1

2

Between the Covers hellipContributors

Rosie Studholme

Puts together all our lovelyideas shopping and bakingpages as well as researchingamp editing our features andinterviews

Katie Fenner

Talks to us about her love ofbright colours her favouritedesigns and how she startedher business

Rachel of Bakerita

Has been baking sincechildhood and now sharesher recipes through Bakerita -yum

Ali of Very Berry Handmade

Has a passion for my passionfor Liberty lawn fabricsbuying using and selling toother enthusiasts too

Michelle Kreusell

Talks to us about how she gotinto crafting where she findsher inspiration and how shestarted her business

Genevieve of Floss ampMischief

Hates dead beetles but lovesstitching her taxidermyinspired cross-stitch creations

September Almanac Page 6

Donrsquot Look Back Hoop Page 8

Demystifying Sewing Machine Needles Page 11

Meet the Maker Pixiecraft Handmade Page 14

Elephant Trophy Head Page 16

Poetry Corner Road through the Woods Page 19

A Little Look at Vintage Transfers Page 20

Baking Corner Srsquomores Brownies Page 22

Lovely Idea Tasselled Tote Page 24

Owl Tea Cosy Page 25

By Candlelight hellip Page 29

Quick Pieced Pin Cushion Page 32

Septemberrsquos Favourite Blogs Page 36

Dreamy Kindle Cover Page 37

Dream it Do it Floss amp Mischief Page 40

Making Softies with Faux Fur Page 42

Polar Bear Nursery Rug Page 44

A Look at Harris Tweed Page 48

Meet the Maker The Fox in the Attic Page 50

Lovely Idea Patchwork Pouch Page 52

All I want for Christmas Hoop Page 53

And finally hellip Page 55

Calendar Printable September Page 56

Conversion Tables Page 57

Templates Page 58

3

September

Early September often brings a period of warmand sunny weather and possibly our lastchance to enjoy the feeling of fresh air on barearms and legs It wonrsquot be long before we arereaching for winter woollies so every hot day isa gift and shouldnrsquot be taken for granted

September is the first of the autumn months -the word comes from the Latin

and its use in English dates back to

the 14th century although in the USA the termis preferred Both these words were used

interchangeably in England at one time the

latter appearing in 16th century texts in thelonger phrase ldquothe fall of the leafrdquo Interestinglythis interchangeability with the word led by

the mid-19th century to the use of as acolloquial term for execution by hanging Itcame from a play on the phrase ldquogo off with thefall of the leafrdquo which also alluded to hangingthe gallows being described as the ldquoleaflesstreerdquo Ugh

But at the beginning of the month the trees arestill in full leaf though starting to look a little tiredand dusty One of the earlier signs of autumnhere in southern England is the sight of swallowsclustering on telegraph wires gathering for theirmigration to Africa Meanwhile wild swans andgeese begin to arrive from their breeding sitesin the Arctic to over-winter here and takeadvantage of our milder winter and moreplentiful supply of food Across the countrysidebirds are plundering hedgerows for berries andwasps are gorging themselves on windfall fruits

lying fallen in the grass We too can enjoy thebenefits of naturersquos wild harvest providing ofcourse we get to it before the birds do As wellas blackberries itrsquos fun to experiment withdifferent fruits (be sure yoursquore confident whatyoursquore picking though) why not try making jellyfrom rowan berries and from wild rose hips tooas well as elderberry wine syrup and jellies -perfect for enjoying on those colder evenings tocome But remember itrsquos considered extremelybad luck to pick blackberries too late in theseason The final date for picking in some parts

of the country is Michaelmas 29th Septemberbecause by this time the Devil will havedamaged them On the other hand if yoursquoreplanning to make sloe gin then you shouldnrsquotpick the sloes until theyrsquove been touched byfrost as this is supposed to improve the flavourof the resulting drink But the downside to abumper berry harvest is that itrsquos supposed tobe an indicator of a hard winter ahead

As the month progresses and the weatherbecomes cooler and damper wild fungi beginto appear in fields and woodlands They canbe very beautiful - especially the white-spottedscarlet fly agaric the toadstool on which fairyfolk perch - or make their homes inside Butbeware this is a very lovely looking but highlypoisonous fungus so admire from a distanceand leave well alone If you do go fungushunting and plan to eat your spoils then be sureyou know exactly what yoursquore doing - if you getit wrong then the results can be disastrous

4

5

ldquoPeople arenrsquot goingto have faith in yourwork unless you doso get yourself out

thererdquotalks to us about her love of bright

colours her favourite designs and how she startedher business

Meet theMaker

Katy is a wife mammy to abeautiful two year old calledPoppy chronic stitcher andpassionate cake eater living inManchester She startedPixiecraft in 2012 following thesuccess of her blog which followedher adventures in teaching herselfto sew

Making is in my bones and for aslong as I can remember I have hadthe constant desire to be using myhands to make something I playedabout without lots of different craftsthroughout school until eventually Iwent onto University to study acompletely unrelated degree While Iwas there I started to get the itch tomake again and so I decided I wouldteach myself to sew with the aim ofmaking all the decorations for myupcoming wedding I began with asewing machine and 36 metres ofbunting a few poorly constructedskirts and a bag or twentyhellip butquickly realised it was not for me asI did not enjoy being so constrainedby patterns A couple of months

later a friend bought me a book onhand embroidery and I was hookedAfter embroidering just three piecesfrom patterns I started trying to drawmy own patterns and I havenrsquotlooked back and now every piece Imake and sell is drawn from my owndesign

Pixiecraft started as a littleexperiment on Facebook after yearsof friends nagging me to start sellingmy work I opened a little pagewhich had 1000 followers within amatter of weeks three years laterPixiecraft takes up most of my timeI run regular workshops teachinghand embroidery and I have joined alocal collective of artists and makerscalled The Manchester Craft Mafiaas their membership co-ordinator

Oh that is a tough one I recentlystitched a 100 silk kingfisher whichI quite like but my absolute favouritehas to be the rainbow tailedshooting star hoop It has the quotelsquoBe bold enough to use your voice

6

For the graham crustgt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter meltedgt 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the browniesgt 10 tablespoons (1frac14 sticks) unsaltedbuttergt 1frac14 cups (875 oz) granulated sugargt frac34 cups plus 2 tablespoons (25 oz)unsweetened cocoa powdergt frac14 teaspoon saltgt 1 teaspoon vanilla extractgt 2 large eggsgt frac12 cup (225 oz) all-purpose flourgt 1 cup milk chocolate chipsgt frac12 cup marshmallow fluffgt 1 cup mini marshmallows

SrsquomoresBrownies

gt Preheat oven to 325degF Line an 8-by-8-inch baking panwith aluminum foil or parchment paper leaving overhang onthe sides Spray with nonstick cooking spray set pan aside

gt In a bowl combine melted butter and graham crackercrumbs Press into prepared pan Set aside

gt In a large microwave-safe bowl combine butter sugarcocoa salt and heat on high power to melt about 45seconds Stop to stir and heat in 10-second bursts untilmixture has melted and can be stirred smooth (mine took45 seconds + 15 seconds) Batter will be very granular

gt Add the vanilla eggs and stir vigorously until batter isthick shiny and well blended Add the flour and stir untilyou cannot see it any longer Fold in the chocolate chipsPour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly

gt Dollop half of the marshmallow fluff all over the batter andswirl slightly with a knife Spread the remaining battercarefully over the marshmallow fluff Repeat with theremaining marshmallow on top of the brownie batter With

7

Looka lovely idea

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This gorgeous tasselled tote bag by the lovely Chloe fromBoxwood Avenue is sure to turn heads Quick and easy to makeyou can pretty up your bag in no timeImage amp Tutorial wwwboxwoodavenuecom

TasselledTote

wwwboxwoodavenuecom

2

Between the Covers hellipContributors

Rosie Studholme

Puts together all our lovelyideas shopping and bakingpages as well as researchingamp editing our features andinterviews

Katie Fenner

Talks to us about her love ofbright colours her favouritedesigns and how she startedher business

Rachel of Bakerita

Has been baking sincechildhood and now sharesher recipes through Bakerita -yum

Ali of Very Berry Handmade

Has a passion for my passionfor Liberty lawn fabricsbuying using and selling toother enthusiasts too

Michelle Kreusell

Talks to us about how she gotinto crafting where she findsher inspiration and how shestarted her business

Genevieve of Floss ampMischief

Hates dead beetles but lovesstitching her taxidermyinspired cross-stitch creations

September Almanac Page 6

Donrsquot Look Back Hoop Page 8

Demystifying Sewing Machine Needles Page 11

Meet the Maker Pixiecraft Handmade Page 14

Elephant Trophy Head Page 16

Poetry Corner Road through the Woods Page 19

A Little Look at Vintage Transfers Page 20

Baking Corner Srsquomores Brownies Page 22

Lovely Idea Tasselled Tote Page 24

Owl Tea Cosy Page 25

By Candlelight hellip Page 29

Quick Pieced Pin Cushion Page 32

Septemberrsquos Favourite Blogs Page 36

Dreamy Kindle Cover Page 37

Dream it Do it Floss amp Mischief Page 40

Making Softies with Faux Fur Page 42

Polar Bear Nursery Rug Page 44

A Look at Harris Tweed Page 48

Meet the Maker The Fox in the Attic Page 50

Lovely Idea Patchwork Pouch Page 52

All I want for Christmas Hoop Page 53

And finally hellip Page 55

Calendar Printable September Page 56

Conversion Tables Page 57

Templates Page 58

3

September

Early September often brings a period of warmand sunny weather and possibly our lastchance to enjoy the feeling of fresh air on barearms and legs It wonrsquot be long before we arereaching for winter woollies so every hot day isa gift and shouldnrsquot be taken for granted

September is the first of the autumn months -the word comes from the Latin

and its use in English dates back to

the 14th century although in the USA the termis preferred Both these words were used

interchangeably in England at one time the

latter appearing in 16th century texts in thelonger phrase ldquothe fall of the leafrdquo Interestinglythis interchangeability with the word led by

the mid-19th century to the use of as acolloquial term for execution by hanging Itcame from a play on the phrase ldquogo off with thefall of the leafrdquo which also alluded to hangingthe gallows being described as the ldquoleaflesstreerdquo Ugh

But at the beginning of the month the trees arestill in full leaf though starting to look a little tiredand dusty One of the earlier signs of autumnhere in southern England is the sight of swallowsclustering on telegraph wires gathering for theirmigration to Africa Meanwhile wild swans andgeese begin to arrive from their breeding sitesin the Arctic to over-winter here and takeadvantage of our milder winter and moreplentiful supply of food Across the countrysidebirds are plundering hedgerows for berries andwasps are gorging themselves on windfall fruits

lying fallen in the grass We too can enjoy thebenefits of naturersquos wild harvest providing ofcourse we get to it before the birds do As wellas blackberries itrsquos fun to experiment withdifferent fruits (be sure yoursquore confident whatyoursquore picking though) why not try making jellyfrom rowan berries and from wild rose hips tooas well as elderberry wine syrup and jellies -perfect for enjoying on those colder evenings tocome But remember itrsquos considered extremelybad luck to pick blackberries too late in theseason The final date for picking in some parts

of the country is Michaelmas 29th Septemberbecause by this time the Devil will havedamaged them On the other hand if yoursquoreplanning to make sloe gin then you shouldnrsquotpick the sloes until theyrsquove been touched byfrost as this is supposed to improve the flavourof the resulting drink But the downside to abumper berry harvest is that itrsquos supposed tobe an indicator of a hard winter ahead

As the month progresses and the weatherbecomes cooler and damper wild fungi beginto appear in fields and woodlands They canbe very beautiful - especially the white-spottedscarlet fly agaric the toadstool on which fairyfolk perch - or make their homes inside Butbeware this is a very lovely looking but highlypoisonous fungus so admire from a distanceand leave well alone If you do go fungushunting and plan to eat your spoils then be sureyou know exactly what yoursquore doing - if you getit wrong then the results can be disastrous

4

5

ldquoPeople arenrsquot goingto have faith in yourwork unless you doso get yourself out

thererdquotalks to us about her love of bright

colours her favourite designs and how she startedher business

Meet theMaker

Katy is a wife mammy to abeautiful two year old calledPoppy chronic stitcher andpassionate cake eater living inManchester She startedPixiecraft in 2012 following thesuccess of her blog which followedher adventures in teaching herselfto sew

Making is in my bones and for aslong as I can remember I have hadthe constant desire to be using myhands to make something I playedabout without lots of different craftsthroughout school until eventually Iwent onto University to study acompletely unrelated degree While Iwas there I started to get the itch tomake again and so I decided I wouldteach myself to sew with the aim ofmaking all the decorations for myupcoming wedding I began with asewing machine and 36 metres ofbunting a few poorly constructedskirts and a bag or twentyhellip butquickly realised it was not for me asI did not enjoy being so constrainedby patterns A couple of months

later a friend bought me a book onhand embroidery and I was hookedAfter embroidering just three piecesfrom patterns I started trying to drawmy own patterns and I havenrsquotlooked back and now every piece Imake and sell is drawn from my owndesign

Pixiecraft started as a littleexperiment on Facebook after yearsof friends nagging me to start sellingmy work I opened a little pagewhich had 1000 followers within amatter of weeks three years laterPixiecraft takes up most of my timeI run regular workshops teachinghand embroidery and I have joined alocal collective of artists and makerscalled The Manchester Craft Mafiaas their membership co-ordinator

Oh that is a tough one I recentlystitched a 100 silk kingfisher whichI quite like but my absolute favouritehas to be the rainbow tailedshooting star hoop It has the quotelsquoBe bold enough to use your voice

6

For the graham crustgt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter meltedgt 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the browniesgt 10 tablespoons (1frac14 sticks) unsaltedbuttergt 1frac14 cups (875 oz) granulated sugargt frac34 cups plus 2 tablespoons (25 oz)unsweetened cocoa powdergt frac14 teaspoon saltgt 1 teaspoon vanilla extractgt 2 large eggsgt frac12 cup (225 oz) all-purpose flourgt 1 cup milk chocolate chipsgt frac12 cup marshmallow fluffgt 1 cup mini marshmallows

SrsquomoresBrownies

gt Preheat oven to 325degF Line an 8-by-8-inch baking panwith aluminum foil or parchment paper leaving overhang onthe sides Spray with nonstick cooking spray set pan aside

gt In a bowl combine melted butter and graham crackercrumbs Press into prepared pan Set aside

gt In a large microwave-safe bowl combine butter sugarcocoa salt and heat on high power to melt about 45seconds Stop to stir and heat in 10-second bursts untilmixture has melted and can be stirred smooth (mine took45 seconds + 15 seconds) Batter will be very granular

gt Add the vanilla eggs and stir vigorously until batter isthick shiny and well blended Add the flour and stir untilyou cannot see it any longer Fold in the chocolate chipsPour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly

gt Dollop half of the marshmallow fluff all over the batter andswirl slightly with a knife Spread the remaining battercarefully over the marshmallow fluff Repeat with theremaining marshmallow on top of the brownie batter With

7

Looka lovely idea

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This gorgeous tasselled tote bag by the lovely Chloe fromBoxwood Avenue is sure to turn heads Quick and easy to makeyou can pretty up your bag in no timeImage amp Tutorial wwwboxwoodavenuecom

TasselledTote

wwwboxwoodavenuecom

3

September

Early September often brings a period of warmand sunny weather and possibly our lastchance to enjoy the feeling of fresh air on barearms and legs It wonrsquot be long before we arereaching for winter woollies so every hot day isa gift and shouldnrsquot be taken for granted

September is the first of the autumn months -the word comes from the Latin

and its use in English dates back to

the 14th century although in the USA the termis preferred Both these words were used

interchangeably in England at one time the

latter appearing in 16th century texts in thelonger phrase ldquothe fall of the leafrdquo Interestinglythis interchangeability with the word led by

the mid-19th century to the use of as acolloquial term for execution by hanging Itcame from a play on the phrase ldquogo off with thefall of the leafrdquo which also alluded to hangingthe gallows being described as the ldquoleaflesstreerdquo Ugh

But at the beginning of the month the trees arestill in full leaf though starting to look a little tiredand dusty One of the earlier signs of autumnhere in southern England is the sight of swallowsclustering on telegraph wires gathering for theirmigration to Africa Meanwhile wild swans andgeese begin to arrive from their breeding sitesin the Arctic to over-winter here and takeadvantage of our milder winter and moreplentiful supply of food Across the countrysidebirds are plundering hedgerows for berries andwasps are gorging themselves on windfall fruits

lying fallen in the grass We too can enjoy thebenefits of naturersquos wild harvest providing ofcourse we get to it before the birds do As wellas blackberries itrsquos fun to experiment withdifferent fruits (be sure yoursquore confident whatyoursquore picking though) why not try making jellyfrom rowan berries and from wild rose hips tooas well as elderberry wine syrup and jellies -perfect for enjoying on those colder evenings tocome But remember itrsquos considered extremelybad luck to pick blackberries too late in theseason The final date for picking in some parts

of the country is Michaelmas 29th Septemberbecause by this time the Devil will havedamaged them On the other hand if yoursquoreplanning to make sloe gin then you shouldnrsquotpick the sloes until theyrsquove been touched byfrost as this is supposed to improve the flavourof the resulting drink But the downside to abumper berry harvest is that itrsquos supposed tobe an indicator of a hard winter ahead

As the month progresses and the weatherbecomes cooler and damper wild fungi beginto appear in fields and woodlands They canbe very beautiful - especially the white-spottedscarlet fly agaric the toadstool on which fairyfolk perch - or make their homes inside Butbeware this is a very lovely looking but highlypoisonous fungus so admire from a distanceand leave well alone If you do go fungushunting and plan to eat your spoils then be sureyou know exactly what yoursquore doing - if you getit wrong then the results can be disastrous

4

5

ldquoPeople arenrsquot goingto have faith in yourwork unless you doso get yourself out

thererdquotalks to us about her love of bright

colours her favourite designs and how she startedher business

Meet theMaker

Katy is a wife mammy to abeautiful two year old calledPoppy chronic stitcher andpassionate cake eater living inManchester She startedPixiecraft in 2012 following thesuccess of her blog which followedher adventures in teaching herselfto sew

Making is in my bones and for aslong as I can remember I have hadthe constant desire to be using myhands to make something I playedabout without lots of different craftsthroughout school until eventually Iwent onto University to study acompletely unrelated degree While Iwas there I started to get the itch tomake again and so I decided I wouldteach myself to sew with the aim ofmaking all the decorations for myupcoming wedding I began with asewing machine and 36 metres ofbunting a few poorly constructedskirts and a bag or twentyhellip butquickly realised it was not for me asI did not enjoy being so constrainedby patterns A couple of months

later a friend bought me a book onhand embroidery and I was hookedAfter embroidering just three piecesfrom patterns I started trying to drawmy own patterns and I havenrsquotlooked back and now every piece Imake and sell is drawn from my owndesign

Pixiecraft started as a littleexperiment on Facebook after yearsof friends nagging me to start sellingmy work I opened a little pagewhich had 1000 followers within amatter of weeks three years laterPixiecraft takes up most of my timeI run regular workshops teachinghand embroidery and I have joined alocal collective of artists and makerscalled The Manchester Craft Mafiaas their membership co-ordinator

Oh that is a tough one I recentlystitched a 100 silk kingfisher whichI quite like but my absolute favouritehas to be the rainbow tailedshooting star hoop It has the quotelsquoBe bold enough to use your voice

6

For the graham crustgt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter meltedgt 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the browniesgt 10 tablespoons (1frac14 sticks) unsaltedbuttergt 1frac14 cups (875 oz) granulated sugargt frac34 cups plus 2 tablespoons (25 oz)unsweetened cocoa powdergt frac14 teaspoon saltgt 1 teaspoon vanilla extractgt 2 large eggsgt frac12 cup (225 oz) all-purpose flourgt 1 cup milk chocolate chipsgt frac12 cup marshmallow fluffgt 1 cup mini marshmallows

SrsquomoresBrownies

gt Preheat oven to 325degF Line an 8-by-8-inch baking panwith aluminum foil or parchment paper leaving overhang onthe sides Spray with nonstick cooking spray set pan aside

gt In a bowl combine melted butter and graham crackercrumbs Press into prepared pan Set aside

gt In a large microwave-safe bowl combine butter sugarcocoa salt and heat on high power to melt about 45seconds Stop to stir and heat in 10-second bursts untilmixture has melted and can be stirred smooth (mine took45 seconds + 15 seconds) Batter will be very granular

gt Add the vanilla eggs and stir vigorously until batter isthick shiny and well blended Add the flour and stir untilyou cannot see it any longer Fold in the chocolate chipsPour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly

gt Dollop half of the marshmallow fluff all over the batter andswirl slightly with a knife Spread the remaining battercarefully over the marshmallow fluff Repeat with theremaining marshmallow on top of the brownie batter With

7

Looka lovely idea

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This gorgeous tasselled tote bag by the lovely Chloe fromBoxwood Avenue is sure to turn heads Quick and easy to makeyou can pretty up your bag in no timeImage amp Tutorial wwwboxwoodavenuecom

TasselledTote

wwwboxwoodavenuecom

4

5

ldquoPeople arenrsquot goingto have faith in yourwork unless you doso get yourself out

thererdquotalks to us about her love of bright

colours her favourite designs and how she startedher business

Meet theMaker

Katy is a wife mammy to abeautiful two year old calledPoppy chronic stitcher andpassionate cake eater living inManchester She startedPixiecraft in 2012 following thesuccess of her blog which followedher adventures in teaching herselfto sew

Making is in my bones and for aslong as I can remember I have hadthe constant desire to be using myhands to make something I playedabout without lots of different craftsthroughout school until eventually Iwent onto University to study acompletely unrelated degree While Iwas there I started to get the itch tomake again and so I decided I wouldteach myself to sew with the aim ofmaking all the decorations for myupcoming wedding I began with asewing machine and 36 metres ofbunting a few poorly constructedskirts and a bag or twentyhellip butquickly realised it was not for me asI did not enjoy being so constrainedby patterns A couple of months

later a friend bought me a book onhand embroidery and I was hookedAfter embroidering just three piecesfrom patterns I started trying to drawmy own patterns and I havenrsquotlooked back and now every piece Imake and sell is drawn from my owndesign

Pixiecraft started as a littleexperiment on Facebook after yearsof friends nagging me to start sellingmy work I opened a little pagewhich had 1000 followers within amatter of weeks three years laterPixiecraft takes up most of my timeI run regular workshops teachinghand embroidery and I have joined alocal collective of artists and makerscalled The Manchester Craft Mafiaas their membership co-ordinator

Oh that is a tough one I recentlystitched a 100 silk kingfisher whichI quite like but my absolute favouritehas to be the rainbow tailedshooting star hoop It has the quotelsquoBe bold enough to use your voice

6

For the graham crustgt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter meltedgt 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the browniesgt 10 tablespoons (1frac14 sticks) unsaltedbuttergt 1frac14 cups (875 oz) granulated sugargt frac34 cups plus 2 tablespoons (25 oz)unsweetened cocoa powdergt frac14 teaspoon saltgt 1 teaspoon vanilla extractgt 2 large eggsgt frac12 cup (225 oz) all-purpose flourgt 1 cup milk chocolate chipsgt frac12 cup marshmallow fluffgt 1 cup mini marshmallows

SrsquomoresBrownies

gt Preheat oven to 325degF Line an 8-by-8-inch baking panwith aluminum foil or parchment paper leaving overhang onthe sides Spray with nonstick cooking spray set pan aside

gt In a bowl combine melted butter and graham crackercrumbs Press into prepared pan Set aside

gt In a large microwave-safe bowl combine butter sugarcocoa salt and heat on high power to melt about 45seconds Stop to stir and heat in 10-second bursts untilmixture has melted and can be stirred smooth (mine took45 seconds + 15 seconds) Batter will be very granular

gt Add the vanilla eggs and stir vigorously until batter isthick shiny and well blended Add the flour and stir untilyou cannot see it any longer Fold in the chocolate chipsPour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly

gt Dollop half of the marshmallow fluff all over the batter andswirl slightly with a knife Spread the remaining battercarefully over the marshmallow fluff Repeat with theremaining marshmallow on top of the brownie batter With

7

Looka lovely idea

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This gorgeous tasselled tote bag by the lovely Chloe fromBoxwood Avenue is sure to turn heads Quick and easy to makeyou can pretty up your bag in no timeImage amp Tutorial wwwboxwoodavenuecom

TasselledTote

wwwboxwoodavenuecom

5

ldquoPeople arenrsquot goingto have faith in yourwork unless you doso get yourself out

thererdquotalks to us about her love of bright

colours her favourite designs and how she startedher business

Meet theMaker

Katy is a wife mammy to abeautiful two year old calledPoppy chronic stitcher andpassionate cake eater living inManchester She startedPixiecraft in 2012 following thesuccess of her blog which followedher adventures in teaching herselfto sew

Making is in my bones and for aslong as I can remember I have hadthe constant desire to be using myhands to make something I playedabout without lots of different craftsthroughout school until eventually Iwent onto University to study acompletely unrelated degree While Iwas there I started to get the itch tomake again and so I decided I wouldteach myself to sew with the aim ofmaking all the decorations for myupcoming wedding I began with asewing machine and 36 metres ofbunting a few poorly constructedskirts and a bag or twentyhellip butquickly realised it was not for me asI did not enjoy being so constrainedby patterns A couple of months

later a friend bought me a book onhand embroidery and I was hookedAfter embroidering just three piecesfrom patterns I started trying to drawmy own patterns and I havenrsquotlooked back and now every piece Imake and sell is drawn from my owndesign

Pixiecraft started as a littleexperiment on Facebook after yearsof friends nagging me to start sellingmy work I opened a little pagewhich had 1000 followers within amatter of weeks three years laterPixiecraft takes up most of my timeI run regular workshops teachinghand embroidery and I have joined alocal collective of artists and makerscalled The Manchester Craft Mafiaas their membership co-ordinator

Oh that is a tough one I recentlystitched a 100 silk kingfisher whichI quite like but my absolute favouritehas to be the rainbow tailedshooting star hoop It has the quotelsquoBe bold enough to use your voice

6

For the graham crustgt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter meltedgt 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the browniesgt 10 tablespoons (1frac14 sticks) unsaltedbuttergt 1frac14 cups (875 oz) granulated sugargt frac34 cups plus 2 tablespoons (25 oz)unsweetened cocoa powdergt frac14 teaspoon saltgt 1 teaspoon vanilla extractgt 2 large eggsgt frac12 cup (225 oz) all-purpose flourgt 1 cup milk chocolate chipsgt frac12 cup marshmallow fluffgt 1 cup mini marshmallows

SrsquomoresBrownies

gt Preheat oven to 325degF Line an 8-by-8-inch baking panwith aluminum foil or parchment paper leaving overhang onthe sides Spray with nonstick cooking spray set pan aside

gt In a bowl combine melted butter and graham crackercrumbs Press into prepared pan Set aside

gt In a large microwave-safe bowl combine butter sugarcocoa salt and heat on high power to melt about 45seconds Stop to stir and heat in 10-second bursts untilmixture has melted and can be stirred smooth (mine took45 seconds + 15 seconds) Batter will be very granular

gt Add the vanilla eggs and stir vigorously until batter isthick shiny and well blended Add the flour and stir untilyou cannot see it any longer Fold in the chocolate chipsPour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly

gt Dollop half of the marshmallow fluff all over the batter andswirl slightly with a knife Spread the remaining battercarefully over the marshmallow fluff Repeat with theremaining marshmallow on top of the brownie batter With

7

Looka lovely idea

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This gorgeous tasselled tote bag by the lovely Chloe fromBoxwood Avenue is sure to turn heads Quick and easy to makeyou can pretty up your bag in no timeImage amp Tutorial wwwboxwoodavenuecom

TasselledTote

wwwboxwoodavenuecom

6

For the graham crustgt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter meltedgt 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the browniesgt 10 tablespoons (1frac14 sticks) unsaltedbuttergt 1frac14 cups (875 oz) granulated sugargt frac34 cups plus 2 tablespoons (25 oz)unsweetened cocoa powdergt frac14 teaspoon saltgt 1 teaspoon vanilla extractgt 2 large eggsgt frac12 cup (225 oz) all-purpose flourgt 1 cup milk chocolate chipsgt frac12 cup marshmallow fluffgt 1 cup mini marshmallows

SrsquomoresBrownies

gt Preheat oven to 325degF Line an 8-by-8-inch baking panwith aluminum foil or parchment paper leaving overhang onthe sides Spray with nonstick cooking spray set pan aside

gt In a bowl combine melted butter and graham crackercrumbs Press into prepared pan Set aside

gt In a large microwave-safe bowl combine butter sugarcocoa salt and heat on high power to melt about 45seconds Stop to stir and heat in 10-second bursts untilmixture has melted and can be stirred smooth (mine took45 seconds + 15 seconds) Batter will be very granular

gt Add the vanilla eggs and stir vigorously until batter isthick shiny and well blended Add the flour and stir untilyou cannot see it any longer Fold in the chocolate chipsPour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly

gt Dollop half of the marshmallow fluff all over the batter andswirl slightly with a knife Spread the remaining battercarefully over the marshmallow fluff Repeat with theremaining marshmallow on top of the brownie batter With

7

Looka lovely idea

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This gorgeous tasselled tote bag by the lovely Chloe fromBoxwood Avenue is sure to turn heads Quick and easy to makeyou can pretty up your bag in no timeImage amp Tutorial wwwboxwoodavenuecom

TasselledTote

wwwboxwoodavenuecom

7

Looka lovely idea

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This gorgeous tasselled tote bag by the lovely Chloe fromBoxwood Avenue is sure to turn heads Quick and easy to makeyou can pretty up your bag in no timeImage amp Tutorial wwwboxwoodavenuecom

TasselledTote

wwwboxwoodavenuecom

8

9

By Candlelight hellipIn September the evenings are drawing in rapidly - indeed by the end of the monthwe will have passed the autumn equinox and the nights will be longer than the daysItrsquos usually still too warm for a fire so I love to fill my hearth with candles to enjoy theirflickering light and enjoy their glow through the dusky twilight hours

10

And finally hellip

Wersquove come to the end of another issue andI do hope yoursquove enjoyed the time wersquovespent together

At the new Bustle amp Sew HQ here in Somersetwersquore all enjoying those last few days of latesummer sunshine but therersquos a change in theair now as the days shorten rapidly thechildren return to school and before long thefirst frost will appear and autumn will reallyhave begun

The Newfies and I meanwhile will be headingoff along new (to us) hedgerows to collectand use all the good things that can be foundin the countryside around us at this time ofyear It may take us a little while to discoverall the best spots where the ripest juiciestfruits can be found but wersquore going to havea lot of fun along the way

Irsquove always believed that some of the nicestautumn pickings are those you find for freefrom hedges and trees while the soft dampEnglish weather brings out clutches ofmushrooms across fields and meadows Ifthe weather has been kind and you can getthere before the squirrels there may be hazeland cob nuts to find amongst the turning

leaves Then itrsquos home again to stitch (me)and snooze (Daisy and Ben) in front of the logburnerhellip

Therersquos lots more Bustle amp Sew to enjoy overthe coming weeks and months Octoberrsquosmagazine will be published on Thursday 24September and wersquoll be launching ourChristmas kits in October too Irsquom veryexcited to have been asked to teach somesoftie making classes next spring and Irsquoll besure to let you know nearer the time whereand when theyrsquore happening

But until then hellip

I hope you have a very happy and fruitfulSeptember with lots of time for stitching

Best wishes

Helen xx

11

9

By Candlelight hellipIn September the evenings are drawing in rapidly - indeed by the end of the monthwe will have passed the autumn equinox and the nights will be longer than the daysItrsquos usually still too warm for a fire so I love to fill my hearth with candles to enjoy theirflickering light and enjoy their glow through the dusky twilight hours

10

And finally hellip

Wersquove come to the end of another issue andI do hope yoursquove enjoyed the time wersquovespent together

At the new Bustle amp Sew HQ here in Somersetwersquore all enjoying those last few days of latesummer sunshine but therersquos a change in theair now as the days shorten rapidly thechildren return to school and before long thefirst frost will appear and autumn will reallyhave begun

The Newfies and I meanwhile will be headingoff along new (to us) hedgerows to collectand use all the good things that can be foundin the countryside around us at this time ofyear It may take us a little while to discoverall the best spots where the ripest juiciestfruits can be found but wersquore going to havea lot of fun along the way

Irsquove always believed that some of the nicestautumn pickings are those you find for freefrom hedges and trees while the soft dampEnglish weather brings out clutches ofmushrooms across fields and meadows Ifthe weather has been kind and you can getthere before the squirrels there may be hazeland cob nuts to find amongst the turning

leaves Then itrsquos home again to stitch (me)and snooze (Daisy and Ben) in front of the logburnerhellip

Therersquos lots more Bustle amp Sew to enjoy overthe coming weeks and months Octoberrsquosmagazine will be published on Thursday 24September and wersquoll be launching ourChristmas kits in October too Irsquom veryexcited to have been asked to teach somesoftie making classes next spring and Irsquoll besure to let you know nearer the time whereand when theyrsquore happening

But until then hellip

I hope you have a very happy and fruitfulSeptember with lots of time for stitching

Best wishes

Helen xx

11

10

And finally hellip

Wersquove come to the end of another issue andI do hope yoursquove enjoyed the time wersquovespent together

At the new Bustle amp Sew HQ here in Somersetwersquore all enjoying those last few days of latesummer sunshine but therersquos a change in theair now as the days shorten rapidly thechildren return to school and before long thefirst frost will appear and autumn will reallyhave begun

The Newfies and I meanwhile will be headingoff along new (to us) hedgerows to collectand use all the good things that can be foundin the countryside around us at this time ofyear It may take us a little while to discoverall the best spots where the ripest juiciestfruits can be found but wersquore going to havea lot of fun along the way

Irsquove always believed that some of the nicestautumn pickings are those you find for freefrom hedges and trees while the soft dampEnglish weather brings out clutches ofmushrooms across fields and meadows Ifthe weather has been kind and you can getthere before the squirrels there may be hazeland cob nuts to find amongst the turning

leaves Then itrsquos home again to stitch (me)and snooze (Daisy and Ben) in front of the logburnerhellip

Therersquos lots more Bustle amp Sew to enjoy overthe coming weeks and months Octoberrsquosmagazine will be published on Thursday 24September and wersquoll be launching ourChristmas kits in October too Irsquom veryexcited to have been asked to teach somesoftie making classes next spring and Irsquoll besure to let you know nearer the time whereand when theyrsquore happening

But until then hellip

I hope you have a very happy and fruitfulSeptember with lots of time for stitching

Best wishes

Helen xx

11

11