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Making Money from Making: Marketing

Spring in the Herb Garden
Vintage Fiction: An Afternoon Visitor
May Almanac
English Paper Piecing
Finishing your Abandoned Project
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A Bustle & Sew Publication
Copyright Bustle & Sew Limited 2014
The right of Helen Dickson to be identified as the
author of this work has been asserted in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form, or by any means, without
the prior written permission of the author, nor be
otherwise circulated in any form of binding or
cover other than that in which it is published and
without a similar condition being imposed on the
subsequent purchaser.
Every effort has been made to ensure that all the
information in this book is accurate. However,
due to differing conditions, tools and individual
skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any
injuries, losses and other damages that may result
from the use of the information in this book.
First published 2014 by:
Bustle & Sew
Coombe Leigh
Chillington
Kingsbridge
Devon TQ7 2LE
UK
www.bustleandsew.com
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May must be one of the loveliest months of the year as we finally say a confident Farewell to
the colder weather and look forward to the summer ahead. Its time to get out and about again
and perhaps itll even be warm enough for stitching in the garden with lots of hand sewing in my
Sunshine Sweetheart and Always be Sunshine patterns.
This months softie is the wonderful Fox in a Frock, and to complete the spring feeling youll
discover A Hoopful of Butterflies as well as Washing Day - just in time to hold your pegs
when youre hanging out the washing. I love washing thats been line dried, it has that wonderful
fresh fragrance that you simply cant replicate during the darker, wetter winter months.
Happy sunshine stitching everyone!
Helen xx
Contents
May Almanac Page 4
Hoopful of Butterflies Page 5
Back Stitch Page 8
Finishing your Abandoned Project Page 9
May Dancers Paper Dolls Page 12
Always be Sunshine Stitchery Page 13
Spring in the Herb garden Page 16
Fox in a Frock Softie Page 19
An Afternoon Visitor Page 23
Rosie & Bear Washday Peg Bag Page 29
Making Money from Making Page 33
Garden Party Tea Towels Page 37
English Paper Piecing Page 40
Sunshine Sweetheart Pouch Page 43
Templates Page 49
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May, the fifth month, probably takes its name
from Maia, a Roman goddess of growth and
fertility - entirely appropriate for this
wonderful time of year. The Irish-Gaelic
name for the month is Bealtaine, which also
denote the festival of Beltane that takes place
on 1 May.
Folklore tells us that May dew has particularly
beneficial properties for the complexion. The
most potent May dew was that collected on
the morning of 1 May and women who
washed their faces in this dew would be
restored to beauty.
One of the oldest surviving customs in
England, the Helston Furry Dance takes place
in the Cornish town of that name on 8 May
each year. The programme for the day
features a number of dances through the
narrow streets of the town, men in top hats and
morning coats with a lily-of-the-valley
buttonhole and the women in long dresses in
bright summer colours and large fancy hats.
A little later in the month the sleepy Dorset
village of Abbotsbury celebrates Garland Day.
This custom was originally associated with
the fishing fleet - garlands of flowers made by
the fishermens children were blessed at the
village church, then hung on the fishing boats
and taken out to sea. Today the garlands are
placed on the War Memorial to remember
those lost in conflict over the years.
May brings with her the beauty and
fragrance of hawthorne blossoms and the
song of the nightingale. Old poets delighted
in describing her as a beautiful maiden,
clothed in sunshine and scattering flowers
on the earth, while she danced to the music
of birds and brooks. She has given a rich
greenness to the young corn, and the grass
is now tall enough for the flowers to play
at hide-and-seek among, as they are chased
by the wind. The grass also gives a softness
to the dazzling white of the daisies and the
glittering gold of the buttercups.
Chambers Book of Days 1864
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A Hoopful of Butterflies
Spring is here - all year round with this hoopful of butterflies all labelled with
their (spoof!) Latin names. Or why not make one as a brooch, add to a
fascinator, or simply to perch on a lampshade, cushion or elsewhere in your
home for a little touch of colour and whimsy?
Butterflies are shown mounted in a 10 hoop.
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These little butterflies are stitched by machine using
freehand machine embroidery techniques, then given
round felt bodies and secured to fabric with a few
stab stitches. The labels top and bottom were printed
onto fabric using my bubblejet printer and transfer
paper - readily available from craft shops - though
you could use stamps, stitch the labels or omit them
altogether if preferred.
The Latin names are totally made up and sort of mean
(from top left to bottom right) Garden Butterfly,
Flower of the Sky, Wedding Day Butterfly, and
Flowers of Heaven - though it is a very long time
since my schoolday Latin lessons and Ive probably
got them all a bit wonky! Theyre just for fun
anyway.
Each butterfly measures around 3 wide and 2
tall.
You will need:
12 square medium weight background fabric
8 square pastel coloured felt
Four 4 square scraps of floral fabric
10 embroidery hoop
2 square dark brown or dark grey felt for bodies
(black is too harsh)
Black and pink stranded cotton embroidery floss
Strong thread in dark brown, black or another
very dark colour (for antennae)
Bondaweb
Temporary fabric marker pen
Printer transfer paper (optional)
Embroidery foot for your machine.
Dark green or dark grey sewing thread for your
machine needle (again black is too harsh) and a
lighter colour for the bobbin
Two buttons for bottom label (optional)
Make your butterflies:
Cut four x 4 squares of Bondaweb and iron these
onto the back of the floral fabric squares. Peel
off the paper backing. Cut four x 4 squares of
felt, position them on top of the Bondaweb and
press to fuse.
Using the template (actual size) and your
temporary fabric marker pen mark the outline of
the butterfly shapes onto the centre of each 4
square of floral fabric. Using the template as a
guide draw in the veins on the wings with your
temporary fabric marker pen.
Fit the embroidery foot to your machine and drop
the feed dogs. With dark thread in your needle
and lighter in your bobbin stitch over your marker
pen lines around the butterfly outline and veins
on the wings. Go over the outline twice and the
veins once or twice randomly. It doesnt matter
if the two sides arent identical - Ive never caught
a butterfly and checked, but Im sure that like
most creatures theyre not totally symmetrical!
Cut out your butterfly shapes following the
outline closely, but just outside your stitching.
Remove marker pen lines.
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Cut four 1 square pieces of dark felt. Thread
your needle with strong thread. Roll up a piece
of felt and secure with a few stitches along the
seam. Take your thread up to one end of the body
and gather the top edge together into a rounded
shape for the head. Then wrap it around the body
tightly from that end - this will form the head.
Move down and do the same another down -
this will make the thorax. Then again run your
thread down the back of the body and gather
around the bottom short edge to make a nice
rounded end to the abdomen. Finish off. Then
push your needle in at one side of the top of the
head leaving a thread sticking out , take a tiny
back stitch and come out at the other side. Trim
the end to . These are the antennae.
Position the body on the centre of your wings
and fold them around, pinching fairly tightly.
Secure with a few stitches in strong thread.
Your butterfly is now finished. Repeat for the
other three.
Assemble your hoop:
Transfer the butterflies names to your
background fabric and stitch in one strand of
black or dark coloured thread and back stitch.
Take care to be very accurate with your back
stitch - follow the transferred lines closely and
make sure your needle enters and leaves the
fabric through the same hole each time. This will
ensure that the letters look smooth and well-
formed.
If making the labels, applique the top label using
two strands of pink stranded floss and small
stitches worked at right angles to the edge of the
label. The bottom label is secured with a tiny
button at either end.
Attach your butterflies to the background fabric
with stab stitches and strong thread going right
through their bodies.
Mount in hoop and hang.
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Back stitch is an outline stitch and is the best stitch to choose for making
long straight lines, but can also be used for curves, though its not as
smooth as stem stitch when curving.
Back stitch is worked from right to left. Bring your needle out a short
distance from the beginning of the line you want to stitch (see the arrow
in the diagram above). Then insert it back through the fabric at the
beginning of your line - effectively taking a step back - and bring it
forward again an equal distance forward from where you first started.
You are actually taking along stitch forward beneath your fabric, then
a short backward stitch on the right side - joining with the previous stitch.
Threaded back stitch is a very pretty variation - you could use three
different floss colours to achieve the effect above. First work a line of
ordinary back stitch, then thread it up and down alternately as shown by
needle A. Needle B shows the second threading process, worked in
exactly the same way as before, except that this time youre filling in
the gaps you left before.
This is a very useful stitch to outline floral or leaf shapes, or to use as a
border.
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At Bustle & Sew were not afraid to
tackle sensitive subjects - such as
the projects that you dont want to
think about - the ones you started
with such enthusiasm only to give
up on later and stuff away at the
back of a cupboard or even under
the bed!
So what went wrong? And can you
ever you learn to love your project
again? (or at least complete it!!)
Heres a quick look at some of the
techniques you might use to get
those projects finished.
Finishing your
abandoned projects
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s a lot of my stitching these days is
destined for this magazine, I find that
I'm having to be a lot more disciplined
with my time - and have far fewer unfinished
projects stuffed away in odd places niggling at
my conscience and demanding that I finish them
- one day perhaps! But, having had a major
reorganisation of my workroom this month, I
discovered one or two long forgotten pieces
which made me start to wonder about exactly
why I'd given up and put them to one side in the
first place - so that perhaps I could identify what
the problem had been and if there was any way
to overcome it. Of course as all projects are
different then the reasons why we give up on
some of them are also going to vary too. Here's
a look at some of the most common and some
thoughts on how to get that project finally
complete.
Boredom
Perhaps your project became boring? This often
happens for example if you have large areas of
work to stitch all the same - whether that's a
cross-stitch background or hand stitching bias
binding. Working the same stitch or technique
over and over again for long periods of time
becomes very dull and uninspiring when your
inner stitchy self is craving variety and change.
Why not think about completing your boring
unfinished project in slow gentle stages by
working on it for say just 20 minutes at a time
before moving on to more exciting projects. If
your boring project doesn't demand too much
attention to detail then why not work a few
stitches at a time while you're watching TV?
You're mostly concentrating on your favourite
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show, but your hands can be occupied and
productive without you missing too much of
what's happening on-screen. Whatever you
decide, be strict with yourself and make sure
you stick to your plan. Remind yourself of
what appealed to you about the design in the
first place and how good you'll feel when it's
done.
Size
You may well have given up on a larger project
because you're feeling totally overwhelmed by
the amount of work you'll have to put in to
finish it. Generally though, the little and often
approach will pay dividends and you'll soon
realise that you are actually making progress.
Try taking pictures on your mobile as you
work, then when you look back you'll realise
how much you've actually achieved!
Mistakes
Sometimes if you've made a mistake, spotted
it later and know you've got to unpick loads you
can become totally disheartened. After all it's
hard to make a great start on something only to
be completely knocked back by the realisation
that something has gone badly wrong and all
your hard work has been totally wasted!
Approach this unfinished item in the same way
as your boring project. Grit your teeth and
unpick, then re-do, a little at a time,
concentrating hard to be sure you don't make
the same mistake again. Pick it up frequently
and work small amounts at a time, and perhaps
once you've got past that problem area you may
find that you've fallen in love with it all over
again and it'll soon be finished!
Difficulty
If you've given up because you felt the project
was too difficult, then perhaps it's time to
reconsider? Your skills may have improved a
lot since you first stuffed it away in a corner
and now it may be well within your capabilities.
Or if that isn't the case - then look upon it as a
chance to develop as a stitcher. Try working
small sections of the project and allow success
to build your confidence - or leave that
particular piece of work for the time being and
try smaller projects of a similar nature until
you've reached the level where you can
approach your unfinished project with
confidence.
Procrastination
If your current work feels a bit stale and boring
- and there's no particular reason why you
should finish it - then you probably won't! Take
a look at your unfinished projects and see if
they'd be suitable for special gifts or occasions.
Does someone who would love and appreciate
that project have a special occasion coming up?
In that case there's an instant deadline for you
- with the bonus of a delighted friend or family
member when they receive their very special
gift.
A good way to avoid the dreaded trap of
procrastination is never to start a new piece of
work until you've finished your current project.
This works for me - and I find myself
considering possible projects very carefully
knowing that I'm going to be living with
whichever one I choose until it's done.
Finally - always keep in mind that wonderful
feeling of accomplishment you knowyou'll
experience when you've finished your project
- not only in the finished item, but also knowing
that you've identified and overcome the
problem that caused your work to stall in the
first place. Having done this then hopefully
youll be better able to avoid the same issue in
future projects - a real result!
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Always be Sunshine Stitchery
After the horrible wet winter weve endured here in England this year, I
thought this little stitchery would be a good reminder that the sun always
shines again - just as true if youre suffering through bad times - remember
that the good times will return.
Shown mounted in a 7 hoop.
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This is an easy, but effective little stitchery that I
hope youll enjoy. Its mounted in a 7 hoop which
Ive wrapped in narrow strips of red gingham, cut
on the bias and secured with dabs of glue.
You will need:
10 square background fabric
DMC stranded cotton floss in colours 310, 726,
740, 754, 817, 907, 3325, 3746, 3781, 3802,
3848, 3849, blanc
Notes on stitching:
Use two strands of floss throughout except for the
sparkle in the dogs eye.
The word rain is stitched in three different
colours. The stripes line up between letters -
and to achieve this effect easily and evenly I
actually worked with three needles, moving those
not in use out of the way and working each stripe
one at a time. The stripes are all two stitches wide.
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Spring in the Herb Garden
May sees plenty of new growth on
the perennial herb plants such as
thyme and sage, whilst bushes of
rosemary should have been
flowering for some time. The first
shoots of mint and fresh tangy
chive leaves seem to appear almost
overnight just when it seems as
though spring will never arrive,
and it becomes a real treat to enjoy
leafy salads and vegetable dishes
sprinkled with the bright green
aromatic flecks of parsley, chive or
marjoram. We may have to wait a
while longer for annual herbs from
our own gardens though today herbs
are of course available both fresh
and dried from supermarkets all
year round, so it hardly seems worth
while to dry your own herbs any
more. There are lots more
interesting ways to preserve them
though .
Try making some herb pastes which
will keep in your fridge or a cool
place if theyre well protected
under a film of oil. Mixing
mustards with fresh herbs is
another good idea, or try making
herb-based sauces such as pesto
which use other ingredients
alongside your fresh herbs.
Its also fun, and really easy, to
infuse oils and vinegars with fresh
herbs and this is a great way to
prolong their scent and flavour
throughout the year. Even rather
plain and tasteless oils can be
greatly improved by infusion with
a handful of basil, thyme or
rosemary. If youre planning to use
your herb oil for salad dressings,
try to use olive oil to give the best
flavour, but it neednt be the most
expensive.
Vinegars can also be successfully
infused, but youre not likely to use
as many of these - at least I dont.
But if you would like to try herb
vinegar then use light wine or cider
vinegar for the base. Probably one
of the most successful herbs to use
in this way is tarragon, but
rosemary works well too.
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The method for both oils and
vinegars is very simple. Place a
handful of fresh herbs into a very
clean bottle or jar with a screw lid.
Top up the container with oil or
vinegar and screw the lid on
tightly. Leave on a windowsill or
in a warmish place for several days
or up to a week even, giving the
bottle or jar a good shake every day
or so. Strain off the flavoured oil
or vinegar into sterilised bottles
to store.
Herb pastes are easy to make in a
food processor, liquidiser or even
by hand in a pestle and mortar.
Simply pound or whizz plenty of
chopped fresh herbs, adding oil to
make a thick paste. Put into small
jars and cover the surface of your
paste completely with a layer of
plain oil. Cover and store in a
fridge or cold larder, then add
spoonfuls to dressings, sauces and
soups. You can also season the
pastes with salt, pepper or a little
lemon juice if you like.
Its also fun and very satisfying
to try a little tea blending of your
own. Start with a basic tea blend
to which you can add flowers or
other flavourings. Two classic
flower perfumed teas are jasmine
and rose, both of which are really
easy to make yourself.
For a rose-scented tea youll need
dried red or deep pink rose petals
that come from a highly-scented
rose that holds its fragrance after
drying. The small flowers of summer
jasmine will lose their fresh
whiteness when dried, but will
retain their rich, exotic fragrance.
Youll need to experiment witht he
quantities of flower to tea
according to your taste, but roughly
a tablespoon of dried petals or
flower heads to 4 oz (110 g) of tea
leaves is about right.
You could also try other
flavourings such as slivers of
dried lemon, orange or lime peel
made by carefully peeling off the
outer rind without any pith and
drying the strips in a warm place
for a few days. When dry, chop or
cut the strips into small pieces
that can be more easily mixed into
your tea. Delicious and oh, so
refreshing on a hot summers day!
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Fox in a Frock
Heres a most elegant little fox softie, beautifully dressed in her lovely summer
dress with smart lace up boots and a little cream collar, complete with tiny button.
Miss Fox isnt a beginners make, but isnt complicated, just a bit fiddly in
places, requiring a little patience.
She measures approx 15 tall from the tips of her ears to the toes of her boots.
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You will need:
16 square reddish brown felt
6 square cream felt
4 x 6 dark grey or black felt
Fat eighth floral cotton fabric
24 twine for laces
dark brown button for nose
Two dark brown buttons for arms
Two 1 dark brown buttons for legs
Two cream or mother of pearl buttons for
collar
Two small black spherical beads for eyes
Strong thread in dark brown or black for
whiskers
Stranded cotton floss in reddish brown, pink,
cream, black, green and two additional colours
for flowers on collar
Long needle and crewel needle
Toy stuffing
Templates are actual size to make your fox 15 tall.
You can make her any size but beware of going too
small as her arms and legs will be difficult to stuff.
If you make her larger consider wiring her tail and/or
arms and legs for support as they are slender in
comparison to her size.
Use two strands of floss throughout.
Pieces are joined with wrong sides together using
cross stitch. Work half cross stitch in one direction,
then return the other way to complete the stitch
giving a nice strong - and decorative - seam.
Stuff pieces as you go using small pieces of stuffing
to avoid lumpiness. You may find a stuffing stick
useful. To make one break the pointed tip off a
bamboo skewer and fray the end. This will help it
grab the stuffing and youll be able to use it to push
the stuffing into small pieces.
Making your Fox:
Cut out all body pieces using the full size
templates.
For the legs cut a 10 x 6 strip of reddish brown
felt and machine stitch it to the black felt. Press
seam open. Place leg template on the strip so
that the dotted line across the middle lines up
with the seam and cut four leg pieces (the top
end of the leg should be the reddish brown felt
- the black will be her boots).
Attach cream markings to head, body and ear
pieces along the dotted lines only. Use small
straight stitches worked at right angles to the
edge of the shape. Trim away the reddish brown
felt below (use red dotted lines as a guide) so
that it wont show when you join the seams.
Join head pieces along neck and chin from A to
D and insert head gusset. Stuff muzzle as you
go, then stuff the rest of the head.
Join the tail along the curved edge and stuff
lightly. Fold the tip in half and stitch along
curved seam. Insert a little stuffing into the end,
then push the tip onto the tail end and secure with
small straight stitches worked at right angles to
the edge of the tip.
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Join two body pieces around edge, inserting tail
where shown and stuffing as you go. Join head
to body at neck, making sure you stuff very firmly
so the head isnt wobbly.
Join arm and leg pieces. Start at the bottom edge
and work all the way around, stuffing as you go.
Dont stuff the tops of the limbs too firmly as you
wont be able to attach them to the body easily if
you do.
With your long needle and strong thread attach
the arms and legs to the body. Stitch through the
button on top of the limb and right through to the
other side. Youll find a long needle, such as a
sashiko or upholsterers needle really useful for
this. (If you dont want moveable limbs then
simply stitch the arms and legs to the body.) Go
backwards and forwards a couple of times and
pull fairly tightly so that there is some movement
in the limbs but theyre not too floppy.
Fold ears in half and stitch to sides of head using
the photo as a guide. Mark position of eyes with
glass headed pins and when youre happy with
them, stitch black beads in place. Work a few
small stitches in pink for cheeks.
Thread your needle with strong thread and make
whiskers - insert your needle into side of muzzle
and bring out at the nose. Make a tiny stitch to
secure thread and take your needle in again, this
time bringing it out on the other side of the
muzzle. Repeat 3 or four times, making loops of
thread at the sides of the muzzle. Fasten off at
nose, then snip loops and trim to required length.
Attach small brown button to nose.
Thread crewel needle with twine and stitch
through fronts of boots in a criss-cross pattern to
make laces, tying in a bow at the top.
Your little fox is now complete.
Dress:
Cut out two bodice pieces and a 16 x 5
rectangle of floral fabric. Zig-zag or serge
armhole and neck edges (they wont show)
Join bodice pieces at sides. Run a gathering
thread around one long edge of the rectangle and
draw up to fit bottom of bodice. Stitch to bodice
bottom and hem the other long edge.
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Run a gathering thread along front and back
necklines as shown on template.
Pull dress up over foxs body and join shoulder
seams (they will be hidden by collar). Pull up
gathering thread at neck to fit and secure ends.
Tuck the armhole edges beneath the foxs
shoulders all the way around.
Cut out collar and embroider flowers - they are
very simple - a couple of straight stitches at the
centre, with lazy Daisy petals and leaves - and a
single straight stitch for the stem.
Wrap collar around neck - it will hide the gathers
at the top of the dress and the shoulder seams.
Stitch at back and add tiny buttons front and back
for decoration.
Your fox is now finished!
I gave my fox a little embroidery - a vintage bluebird
design in a 2 hoop. If youd like to do the same
youll find the design below.
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I
t was a pleasant morning in early June. A
warm wind was rustling the trees, which
were covered thickly with half-opened
leaves, and looked like fountains of green spray
thrown high into the air. Dr. Carr's front door
stood wide open. Through the parlor window
came the sound of piano practice, and on the
steps, under the budding roses, sat a small
figure, busily sewing.
This was Clover, little Clover still, though more
than two years had passed since we saw her
last, and she was now over fourteen. Clover
was never intended to be tall. Her eyes were as
blue and sweet as ever, and her apple-blossom
cheeks as pink. But the brown pig-tails were
pinned up into a round knot, and the childish
face had gained almost a womanly look. Old
An Unexpected Visitor
Extract from What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge.
Mary declared that Miss Clover was getting
quite young-ladyfied, and "Miss Clover" was
quite aware of the fact, and mightily pleased
with it. It delighted her to turn up her hair;
and she was very particular about having her
dresses made to come below the tops of her
boots. She had also left off ruffles, and wore
narrow collars instead, and little cuffs with
sleeve-buttons to fasten them. These sleeve-
buttons Clover liked best of all her things.
Papa said that he was sure she took them to
bed with her, but of course that was only a
joke, though she certainly was never seen
without them in the daytime. She glanced
frequently at these beloved buttons as she sat
sewing, and every now and then laid down
her work to twist them into a better position,
or give them an affectionate pat with her
forefinger.
Pretty soon the side-gate swung open, and
Philly came round the corner of the house.
He had grown into a big boy. All his pretty
baby curls were cut off, and his frocks had
given place to jacket and trousers. In his hand
he held something. What, Clover could not
see.
"What's that?" she said, as he reached the
steps.
"I'm going up stairs to ask Katy if these are
ripe," replied Phil, exhibiting some currants
faintly streaked with red.
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"Why, of course they're not ripe!" said Clover,
putting one into her mouth. "Can't you tell by
the taste? They're as green as can be."
"I don't care, if Katy says they're ripe I shall
eat 'em," answered Phil, defiantly, marching
into the house.
"What did Philly want?" asked Elsie, opening
the parlor door as Phil went upstairs.
"Only to know if the currants are ripe enough
to eat."
"How particular he always is about asking
now!" said Elsie; "he's afraid of another dose
of salts."
"I should think he would be," replied Clover,
laughing. "Johnnie says she never was so
scared in her life as when Papa called them,
and they looked up, and saw him standing there
with the bottle in one hand and a spoon in the
other!"
"Yes," went on Elsie, "and you know Dorry
held his in his mouth for ever so long, and then
went round the corner of the house and spat it
out! Papa said he had a good mind to make him
take another spoonful, but he remembered that
after all Dorry had the bad taste a great deal
longer than the others, so he didn't. I think it
was an awful punishment, don't you?"
"Yes, but it was a good one, for none of them
have ever touched the green gooseberries
since. Have you got through practising? There
isn't going to be any dinner today, only just
bread and butter, and milk, and cold ham, up
in Katy's room, because Debby is helping too,
so as to get through and save Papa all the fuss.
And see," exhibiting her sewing, "Katy's
making a new cover for Papa's pincushion, and
I'm hemming the ruffle to go round it."
"How nicely you hem!" said Elsie. "I wish I
had something for Papa's room too. There's my
washstand mats-but the one for the soap-dish
isn't finished. Do you suppose, if Katy would
excuse me from the rest of my practising, I
could get it done? I've a great mind to go and
ask her."
"There's her bell!" said Clover, as a little tinkle
sounded up stairs; "I'll ask her, if you like."
"No, let me go. I'll see what she wants." But
Clover was already half-way across the hall,
and the two girls ran up side by side.
Katy met the girls with a bright smile as they
came in, and said:
"Oh, Clovy, it was you I rang for! I am troubled
for fear Bridget will meddle with the things on
Papa's table. You know he likes them to be left
just so. Will you please go and remind her that
she is not to touch them at all? After the carpet
is put down, I want you to dust the table, so as
to be sure that everything is put back in the
same place. Will you?"
"Of course I will!" said Clover, who was a born
housewife, and dearly loved to act as Katy's
prime minister.
"Shan't I fetch you the pincushion too, while
I'm there?"
"Oh yes, please do! I want to measure."
"Katy," said Elsie, "those mats of mine are
most done, and I would like to finish them and
put them on Papa's washstand before he comes
back. Mayn't I stop practising now, and bring
my crochet up here instead?"
25
"Will there be plenty of time to learn the new
exercise before Miss Phillips comes, if you
do?"
"I think so, plenty. She doesn't come till
Friday, you know."
"Well, then it seems to me that you might
just as well as not. And Elsie, dear, run into
Papa's room first, and bring me the drawer
out of his table. I want to put that in order
myself."
Elsie went cheerfully. She laid the drawer
across Katy's lap, and Katy began to dust and
arrange the contents. Pretty soon Clover
joined them.
26
"Here's the cushion," she said. "Now we'll
have a nice quiet time all by ourselves, won't
we? I like this sort of day, when nobody
comes in to interrupt us."
The little group settled down to their work
and half an hour went by without any
interruptions. Then the doorbell rang, and
Bridget, with a disturbed face, came up stairs.
"Miss Katy," she said, "it's old Mrs. Worrett,
and I reckons she's come to spend the day, for
she's brought her bag. Whatever shall I tell
her?"
Katy looked dismayed. "Oh dear!" she said,
"how unlucky. What can we do?"
"Tell her ye're busy, and can't see her,"
suggested Bridget; "there's no dinner nor
nothing, you know."
"N-o," said Katy; "I don't like to do that. We
must just make the best of it, Bridget. Run
down, Clover, dear, that's a good girl! and tell
Mrs. Worrett that the dining-room is all in
confusion, but that we're going to have lunch
here, and, after she's rested, I should be glad
to have her come up. And, oh, Clovy! give
her a fan the first thing. She'll be so hot.
Bridget, you can bring up the luncheon just
the same, only take out some canned peaches,
by way of a dessert, and make Mrs. Worrett
a cup of tea. She drinks tea always, I believe.
"I can't bear to send the poor old lady away
when she has come so far," she explained to
Elsie, after the others were gone. "Pull the
rocking-chair a little this way, Elsie. And oh!
push all those little chairs back against the
wall. Mrs. Worrett broke down in one the last
time she was here-don't you recollect?"
It took some time to cool Mrs. Worrett off, so
nearly twenty minutes passed before a heavy,
creaking step on the stairs announced that the
guest was on her way up. Elsie began to
giggle. Mrs. Worrett always made her giggle.
Katy had just time to give her a warning
glance before the door opened.
Mrs. Worrett was the most enormously fat
person ever seen. Nobody dared to guess how
much she weighed, but she looked as if it
might be a thousand pounds. Her face was
extremely red. In the coldest weather she
appeared hot, and on a mild day she seemed
absolutely ready to melt. Her bonnet-strings
were flying loose as she came in, and she
fanned herself all the way across the room,
which shook as she walked.
"Well, my dear," she said, as she plumped
herself into the rocking-chair, "and how do
you do?"
"Very well, thank you," replied Katy, thinking
that she never saw Mrs. Worrett look half so
fat before, and wondering how she was to
entertain her.
"And how's your Pa?" inquired Mrs. Worrett.
Katy answered politely, and then asked after
Mrs. Worrett's own health.
"Well, I'm so's to be round," was the reply,
which had the effect of sending Elsie off into
a fit of convulsive laughter behind Katy's
chair.
"I had business at the bank," continued the
visitor, "and I thought while I was about it I'd
step up to Miss Petingill's and see if I couldn't
get her to come and let out my black silk. It
was made quite a piece back, and I seem to
have fleshed up since then, for I can't make
the hooks and eyes meet at all. But when I got
27
there, she was out, so I'd my walk for nothing.
Do you know where she's sewing now?"
"No," said Katy, feeling her chair shake, and
keeping her own countenance with difficulty,
"she was here for three days last week to make
Johnnie a school-dress. But I haven't heard
anything about her since.
Elsie, don't you want to run down stairs and
ask Bridget to bring a-a-a glass of iced water
for Mrs. Worrett? She looks warm after her
walk."
Elsie, dreadfully ashamed, made a bolt from
the room, and hid herself in the hall closet to
have her laugh out. She came back after a
while, with a perfectly straight face. Luncheon
was brought up. Mrs. Worrett made a good
meal, and seemed to enjoy everything. She was
so comfortable that she never stirred till four
o'clock! Oh, how long that afternoon did seem
to the poor girls, sitting there and trying to
think of something to say to their vast visitor!
At last Mrs. Worrett got out of her chair, and
prepared to depart.
"Well," she said, tying her bonnet-strings, "I've
had a good rest, and feel all the better for it.
Ain't some of you young folks coming out to
see me one of these days? I'd like to have you,
first-rate, if you will. 'Tain't every girl would
know how to take care of a fat old woman, and
make her feel to home, as you have me, Katy.
I wish your aunt could see you all as you are
now. She'd be right pleased; I know that."
Somehow, this sentence rang pleasantly in
Katy's ears.
"Ah! don't laugh at her," she said later in the
evening, when the children, after their tea in
the clean, fresh-smelling dining-room, were
come up to sit with her, "she's a real kind old
woman, it isn't her fault that she's fat. Aunt
Izzie was fond of her, you know. It is doing
something for her when we can show a little
attention to one of her friends. I was sorry
when she came, but now it's over, I'm glad."
"It feels so nice when it stops aching," quoted
Elsie, mischievously, while Cecy whispered to
Clover.
"Isn't Katy sweet?"
"Isn't she!" replied Clover. "I wish I was half
so good. Sometimes I think I shall really be
sorry if she ever gets well. She's such a dear
old darling to us all, sitting there in her chair,
that it wouldn't seem so nice to have her
anywhere else. But then, I know it's horrid in
me. And I don't believe she'd be different, or
grow horrid, like some of the girls, even if she
were well."
"Of course she wouldn't!" replied Cecy.
28
The Merry Month of May
29
Rosie & Bear: Washing Day
That naughty Bear has finally met his match in the form of - MUM!! Mum has
insisted that he needs a wash, in spite of Rosies loud wails of protest, but
somehow I dont think hell be hanging from the washing line for very long!
Finished bag is 5 diameter and 12 deep.
30
You will need:
yard outer fabric
yard lining fabric
yard medium weight fusible interfacing
1 button for fastening handle, or if you dont
like making buttonholes use a popper or
velcro
DMC stranded cotton floss in colours 150,
162, 223, 273, 310, 321, 352, 581, 676, 905,
906, 907, 3790, 3862, 3864, 4065, 4080,
4090, L833
All seam allowances are unless otherwise
stated.
Cut your fabric:
From outer fabric, lining and interfacing cut:
1 rectangle measuring 18 x 9
2 rectangles, each measuring 14 x 2
1 circle 5 in diameter
Work your embroidery:
Transfer your pattern to the large rectangle of outer
fabric using your preferred method. The design is
given actual size, with an overlap to help you match
the two pieces. Be sure to centre the design and
position it about 1 up from the bottom edge of
the fabric to allow for the seam.
You will find detailed instructions for working
Bears fur in my free guide How to Embroider
Fur If you dont have it you can download it here:
http://www.bustleandsew.com/d0wnl0ad5/rosiean
dbear/HowtoEmbroiderFur.pdf
In this pattern Bear is directly facing you. Be sure
to surround his nose with lighter coloured stitches
which will give the impression his muzzle is further
forwards than the rest of his face.
The roses are worked in bullion stitch which you
may want to practise on some scrap fabric if youre
unfamiliar with this stitch.
Bring your needle through your fabric at the point
indicated by the arrow on the diagram above. Insert
your needle back through your fabric at the required
length of the stitch and bring it out exactly at the
arrow again.Dont pull your needle right through,
but leave it lying in the material as in the diagram
and twist your thread around it close up to the
emerging point. Six or seven twists are an average
number, but this can be varied according to the
length of stitch you want to make.
Place your left thumb upon the twists and pull your
needle and thread through your fabric and also the
twists as carefully as possible. Now pull your
needle and thread away in the opposite direction.
This movement will force your little coil of thread
to lie flat in the right place. Tighten it up by pulling
your working thread, then reinsert your needle at
A. This should also be the end of your bullion knot
if youve chosen the correct number of twists to fill
the space.
31
32
Making up your Peg Bag:
Outer: take your embroidered rectangle and
join along the two short sides, pressing the
seam open. With right sides together insert
base. Clip curved seam. Turn right side out
then turn over to the inside at the top and
press again.
Inner: Iron fusible interfacing to the wrong
side of the large rectangle and base circle of
your lining fabric and assemble lining the
same way, but turning the top to the outside.
Leave wrong side out and put lining inside
outer, wrong sides together, lining up the
vertical seam.
Make handles: Fuse the interfacing to the
wrong side of the long strip of lining fabric.
Then place the lining fabric on top of the outer
fabric, right sides together. Stitch along two
long sides. Cut piece in half. Draw a curved
end on each of the shorter ends. Stitch around
curve, trim excess fabric and clip. Turn each
piece the right way out and press.
Make buttonhole 1 from the curved end of
one of the handles or attach popper/velcro if
preferred.
Assemble bag: Insert open end of handles
between outer and inner of bag, one on the
seam and one directly opposite. Pin or tack in
place. Topstitch twice around bag top and
from top edge.
Press bag.
Overlap the two curved ends of your bag and
mark position of button. Stitch button into
place.
33
Making Money
from Making
Its wonderful when you discover that its
actually possible to earn some money by
doing something you love - like sewing!
Over the next few issues Im offering you
some hints and tips on successfully selling
the items you love to make this month
were looking at marketing and PR.
E
ffective marketing and PR are
absolutely essential - without them
you won't be able to reach your
potential customers and tell them about
your products. Unless people know you
exist and how they can purchase from you
then you'll never be able to sell anything.
Sometimes people become confused
between the terms marketing and PR -
Marketing is using advertising, leaflets,
business cards and other methods to
communicate information about yourself
and your business to target your customers,
whilst PR (public relations) is using the
media to make your customers aware of
your business. Featuring in magazines or
newspapers - or maybe even appearing on
TV or being interviewed by local radio, are
all great ways to gain exposure for yourself
and your business. Then of course there's
going online with your own website and
using social media - coming next month and
in July.
But back to marketing and PR - before you
even begin to try to spread the word about
yourself you need to have all your tools and
information ready.
Business Cards
These are a great way of making sure people
remember you and your products. Imagine
you're at a craft fair when a retailer gets
chatting to you. She loves your products
and is interested in stocking them. She can't
make a decision on the spot but would like
to get back to you in the next few days and
asks - do you have a business card? I'm sure
you'll agree that handing her a nicely
produced, clear, well-branded business card
with all your contact details is far preferable
to scribbling your contact details on the
proverbial back of an envelope!
It's easy to design your own business card,
or use an online service with easy templates
- but be sure they tie in with your overall
branding. Don't forget cards have a reverse
34
too - why not picture one of your most
popular products on the back?
Catalogue or Brochure
Woooo - sounds scary - but isn't really. If
you're operating as a "proper" business
then you'll need something to give out to
new and potential customers to remind
them or introduce them to your business
and products. If it's early days, then this
doesn't need to be expensive or
complicated - consider a simple postcard
with an image of one or more of your
products on the front and all your
information on the reverse. Take them to
a craft fair next time you go and slip one
into every customer's bag, and make sure
they're available for people to pick up
whether they purchase from you this time
or not - they may well be your customers
of the future.
If you're more established, then a product
catalogue can be very useful, showing your
entire range - great to send to retailers and
press representatives who may well pick
up on one or more of your designs. Make
sure your catalogue has a good photograph
of each product as well as brief details
(including any available variations) and a
reference number - to avoid any confusion
if and when an order is being place. I
would recommend creating a separate price
list so that if your prices change you don't
have to ditch your existing catalogues and
create a whole new one.
If you sell through craft fairs then the
organisers will be doing plenty of
advertising - after all they want their fair
to be well attended so sellers will repeat
their bookings next time. It may be that
you feel this is sufficient advertising for
your business at present - otherwise
consider other low-cost advertising
methods - local post office or newsagents'
window displays, local press, village
magazine etc. and concentrate on gaining
exposure through other methods - PR
PR is a fantastic - and free! - way of
gaining positive publicity for your
business, but youll need to do quite a bit
of groundwork first to make sure youre
targeting the right people at the right
publications for your business.
Consider approaching mainstream
magazines and newspapers - being featured
is free, and it's well-proven that editorial
content has much more impact on sales
than any paid advertising could ever hope
to achieve for you. It's hard not to feel
intimidated by the thought of contacting
national publications - after all why would
they be interested in little old you, you ask
yourself. But remember, journalists are
always looking for interesting content to
attract readers and make their publication
a success - all you need to do is convince
them that to feature you is the best choice
they could make out of all the other
businesses clamouring for their attention!
Take a good look at the magazines
available and purchase copies of those
where you feel your business might be a
good "fit." Then note down all the areas
of these magazines that you realistically
feel you could be featured in. Many
magazines like to write about people
who've actually taken the plunge to start
their own business - the "We did it" kind
of articles. Or perhaps you live in a
beautiful home that they might like to
35
Interesting, well-written editorial content makes much more of an impact than
any paid advertising ever will.
36
photograph - with your products scattered
around of course?! Then there are the
"New this Month" or "What's Hot in the
Marketplace" types of pages - you could
aim to have an image and details of one
of your products featured on this sort of
page.
Remember that magazines will receive
literally hundreds of emails or letters from
hopefuls, so it's really important that you
target the right person for your pitch. If
you don't then your carefully worded
email is likely simply to be deleted - and
odds are you'll never know what went
wrong. At the front of a magazine you'll
see there's usually a list of staff and their
job titles - see if you can identify who
does what from the magazine pages or use
your initiative - the Features Editor may
well commission articles, though not
write them him or herself.
It's also important to keep in mind that
magazines have a lead-time - that is to say
how far in advance of the date of
publication they are putting the
publication together. For monthly
publications you'll need to get information
to them roughly three months before the
date of publication, so for a product to be
included in the April issue, you'll need to
approach them early January time!
After you've identified the member of
staff you should contact - and decided
when's the best time to do so, you'll need
to put an email together. Consider the
following format as a starting point:
Title: Be brief, but try to grab their
attention and stand out from the crowd
Salutation: Use their name - it shows
you've done your research
Introductory sentence (possibly two
sentences, but no more): Summarise the
key points - your USP (unique selling
point) to grab their attention - you don't
want them to think "boring" and move on
- you need them to want to read further.
Main body: Sell yourself and your story
hear - what's unique, interesting, new
about your story. Writing in the present
tense is good - it gives a sense of
immediacy and that your story is current
- journalists are not interested in stale,
historical information. Include a quote if
you can - maybe particularly nice
customer feedback - this will help bring
your story to life. Include one or two
low-res (sized for email) photos in the
body of the text to catch their eye.
Tell them why: Again in just a couple of
sentences say why and where you feel
your story would be a good fit with their
magazine. This will act as a pointer to the
journalist and again show you've done
your research.
Finally: Tell them that you hope to hear
from them soon. Sign off and include all
your contact information If you are
featured, then be sure to contact the
journalist after the feature appears - send
a card or even a tiny gift saying something
like "thank you so much for the wonderful
article you wrote about me" is a lovely
gesture and one that's sure to be
remembered next time that person's
looking for content!
Coming in June - the next steps - your own
website
37
Garden Party Tea Towels
Applique is a great way to brighten up inexpensive plain tea towels - which make
great gifts or very popular items on your craft stall if youre planning to make to
sell this summer. In spite of the popularity of dishwashers everyone still needs
tea towels in the kitchen, theyre handy for all sort of things. Here are three easy
ideas to choose from.
38
To make the set of three:
You will need:
3 plain cotton or cotton/linen blend tea towels
1/8 yard each of six different cotton fabrics for
the borders
Assorted cotton fabric scraps for the applique
patterns
Cream and black thread for your sewing
machine
Embroidery foot
Bondaweb
Temporary fabric marker pen
Add borders to your towels:
For each towel cut two strips of border fabric 1
wider than the width of your towel, 1 measuring
1 deep and the other 5 deep
Join strips along one long edge and press seam
open.
Cut the bottom hem off your teatowel
Measure 2 up from the bottom of your tea towel
and, with right sides together, pin border strips
into place. Stitch with seam allowance, then
flip strips down on top of the tea towel so wrong
sides are together.
Fold in the extra fabric at each end of the strip to
match the edge of the tea towel, wrapping it
around the towel at the end nearest the seam.
Press in place making sure your edges are nice
and neat and aligned with the edge of your tea
towel.
Turn under along the top edge of the border
strip. Then fold up the strip to the reverse of the
towel and align the top edge with the line of
stitching where you attached the border fabric to
the top of the towel. Pin in place.
Top stitch up side, along the top of the border
strip to secure it to the reverse of the towel, and
then down the other side.
Press.
Repeat for the other towels.
39
Add applique decoration:
Teapot towel
Trace the teapot template three times onto the
paper side of your Bondaweb. Cut out roughly
and fuse to reverse of fabric. Cut out shape and
peel off paper backing.
Fold your teatowel into 3 lengthways and press
folds with hands. Use the folds as guidance to
space your teapots and position them
approximately 1 up from the decorative border.
When youre happy with their positioning, fuse
into place with a hot iron.
With your temporary marker pen draw on the
line for the teapot lid.
Fit the embroidery foot to your sewing machine
and drop the feed dogs. With black thread in
your needle and cream or white in your bobbin
go around the teapot body twice and the handle
once (or therell be too many lines in a small
space) . Stitch over the line for the lid twice too.
Dont be too neat - youre aiming for a sort of
scribbled effect.
Hearts towel
Trace 4 heart shapes as before. Fold your tea
towel into 4 lengthways and again use the folds
to position your shapes. Fuse and stitch around
edges as before.
Bunting towel:
Trace and cut 7 flag shapes as before. Notice
the template is not a perfect triangle - bending
the sides slightly gives the illusion of movement
and stops your flags looking stiff.
Position flags on tea towel using the picture
above as a guide - there are five going across,
then two coming down at an angle to meet them
with approximately between the top corners
of the flags.
Fuse into place, then stitch twice all the way
across the tops of the flags with your embroidery
foot as before, then around the flag points twice.
40
E
nglish Paper Piecing is a quilting
technique that use fabric wrapped
around paper templates to create a
quilt block or entire quilt with great
accuracy and precision. The paper acts as
a fabric stabiliser when hand sewing all the
pieces together, such as the seven hexagon
shapes found in a Grandmother's Flower
Garden quilt block.
English Paper Piecing quilts date back as
far as the 1770's, with the oldest quilt of its
kind made in the United States dating back
to about 1807 - 1813 During America's
Pioneer days, "paper" quilting became very
popular. Paper was scarce in early America
and women often saved letters, newspaper
clippings and catalogue pages to create
patterns. In many cases, paper templates
were not removed from the quilt, the paper
serving a dual purpose of both pattern and
insulator. Today these paper templates
have become important pieces of history
as they offer us tantalising glimpses into
pioneer life.
You don't need any special tools and
equipment for this easy hand piecing
technique. It's a bonus though if, like me,
you're the kind of person who has never
been able to throw away even the smallest
fabric scraps believing that "they're sure to
come in useful one day" as you'll have lots
of interesting materials to start with and will
be able to create a beautiful item from
almost nothing, always very satisfying!
You can purchase pre-cut paper pieces or
you can make them yourself. The diagram
on the next page shows how to draw
individual hexagons. This diagram was
taken from a vintage book and drawing
hexagons in this way would have been the
only method available before technology
arrived. Today there are plenty of templates
available online to download - but
remember - cutting paper will blunt your
fabric shears so be sure to use a different
pair of scissors!
When cutting out your own shapes be sure
to do so accurately to ensure a good fit when
piecing the shapes together. If you use
freezer paper for your pattern you can iron
the shiny side directly onto the wrong side
of your fabric and it will lightly adhere, so
providing stability when you're folding and
tacking. I know some people also punch a
hole in the centre of their shapes to make
removing them easier, but I personally don't
do this - it's a matter of finding what works
for you.
Creating your own papers does involve
making sure you prepare your shapes
accurately. You'll also need to spend some
41
42
time cutting out each individual piece. By
using cardstock or freezer paper for your
patterns you'll be able to use each paper
several times. If you choose to use freezer
paper as your pattern, you can iron the
shiny side directly onto the wrong side of
your fabric and it will temporarily adhere,
offering great stability when hand sewing.
Using a regular paper punch to make a hole
in the centre of the paper before you begin
to sew will make it easier to remove the
paper at a later time. Oh, and in this
technique the size of a piece refers to the
length of one of the sides of the shape and
not its width from point to point. So if
you're using 1" hexagons then the length
of each side will measure 1".
When you've cut a stack of papers, then it's
time to move onto preparing your fabric
pieces. As with any patchwork, this
technique will work best if all your scraps
are of one sort - that is to say all linens,
cottons and blends of the two, or perhaps
all silks and velvets. It's also sensible when
cutting your patches to try to have the grain
of the fabric going the same way in all of
them - either up and down or from side to
side and not diagonally. If you can do this
then your finished piece will be more stable
and will be less likely to distort.
Fabric pieces should be cut at least 1/4"
larger on all sides than the paper shape. The
extra fabric will be used to fold over the
paper creating a fabric piece the exact size
of the template. (see diagram). To wrap
your fabric around the paper make sure
your paper template is centred on the
wrong side of your fabric shape. Then
neatly fold the fabric to the back and baste
in place through fabric and paper with long
stitches - don't fasten off too securely as
you'll need to remove these stitches to take
your template out. Some people like just
to stitch through the fabric at the corners
so there's no need to remove these threads,
but I much prefer the stability of stitching
through the paper. And unpicking the
tacking is a good chance to check that all
my joining stitches are secure.
You can use either ladder stitch or whip
stitch to join your pieces together. Using
ladder stitch means your stitches will be
completely invisible on the right side, but
it's not as strong, in my opinion as whip
stitch. To join the pieces, simply place
them right sides together and stitch along
the edge, through the fabric, but not the
paper itself. Don't remove the paper until
the shape is completely surrounded by
others, if you take the paper out before this
point you'll lose all the stability it provides
and risk distorting the patch.
Finally, as hand stitching is intrinsically
weaker than machine stitching it's a good
idea to reinforce your work before using,
especially if you're going to have to cut it
at some point and you need to prevent
unravelling. The easiest way I have found
is to fuse lightweight interfacing to the
reverse, and zig-zag around the edges of
the piece once you've cut it to shape.
43
Sunshine Sweetheart Zipper Pouch
Combine vintage bluebirds with some lovely hexagonal piecing to create a really
pretty little pouch - perfect for toiletries, cosmetics, or anything you choose - at
any time of day whether youre a morning sunshine or goodnight sweetheart!
Finished pouch measures 6 x 9 x 3 approx
44
You will need:
10 square white cotton fabric for embroidery
DMC Stranded cotton floss in colours 310, 601,
704, 794, 973, 992, 3746
Two x 10 lengths ric-rac braid in pink and
purple
Two 10 squares light weight fusible
interfacing
Two 10 squares lining fabric
10 zipper
Zipper foot for sewing machine
Sufficient scraps of cotton/cotton blend fabric
for 102 x hexagons (remember that you
need an extra fabric for turning)
Note: Seam allowances are unless otherwise
stated.
Patchwork
Using the paper piecing method described on
pages 40 - 42, create 102 hexagons. Join them
into two panels of six rows as shown in the
diagram. Remove all papers.
Trim the panels to a rectangle shape as shown
in diagram and zig-zag around edges.
Embroidery:
Fold your white cotton in half and press.
Centre the designs on each half of the fabric
and work the embroidery. Use two strands of
floss throughout and back or straight stitch.
Bluebird bodies 794
Beaks and legs and flower held by sunshine
bluebird 973
Leaves and stems 704
Flowers 601
Eyes 310
Sunshine text 992
Sweetheart text 3746
When youve finished press on reverse and trim
to two 3 x 10 rectangles.
Assemble panels:
Join embroidery to top edges of your two
hexagon panels. Press seam to top and fuse the
two exterior panels to the interfacing. Trim
interfacing to size. Cut a 1 square from the
bottom corners of each rectangle (this will form
the bottom shaping of the bag. Stitch ric-rac
braid over seam.
Cut your bag interior panels from your lining
fabric to exactly the same size as your exterior
panels.
45
Insert zipper:
From the left over white cotton fabric cut two
3 x 1 rectangles. Fold the short ends under
by , then fold in half across the middles.
Place one end of zip inside the rectangle so it
is flush against the fold, then pin into place and
stitch across the zip at the folded end to secure.
Repeat with the other end of the zip.
Assemble bag:
Place your outer fabric right way up on a clean
flat surface. Place your zipper on top face
down, then your lining on top of the zip face
down. Align the edge of the zip with the top
edges of your fabric panels (ignoring your zip
end covers which may stick out a bit). Pin or
tack in place.
Pull zipper halfway open. Fit zipper foot to
machine and sew along zip as closely as
possible to the zipper teeth. When you reach
the zip tag, raise your presser foot and slide it
backwards, out of the way before you continue
sewing.
Repeat on the other side of the zip. Then open
out so your panels are on either side of the zip
as shown above. Top stitch along either side
of the zip to hold everything nicely in place
and make sure that the fabric wont catch in
the zipper teeth during use.
All thats left is to join the panels. Pull the zip
half-way open and leave it there. This is very
important as otherwise you wont be able to
turn your bag out when youve finished!
46
Align the panels so that the outer sides of the
exterior panels are touching one another, and do
the same with the lining - right sides together.
Pin the outer sides first making sure that the
ric-rac braid matches nicely. Do the same with
the lining, pushing the zip ends downwards into
the lining sides - this will make sure they sit
nice and flat when your bag is finished.
Stitch around edges as in the diagram below.
Trim away excess fabric at zipper ends to
reduce bulk.
Open out the cutaway corners and fold across to
match internal corners.
Stitch across to create bottom shaping of bag.

Turn bag right side out through zipper and gap

you left in the lining fabric. Topstitch gap
closed.
Press exterior and then push lining down inside
bag. FINISHED!
47
Come we to the summer, to the summer we will come, For the
woods are full of bluebells and the hedges full of bloom .
Extract from Summer by John Clare
48
Free to download from the Bustle & Sew website
http://bustleandsew.com/free-patterns/
49
50
A Hoopful of Butterflies
Templates given actual size and also reversed to suit your preferred
method of transfer
51
52
Always be Sunshine Stitchery
Templates given actual size and also reversed to suit your preferred
method of transfer
53
54
A
Fox in a Frock Softie
Templates given actual size
55
A
56
D
57
Ear cut 2 reddish
brown and two
slightly smaller (to
dotted line) cream
58
Rosie & Bear Peg Bag
Design given actual size and reversed. There is an overlap to help
you join the two parts.
59
60
61
62
Garden Party Tea Towels
Templates actual size and reversed for tracing onto the paper side of
your Bondaweb
63
Sunshine Sweetheart Zipper Pouch
Templates and transfers are actual size.
64
65