by Helen on February 17, 2013
Yes, my new pattern for free newsletter readers is my Spring Bunny Wreath – created with an old embroidery hoop, lots of felt scraps and a hot glue gun! If you’d like it and you’re not already a free newsletter reader, then you can join using the box in the right hand sidebar – and you’ll receive access to lots more free patterns and tutorials as well as other Bustle & Sew goodies. Oh, and please rest assured that I NEVER share your details with anyone else.
Rosie visited this weekend so we took the dogs to the beach (of course!) Daisy is quite determined to keep up with her Big Brother, bustling along with her little short legs and round puppy body as he charges ahead trying to pretend that she’s nothing to do with him! But even a little canine whirlwind has to rest sometimes and Rosie (who has endless patience with her camera) snapped this wonderful shot of a sleepy puppy….
Every picture tells a story!
by Helen on February 16, 2013
Spring is definitely in the air here at Coombe Leigh – although that doesn’t mean it’s here to stay of course! But we’ve had three days with very little rain, and the promise of at least three more rain-free days to come, which is cause for celebration here in our village. We have escaped the worst damage, though sadly a row of cottages were flooded out, hedgerows have subsided into the lanes and mud is everywhere. Everyone is feeling much more cheerful now that we’ve had a few days of sunshine that holds some real warmth and a promise of warmer (and hopefully drier!) days to come.
Although Easter is still a while off, I’ve been thinking about springtime and Easter patterns for the March issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine – less than two weeks till publication date (eek!). I’ve had lots of ideas, including Alice the Elegant Cat and Daisies in a Teacup…
And this month our guest designer is the enormously talented Jenny of Elefantz, who is contributing an adorable little trio of birdie patterns ….
So, with lots of creativity going on (must be that spring sunshine) I thought it was time to offer another free pattern to my newsletter readers. It’s not quite ready yet – can you guess what it is?
Lots of felt flowers in pretty spring colours ….
paws and whiskers …..
… this might be a bit of a giveaway! All will be revealed very soon!
by Helen on February 12, 2013
Today is Shrove Tuesday, the day to use up all those luxury items before the abstinence of Lent … which of course in England means it’s Pancake Day! When Rosie was young we used to love mixing and whisking, frying and flipping together. Our family dog, Susie, was always close by to hoover up any pancakes that didn’t quite make it back to the pan after being tossed perhaps a little too high! These days Pancake Day is a much more low-key affair in our house, but is still for me one of the earliest signs that spring is not too far away now. Another early sign of the season’s changing is the appearance of the first few daisies on my lawn, along with primroses and daffodils in the borders. Whilst I still have primroses in my borders….
I am not too sure that there will be daisies in my lawn this spring. In fact I am not at all sure that I will have a lawn this year since, after Ben and Daisy’s happy canine wrestling and chasing games, I seem to have very little grass and quite a lot of mud! Luckily daisies are guaranteed indoors with my latest pattern for the March issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine…..
…… a cheerful sort of hand embroidery pattern – with some applique details – another great project for your scraps! The text is from Shakespeare (but with rather fewer cuckoos than in the original – sorry Will!)
I think we’ll we’ll have to wait a while for the cuckoo to arrive - though Ben did chase one of our next-door neighbour’s hens up our bay tree this morning. I don’t know how she escaped into our garden, but luckily she wasn’t harmed, though her feathers were definitely more than a little ruffled. Silly hen!
