Goodness me, I have been busy these last few weeks getting ready for the Etsy Made Local Fair in Bristol in just three (no surely that isn’t right, how can it be only three?!) weeks away. I was trying to work out how long it has been since Bustle & Sew went to a fair, and I think it must be six years at least! There’s so much to think about and remember. Rosie is working out how to use our new card reader (technology has moved on enormously in those years) and I am busy ordering lots of leaflets, paper bags and fairy lights – in no particular order! We’re planning to offer quite a lot of pattern samples and kits, as well as some items specially made for the day – including Wilderness Bears …..
We have a crate full of the little fellows – all slightly different – and all hoping to find kind new owners to take them off on their very first adventures! If you’d like to make your own Wilderness Bear then you can find both kits and patterns in the Bustle & Sew store now. We’ll also have lots of Rosie’s Houseplants Kits at the Fair …..
And these kits are also currently in stock (we have been busy). They do tend to go out of stock very quickly though, and we are holding some back for the fair, so if you’d like one then please don’t delay and risk disappointment. You can find Rosie’s Houseplants kits here and the pattern here .
I’ve also been busy with patterns for the December Magazine of course – this is definitely one of my favourite issues – I love Christmas! I also love dressing my living room for the season and one of the easiest ways is to scatter a few Christmas cushions around. Thinking about this I was horrified to realise that I hadn’t made a single new Christmas cushion this year – no, not even one! So I make no apology for including patterns for two Christmas cushions in the December Magazine …..
They are both applique, but very different. The little Christmas dog is very easy hand applique – he would be the perfect beginner’s project as the shapes are very simple indeed. He’s decorated with large multicoloured handmade pompoms. The winter village on the other hand is a more complex design with lots of layers to consider. The windows and snowflakes (not sure if they’re very clear on this picture) are hand embroidered, as is the text, and it’s finished with lots of small white ready made pompoms (left over from Easter bunny tails haha). I hope you like them and they will be in the December Magazine – just click here to find out more about the Bustle & Sew Magazine.
And finally ….
Apologies for the poor image – the sun went in after I photographed the bears and it started to rain (though it feels almost cold enough for snow), but I thought you might find my idea useful – I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before. Above you can see the beginning of the third project for the December Magazine – a little hand embroidered and appliqued cactus hoop. There is a rectangle of green felt in the corner of the image that I’ve bonded to the fabric (where it will be cut away once the project is complete). This is the felt I have used to applique the cactus shape. Because I have added Sulky Sticky Fabri Solvy on top of the applique shapes to mark my embroidery design I can’t see the felt colours properly any more which makes it difficult to select the right floss colours – hence the little rectangle – it’s there so I can try different colours against the green when choosing which ones to use.
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