by Helen on November 3, 2013
It’s always a relief when I’ve uploaded and successfully sent out each month’s magazine to my lovely subscribers. I don’t altogether trust computers, and my internet connection, as I’m so far out in the countryside, is not the fastest, though it’s never let me down completely. (yet!) Then, once the magazine’s safely dispatched, I list the patterns I want to offer individually – that’s never all of them as I like to keep some just for magazine readers – so there’s lots to do.
But once all the computer stuff is finished, I can look forward to all the excitement of starting a whole new group of designs for the following month’s issue. This month I’m starting with one of my favourite techniques – some lovely hand embroidery – based on a line drawing by my friend Jacqui (Flapdoodledesigns). Here I am, snuggled in my comfy chair,about to begin …
It’s always such an exciting moment – though of course as I’m sure you know – a lot of work has to happen before you ever reach this point! Cleaning and resizing the image, transferring it to fabric, selecting flosses and deciding in what order to work the design and what stitches to use – as well as hooping up, removing the Newfies from where I want to put my feet and making sure there’s a nice hot cup of tea to hand. But at last I could begin – and over the last few days have made very good progress ….
These two pictures illustrate perfectly why you shouldn’t trust your computer I think!! I promise that it’s the same piece of work but something very strange has happened to the colours – one was taken in artificial light – though I did have my daylight lamp on, and the second by daylight earlier on this morning while the sun was out. The real colour of my background fabric is actually somewhere between the two – probably rather closer to the second photo. I think that I need to add a little outline around the fox’s white tail tip as it’s getting a bit lost amongst the toadstool’s spots, but I’m pleased with the fur shading so far. I haven’t quite decided what colours the stripes on his scarf will be yet – blue and green perhaps? I also like that he feels quite festive – but is not full-on Christmas – so I’ll be able to display him through the festive season and beyond.
As well as Mr Fox, Jacqui gave me a second line drawing – this time a little hedgehog also wishing on a star – here’s her watercolour version ….
Isn’t he adorable? And she was quite happy for me to share her hedgehog drawing with you if you’d like to stitch your own hedgehog wishing on a star. Just CLICK HERE to download the free transfer – there aren’t any stitching instructions included – just the transfer.
When Mr Fox is finished however, he’ll be in the December Bustle & Sew Magazine with full instructions and lots of photographs to help you stitch and shade his fur. I’ll be sure to post more pictures when he’s done!
by Helen on August 13, 2013
There’s lots happening in the world of Bustle & Sew this week! I’ve started to analyse the results of the magazine readers’ survey and, as I think I mentioned in my last post, I am collecting all the templates together at the end of the magazine. Then, if you’re not planning to make the pattern straight away, you don’t need to print the templates until you’re ready to begin. I’ve chosen one of Jacqui’s lovely images to mark the templates section ……
Isn’t the baby giraffe adorable?! I’ve also been working hard on the next pattern for the magazine – as well as piecing together Rosie’s patchwork squares to make a simple quilt for the cooler months. Here’s my finished Russian Dolls cushion on my workroom sofa next to last month’s Summer Gypsy cushion – and you can see Rosie’s patchwork too ….
And a bit closer ….
This was huge fun to stitch and is part of the woodland and folk art theme for the September issue of the magazine. I don’t know about you, but when I’m totally engrossed in a project, I find it really hard to put it down, though Ben and Daisy are very keen to ensure their walks don’t suffer. Cooking does slip down my list at such times though, which is why I love this supper so much. It’s really healthy and totally delicious with not even a recipe to remember…..
All you need are green beans, broccoli and asparagus spears – all blanched and refreshed. Some chilli flakes, olive oil, black Greek olives, two lemons (or a lemon and a lime), cherry tomatoes and salmon fillets.
Pre-heat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. Pack your blanched veggies and fish fillets into a roasting dish, sprinkle with chilli flakes, squeeze the juice of your lemons (lemon/lime) over the top, then add the husks to the dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Scatter in the olives and place the tomatoes on top. Oven roast for 30 minutes. The tomatoes and lemons make a wonderful sauce to spoon over the fish. Easy, delicious and super-good for you too – what could be nicer!? (Except for a Russian Doll cushion of course!)
Pattern in the September Bustle & Sew Magazine published 29 August.
This week has been a sitting-down-and-stitching sort of week as I have been temporarily incapacitated. That is to say my left knee has been temporarily incapacitated, due to Daisy’s inexpert charging around. Coming at me from behind, and travelling at full speed, instead of swerving to the left to avoid me, she instead swerved to the right – straight into the back of my left knee. 5 1/2 stone (about 77 lbs) of dog going at full speed into your knee hurts – and she has partially torn a tendon. (Mine, not hers!) Ouch! But, as my mum used to say, “every cloud has a silver lining” and for me the silver lining has been the opportunity to sit around resting my knee and indulge in some totally guilt-free stitching.
Putting my blackwork butterfly to one side again for a while, I have been working on a vintage-inspired embroidered mirror frame for the June issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine. In the course of the last week it has gone from this ….
To finished! I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to assemble the mirror, but in fact, with some PVA glue and a nice sharp pair of scissors it proved to be remarkably easy ….
I’m really pleased with how it turned out. The stitching is easy too as it’s just satin stitch, with a little back stitch for the stems that twine between the candy-coloured roses. And, mentioning roses – you may remember from a recent post that Rosie has already reserved this little looking glass (I love this old-fashioned term for mirror) – though it has turned out to be so pretty I am very tempted to keep it for myself!
And finally … you may have noticed a new tab at the top of this page “Instagram” – we now have a Bustle & Sew Instagram feed on the site. New photos of dogs, Devon and sewing are added nearly every day, so if you are a “pictures” sort of person and would like to keep even more up-to-date with happenings here at Bustle & Sew, then please do bookmark our Instagram page – or follow us on Instagram – our handle is bustleandsew.
by Helen on April 26, 2013
Yes, really – a little nellifant called Nelly – on a hill against a summer sky – deep dark indigo with silver stars sparkling like diamonds above her head ….
Nelly is all finished! Unlike my blackwork butterfly which is still – and will be for some time yet – a work in progress. I’ll report back on him very soon, but thought you might like to know that his turkey stitch body has worked perfectly – creating a wonderfully tactile contrast to his lacy wings. I’ve shown him to some of my friends and the first thing they’ve done is to stroke his fluffy body with the tip of a finger. I promise I’ll take another photo very soon.
Meanwhile, I’ve been working on another project for next month’s magazine – my Great British Picnic blanket – in anticipation of warmer days to come. I’ve just finished the centre Union Jack panel ….
and I’m planning to surround it with a blue gingham border. It will also have its own integral bag featuring a Great British Picnic applique – if everything goes according to plan that is! Both these projects will be included in the June issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine, and hopefully the picnic blanket will be accompanying us on lots of lovely outings this summer!
