At last, after a long grey and wet winter when, the Engineer told me, it rained for a consecutive 47 days – longer than the wet period experienced by Noah(!) spring seems finally to have arrived to stay. The horse chestnut trees are festooned with creamy pink and white candles, the young birds are starting to fly their nests (I spotted the young robin in the centre picture on the Kitchen Garden fence last week) and the first ox-eye daisies are beginning to bloom. The Hen Pen is on the right of the final photo, but no sign of the chickens who were probably taking their afternoon nap!
All of this means that summer isn’t too far away now, and of course summer is the season for fetes, fairs, bazaars and other fundraising events.
Pin Cushion Mice
A little while ago I received an email asking about good patterns to use for fundraising, and I must admit, the pattern that immediately sprang to mind was one of my older ones – the pincushion mice. Based on a design from my own childhood, these mice are so very easy to make, very cute, and can be adapted in all sorts of ways – above are just a few ideas that I’ve used, but I’m sure that you could come up with many more!!
I haven’t made any of these mice for a long time now, but a few years ago I used to make quite a few, and reckoned on no more than a couple of hours (tops) for each mouse. They use very little in the way of materials and always seem to be popular at fetes, fairs and other such functions.
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE PIN CUSHION MICE PATTERN
Bustle & Sew Magazine
And I have another freebie for you. I’m sometimes asked what kind of magazine the Bustle & Sew Magazine actually is as it doesn’t fall neatly into any particular category. I generally describe it as an English country magazine, with sewing very much at its heart. So, as well as sewing and embroidery patterns, there are articles and features that are not only stitching-related, covering a wide range of other topics – gardening, recipes, countryside, nature notes, fabrics and fibres, famous designers, little histories and much more besides. It’s possibly a little eccentric, but these are all topics that I find fascinating and hope my readers will too. And there’s no advertising whatsoever – so many magazines seem to be absolutely stuffed with adverts and can be rather light on the content.
The magazine will come to an end in September 2027 when I at least semi-retire, so if you were thinking of giving it a go, then now might be a good time! And if you’re undecided, then I thought it would be nice to offer you a free copy to download and read if you wish. I went through the archives and pulled out this issue from two years ago – May 2024 and I hope you’ll enjoy it.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE MAGAZINE
Printed Panels
The two “Woodland Tales” panels – spoof Victorian novel book covers – are now finished, and feature Miss Arabella Leveret and Mr Ignatius Redtail (below). I think they make a lovely pair and I have really enjoyed stitching them. The pattern for Arabella can be found in the current (April) edition of the Bustle & Sew Magazine, whilst Ignatius will feature in the May Magazine. Mine are stitched onto inkjet-printable fabric, but as promised I have been looking into offering them as pre-printed fabric panels for those who are unable or who prefer not to print their own fabric.
I know there are some lovely embroidery kits on offer, beautifully packed with lots of extra bits and pieces inside, but for these panels I have decided to do things a little differently. I am passionate about making stitching available to everyone, no matter their budget, and of course luxury kits do command (quite understandably of course) high prices. Given the current state of world affairs, and ever-increasing costs, I think many of us are tightening our belts and so I am taking a very minimalist approach to keep the price of these panels as low as possible.
Purchasers of the Woodland Tales panels will receive a good quality (and I really do mean good quality, I never send anything I wouldn’t be happy to stitch on myself) panel with pre-printed design. The panel will also have a QR code and web address printed in one corner to enable you to download the digital stitching guide which includes details of stitches used as well as DMC floss requirements.
The finished panels above are mounted on 6″ x 8″ boards which are readily available from art and craft suppliers and on eBay.
If you’d like to order both Woodland Tales Panels for just £13 (UK) and £20 per panel (overseas – the postage costs account for the increased price) then please just click on the buttons below depending upon your location. Your panels will be sent to you within the next 7 days.
PURCHASE WOODLAND PANELS – UK CUSTOMER
PURCHASE WOODLAND PANELS – OVERSEAS CUSTOMER
May Magazine
All subscribers should have received their May magazine – if you’re a subscriber and haven’t received your issue then please do let me know so I can sort it out for you.
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