Summer rushes towards autumn

Summer is now at its height and our roads are packed with caravans, coaches and – on Sundays mostly – touring cyclists.  There’s a real feeling now of carpe diem – everyone is definitely seizing the day – as summer rushes towards autumn – knowing that just a few short weeks of the holiday season now remain.  The first blackberries are appearing in the hedgerows and apples are beginning to ripen fast in the warm sunshine, whilst the buddleia in my garden is a magnet for butterflies who adore its sweet fragrance and nectar, drinking their fill then basking on the blooms …. 

 Here’s a Red Admiral and Jersey Tiger – we have Peacocks and Fritillaries too, as well as the ubiquitous Cabbage White in spite of my neighbour Julie waging warfare on its caterpillars earlier in the year!  And there’s a feeling of change in my sewing too – I’m not yet ready to put away my summer fabrics and reclaim my velvets, tweeds and woollens, but I have introduced a more vibrant, stronger palette into my designs, as well as a folk art and woodland feel for September.  So, as well as the Toadstool Pin Cushions I showed you last week … 

There will be baby owls in the September issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine – all lined up and ready to keep chilly draughts from your door.  From left to right there’s Winken, Blinken, Nod, Laisy and Daisy(!) ….

 And a Russian Doll applique cushion cover that I’m currently working on ….

Thank you as well to all the magazine subscribers who have returned their readers’ survey – there’s still time to do so if you haven’t already.  I’d really like to know what everyone thinks of the magazine as I’m always trying to make it a better experience and want it to be much more than just a collection of patterns – though they are of course the major part of the magazine and will remain so.  One great suggestion has been to move all the templates to the back so that you don’t need to print them all if you’re not planning to make any particular project – and I’m planning to put that suggestion into practice in the very next issue.  

Wedding preparations are also a major activity here at Coombe Leigh (more about those another time!) so I’ll leave you with a lovely painting from Jacqui – of how Rosie and her bridesmaids might look next year…..

Jacqui’s now taking commissions for original artwork (can be personalised too if you wish), so if you’d like learn more, then just pop over to her Facebook page and leave her a message.