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A Bustle & Sew Publication

Copyright © Bustle & Sew Limited 2012

The right of Helen Dickson to be identified as theauthor of this work has been asserted inaccordance with the Copyright, Designs andPatents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ortransmitted in any form, or by any means, withoutthe prior written permission of the author, nor beotherwise circulated in any form of binding orcover other than that in which it is published andwithout a similar condition being imposed on thesubsequent purchaser.

Every effort has been made to ensure that all theinformation in this book is accurate. However,due to differing conditions, tools and individualskills, the publisher cannot be responsible for anyinjuries, losses and other damages that may resultfrom the use of the information in this book.

First published 2013 by:Bustle & SewCoombe LeighChillingtonKingsbridgeDevon TQ7 2LEUK

www.bustleandsew.com

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Hello,

And welcome to the May 2013 issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine.

I love this time of year, when the hedgerows are full of spring flowers,with all the lovely old-fashioned names like Ragged Robin, Toadflax and- a particular favourite - Rosebay Willowherb!

This month’s issue is full of loveliness too - with six Bustle & Sew patterns, including one of myfavourites - the Curlywurly Cottontails - a silly idea that came to me - if only we had tiny rabbitsinstead of snails in our gardens!

I’m delighted too to bring to you an interview with the phenomenally talented Lucy Levenson,whilst Becky from Patchwork Posse has contributed a lovely little Spring Chic pattern. And Maywouldn’t be May without Cherry Blossom time - there’s a Simple Stitchery Cherry Blossom patternfor you as well as an article on cherry blossoms in Japan.

Coming next month you’ll discover a “Work in Progress” bag so you can take your projects out andabout with you in the summer months, as well as much more stitchy goodness.

Meanwhile, have a wonderful May.

Helen xx

Notes from a Devon Village Page 4

Fuzzypeg and his Carrot Page 6

Elderflower Cordial Page 11

Terrific Tulip Messenger Bag Page 13

Fusible Interfacing Page 18

Dandelion Button Transfer Page 21

The Tradition of Sakura Page 22

Cherry Blossom Time Page 24

A Little Vintage Loveliness Page 29

An interview with Lucy Levenson Page 30

Bird Patchwork Posse Page 35

A Green Lady Stitches Applique Page 40

Feedsacks - a little American History Page 46

Curlywurly Cottontails Embroidery Page 48

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Notes from a Devon Village

The lanes here are at their best in May I think.They're smothered with bluebells and pink campion,with cow parsley frothing in wild abandon. Someof the wider and sunnier verges are even studdedwith wild orchids. I have been told that they're avery common kind, but then that doesn't make themany less attractive.

I often think that the summer visitors miss ourcountryside at its best, since by late July and Augustthe wild flowers are mostly over and everywhere isbeginning to look tired and dusty. At this time of yearI often think of the poem "Lanes in Summer" byMalcolm Hemphrey which I learned as a child…

I love the little winding lanes,In the sweet days when summer reigns;The eglantine and hawkweed's plume;The dog-rose and the bramble bloom,Like stars from heaven gone astray;

The fragrant scent of new-mown hay;The poppies in the green-aisled wheat;

The bees that find the clover sweet;The last song of the wren and thrushBreaking through the drowsy hush -

If kindly peace be anywhere'Tis surely there, 'tis surely there.

And while we’re thinking ofbees, have you heard theold country saying “Aswarm of bees in Mayis worth a load of hay. Aswarm of bees in Juneis worth a silver

spoon. A swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly.”Or in other words, by late summer the value of aswarm of bees is minimal. I love to hear the soundof bees buzzing around my garden and although Iknow bees are suffering heavy losses elsewherein the country, here in south Devon wehave been very lucky as our bees haveremained both healthy and numerous.

At this time of year, everything is freshand green, and it’s such fun to re-discover all our favourite walks -especially this year after such a long,cold and grey winter. Although thenewfies swim all year round (Ben hasbeen known to pretend to be an ice-breaker ship and forge through really

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quite thick ice in order to swim in the Ley in January!But at this time of year ice is just a memory and thewater is warm and silky - even I can be tempted topaddle without my wellies - though, unlike Ben(below) I won’t be swimming until much later in thesummer!

A few years ago two beautiful youngswallows made a nest in the eaves of mylog store. It was a very beautiful nest,placed out of reach on the oak crossbeam, sheltered beneath the slates andsafe from predators. They crafted it verycarefully from beakfuls of mud andwere clearly very proud and protectiveof it. The male in particular had a veryannoying habit of "buzzing" me as Iwent to and from the garden. Sometimeshe swooped so low that I could actuallyfeel the downdraft from his wings. Iwished there was some way I could

make him understandthat I was no danger tohis babies. They alsoused to visit me fromtime to time, sweepingin through the open backdoor where Ben likes tosnooze in the breeze, and

pirouetting up through the house, emerging throughone of the bedroom windows which are permanentlyopen from about the middle of May onwards - I ama bit of a fresh air fanatic!.

Swallows are so much part of summer in this part ofDevon - they seem to be everywhere, swooping lowover the roads to take insects, then circling high intothe sky in an amazing demonstration of aerobaticskill. A large colony spend the summer months in thetumbledown barns in the field at the edge of thevillage, and the air is full of their shrill cries. It'salways sad when they start to gather on the telephonewires at the beginning of autumn, but that's a longway off yet.

May also seesthe start of thevillage feteseason, there’llbe an eventnearly everyw e e k e n dbetween nowand September.

It’s always a good idea to arrive early, particularly ifyou plan to visit the cake stall, as these sell out veryquickly indeed! Cream teas and lemonade are alwayson offer, and some fetes are known for having excellentbric-a-brac stalls - which is where I discovered my oldjigsaw that you can see above.

I have no idea of its age, butit is very attractive, itscolours as fresh and vibrantas they ever were.

I live right down at thebottom of the map, justinland from the “E” of theEnglish Channel - or “LaManche” as its known to theFrench - literally “thesleeve” as it looks a bit likea coat sleeve. Ooooh la la!

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Fuzzypeg and his CarrotFuzzypeg is definitely a bunny with attitude - his paws are wrapped very firmly abouthis prize carrot and he’s not about to give it away to anybody! Easy softie to make, all

hand sewn.

Fuzzypeg measures 12” tall from his fuzzy tail to the tips of his ears.

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You will need:� 16” x 12” piece of grey felt for main body and

ears� 10” square piece of stripey fabric for tummy and

ear linings� 7” x 5” piece of orange felt for carrot� 2” x 6” piece of green felt for carrot leaves� Tiny scrap of light pink felt for nose� 2 x 8 mm (¼”) safety eyes� Stranded cotton floss in light pink, orange, dark

orange and variegated colours� White woollen yarn to make pompom for tail� Two cardboard rings or pompom maker� Toy stuffing� Temporary fabric marker pen

Making your Fuzzypeg:

Fuzzypeg is hand-stitched and his seams are joinedwith cross stitch. You do this by placing the wrongsides together and joining one way using half crossstitch, then return in the opposite direction to finishyour stitch. This gives your seams extra strengthsince, if one thread is broken the whole seam won’tunravel. It’s also a nice decorative finish. Use 2strands of variegated floss.

� Cut out all pieces according to instructions on thetemplates. The templates are given at 80% ofactual size - but size really doesn’t matter - if youdon’t enlarge them your Fuzzypeg will simply bea little smaller than mine.

� Start by joining the two main body pieces fromthe centre of the back down to X marked on thetemplate.

� Join the inner body along the bottom edgeworking from X outwards to the end of each pawand back again.

� Join the muzzle from B to C on the template andthen finish joining the inner body. You will needto ease the outer fabric around the inner - it doesgo - I promise, and easing it round in this waygives Fuzzypeg nice plump limbs.

� Place the outer and inner ear pieces right sidestogether and stitch around edges in the same way.

� Insert head gusset matching at C. Fold each earin half vertically and insert at E as you stitch.

� Stitch 1” down from the end of the head gusset.

� Lightly stuff your head and determine theposition of the eyes. I usually use black glass-headed pins for this and then mark the spot withmy temporary fabric marker pen. Do take careover this stage as the positioning of the eyes willaffect your Fuzzypeg’s final expression. Whenyou’re totally happy with the positioning of theeyes, mark the spot, remove the stuffing andinsert the safety eyes.

� Stuff Fuzzypeg. Use a stuffing stick (bambooskewer with the pointy end broken off and theend frayed to “grab” the stuffing) to push smallpieces of stuffing into his limbs and muzzle. Youcan mould his body with your hands as you stuff- I chose to mould him slightly to the left andupwards

� Make sure you stuff him firmly as stuffing willcompress over time and you don’t want him tobecome limp and floppy. Stitch the gap closed.

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� Cut a small, rounded heart shape from your palepink felt and stitch into place for his nose using2 strands of floss. Add mouth in 2 strands andwhiskers are long stitches in 1 strand of palepink floss.

� Make a pompom for his tail using your whiteor cream woollen yarn and two cardboard rings.Just in case you can’t remember back tochildhood days and pompom toys ….. Wrap theyarn round and round the two cardboard ringsuntil they’re covered - not too tightly.

� Snip another length of yarn, then cut yourwrapped yarn all around the outside edges ofyour rings.

� Feed your snipped length between the twocardboard rings, pull tight and fasten securelybefore completely removing the rings.

� Fluff out the yarn and trim to a nice pompomshape if it’s a bit ragged.

� Stitch the pompom to Fuzzypeg’s bottom in thespot marked X on the template.

Fuzzypeg’s Carrot:

� Cut an elongated pizza slice shape from yourorange felt using the diagram above (not toscale) as a guide - your shape should measureapproximately 6” long from the point to thecentre of the curve. It doesn’t need to be veryaccurate - real carrots are lumpy and bumpy!

� Join the seam with 2 strands of orange floss,then stuff your carrot. This doesn’t need to betoo firm.

� Cut out the leaves from your pale green feltusing the diagram below as a guide (not toscale) - again these don’t have to be accurateand perfect.

� Run a gathering thread around the top edge ofyour carrot in orange floss. Pull up the gathersbut not too tightly yet - leave a small space atthe top

� Roll up your leaf strip tightly, and insert intothe space you left at the top of your carrot. Nowpull the gathers up tightly and stitch your leavesinto place.

� With 2 strands of darker orange floss workstitches across your carrot at intervals, pullingfairly tightly to give your carrot shape.

� Stitch your carrot into position on Fuzzypeg’sfront paws, curling the paws around the carrot.

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Every year, as May turns to June and thedays grow longer, the scent of elderflowerhangs heavy in the warm air, I unearth mypreserving pan - unused since the finalchutney-making marathon in the autumn -and put it to good use making this mostdelicious of summer cordials - perfectlyrefreshing on a hot afternoon.

We have our own in the garden. I don'tpick them all - leaving some to becomeberries for the birds in the autumn, but I dogather a good few handfuls. If you don’thave any elder bushes in your garden, then

head off out with your basket - they arevery common in the hedgerows and easilyidentified by their clusters of creamy-whiteflowers and distinctive scent. (If in doubtuse a book to identify them, or take aknowledgeable friend along).

To each pint of water add

� the juice and grated zest of a lemon,

� 1lb sugar,

� 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

� a dozen heads of elderflower.

Cool and refreshing on asummer’s afternoon -inexpensive to make - and bestof all - you know exactly what’sgone into it.

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Lemons always remind me of holidays inthe Mediterranean .…

I can never be bothered to grate .. Ialways end up grating my fingers!

So I use a peeler instead and peel thelemons in fine strips.

You have to boil the water and sugartogether and then pour the mixture ontothe elderflowers, lemon and vinegar.

Stir well .

Leave the mixture to cool and infuse for24 hours ..your kitchen will smellwonderful!

Then bottle in sterilised bottles. Yes, Iused wine bottles .. it was no hardship toempty them ready for the elderflower!

The cordial has to be kept in the fridgeeven before it's opened, but it does keepfor up to 3 months.

The taste of summer - take fizzyelderflower on your picnics, add thecordial to gooseberry tarts - the choice isyours!

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Terrific Tulip Messenger BagA useful little messenger bag, turned into something a bit special with the addition ofsome simple retro-style embroidery. Tulips, sunflowers and daisies jostle for space,

with no regard for the seasons whatsoever!

Finished bag measures 12” high x 10” wide x 2” deep (approx)

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You will need:

� Two pieces of exterior fabric: 11 ½” x 24”rectangle and 11” square. This should be amedium-weight fabric

� The same in lining fabric - but you can cut thisfrom a FQ if you cut it in half lengthways andthen re-join before cutting the long rectangle.The seam won’t show on the inside and you willhave enough remaining for a patch pocket insidetoo. Quilting weight fabric is fine for the lining.

� The same in heavy weight fusible interfacing,plus an additional 5” x 3” for the interior patchpocket.

� 45” x 1 ¼” wide webbing for the handle (orlength to suit your own personal preference)

� Magnetic bag fastener

� DMC stranded cotton floss in colours: 553, 561,602, 725, 912, 970, 996.

First work your embroidery:

� Transfer your pattern to the 11” square piece ofexterior fabric, positioning it centrally and 1 ¼”up from the bottom of the fabric.

� Work in accordance with the stitch guide on thenext page, using two strands of floss throughout.Be sure that your stitches don’t get too large andthat they lie flat to the fabric as you don’t wantto catch anything on them when you’re using thebag.

� When finished, press your work on the wrongside.

Assemble your bag:

Use ¼” seam allowance throughout.

� Fuse interfacing to the wrong side of all liningpieces except the pocket.

� Place the flap exterior and lining pieces rightsides together and pin or baste.

� Using a lid from an aerosol, or similar, markcurved corners on the bottom edges of both yourlining and exterior front flap pieces (the 11”squares).

� Stitch around three sides of the flap, leaving thetop edge open.

� Clip seams at curved corners (take care not tocut through your stitching) and turn flap rightside out.

� Press on lining side (to avoid flattening yourembroidery) and topstitch around the edges 1/8”from the edge.

� Insert one half of magnetic fastener centrally and1 ¼” up from the edge following manufacturer’sinstructions.

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Interior Pocket

� From your left-over lining fabric cut a 6 ” x 5”rectangle and fuse the interlining to one end,aligning the 5” sides.

� Fold in half and stitch all the way round,leaving a gap for turning.

� Turn right side out and press, folding the edgesof your turning gap to the inside.

� Position pocket on interior lining 4” down fromthe top edge of your lining fabric.

� Top stitch around 3 edges (sides and bottom) tosecure pocket to lining.

Body of bag

� Fold your large rectangle of exterior fabric inhalf widthways, right sides together, and stitcharound 3 sides to form your bag.

� Repeat with your lining fabric, but leave a 4”gap in one side for turning.

� Now you have the bag pieces complete youneed to square off their corners so your bagwill have a nice flat bottom.

� Still with right sides together, pick your bag upand bring the side seams together. Then lay itdown again with a corner pulled out andflattened into a triangular shape, with the sideseam running down the middle of the triangle.

� Press lightly to keep in place, then with a rulerdraw a line ¾” up from the corner - it willmeasure 1 ½” across and then sew along thisline. Trim away the excess fabric.

� Repeat this process with the other corner andalso with your bag interior.

Magnetic closure

� Now you need to determine the correct positionfor the second part of your magnetic closurebefore completing your bag.

� Align the open edge of your flap with the topedge of the back of your bag exterior, rightsides together and baste.

� A bit of imagining here - it helps to stuff yourbag lightly with anything that comes to hand togive it some shape - then pull your flap downover the front of the bag and when it’s sittingcomfortably mark the position to insert theclosure.

� Insert the second part of the magnetic closureaccording to manufacturer’s instructions.

Final Assembly

� Turn the bag exterior the right side out. (Thelining remains right side in)

� Pin or tack the ends of the webbing to the rightside of the bag exterior, aligning the ends withthe top edge of the bag on either side.

� Place the bag exterior inside the interior, rightsides together and tuck the flap and webbingwell down inside so they don’t get caught up inyour stitching.

� Aligning side seams, and the raw edges pin orbaste around the top edge of your bag, makingsure the top edge of the flap is correctlyaligned.

� Machine all around the top edge of your bag,reinforcing over the ends of the webbing strapby going backwards and forwards a couple oftimes.

� Turn right side out through the 4” gap you leftin the lining.

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The Terrific Tulip Messenger Bag project uses a fusible interfacing to give weight,strength and definition to the quilting weight fabric I chose for the lining. Fusibleinterfacings are quick and easy to apply providing you follow the manufacturer's

instructions carefully. But it may not be something that you do every day - so here'sa quick reminder of the steps to follow - including test-fusing your interfacing to a

sample of your fabric to ensure you obtain perfect results every time.

As I'm sure you know, interfacing is Bondaweb - which I use a lot in appliqueavailable in fusible (iron-on) and non- - is simply another form of fusiblefusible (sew-in) varieties. Fusible interfacing. This time it's a double-sidedinterfacing is coated with an adhesive variety - used to adhere two fabricssubstance that melts and adheres to your together. Bondaweb has a paper backingfabric when you press it with a hot iron. and is applied in two stages - first adheringIt's suitable to use with a wide variety of the Bondaweb to one fabric, then cuttingfabrics, but shouldn't be considered when the shape, peeling off the backing andyou're using fabrics that are damaged by adhering it to the second - usually theheat, pressure or moisture - seersucker, background - fabric.silks that waterspot and some manmadefabrics, for example. You can also use Test-fusing your Samplenarrow strips of fusible interfacing to stop

Prepare your interfacing:your stitches puckering on a lightweightfabric - underneath topstitching forexample.

You should always choose an interfacingthat is lighter in weight than your fabric,bearing in mind that the adhesive on theinterfacing will change the texture and feelof the fabric slightly. You should alwaystest-fuse a sample to your fabric beforegoing ahead, to check its suitability, and Cut a 4” square of fabric. Cut interfacingto determine the exact heat, pressure, to cover half of this square. Place yourmoisture and time duration needed to fabric wrong side up on a clean, flatcreate a good bond between the interfacing surface, then place your interfacing on oneand your fabric. half of your square, adhesive (shiny) side

down.

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Put a small triangle of lightweight fabricunderneath one corner of your interfacingto create an unfused tab to check the bond.

Make the test fuse:

Protect the sole of your iron with a dampcloth and press the interfacing according tothe manufacturer’s instructions. Press downfirmly with your iron, but don’t move it asthis may cause bubbles or ridges. You needto press firmly though to melt the adhesivecompletely and fuse it to your fabric.

Press from the right side:

Now turn your fabric over so the right sideis uppermost. Press again, still using a cloth- this time to protect your fabric too. Doingthis ensures that the adhesive is fused toyour fabric as firmly as possible and willgive you the best possible bond. It alsohelps fuse any areas that weren’t completely

bonded the first time. Now leave yourfabric to cool.

Test the bond:

When your fabric is cool the adhesive willhave set. Now try to pull the interfacingaway from the fabric by pulling up thecorner tab. You shouldn’t be able to peelback the edges or see any bubbles orunfused areas. Try folding the interfacedfabric to see if the fusing holds and thefabric reacts well. Check for fabricdiscolouration or any ridges showingthrough along the edge of the interfacing.If your work is going to be washedregularly, then it’s a good idea to wash anddry your sample piece to see howeverything reacts.

If all is well, then go ahead and apply theinterfacing to your fabric. When fusing thewhole piece work from the top down orfrom one side to the other, overlappingpreviously fused areas with your iron tomake sure that you achieve completecoverage. If possible, work on a surfacelarge enough to hold your entire piece offabric, to avoid stretching, distortion orslipping of your work.

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Common Fusing Problems andSolutions

Interfacing shows through

If the interfacing is visible from the rightside of your fabric ( A ), you’re using aweight of interfacing that is too heavy. Tryyour test-fuse again, but this time using alighter-weight interfacing. (B)

Your fabric is wrinkled

If your fabric has puckered or wrinkled( A ), it has shrunk due to too much heatand moisture during fusing.

Cut a new fabric sample and test-fuseagain, using less heat and steam from youriron (B)

The interfacing has blistered

If your interfacing has bubbles on it ( A ),your iron was too hot.

Test-fuse another sample using a lowertemperature (B). This may call for someexperimentation as you may need toincrease the fusing time if you’re using alower temperature - it’s well worthspending the time to get it just right if thisis the case.

The interfacing peels off

If the interfacing peels away from thefabric ( A ), then your iron was too cool.Test-fuse another sample using a highertemperature setting (B). You may alsohave to press more firmly on your iron -again spend the time to get this just rightbefore proceeding with your work.

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Dandelion Button TransferA very early Bustle & Sew design - but worth revisiting…

No instructions have survived I’m afraid- but I think they’re quite easy to workout - a single strand of floss - tiny Frenchknots for the seedheads and straightstitches with some French knots at thecentre for the flower in full bloom.

These buttons make a lovely feature ona plain jacket, or on a quilted cushionperhaps?

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The Tradition of Sakura

Hanami is the traditional Japanesetraditional custom of enjoying the beauty offlowers, "flower" in this case almost alwaysmeaning cherry blossoms ("sakura") or lessoften plum blossoms.

This custom is said to have begun in the late8th century, during the Nara Period (710 to794). This seasonal event was used towelcome in the new year's harvest whilemarking the beginning of the rice plantingseason.

In the Heian Period , Emperor Saga wouldwelcome this time with celebratory feasts andparties under the sakura trees in Kyoto'sImperial Court. While originally limited toJapanese royalty and the elite upper class,everyone was enjoying taking part in hanamiby the Edo Period in the early 1600's.

Hanami are still just as popular today, andthe custom has spread around the globe. In1912, Japan gave 3,000 sakura trees as a giftto the United States to celebrate the nations'friendship. These trees were planted inWashington, D.C., and another 3,800 treeswere donated in 1965. These sakura treescontinue to be a popular tourist attraction, andevery year, the "National Cherry BlossomFestival" takes place when they bloom inearly spring.

In Japan, a typical hanami usually consists ofholding an outdoor party under cherryblossom trees during the day or night. Theblossom forecast is announced each year bythe weather bureau, and is watched carefullyby those planning hanami as the cherryblossoms will only last a week or two.

Thousands of people fill the parks to holdfeasts under the flowering trees, while food,beer and sake are brought for a picnic asvisitors bask in the cherry blossoms that fallfrom the tree. These parties last well into the

Woodblock print of Mount Fuji andcherry blossom from 36 Views of Mount

Fuji by Hiroshige.

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night as the moon illuminates the pinkblossoms.

The traditional Japanese values of purityand simplicity are thought to be reflected inthe form and colour of cherry blossoms,according to the Encyclopedia ofContemporary Japanese Culture.

This connection to spring, as well asinnocence, delicacy and simplicity, makethe blossoms popular with events andproducts tied to weddings and schoolopenings. Many businesses large and smallhave "sakura" in their name or use its imagein advertising. Cherry blossoms appear onthe back of the 1,000-yen bank note, knownas Japan's "10-dollar bill," together with theequally famous Mount Fuji.

The cherry blossom is a very delicate flowerthat blooms for a very short time, which isanother reason that it is so highly prized.Buddhist teachings stress theimpermanence of life, and the bloomsymbolised this to samurai, whose ownlives as soldiers in the service of theirmasters were often brilliant, beautiful--andshort. This is why cherry blossoms appearin many depictions of samurai and onfolding screens, sliding doors, kimonos andlacquer ware from samurai days.

Cherry blossom in Tokyo, Japan.

Japanese stamp from 2000

Yoshitsune, a Japanese general of the12th century, and his companion

viewing cherry blossom. Woodcut byYoshitoshi (19th century)

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Cherry Blossom Time..A simple stitchery from Bustle & Sew bringing spring and cherry blossom time in

Japan into your hoop!

Really easy stitching - a great design for beginners. Shown framed in an 8” hoop.

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You will need:� 12” square of white/cream linen or cotton

fabric (non -stretchy)� DMC stranded cotton floss in colours� Small scrap of cotton fabric for dress - about

3” x 2” in size� Temporary fabric marker pen� Bondaweb

The pattern is given actual size.

Working instructions:

First transfer your design onto your fabricusing your preferred method.

� Print the pattern in reverse.

� Place your Bondaweb over the dress shape,paper side uppermost and trace the dress shapeonto the paper.

� Cut roughly around the shape and then iron itonto the reverse of your cotton fabric.

� Cut out the dress shape making sure you havea nice smooth rounded edge.

� Peel the backing paper away from the fabric,place the dress shape onto your fabric usingyour transferred pattern as a guide.

� Fuse dress to background with your iron. Justpress onto the shape and do not move youriron backwards and forwards as this may causeit to move.

� With your temporary fabric marker pen drawin the lines for the Japanese girl’s kimono andsash onto the dress fabric. Use the transfer asa guide

� Now you are ready to work your design usingthe stitching guide below.

Notes on stitching:

� Use two strands of floss throughout

� The stitches used are back stitch, satin stitch,straight stitch, lazy daisy stitch and blanketstitch.

� I chose a nice soft blue quilting weight cottonfor the little girl’s kimono. It is appliquedaround the edges with small straight stitchesworked at right-angles to the edge of thefabric. I have not given you a floss number ofthe blue as it should match the fabric youchoose. The flowers on the grass are workedin the same blue - so again I haven’t given youa floss number for these.

� Look carefully at the blossoms on the cherrytree and you will see the flowers have a fewsatin stitches at the centre, and then the petalsare formed by straight stitches radiating outfrom each centre.

� Divide the little girl’s sash into six equalsquares - draw them in with your marker pen.Then work each square diagonally in satinstitch, alternating both the direction of thestitch and the colour between squares.

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Image from “Little Pictures of Japan” by OliveBeaupre Miller & Kathleen Sturgess 1928

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A Little Vintage Loveliness …I don’t have the transfer referred to I’m afraid, but I think the shapes are simple enough -and it should be quite easy to just enlarge the diagrams at the bottom of the pattern.

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Hi Lucy, can you tell us a little aboutyourself and when you learned tosew?

Hi! I was a magazine photographerfor many years, I stopped when mylittle girl Katy was born in 2004. Shebecame very ill a year later, andsuffered brain damage. Things werevery difficult for years as she sufferedfrom epilepsy. I became her full-timecarer and fitted in my sewing,drawing and painting whenever Icould.

Sometimes you come across someone whose work literally stops you inyour tracks - who has the “wow” factor in bucket-loads and, for me, LucyLevenson is one of these wonderful designer/creators and I’m delighted

she agreed to be interviewed for Bustle & Sew Magazine.

Lucy was chosen by Country LivingMagazine (UK) as one of four womenwith the potential to transform theirsewing hobby into a business. Herapplique work is amazingly vibrantand colourful, with a distinctive, ratherhumorous, folk-art style.

She improved in early 2010, so that I was able to think again aboutworking. A holiday in St. Ives in Cornwall in August of that year seeingthe work of local artists and looking around local craft and gift shops tosee the work for sale inspired me. On my return home I started to paintand make things, working from a table in the cellar of the old pub that ismy home, using just my sewing machine and a pair of scissors, paper andglue. After spending all my working life as a photographer, it was a majorstep to consider such a career change.

A friend of mine with a vintage clothes shop in my town, saw some of thecushions that I had sewn, and said she could sell them. I did not think thatwe're good enough, but they soon sold out! I have never had any training,and taught myself to sew. I had never used a sewing machine before. Afriend showed me the basics, and the rest I learnt by trial and error.

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Where do you find your inspiration for yourbeautiful designs - they are so wonderfullyvibrant and colourful?

I just dream them up in my head! I havealways had a house full of flowers.Although I have always loved buyingeclectic pieces on my travels, I neverbelieved that anything that I could makewould be good enough to sell. My friendtold me that people loved my stuff, becauseit was different and it made them smile.

What are your favourite fabrics andthreads to work with, and do you find thesechange over time - or perhaps with theseasons around you?

I find fabrics online or in shops, I buywhatever takes my fancy. My favouritepastime is rummaging in fabric shops. Ichoose threads in any colours that I love,especially royal blue.

How do you see your business developing over the next few years? I’malready supplying four shops and would like to see my designs sold in moreretail outlets. I’d also like to develop more new home products and want todesign my own fabrics too.

And finally .... do you have any tips to give readers on creating > their ownapplique pieces? (eg finishing, colour choices, techniques).

Buy Bondaweb for appliqué! And keep experimenting with techniques untilyou find what you like best. Don't worry about making mistakes, just keeptrying. Go with the colours that appeal to you, and try out different colourcombinations and patterns, to see what works best.

Thanks Lucy - and good luck with your business venture!

If you’d like to see more ofLucy’s work, then please do visit

her website:www.lucylevenson.co.uk and

keep up to date on twitter:https://twitter.com/@lucyleven

son

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Elephants in Love AppliqueCute little applique elephants sitting in rows, and just two who have fallen for each

other! Easy to create applique.

A great project for beginners or a quick easy make for the more experienced.

This pattern makes a cushion cover for an 18” (45 cm)pad. It has a simple envelope closure at the back. Itis sized to be slightly smaller than the pad as thisallows for compression of the pad with time so thecushion should stay plump. If you want it to be largerthan the pad for a flatter cushion then simply add anadditional ½” (1cm) seam allowance all the way round.

You will need:� Base fabric for front panel- medium weight un-

patterned cotton, linen or woollen fabric, mustnot be stretchy. 1 piece 18” (45cm) square,� Fabric for back panel - same as above but may

be patterned if desired. 2 pieces 18” (45 cm) x12” (30 cm)� 6” (15 cm) square wool blend felt in mid-blue� 6” (15 cm) square wool blend felt in pink� 6” (15 cm) square wool blend felt in light blue� 3” (6 cm) square wool blend felt in red� 8 x 4” (10 cm) square pieces of patterned cotton

or linen (why not use scraps from much lovedclothes that are no longer worn?)� 1 skein stranded cotton floss in aqua 1� skein stranded cotton floss in damson� 18” (45 cm) square cushion pad� Temporary fabric spray adhesive

Seam allowance is ¼”

Complete front applique panel:

� Cut out your elephants. You will need 8elephants facing to the left - cut these from yourpatterned fabric.� Cut out your elephants. You will need 8 elephants facing to the left - cut these from your patterned fabric.

� Cut out 4 elephant ears from pink felt and 4elephant ears from light blue felt

� Now cut one elephant facing right from mid-blue felt. To do this simply reverse your template. Cut one elephant ear from light blue felt for the right-facing elephant. To do this simply reverse

your template.

� Take your front panel

� Fold into 3 equal parts lengthways and presslightly along folds.

� Open out and then fold into 3 equal partswidthways and press lightly along folds.

� Open out your pad. It will now be divided into9 equal squares by the folds. This will help youposition your elephants.

� Position your elephants. (see above) Playaround a little until you are happy with the waythey look. The light blue, right-facing elephantmust be in the middle square.

� Fix your elephants with temporary sprayadhesive. Apart from the centre elephant,position each elephant slightly off centre of thesquare, towards the centre of the cushion. (Thisis to allow for the seam allowance around theedges of the panel).

� Fix the elephants' ears with spray adhesive.Randomly mix the pink and blue ears apartfrom the centre elephant whose ear is blue.

� Position the felt heart. It is slightly off the foldso it will be equally spaced between the elephants(remember you positioned the right-hand elephanta little more towards the centre).

� Straight stitch over the edges of the elephants' earskeeping each stitch at right-angles to the edge ofthe ear.

� Blanket stitch around the elephant shapes using 3strands of aqua floss.

� Straight stitch around the edge of the heart using3 strands of damson floss.

� Work a single cross-stitch for each elephant's eyeusing 6 strands of damson floss.

� Work 2 straight stitches and one lazy daisy stitchfor each tail using the template as a guide toposition your stitches.

� Press lightly on reverse.

Assemble your cushion:

� Take your two smaller pieces of base fabric (itcan look effective to make these in a patterned

fabric to give interest to the back of the cushion).These pieces will form the back of the pillow.

� Hem each piece along one of the longer sides. (Ifyou're using a patterned fabric be sure to take thedirection of the pattern into account). Press hems.

� Lay your applique front panel on your worksurface right side facing up.

� Lay the two back pieces on top of the front panelwith the right sides of the fabric facing down.Line up the un-hemmed 18” (45 cm) edge of thefirst back piece along one side of the front panel.Line up the un-hemmed 18” (45 cm) of the secondback piece along the other side of the front panel.

� Pin or tack your pieces in place.

� Machine stitch together around the edges Makethe corners rounded rather than square, especiallyif using a woollen fabric as this will make themneater once turned. (I usually go around twice forextra strength!)

� Clip seams with pinking shears to minimizefraying or overstitch with your machine.

� Turn right side out. Insert cushion pad.

FINISHED!

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Spring Chicken body

www.patchworkposse.com

Spring Chicken beak

www.patchworkposse.com

Spring Chicken Wing

www.patchworkposse.com

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Hi- I'm Becky I cut and stitch everything-- no boundaries here!Sharing the fabric love and easy sewing projects is what I do-

- without that I go a bit crazy... {don't say it}.

I am a dedicated blog writer, pattern designer and allaround chatter of anything fabric.

I spend my time exploring new techniques, playing with newideas and hanging out with the kids.

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Green Lady AppliqueI love to combine freestyle machine embroidery with hand stitching to create a design

that’s just a little bit different - and I also love this little children’s poem from CharlotteDruitt Cole - you’ll see the first few verses above.

Design shown mounted on A4 (12” x 8” approx) canvas board.

A lovely Green LadyEmbroiders and stitches

Sweet flowers in the meadows,On banks and in ditches.

All day she is sewing,Embroidering all night;

For she works in the darknessAs well as the light.

She makes no mistake inThe silks which she uses,And all her gay coloursShe carefully chooses.

She fills nooks and cornersWith blossoms so small,

Where none but the fairiesWill see them at all.

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You will need:

� A4 artist’s canvas block for mounting� 4” x 12” green fabric� 12” square blue dotty fabric� 6” x 5” beige stripy fabric� 5” x 1” floral fabric� Felt scraps in 3 shades of green, 2 purples and

a dusky pink� 8” pink ric-rac braid� DMC floss in colour 4045 for lettering on jug,

and pink/red/yellow/green for details on tulips� Pink thread to hand-stitch ric-rac braid� Dark green and cream thread for machine

needle and light colour for your bobbin.� Temporary fabric marker pen� Bondaweb� Staple gun if mounting on canvas block� Darning/embroidery foot for your machine.

Applique picture:

Note: the templates are given at approximately75% of actual size (depending on your printer).The height of the jug should be 4 ¾”.

� Join the green and blue dotty fabrics along one12” side and press the seam open to avoid bulkat the back of your picture.

� Using your preferred method transfer thedesign to your fabric. This will help you inpositioning the leaves and blooms correctly.

� Whichever method you use, print out thedesign to the same scale in reverse - you willuse this to trace the pattern shapes onto thepaper side of your Bondaweb.

� Now transfer the jug part of the design to yourbeige stripey fabric, including the text forembroidery.

� Press a rectangle of Bondaweb to the back ofthe beige stripey fabric completely covering thejug area, then cut out the jug.

� Peel away the paper backing and, using thelines you transferred earlier, position and thenadhere your jug to your backing fabric.

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� Using your reversed design trace the floral bandfor the jug onto the paper side of yourBondaweb, then cut out and apply to the jug.

� Now trace and cut the leaves and blooms andapply to the background fabric with Bondawebusing your transferred lines as guidance for theirpositioning.

� Apply the shapes at the back first and overlapthe leaves at the front. (see photo below)

� Continue until they’re all secured in position.

� With your temporary fabric marker pen draw inthe centre veins on the leaves and the petals onthe tulips

� Then fit your darning/embroidery foot to yourmachine and with dark green thread in yourneedle and a lighter colour in your bobbin (stopsyour stitched line appearing too harsh), stitcharound the edges of the shapes twice - not tooneatly - you want a sort of scribbled effect.

� Stitch the centre veins on the leaves and the tulippetals in the same way.

� Press your work on the reverse.

� Now add the hand stitching. Use two strands offloss throughout.

� Stitch coloured stripes onto the petals using theimage above as guidance - I used a broad stemstitch for this and French knots for the tulipstamens.

� Work the poem in back stitch. Don’t make yourstitches too long and be very accurate whenpassing your needle through the fabric. Usequite small stitches for nice neat curves.

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� Finally, add your ric-rac braid securing withsmall stitches in matching thread.

� Press your work on the reverse.

Mount on canvas block:

� Place your work right side down on a clean flatsurface and place your canvas block face downon top of it, positioning it so your design willappear centrally and with the top tulip about ½”down from the top of the block.

� Fold the top raw edge of the fabric to the backof the block and secure at the centre with yourstaple gun

� Repeat for the bottom edge - then double checkthe positioning of your work before you go anyfurther.

� If you’re happy, turn it back over and continueto staple the top and bottom edges working fromthe centre outwards and placing your staplesabout 1 - 1 ½” apart. Stop about 1 ½” beforethe corner.

� Repeat on the vertical edges, cut away excessfabric on the corners and mitre them to finish.

� Trim away excess fabric at the back of the block.If you’d like a super-neat finish at the back thencover the raw edges with washi tape.

� FINISHED!

Don’t forget to download your FREE e-book from Bustle & Sew.

CLICK HERE for the pdf file.

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Feedsacks - Stitcher’s Delight!Taking a look at vintage feedsacks - and the wonderful designs that were produced last century.

In the USA, from about the late 19th century, stablegoods began to be transported and distributed infabric bags - a much easier and more economicalmeans of packaging than the previously used woodand metal storage containers. These had not been anideal method of storage as tin would rust and thehandmade boxes and barrels leaked and weredamaged easily. They were bulky, heavy anddifficult to transport.

Manufacturers were anxious to find another method,but didn't consider the cloth bags of homespun linenused by farmers to store goods for use at homebecause the hand sewn seams wouldn't be strongenough for heavy use.

All of this changed in 1846 with the invention of thestitching machine, which made it possible to sewdouble locking seams strong enough to hold thecontents of a bag. These bags were often re-usedmany times, although later they were specially wovenfrom white cotton and often bore the logo of the millwhere they had been made.

Feedbacks were initially made from heavy canvas,and were used to transport flour, sugar, meal, grain,salt and feed from the mills. They were reusable, andthe farmer would return his empty sack stamped withhis mark to the mill to be filled. This changed whenweaving inexpensive cotton fabric became possiblein the late 1800's.

Feedsacks, or feedbags as they were known then,were initially printed on plain white cloth and in sizesthat corresponded to barrel sizes. For example, a onebarrel bag held 196 pounds of flour, whilst a 1/8barrel bag only held 24 pounds. The brand name ofthe flour was simply printed on the side of the bag.

The dress-print feed sacks that are so pretty, and solovely to use in all kinds of sewing, from patchworkto applique - and even for softie-making, had arelatively short lifespan.

Most of us will associate these printed sacks with theDepression period of the 1930s. As the economy wasplunged into recession, and people had to economiseand utilise whatever came to hand, fabric and graincompanies began to realise that thrifty housewiveswere using these feed sacks to make clothing andhousehold textiles, and so they began to print themin beautiful patterns to attract such customers.

It was not unknown for wives to send their husbandsto the store to purchase their feed in bags printed witha specific design so they could complete their project

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as it would take, for example, three identical sacksto make a dress.

Magazines and pattern companies began to takenotice of feedsack popularity and publishedpatterns to take advantage of the feedsack prints.Matching fabric and even matching wrapping paperwas available, too. Directions were given for usingthe strings from feedsacks in knitting andcrocheting. A 1942 estimate showed that threemillion women and children of all income levelswere wearing print feedbag garments.

An amazingly wide variety of prints were produced- as well as the small floral designs that we allassociate with feedsacks, you can find largerflorals, polka dots, stripes and plaids as well asmany novelty designs for special occasions orevents.

In the same way that fabric companies do today,feed sack fabric designs were printed in severalcolourways to attract a wider audience.Manufacturers also realised that women loved tostitch for their children, so they made prints withimages that would appeal to mothers makingclothes for their children, as well as feedsacksprinted with dolls and toys that could be cut outand stitched together.

Many sacks had themes. Some of the morecollectible sacks now are those with Walt Disneythemes such as Davy Crockett, Cinderella andAlice in Wonderland; movie themes such as GoneWith the Wind; comic book themes such as BuckRogers; and nursery rhyme themes such as LittleBoPeep and Humpty Dumpty.

After WWII, technological developments meantthat more hygenic and effective packaging couldbe made from heavy paper and plastic containers.These new containers were cheaper to manufacturetoo. A cotton bag cost 32 cents to make, asopposed to 10 cents for the paper bag, and so theuse of fabric feedsacks began to decline. The startof the 1960's saw sack manufacturers trying totempt customers back with cartoon-printed fabrics,from Buck Rogers to Cinderella. There was evena television advertising campaign, but it failed togenerate a significant upsurge in sales.

It's still relatively easy to acquire these lovely oldfabrics - especially if you're in the US - though theycan often be found on eBay at reasonable prices.They can easily be mixed and matched withmodern designs and it's fun to incorporate someinto your projects - ensuring that your work willnever be duplicated by anyone else! They're greatto scan and use as prints too - your free gift thismonth - my birthday bunting - uses feedsack fabricsfor some of the flags.

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Curlywurly CottontailsImagine …. If all those pesky snails that lurk in the dark, damp places of your garden

could be transformed into the most delightful miniature rabbits - how wonderfulwould that be?! And my little rabbits have kept their curlywurly snail-like bodies too

….

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To make pillowcase as shown you will need:

� Ordinary white housewife pillowcase - goodquality Egyptian cotton

� 20” x 4 ½” white cotton for embroidery

� 20” x 2” floral cotton for trim

� Scrap of red fabric for flower centres

� DMC stranded cotton floss in colours 310, 702,922, 829, 3362, 3864, 3810

Work your embroidery:

As you are working on a long thin strip of fabric, ifyou prefer to use a hoop, then it’s a good idea tomachine baste extra fabric on either side of the stripso you have enough fabric to insert in the hoop.Simply cut the stitches and remove this extra fabricwhen you’ve finished stitching.

Notes on working:

� The template is given at 45% of actual size. Ifyou want a longer border, then simply keepadding additional rabbit and carrot sections,divided by the vertical heart - and finish with theangled hearts at either end - or at the corners ofyour border if you want to edge a tablecloth forinstance.

� Use 2 strands of floss for all back stitch

� Use 1 strand of floss for all chain stitch

� Cut small circles from your red fabric for theflower centres (use the template as a guide) andapplique into place using your blue (3810) floss.

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� When your embroidery is complete, press on thereverse.

Assemble your pillowcase:

� Cut your floral fabric strip in half lengthwaysand attach one half to either side of your rabbitembroidery, using a ¼” seam allowance.

� Overstitch the seams and then press on thereverse.

� Take your pillowcase and unpick side seams toa distance of 10” from the open end.

� From the side without the envelope closuremeasure 2 ½” from the open edge and cutvertically so you have a strip of fabric.

� Cut 4 ½” from the pillow case top and discardthis strip of fabric

� Stitch the 2 ½” rectangle to the bottom edge ofyour rabbit embroidery, overstitch and press.

� Now stitch the top edge of your rabbitembroidery to the cut edge of the pillowcaseedge. Make sure that the finished (open edge)of the pillowcase aligns properly with thebottom - you may need to adjust yourmeasurements slightly before stitching.

� Turn the pillowcase inside out and rejoin theside seams - over stitching as before.

� Press and turn right side out

� FINISHED!

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