hand applique I like to use two strands of matching embroidery floss (or you could use a different thread if you prefer) and work small stitches at right angles to the edges of the shape. Blanket stitch is also a great choice. Hand stitching gives quite a different feel to your piece - the little badger and fox above are hand stitched - I think it

gives a softer-looking, less defined finish.

Machine stitching on the other hand clearly defines the edges of your shapes and is also extremely hard-wearing - in my experience the fabric is more likely to tear or wear than the stitches to come loose!

If you’re new to freestyle machine applique then it’s a good idea to practise before beginning your project. Being able to confidently outline your applique shapes is crucial to your success. It isn’t hard, but does take a little getting used too as it has a very different feel to “normal” machine stitching.

You have to imagine that you’re drawing around the shape with your sewing machine needle, but instead of moving a pencil over paper, you’re moving the paper - or in this case the fabric - around your pencil or needle.

It feels really odd to be moving your fabric in all directions, so don’t expect to become an expert straight away. Don’t give up though as like most skills, the more you practise, the better you’ll become.

When using this technique you’ll need to fit the darning or

Cactus Cushion Trio Pattern

embroidery foot to your sewing machine. This will help stop your fabric puckering as you stitch and will also protect your fingers as you move your work around freely.

You also need to drop your feed dogs. When these are up in their normal position they grip and feed your fabric in a straight line beneath your needle as you stitch. When they’re dropped you can move your fabric in any direction.

The method of dropping your feed dogs will vary between machines (in some you may even have a plate that covers the feed dogs), so if you’re at all uncertain then it’s a good idea to check the manufacturer’s guide.

I haven’t found it necessary to alter the tension on my machine for freestyle stitching, just make these two easy adjustments.

When you’ve done this, then simply thread your machine in the usual way. Normal sewing thread is absolutely fine for this technique.

Hint: Use a darker thread in the needle and a paler colour in the bobbin.

This breaks up the stitching line and gives a less heavy and solid effect.

You can hoop your fabric if you wish, but I don’t generally do so, finding that a medium weight fabric is substantial enough to move around without puckering or slipping.

Drop the foot (to maintain the correct needle tension) and lower the needle into the fabric before you begin to stitch. This isn’t an essential step, but I find it gives me more control.

Combination of hand embroidery and freestyle machine applique on my Wilderness Bear pattern

Make sure you move your top thread out of the way - if you accidentally stitch over it then it’s really hard to pull it free from the stitches. Set your machine to straight stitch. The length doesn’t matter as you will control the actual length of your stitches by moving your fabric around.

Begin to sew slowly. Move your fabric around the foot to create some scribbly lines - don’t worry too much about the effect - this is only a practise piece, but think about how it feels to use your machine in this very different way.

As your confidence grows you can increase your sewing speed to a nice steady middling sort of pace so that your stitched lines will flow smoothly.

The combination of how fast your needle moves, and how quickly you move your fabric will determine stitch length.

When you feel comfortable with your needle speed and with moving the fabric in different directions, then try outlining some simple shapes with your needle. You can try freehand (which is a very similar technique to free-motion quilting if you’ve ever tried that) or draw shapes onto your practice fabric to stitch over.

Remember you can move your fabric in any direction. Outlining a shape twice is very attractive and there’s no need to be too neat - you don’t to go back over exactly the same line of stitching for the second outline - you’re aiming for a nice scribbled effect.

As your confidence grows try more complicated shapes and don’t be afraid of “getting it wrong” you’re only practising at the moment.

When you’re stitching your actual project, sometimes you

may find it helps to draw in stitching details with a temporary fabric marker pen for example the lines on the left hand cactus on the previous page were drawn in before I machine stitched them.

I also like to add hand stitched details to my freestyle machine applique pieces - rather like the spines on the cactuses on the previous page. I think that adding touches of hand embroidery makes your piece both more personal and also rather special - quite unlike anything you’ll find in the shops.

And finally - don’t forget to relax and have fun! Choose good quality materials for your projects as working with cheap and nasty fabrics will give poor results, and much frustration along the way.

Happy stitching!

November November is a spinner Spinning in the mist, Weaving such a lovely web Of gold and amethyst.

In among the shadows She spins till close of day, Then quietly she folds her hands And puts her work away.

Margaret Rose 24

Chic Pompom Cushions Another popular interior design trend that shows no sign of going away is the use of pompoms to decorate all kinds of soft furnishings and here we’ve used large handmade pompoms to decorate two cheerful applique cushions that would be perfect for a baby shower, nursery or child’s bedroom.

These are very simple handappliqued designs, and would be a great child’s project too.

Rabbit cushion 14” x 20” and fox cushion 18” square.

Materials For the rabbit cushion

● 14” x 20” cushion pad

For the fox cushion ● One 18” square and two 18” x 13” rectangles background fabric - I used a dark grey marl wool blend felt

● One 14” x 20” and two 14” square pieces of background fabric - I used a grey marl wool blend felt

● 14” x 9” fox red felt

● 10” x 16” white felt

● 9” square white felt

● 6” square pink felt

● 4” square pink felt

● Small scraps black and/or dark grey felt

● Small scraps black and/or dark grey felt

● Pink, white and black stranded cotton floss or other suitable thread for applique

● 18” square cushion pad

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● Pink, fox red, white and black stranded cotton floss or other thread suitable for applique

● 1 5/8” pom pom maker - or use the traditional method of two cardboard rings to make your pompoms ● Bondaweb

For both cushions

● Glue gun (optional). I attached my pompoms with my glue gun, but if preferred you could stitch them in place instead.

● Wool yarn to make pompoms in colours of your choice. These are quite big pompoms and I found I could make six from a 50g ball of yarn.

● Apply ears and features in the same way.

Method

● Secure the edges with short straight stitches worked at right angles to the edge of the shapes using two strands of matching floss.

● Trace the templates onto the paper side of your Bondaweb and cut out roughly. Fuse to your felt and cut out carefully making sure the edges are nice and smooth.

Alternatively as these are large pieces and will use a lot of Bondaweb, you could trace around the shapes and cut out, then use a basting spray or pin in place while you stitch if your cushions are going to be mainly decorative. Otherwise I do feel that Bondaweb makes the applique stronger and harder-wearing.

● Stitch mouths in three strands of black floss using back stitch and add tiny white stitches to each eye for a little “sparkle”. ● Press lightly on the reverse. ● Place face up on a clean flat surface and place the back pieces on top (hemming one short edge of each if you’re not using felt.

In this case put the hemmed pieces face down on top of the main panel) so that they overlap at the centre forming the envelope closure.

● Peel off the paper backing and position your shapes on the front cushion panels aligning the bottom edge of the shapes with the bottom of the panel, so that the edge will be taken into the ¼” seam allowance.

● Stitch around the edge with a ¼” seam allowance. Clip corners and turn right side out.

● The rabbit is very straightforward as it is just a single piece. I built the fox in three pieces, first applying the lower body, then the white bib and finally the top of the head. You could if you preferred simply cut the body as a single piece, and applique the bib over the top but I thought it looked nicer this way. If you do cut in three pieces then remember to allow for an overlap and cut a little extra for this at the top of the lower body and bib.

● Make your pompoms. You will need 8 for the fox cushion and 10 for the rabbit cushion. ● Glue or stitch pompoms in place around the cushion edge, one at each corner and one in the centre of each side (fox) and one in the centre of the top and bottom edges and two equally spaced on the sides (rabbit).

● When you’re happy with the positioning of the shapes fuse into place with a hot iron protecting your work with a cloth.

● Insert pads. ● FINISHED!!

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A (very) Little Guide to the Thimble We all know what a thimble is - I’m sure that like me you’ve been familiar with them forever! I remember playing with my own grandma’s battered and worn thimble when I was allowed to “sort out” her button box. Thimbles can also be decorative, collectible items, but here I’m more concerned with their use as a sewing tool.

A thimble may be defined as “ ” though today thimbles are made from a wide variety of materials, including rubber, leather, and elastic. You can even purchase an adhesive disk instead if you don’t like the feel of a traditional thimble. Normally, you wear your thimble on the middle finger of the hand you use to push the needle through the fabric. If you prefer to use another finger instead, then simply move the thimble to that finger. The thimble will then protect your finger from the eye end of your needle when you push it through the fabric.

Some stitchers also like to wear a rubber thimble on their index finger to help them grasp the needle more firmly.

The word “thimble” itself is thought to come from the old English word thymel, meaning

thumbstall. Thimbles have been around for a very long time - in excavations near Moscow bones were found that were used 30000 years ago by mammoth hunters to stitch pearl embroideries onto pieces of leather. The Romans popularised the use of bronze thimbles throughout their empire and around 1150 a thimble is mentioned as part of a noble lady’s dowry upon her entry into a convent.

To learn to use a thimble successfully it’s really important to find one that fits and suits you.

There are lots of different sizes and types! This is a very personal decision which may take a little trial and error.

Choose a thimble that is not too tight and not too loose. To test for a good fit, try a thimble on the middle finger of your sewing hand. Hang your hand down at your side and move your fingers around. If it stays on and doesn’t feel too tight, then it’s a definite possibility! Wear it around and go about doing other things for 15 minutes or so. If you’ve found the one that’s right for you then your thimble should stay on and feel comfortable enough that you can nearly forget you’re wearing it!

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Snuggle down and keep warm ‌ there’s nothing quite like a real fire to toast your toes - and enjoy some cold weather stitching!

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If you’re lucky enough to have an open fire or a wood burning stove, then it’s at this time of year that it begins to come into its own, as the heart of the house, a place to gather and gaze into the flames to talk and warm chilly toes and - if an open fire - roast chestnuts and toast marshmallows too!

When choosing logs it’s important that they’re well-seasoned. When trees are felled they’re full of water and it takes between six months and a year for them to dry out fully.

You can roughly gauge their readiness for burning by their weight, though it’s possible to purchase moisture meters if you want to take a more scientific approach. If you try to burn green or partly seasoned wood it will hiss and spit and your fire will burn sluggishly, producing far too much smoke.

Keep your wood supply under cover to prevent rain and snow

falling on it - if you’ve allowed time for it to season then you don’t want it getting wet all over again! If you don’t have a wood shed, then stack your supply beneath a sheet of heavy duty plastic, allowing air to circulate from the sides.

If you have a large fireplace and need a lot of kindling to start your fire, then tie it in a bundle with a twist of plant twig (not string, which will burn away to nothing almost straight away) so that the heart of your fire won’t collapse. To add fragrance to your fire, throw citrus peel onto it, or pine cones which are wonderfully aromatic, and

particularly appropriate, I always think, at Christmas time. Don’t burn pine logs though as they send out showers of sparks. Ash is the best wood for burning as it burns hot and long and doesn’t spit. If you burn hickory wood it will fill your house with its aroma, and apple wood smells wonderful.

You can make good use of wood ash too. Put ashes on a path to make a good hard core - it packs down gradually. Or put a sprinkling onto the garden or your compost heap.

Once your fire is lit and burning nicely, it’s a real treat to find a toasting fork and make toast, holding your bread at a welljudged distance from the fire so as not to burn it - and do be careful not to let it slip from the fork into the flames (voice of experience!).

If toasting marshmallows, you’re aiming to bring them close enough to the flames to get them hot enough to form a lovely crust all over the outside.

Then remove them from the fire, cool a little and you’ll discover their insides have gone all gooey and yummy!

You can even try an impromptu “fondue”, putting ¾” cubes of cheese onto your fork or skewer and turning them in the flames

until they begin to melt. This does take a little practise though as it’s easy to overcook them, when they will slip from your fork and you’ll lose the whole thing with a sad little hiss as it disappears into the flames (again the voice of experience!). When you do manage to get it right though, the smokey flavour and melting texture of the cheese is absolutely wonderful. But do be careful though - don’t put anything cooked like this straight into your mouth as you could get a nasty burn from the hot metal of the fork. Always remove the hot piece of food onto a plate first to cool a little before you eat it.

If you have a big wood fire with a lot of hot ash beneath - or are having a bonfire perhaps - then

bake potatoes there by smothering them and leaving them to cook in the hot ashes for about an hour. Best of all, I think, on winter nights are roasted chestnuts. Wait until your fire has died down a little, then slit the tops of the chestnuts (otherwise they will explode with some violence - oops!) and put them into the hot embers. Leave for between five and ten minutes before picking them out carefully with tongs - those you use for your barbeque are perfect.

Alternatively, if you roast chestnuts often you can purchase specialised roaster - an iron holder with holes in with a long handle. Hold it over the fire again for up to 10 minutes and allow your chestnuts to cool slightly before peeling them.

Look!

-------------------

a lovely idea

Fall Leaf Cake Topper

Such a pretty idea guaranteed to make even the most everyday cake just a little bit special this autumn!

Free from The House that Lars Built: Fall Leaf Cake Toppers 32

Nature’s Remedies At one time the stillroom of every well-to-do household would have produced all kinds of remedies and medicines for every-day ailments, including winter coughs and colds.

Elizabethan households, for example, seem to have produced a vast range of delicious-sounding syrups and drinks, often based on flower infusions, which I am sure would have been a pleasure to swallow. Little sweets called rose cakes made from damask rose

petals and lemon syrup are one such recipe for sore throats. Honey was also often included in such recipes as it was sweet and soothing, and considered to be a natural antiseptic. Five hundred years on we still haven’t been able to discover a cure for the common cold, but these gentle homemade treatments can only help to soothe and comfort those afflicted.

The warm comforting flavour and smell of cinnamon has been used

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for centuries in the kitchen and sick room where it was considered to be a very effective cure. In a recipe dating from the beginning of the 17th century we find quite large amounts of powdered cinnamon being made into special sweets to help relieve the symptoms of a cold.

It was used in much larger quantities than we’re used to today, and often provided much of the bulk of a recipe. Today we’re very restrained with it and only use very

small amounts as a spice and flavouring, even though compared with many spices it’s always been quite plentiful and relatively cheap to purchase.

Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of a tree from the laurel family and is sold in little rolls of the bark - cinnamon sticks - or ground into a powder which loses its flavour quite quickly. It was often kept in a silver shaker to sprinkle onto hot buttered toast and muffins for a delicious teatime treat - a tradition that in my opinion, is well worth reviving when you don’t have time to make “proper” French toast!

Another old remedy for a child’s troublesome cough was to make little balls of butter mixed with granulated honey which dissolved n the mouth and soothed the throat - though I’m sure these weren’t very good for their teeth!

One of the best ways of ensuring a good night’s sleep at the start of a cold is to drink a mixture of very hot lemon, honey - and whiskey if you like it - last thing at night.

If you don’t drink alcohol, the lemon and honey alone will work fine, whilst the classic cough mixture of lemon, honey and glycerine is still

as good as ever, and much more palatable than some of the commercial - and frankly quite disgusting-tasting - remedies on offer at the chemists. My mum always sued to keep a bottle ready mixed throughout the colder months, and it’s good to have at least the ingredients standing by for when you need them.

The honey and glycerine will soothe your poor sore throat, whilst the lemon will add a welcome sharpness and a good does of Vitamin C - always an excellent idea when you’re under the weather.

Lemon and Honey Cough Mixture This mixture is safe for both children and adults and will soothe a ticklish throat whilst providing a welcome boost of vitamin c.

You will need: ● Two plump juicy lemons ● 150 ml (5 fl oz) clear honey ● 50 ml (2 fl oz) glycerine

Method:

● Squeeze the juice from the two lemons, and then strain the juice to get it as clear as possible. ● Then put your juice, together with the honey and glycerine into a jug and mix very thoroughly. ● Pour the mixture into a small medicine bottle and cork tightly. ● Give a spoonful when a cough is particularly troublesome.

Of course there are many other ways to help relieve the miserable symptoms of a cold. Try sipping peppermint tea - or make it into an inhalation that will help clear your breathing, as will eucalyptus oil. Put a few drops into a bowl of hot water, put your head under a towel, lean over the bowl and inhale.

It’s good to pamper yourself while you’re suffering too. Run a bath an add a few drops of essential oils before soaking.

Try thyme, eucalyptus, lemon and rosemary whilst a few drops of these oils on a piece of muslin tucked under your pillow at night will help keep your head clear and make your breathing easier.

Nature Notes: Of Trees and their Leaves Most of the trees have now lost their leaves and because of this we are able to learn something more precise about their trunks, branches and buds. Every kind of tree has its own form of trunk, with a special pattern into which its expanding bark splits in order to allow growth of the woody tissues it protects. Each has its own manner of branching; and the branch of an oak will be found to differ from that of a beech as much as the rough bark of one is unlike the smooth coat of another. So, too, with the shoot and leaf buds of each: they have distinctive forms and start at different angles from the boughs and twigs, which affects the plan upon which next year’s leaves will be arranged.

Compare the short, thick buds of oak and elm with the long pointed ones of beech and birch. Trees that are the first to put out their simple flowers in the early months of the year - such as alder, birch, and hazel - have formed their catkins in readiness, though these are as yet small and hard.

If you are curious to know what happens to the vast number of fallen leaves that rustle under your feet and form a thick carpet in the wood, turn up a few with a stick. Where they are dry and loose you will find that some are covering small insects and snails that have adopted them as bedspreads to keep off frost. More in the open and in slight hollows they have become matted together with moisture and between these you will find worms and snails feeding upon them and reducing them to skeletons. Some are covered with the delicate white tracery of fine fungus-threads. These are also doing their best to break up the leaves and return them to the soil to furnish food for other plants.

Edward Step, Nature Rambles: An Introduction to Country-lore, 1930 35

Tastes of the Season: Parsnips A sweetly flavoured root vegetable native to Britain, parsnips resemble a bulky, beige carrot and are indeed a member of the carrot family. At their best after a few frosts (the cold temperatures help to sweeten them) its earthy, but sweet flavour makes them a delicious addition to soups, casseroles, mashed with butter rather like potatoes or, my favourite, roasted with honey.

For the best flavour, look for parsnips about the size of a large carrot, with firm, unblemished flesh. Always choose firm, rather than limp or shrivelled examples. Avoid those with lots of whiskers or brown patches as this indicates that they may well be past their best. If the leaves are still attached to the tops, they should still be green and fresh.

Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling - just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away. Uncooked parsnips keep in the fridge for around a week.

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Rosie’s Recipes: Super Soups!

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November brings the colder weather and there’s nothing more comforting on a raw grey day than snuggling down by the fire with a bowl of warming soup. Homemade is quite different to shop bought - and much nicer too I think!

You have to have something to dip too of course, so I’ve included an extra recipe for one of our favourite breads.

Parsnip Soup Serves four:

Ingredients ● 1 large onion, skinned and finely chopped ● 25 g butter ● 450 g parsnips, peeled, core removed and chopped ● 600 ml chicken or vegetable stock ● 300 ml milk

● 1 tbspn chopped parsley

Method ● Fry the onion in the butter for five minutes until transparent. Stir in the parsnips, then add the stock. Season well, cover the pan and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. ● Blend to a puree. Add milk to achieve the desired consistency and reheat gently. ● Stir in the chopped parsley and serve hot. vegetables can be used in the same way.

Other root

Sage and Onion Bread Makes 2 small loaves:

Ingredients ● 15 g fresh yeast or 1 ½ tspn dried ● 300 ml warm fresh milk ● 1 large onion, skinned and finely chopped ● 25 g butter ● 225 g strong white flour ● 225 g strong wholemeal flour ● 1 tspn salt ● 2 tbspns chopped fresh sage or 1 tspn dried

Method ● Blend the fresh yeast with the milk. If using dried yeast, sprinkle it into the milk and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes, until frothy.

● Meanwhile put the onion and butter in a small saucepan, cover and cook gently for around 5 minutes until the onion is soft and transparent but not browned. ● Put the flours, salt and sage in a large bowl and mix together. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the softened onion and the butter and yeast liquid. Beat well together until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl clean. ● Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a clean bowl, cover and leave in a warm place to prove for about an hour until it’s doubled in size. ● Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Divide into 2, shape into rounds and place on a large greased baking sheet. ● Brush with a little milk, cover and leave in a warm place for about 30 minutes until doubled in size. ● Bake at 230C, 450F, Gas 8 for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200C, 400F, Gas 6 and bake for a further 15 minutes.

When cooked the loaves will be well risen and golden brown and sound hollow if tapped on the bottom. ● Cool slightly and serve warm, or turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

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Spiced Pumpkin Soup This soup is enriched with cream which makes it really comforting. For a lighter version simply omit the cream. Serves six.

Ingredients ● 1 tblspn olive oil ● 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped ● 3 cloves of garlic, crushed ● ¼ teaspoon paprika ● 300 g potatoes, peeled and chopped ● 1 kg chopped pumpkin flesh ● 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

● 120 ml double cream (optional)

Method ● Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion, garlic, paprika and coriander. Cook gently, stirring for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. ● Add the potatoes and pumpkin. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until the potatoes begin to brown. ● Pour in the stock, cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes and pumpkin are tender. Cool slightly before blending in batches until smooth. ● Return the soup to the pan over a low heat and stir in the cream if using. Heat through for a minute or so and then serve.

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Simply Soup

by Mrs Beeton The Victorians simply loved soup, and many a social conscience was appeased by making vast quantities of soup to give to the poor - some of it nourishing and good, some very poor indeed. The great chef, Alexis Soyer, altered the diet of the soldiers fighting Crimea in the 1850s by ordering the proper cooking of their meat, seasoning it well and seeing that the soup that could be made from it was used to nourish the wounded and convalescent instead of being thrown away as useless. Later he was to do much the same with his soup-kitchens during the Irish famine. Even earlier, by the end of the eighteenth century it was realised that “portable soup”, that is soup boiled down to a solid substance that could be reconstituted with water - the ancestor of our modern stock cubes, was a very good way of

providing nourishment on long journeys. Captain Cook, during his voyage of exploration, took this portable soup with him as well as “sour-crout” which he insisted that his unwilling crew should eat - and for the first time during a long voyage the whole crew was free of scurvy.

Unfortunately one result of the Victorian obsession with soup is that generations have grown up feeling that it’s impossible to make soup at home without an enormous stock pot. The third rule given by Mrs Beeton (above) can lead to very poor soup making since if all odds and ends of scraps were put into the pot the result would have little taste of its own, though the result would undoubtedly be nourishing - if rather unappealing!

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Soups can be heart and thick, full of chunky vegetables and meat or fish a meal in themselves - or clear delicate consommes or broths to act as an appetiser at the beginning of a formal meal. Sometimes soup was served at the start of a meal to help fill the diners up before the more expensive main dish was served and indeed for many poorer folk it would have been the only dish of the meal.

You don’t need a stock pot these days as many good quality stock cubes, and even fresh stock, are available - be sure to choose a good quality well-flavoured version for soup as this will affect the taste. You can even make soup with a milk base, or with the liquid from cooking vegetables. And such soups, whether thick or thin, pureed or not, according to taste, can be both comforting and warming.

Mushroom Soup Ingredients ● 50 g unsalted butter AND ● 25 g unsalted butter

Method ● Melt 50 g butter in a saucepan, add the onion and cook gently until softened but not brown.

● 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

● Stir in 225 g mushrooms, stock and seasoning Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and most of the liquid has absorbed.

● 225 g large button mushrooms, chopped AND

● Meanwhile saute the remaining mushrooms in 25 g butter.

Drain excess fat by tipping them onto a paper kitchen towel.

● 150 g large button mushrooms chopped

● When your soup is cooked sieve or blend, then thin to the required consistency with the milk. For cream of mushroom soup (richer, delicious and sinful!) Use half milk and half cream.

● 300 ml chicken or vegetable stock ● Salt and pepper for seasoning

● Bring to simmering point, stir in the sauted mushrooms and serve very hot.

● 300 - 500 ml full cream milk

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Tastes of the Season: Colourful Squashes Squashes are often overlooked in favour of their large and flamboyant cousin the pumpkin.

Squashes, pumpkins and gourds belong to the same family as cucumbers, melons, marrows and courgettes. There is an amazing variety of sizes, shapes and colours, and although most are edible, some are used for decoration only. All squashes and pumpkins have a tough outer rind, an inner cavity filled with hard seeds and sweet, rich, well-coloured flesh with a dense, nutty and earthy flavour. Below are some of the most commonly found here in the UK. Butternut squash – the most common and popular of autumn squashes, the butternut squash is a pale creamy beige and comes in an oblong shape with a rounded bottom. Like its name suggests, the flesh has a buttery flavour that is enhanced by brown sugar or cinnamon.

Spaghetti squash – this curious oval squash has a golden-yellow skin and bright yellow flesh. When cooked, the tender flesh separates into spaghetti-like strands.

Turban squash – is a beautiful shape that resembles a fat teardrop. Deep-green in colour with flashes of orange, the intense orange flesh is rich and nutty and mellows upon roasting.

Acorn squash is small with deep ridges that can make peeling difficult. To get to the peppery, nutty golden-yellow flesh, cut the squash in half then bake with plenty of herbs and spices.

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Cactus Pin Board This is a really simple hack of a cheap cork pinboard, easily available from shops and online - I purchased mine from UK supermarket Tesco. It was a boring brown square when I brought it home, but a lick of white chalk paint and some cheerful applique have transformed it from a bit of an eyesore into an attractive board that I’ll love having on my kitchen wall to keep all those cards, telephone numbers and other useful pits and pieces that have a tendency to wander if not securely pinned down!

Board measures 40 cm (16” square) ● White chalk paint or emulsion

Materials

● Embroidery foot for your sewing machine

● 40 cm (16”) square cork pin board (another size would be fine as long as there is room for your applique!)

● Bondaweb

● 14” x 12” white felt (this will be the base for your applique cactuses)

● Temporary fabric marker pen

● PVA glue

● Glue gun - for attaching hanging loop if desired.

● Variety of green fabrics and felts for the cactuses ● Small scraps of pale pink felt for the flowers ● Black stranded cotton embroidery floss ● 10” twine (for hanging loop - this is optional)

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● With two strands of black floss work rows of cross stitch along the lines you stitched on the plump round cactuses.

Method ● First paint the front and sides of your pin board with your white chalk paint or emulsion. You may need several coats to stop the brown cork from showing through. Leave to dry fully.

● Work fly stitch to represent the spikes on the taller cactuses. ● Press again.

● Begin to build up your cactus design on your white felt aligning the bottoms of the front shapes with the bottom edge of the white felt. You may find it easiest to mark the outline of the design onto the felt first to indicate the positioning of the pieces.

● Now cut out the design leaving less than ¼” white felt border all the way around except - don’t try to cut down between the two cactuses that lean in towards each other, just dip in at the top (see below).

● Trace each piece onto the paper side of your Bondaweb using the full size reverse templates. Cut out roughly and fuse to the reverse of your fabric or felt then cut out carefully. Peel away the paper backing and position on your white felt, beginning with the back plants (1). Fuse into place with a hot iron, protecting your work with a cloth when you are happy with the positioning. ● Usually I wait until the end before machine stitching, but as this is quite a large, complex design I stitched the pieces as I went along (2). To do this, fit the embroidery foot to your sewing machine and drop the feed dogs. With a pale thread in your bobbin and a darker colour in your needle go around the edge of each shape twice. Don’t try to be too neat, you’re aiming for a sort of scribbled effect. Continue building up your design in this way (3) until complete.

● Make sure the paint on your board is completely dry(!) ● Attach your applique to the bottom left hand corner of the board with your PVA glue. ● If desired attach a hanging loop to the top back edge of the board with your glue gun.

● Press work lightly on the reverse. ● Draw in lines on the round plump cactuses (4) with your temporary fabric marker pen. Machine stitch these lines.

● Hang and admire!!

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Inspiration

inspiration

A closer look at some of the accounts we love…

@bettyjoydesignstudio

@ellaandtheroo

Based in Sheffield, Lucia is a freelance designer for Lemon Ribbon. Inspired by her love of nature you can find Lucia’s designs on everything from bedding to stationary!

At Ella & The Roo you’ll find gorgeous handmade artisan woodland animal head wall hangings, as well as Cool & contemporary posters & prints.

@lapetitealiceshop

@ellisandhiggs

Linen baby clothing & accessories hand made, sewn & embroidered in Vilnius, Lithuania. With so many gorgeous pieces to choose from it’s hard to pick our favourite!

Nadra is a a fabric designer for Riley Blake Designs, pattern designer, quiltmaker & teacher from Germany. Her feed is full of the gorgeous things she makes.

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Velvet: the most Luxurious Fabric 48

Velvet is one of the most luxurious fabrics around in both texture and drape; heavy enough to hang elegantly, conforming to curves and falling gracefully over corners, it is eminently suitable for formal clothing or for drapery. The most immediately striking feature of velvet is its rich colouring. The play between light and shadows created by the pile makes for remarkably intense colours; even from a distance, it looks sensual and tempting.

True velvet is a woven pile fabric; that is, the production technique incorporates loops made from an auxiliary set of warp yarns, which are later cut to produce a soft pile. A similar method is used to create corduroy and velveteen, only for these two the pile comes from loops in the weft. The weaving technique dates back to as early as 2000 BC in Egypt, where samples of exquisitely fine linen and silk fabrics have been unearthed. An inventory list from 809 AD, of treasures belonging to Caliph Haroun al-Rashid, includes five hundred bolts of velvet. That these pieces were included alongside gold and extravagant jewellery indicates its enormous value at the time as the process of weaving velvet was extremely labour-intensive and timeconsuming, because of its fineness.

Velvet production became firmly established as an industry in the

Middle East and eastern Europe by about the tenth century. The most skilled weavers came from Turkey, Greece, and Cypress; when the latter was conquered

by France in 1266, many artisans were forced to flee to continental Europe. Most settled in Lucca, Italy, already a major centre for the production of fine woollen textiles, thus allowing for the spread of velvetweaving techniques further north into much of western Europe. Moorish Spain was another major centre of velvet production; it had been manufactured there since 948, and various velvet-weavers' guilds and organisations had been created for the purpose of ensuring the industry's continuing prosperity The first reference to velvet in England can be found in 1278, when according to records the king's tailor purchased a velvetupholstered bed in Paris at a cost of 100 shillings. Velvet then became enormously popular and by the late Middle Ages it was in common use for upholstery, drapery, and clothing amongst those who could afford it. Because it was still woven by hand -- weaving would not become automated until centuries later, it was enormously expensive and beyond of the reach of all but Europe's wealthiest noblemen.

Velvet was still important in the Middle East where it was called mukhmal, and its popularity as a visible sign of affluence

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continued well into the Renaissance period. In Europe, velvet weaving techniques were a well-kept secret; passed down through weavers' guilds, the methods were kept hidden from those outside the industry, until Napoleon abolished the guilds during the French Revolution.

Through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, velvet was almost always woven of silk.

Occasionally, linen was incorporated into the warp to reduce production costs; this was referred to as half-silk velvet. Hemp was sometimes used for this same purpose, though cotton warps seem to have been conspicuously absent. Velvet continued to be a luxury fabric accessible only to the wealthy upper classes until the Industrial Revolution ushered in a new era of mechanisation and massproduction, when suddenly such fabrics became more widely affordable.

Contemporary velvet is often woven of rayon or acetate, both of which have served as substitutes for silk since the Second World War. Several different types have evolved, differing mostly in how they have been finished. Plain velvet is just that: plain weave fabric with a cut pile. Crushed velvet is made when plain velvet is dampened and then mechanically twisted, creating a new textural dimension.

PannĂŠ velvet is similar in

appearance to crushed velvet, but its texture comes from heavy pressure applied to sections of plain velvet rather than from twisting. Cut velvet differs slightly from the rest in construction; it involves often intricate, brocade-like patterns in relief, made by cutting the pile in some areas and leaving it in loops in others.

Velour is also similar to velvet in both texture and weight, but it is made from cotton rather than silk or synthetic fibres and in the same manner as velveteen. Many knit fabrics with pile added can resemble velvet, and are sometimes mislabelled as such; this is erroneous, however, as velvet is always woven.

Often confused with velvet, velveteen differs because of its shorter pile, which originates from extra loops in the weft.

Because careless folds and creases can permanently flatten the pile and leave a velvet garment ruined, careful

attention must be paid to proper care and storage.

Steaming is the best way to remove creases; alternatively use a velvet board, which is a specialised type of ironing board with hundreds of fine wires sticking out of it to preserve the pile whilst it is being ironed. For cleaning, dry cleaning seems to be the most agreed-upon method; manufacturer's directions take precedence, however, so read the label first!

I would prefer to live forever in perfect health, but if I must at some time leave this life, I would like to do so ensconced on a chaise longue, perfumed, wearing a velvet robe and pearl earrings, with a flute of champagne beside me and having just discovered the answer to the last problem in a British cryptic crossword.

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Nature Notes: Gossamer

Gossamer, as it is called, being the fine web of certain species of spiders, floating in the air in abundance, and lodging on the trees, or the rigging of ships, and on other objects, affords a sign of fine settled weather in autumn, as does the much covering of the ground and herbage by the woof of the spiders in general.

In crossing the Channel from Calais to Dover, I have observed that the captains of the vessels have sometimes forboded fine settled weather from the settling on the masts and rigging, of certain sort of web, which we take to be the woof of some spider, though we have observed it to alight on the ships when some way out at sea.

Thomas Furly Forster, The Pocket Encyclopaedia of Natural Phenomena, published 1827 51

Look!

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a lovely idea Tin Punched Votive Candles

Perfect for Thanksgiving - or spell out any word you like depending upon the occasion you’re celebrating. And when you’re done - simply pop the cans into the recycling box perfect!

Thanks to Elsie and Emma of “A Beautiful Mess” for sharing with us

Free from A Beautiful Mess : Tin Punched Votive Candles 52

Reindeer Pennant You can never have too many reindeer at Christmas - in my opinion at least, and this little fellow is very cute and cheerful looking with his shiny red nose and sparkly silver pompom.

The only tricky part is cutting out the felt for his antlers, but if you find a comfortable spot to sit while doing this and take your time then I’m sure all will be well!

Finished pennant measures 8” wide x 12” long.

red, pink and brown to match your felt colours

Materials

● 2” (2.5 cm) silver pompom

● 14” x 9” cream wool blend felt for background ● 12” x 9” light weight fabric for backing

● Bamboo skewer cut to 7” length or similar lightweight dowling

● 6” x 5” grey felt for main body

● Bondaweb

● 4” x 6” brown felt for antlers

● 10” white thin cord for hanging

● 3” x 4” white felt for chest

● Glue gun (optional)

● Scraps of dark grey, pink and red felt

● Temporary fabric marker pen

● Stranded cotton floss or other suitable thread for applique in white, grey, black,

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● Position the word “reindeer” above the antlers with a gap of about ¾” between the antlers and the bottom of the text.

Embroider in split stitch using two strands of black floss.

Method ● Fold your piece of cream felt in half vertically and press the fold with your hands. This will guide you to place your reindeer applique exactly in the centre of the piece.

● When your embroidery is finished press your work lightly on the reverse being careful not to flatten your stitches.

● Using the full size template draw in the point at the bottom of the pennant with your temporary fabric marker pen - again you can use the fold line to centre the point on the fabric.

● Cut out the pennant shape.

8.5”

● Trace the applique shapes onto the paper side of your Bondaweb. Allow extra at the ends of the antlers and ears for them to be overlapped by the head. I worked the reindeer body in one piece and added the white chest on top of the grey felt. This worked well as the pennant probably won’t be viewed too closely, but if you prefer then you could cut the lower body, chest and head separately and layer them, beginning with the lower body. If you decide to do this then don’t forget to cut a little extra for the pieces to overlap. Also allow a little extra at the bottom of the reindeer’s body so it can be taken into the seam allowance.

10.5”

● Cut out a second pennant shape from your backing fabric with the long straight sides measuring 9” long.

● Cut the pieces out roughly and fuse to your felt. Cut out smoothly, peel off the paper backing and position on your background fabric. When you’re happy with the positioning fuse into place using a hot iron and protecting your work with a cloth.

● Place the two pieces right sides together and stitch around the edge with a ¼” seam allowance leaving the top edge open. ● Trim seams, clip corners and turn right side out.

● Secure the applique shapes to the background fabric with short straight stitches worked in two strands of matching floss.

● Press the top 1 ½” of the front felt fabric to the back and slipstitch in place. This will form the pocket for your rod (skewer or dowelling).

● Embroider eyes in satin stitch using two strands of black floss.

● Insert the rod and stitch the ends of the pocket closed.

● Add some tiny white stitches to his nose and eyes for a little “sparkle”.

● Sew cord to back of pennant.

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The Countryside in November Few feel very cordial about November when the countryside sinks grey and sere under the fall of the year and the heartbeat of the hills grows slower. Yet all is not a grim sort of “nothingness” in November. True enough the bold dahlias have been reaped by the frost, but last roses still shine in sheltered places, and the lemon-yellow fireworks of winter jasmine have burst out on house and cottage walls. There is still the comfortable scent of last bonfires and, of a Saturday, the game-dogs racing over the stubble for the fall of the pheasant to the sportsman’s gun. And the beech woods, arching over their clean and weed-free floorings, never look so beautiful as now in this last flaunting of the copper leaf. Beech woods shining in the gathering mists of November afternoons hold a strange, still splendour.

In the open countryside the gatherings and movements of the wintering birds are upon a big scale, and plain to see against their background of bare ploughland and coppices naked of leaf. The landward gulls lie white as pebbles on the brown earth, the green plover rise in looping flocks, morning and evening the dark rooks trail across the pale cold sky. The birds of the garden - they become noticeable as well in the absence of foliage, and these are the birds which belong to most of use wherever we live, and if we have a few square yards of land.

There is much beauty in the hedgerows of November, spotted with scarlet rosehips and pink spindleberry drops; much beauty in the bare spokes of the unflowered hemlock parasols at the wayside and in the dark gloss of the blackbird pairs, orange beak to orange beak, already staking out their springtime claims along the garden hedge.

These are the pinpoints of pleasure which light the down-drop of the year, and make a little more than bearable the month which is not just a “nothing”, but a true November.

C Gordon-Glover Book of the Countryside

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“A prettier side of life!”

Meet the Maker

Karen Fleming talks to us about beaches, driftwood and the unique creations she crafts for her business, Tildy’s Room A big Hello to you all from sunny Yorkshire! My name is Karen and I am the creator of Tildy's Room, the place where I get to make gorgeous little dioramas and scenes of beach and village life inspired by own life in Yorkshire, Australia and Bermuda.

Have you always enjoyed crafting and creating, Karen?

I have enjoyed creating things for as long as I can remember, my earliest complicated make was a knitted rabbit which I made for my new baby sister when I was 9 years old! I had a fair bit of help from my Mum and Granny Tildy and I remember it had some holes where I had dropped stitches, but overall it was quite adorable and I remember being very proud of it!

And I remember loving woodwork class in Junior School where I made a fabulous sword with anatomically correct sword parts including a guard, hilt and pommel!

So I guess I first created something decent out of wood at the age of 10! That really amuses me now! I wish I still had the sword but sadly,

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over the years and international abodes, it has gone astray.

How did you begin working with driftwood and develop your business idea into Tildy’s Room?

I first became fascinated by driftwood in the 90's (long time ago now!) when I lived in Far North Australia in Cairns. I was very lucky to live in a house right on the beach and used to spend hours walking the beaches and fishing and sailing in the wide estuaries. The vast quantities of driftwood that washed up on the beaches was incredible and we would sometimes build temporary and abstract models and leave them as they were to be enjoyed until the next high tide took them out!

Again, I was very lucky and lived in Bermuda for a few years and it was here that I first saw driftwood used as a permanent art form including little houses and cars. On our return to the UK in 2000 we began starting a family and I reduced my working hours as an Intensive Care Nurse to be a Mum.

As a hobby, I began making pieces using driftwood for my own personal interest and this developed further as I began attending local craft fairs a few times a year and found that people really liked my work and even better…they bought it!

In 2012 I decided the time was right for me to focus on my creative work as a business and Tildy's Room was created. So you see, this was a slow grown and organic process for me as it worked around my nursing career and my family. It worked at the pace that was right for everything to blend and synchronise as well as possible.

Since 2012 I have been selling my work, in various shops in Yorkshire to begin with, in addition to learning the art of on line business through Facebook, my own website and more recently on Etsy which is developing steadily.

In 2015 I attended my first trade fair to get a taste for the world of wholesale… I honestly hoped to

attain business with around 6 galleries and by the end of day three I had confirmed orders from 20 and a waiting list of 10 plus!! It was incredible and far beyond what I had expected!

So from May to December 2015, I had a huge amount of wholesale orders, my own website to run, large craft fairs to prepare for as well as a large amount of bespoke work! It was a hugely busy few months to say the least! By Christmas I had realised I needed a plan for 2016 to ensure things could slow down somewhat so I didn't have to work 16 hours every day with few days off!

This year has been much more manageable and enjoyable and I am thoroughly enjoying my work with Tildy's Room…and a social life too!

Do you have a favourite creation?

Ooo! That's a tricky question as I love so many aspects of my work!

I think it would have to be my larger pieces purely for the reason that I can let my imagination run freely and there's so much more flexibility

with the houses shapes and sizes, the wire work I can include and the additional bits and bobs such as hand twisted wire bikes, hand felted woolly trees and tiny benches with even tinier newspapers! There literally is no limit to the possibilities on a large piece.

What is your typical day?

I like to spend a good 3 days preparing the reclaimed wood and cut and sand it into lots of houses in all different sizes. Then I select around 10 pieces of driftwood I want to work on so I have a good batch prepared and ready for the fun part.

So generally I start with the painting of the houses, and whilst they're drying I cut out the roofs and doors.

Next I paint the windows and once they are dry, I can start attaching doors, roofs and chimney pots.

Then I play around with what houses look good on certain piece of wood and then decide on what other aspects suit each piece.

Sometimes I jot down the loose plan, but as a general rule I keep it in my mind's eye so to speak.

I like to do my wire work, such as trees and bikes, in the evenings whilst with my family. I find my wire work very relaxing and as it's quiet work I can do it whilst with the family.

Then the next few days are spent putting all the parts together to make complete pieces. The next stage is to allocate the pieces to Etsy or to put them to one side for craft fairs or galleries

First of all, don't be scared to give it a try! If you don't, you'll always wonder…what if?

Go with your gut! Make and create things you love and which appeal to you, as things develop you will learn what your customers like, they will tell you and help you grow.

Don't be afraid to experiment with new materials or designs, but only small batches in case it doesn't work. Be prepared for things to go wrong sometimes, but if they do, use it as a learning tool for future reference

Can you describe your style in a Be yourself with your customers! few words?

I would describe my style as natural and rustic using recycled materials.

This is a very important aspect to me as I believe so many things can be recycled, upcycled and given new life. I think we have lived disposable and wasteful lives in recent years which is quite sad when old things and things people throw away (and into the sea) can be re-loved and made into beautiful things again. My house is furnished with beautifully refurbished old furniture and still has years of life in it.

Some of my pieces have a very industrial feel, using large and rough driftwood with lots of rusty metal, this is my personal favourite.

Alternatively, I love making my softer pieces using hand felted trees and lawns and lots of colour in my work to show a prettier side of life!

And can you give any advice to those thinking of setting up their own business?

On my social media pages, I do babble on as though I'm chatting over coffee with my own friends, over the years a good few of my customers are now my friends! And those who are further afield do feel like they have come to know you a little better.

Customers love to feel they know a little about you and when selling on line it definitely helps them to think of you as a person rather than a 'business'. It shouldn't always be hard sell, people love progress pictures, news about successes and failures too and even the odd bit about your holidays or days out to show the personal touch again.

And finally, what are your dreams for the future of Tildy’s Room?

After such a crazy 2015 with too much emphasis on wholesale work which I found quite tiring and too much of a production line effect…this took out a lot of enjoyment and freedom in creativity

for me…it is so lovely to be able to take more time exploring new ideas and individual designs. There is definitely a place for wholesale work for Tildy's Room for a lot of reasons and I will still do some from time to time.

My main goal is to continue to make my more detailed pieces as I enjoy them so much and the individuality I can give each piece. I really hope to make more success of my Etsy shop and spend some desperately needed time on my website. And I shall definitely be attending my old favourite craft fairs within Yorkshire and a big goal for 2017 is to travel further afield to craft events outside of Yorkshire.

I love dealing with my own customers directly and working closely with them to their personal requirements which is the essence of handmade and bespoke art.

The ultimate dream in business is to have a wonderfully successful on line shop that reaches the right customers who buy and love my beautiful art. And it's always been a bit of a 'thing' for me to buy and renovate an old caravan and take Tildy's Room on tour around the UK…watch this space!

Karen creates driftwood dioramas from her studio in South Yorkshire, each one is a unique work of art so you’re guaranteed never to see another exactly the same!

www.facebook.com/TildysRoom www.etsy.com/shop/TildysRoom www.tildysroom.co.uk

Reindeer Pennant Here’s the second part of our new 2017 Nativity set. (The first part was in the last issue, that’s number 81).

It’s designed to be completely child-safe with nothing that can be pulled off or damaged. The characters are all simple softie shapes with the images appliqued onto the front in felt and a few cotton prints. The features are all embroidered so no choking hazards either.

The characters are all between 5” and 6” tall (except the baby Jesus and the animals of course) ● Stranded cotton floss in black, pink, gold or yellow and red

Materials ● 18” square midnight blue felt (this will also give you enough for last month’s characters)

● Toy stuffing

● Scraps of felt and fabric for applique.

● Stuffing stick - optional, but is useful. You can make one really easily by breaking the point off a bamboo skewer and fraying the end so it will “grab” the stuffing as you push it into the softie.

● Bondaweb

● 18” square cotton fabric for the reverse of the characters (doesn’t have to be darkblue, choose whatever colour you prefer)

● Embroidery foot for your sewing machine

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Method ● The fronts of the characters are all made in the same way - simply appliqued onto a felt background, so the following method should be used for all. The templates are full sized and reversed for tracing onto the paper side of your Bondaweb. ● For the adult characters cut a rectangle of midnight blue felt 7” x 5” approx and for the sheep 5” square . Work the applique in the centre of these shapes. ● Trace the applique shapes onto the paper side of your Bondaweb. Allow extra for them to overlap I have included an additional diagram of Joseph from last month with the overlaps marked in red to show how much to include, and also photographs of the steps for assembling the angel. The angel’s halo is worked in gold or dark yellow chain stitch. Notice that the arms are cut in one piece which makes them much easier to handle and to position correctly. ● Cut out roughly and fuse to the reverse of your fabric, then cut out carefully. Peel off the paper backing and position on your felt background.

Work from the bottom upwards.

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● When you’re happy with their positions, fuse into place with a hot iron, protecting your work with a cloth. ● 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 aiming for a sort of scribbled effect. ● Embroider the features with two strands of floss.

The eyes are black French knots, the cheeks pink satin stitch and the mouths red back stitch. ● Press your work on the reverse. ● Trim your softies to shape by cutting around them allowing an approximate 1” border from the edges of your applique. This border doesn’t have to be the same all the way around, so don’t be too fussy about measuring. ● Cut your backing fabric to the same shape and join with right sides together leaving a gap at the bottom for stuffing. using a ¼” seam allowance.

Clip curves, turn right side out and stuff. ● Close stuffing gap with slip stitch. Your softie is now finished.

Home Comforts Christmas is approaching fast, and the last Sunday of this month (this year it’s 26th) is traditionally known as Stir-up Sunday. It is a tradition that dates back to Victorian times, when the family would gather together to stir the Christmas pudding before Christmas. The opening words of the Book Of Common Prayer, read on this Sunday before Advent, are ‘Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord’, so the tradition began that this is the day to get stirring!

The traditional Christmas pudding contains 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his disciples. Each member of the family takes a turn to stir the mixture - while making a wish of course! It should be stirred from East to West, to remember the Wise Men that journeyed to Bethlehem in the Nativity Story.

Adding coins, originally charms, to the pud was said to bring luck if you found them in your portion on Christmas Day.

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Party Panda Hoop Pattern is full size

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Two Mugs with Succulents Pattern is full size

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Chic Pompom Cushions Templates are full size and will need joining. They overlap to help you do this.

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Cactus Pin Board Templates are full size and will need joining. They overlap to help you do this.

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Reindeer Pennant Templates are full size and will need joining. They overlap to help you do this.

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Nativity Set Part Two Templates are full size. Diagram below shows cutting lines for Joseph from last month’s issue. The principle is exactly the same for the Kings.

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