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Hello,

and welcome to the Bustle & Sew Spring 2015 Pattern collection that brings togethersome of my favourite spring patterns across the years. Inside you’ll discover bunniesand chicks of course, and lots more patterns using lovely spring like pastels and a varietyof techniques. I’ve also included some “how to” sections and some extra sewing tips tohelp make your projects will be the nicest they can be.

So if you’re looking for ideas that are just that little bit special - but don’t cost theearth or take hours to create, I do hope you’ll discover what you’re looking for in thislittle book.

Helen xx

CONTENTSChoosing your needle Page 4

Two French Hens Page 5

Embroidered Heart Page 7

Making Beautiful Softies Page 10

Lovebird Softies Page 13

What Makes You Happy Hoop Art Page 15

English Cottage Tea Cosy Page 17

Machine Applique Freestyle & Easy Page 20

Farm Fresh Eggs for Easter Applique Page 25

Spring Bunny Wreath Page 27

Caring for your Scissors Page 30

Spring Daisies Embroidery Page 32

Transferring Your Pattern Page 36

Hyacinth in a Tea Cup Page 38

Teacups Applique Page 41

Templates Page 43

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The starting point for any successful sewingproject is a good needle that is the right size andsharpness for the task you are about toundertake. It should also be shiny - not for thesake of appearance - but the plating does wearoff needles over time so as soon as your needlefeels sticky and appears even slightly tarnishedit's time to replace it with a new one.

The eye of your needle should be large enoughto take the thread without difficulty and thedoubled thread should easily pass through yourfabric. If you find you're having to tug, then try alarger size of needle.

Very fine needles are great as they run throughyour fabric with ease, but if you're like me withless nimble fingers (I'm getting a bit of arthritis inmine as I get older) then small needles can betricky to hold. I usually use a slightly larger oneand find it's quite successful. It's worthexperimenting with a pack of mixed sizes to seewhich suits you and the work in hand the best.

Needle sizes are ranged by number - the lowerthe number, then larger the needle, so a size 1needle is larger than a 2 or 3 and so on. Thereare four common types of needle used forembroidery

Crewel (embroidery) needles come in sizes 1 to10. They have sharp points to pierce your fabriceasily and long eyes to take one or more threadsof stranded cotton or wool. These are the mostcommonly used needles for embroideryprojects. Apart from the long eye they are thesame length and shape as ordinary sewing(sharps) needles. The most popular sizes usedto embroider are size 7 and 9.

Tapestry needles come in sizes 13 to 24. Theyhave rounded, blunt ends, which slip betweenthe fibres of fabrics such as heavy even weavesfor counted embroidery without splitting them

and, as you might guess from the name, areideal for using on needlepoint canvas where asharp point would catch. Their oval-shapedeyes are generous in size to allow you to usethick yarns.

Chenille needles are identical to tapestry needlesexcept that they have sharp points. They'reuseful for sewing fabrics like twill and for thickeryarns and threads that may not thread throughthe eye of a standard crewel (embroidery)needle.

Betweens (quilting needles) come in sizes 1 to12. They have sharp points and are short forquick, even stitching such as running, back andstem stitch. They're also great for workingFrench knots as they're easy to manipulate.

Choosing your Needle

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Two FrenchHens

Adorable little hen softies stitchedfrom felt and fabric scraps. Eachhen measures about 4 ½” high.They’re a great beginners’ projector a really quick and easy make forthe more experienced stitcher.

A French Hen would make a lovelydoor stop if she was a little larger,or why not part-stuff and add alining for a cute egg cosy?

Materials● 12” square felt or similar for the body

● 4” square felt or similar for the head

● Scraps of red felt for comb andwattles

● 4” square fabric or felt for wings

● Small piece of cardboard for base

● Tiny black beads for eyes (eighth ofan inch)

● Rice or poly beads to weight base(optional)

● Toy stuffing

● Stranded cotton embroidery floss insuitable colour for body plus tiny bit ofblack thread for attaching eyes.

Method● Cut pieces as shown on template.

● Sew the head and body pieces togetheralong the line a – c. Place wrong sidestogether and stitch by hand using halfcross stitch one way, then working backthe other way to complete the crossstitch over the seams.

● Join the front of the body from a – e.

● Now attach the base to the body in thesame way.

● Join the front of the head from c to justbefore d.

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Lovely floral heart in summershades is a great little embroiderythat fits perfectly within a 6” hoopso it’s easy to stitch on the go ifyou choose.

I’ve used my finished embroideryto create a lavender heart, but youcould add this design to all sortsof projects - the only limit is yourimagination!

Finished embroidery measures 4½” approx

Materials� 7” square white or cream cotton, linen or

cotton/linen blend fabric

� DMC stranded cotton floss in colours 150, 745,894, 906, 907, 3042, 3787, ecru

If you are planning to make a stuffedheart like mine you will also need:

� Two x 7” squares medium weight fabric in aneutral colour(s)

� 6” x ½” wide ribbon or tape

� Stuffing - this can be lavender, toystuffing, a mixture of both or whateveryou would like to use.

� Pinking shears.

EmbroideredHeart

Stitching Guide:The heart is worked with two strands of flossthroughout.

The only stitches used are back stitch, straightstitch and satin stitch.

To work the dual-coloured flowers begin at thecentre and work straight stitches of differentlengths radiating outwards from the centre, butstopping before the edges of the petals.

Vary the lengths of these stitches, then fill in thespace between their ends and the edges of thepetals with straight stitches in the flower colour.

Finish by working a few tiny stitches at the centreto cover the place where your stitches meet.

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I love making softies – usually from scraps offelted knitwear or old blankets that mightotherwise be discarded. Although theprocess itself is not difficult (though it cansometimes be fiddly) too often the results canbe disappointing. I hope that you will find thefollowing notes useful, some tips werehanded down to me, and others I havelearned the hard way!

Choosing your materials

Making softies need not be an expensivecraft. I make most of mine from scraps thatwould otherwise be thrown away. If you arewatching costs though, don’t try toeconomise using cheap materials. A recycledpiece of good quality fabric will make a muchnicer, longer-lasting softie than a flimsy, poorquality piece of fabric bought especially forthe purpose. Look for old woollen orcashmere knitwear in thrift shops or jumblesales – when felted these make wonderfulsofties – felted cashmere is particularly lovelyfor baby toys as it keeps its super-soft feel.Old blankets are also good and of course feltis the classic choice.

Be sure to choose a good quality wool orwool-mix felt though – cheap acrylic craft feltis likely to tear at the seams and lose itscolour in washing.

Man-made fibres are mostly unsuitable forsoftie making. Shiny materials such as silk,satin and heavily glazed cotton are alsounsuitable. They fray too easily, pucker whensewn together and do not stuff or wash well.Cotton prints should always be washed ifyou’re using new fabric – this will remove anydressing and avoid future shrinkage of yoursoftie.

Cutting your pattern pieces

This is a very important part of the process –it’s worth taking a lot of time and care overas you’ll reap dividends later on. Bad cuttingwill result in misshapen softies and patternpieces that don’t fit together properly.

Many people think that they should use smallscissors to cut out fiddly pieces, such as thecomb on the French Hens overleaf – but thisisn’t necessarily the case. Felt pieces forthese details must be cut out with acontinuous action, so giving a nice smooth

Making Beautiful Softies(patterns from Bustle & Sew)

www.bustleandsew.com

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LovebirdSofties

These endearing little lovebirdsare really easy to make andrequire only small amounts offabric and felt (or use old blanketpieces or felted woollens as Ihave).

And when they’re soeasy why limit yourself to two?Make a whole nestful for familyand friends perhaps?

Finished birds measure 4” tall(Approx)

Materials● 8” square felt for main body (or you

can use felted woollens or old blanket- as long as they’re not stretchy)

● 7” x 3” rectangle contrast felt for mainbody

● 6” square (or equivalent) of cottonfloral fabric for wings and tail

● Tiny scraps of gold or yellow felt forbeak

● Two ¾” buttons

● Two tiny (1/8“) shiny spherical blackbuttons

● Rounded pebble/polybeads/riceto weight the tail end of base

● Toy stuffing

● Stranded cotton floss or cottonperle thread in a colour thatworks well with your fabric.

● Black thread to attach eyes

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I don’t know for certain - but Isuspect if you’re reading this thenyou are probably just like me - andan afternoon spent with your sewingmachine and some lovely fabric, orhoop and floss is definitely one ofthe things that makes you happy!

This design would make a greataddition to any workroom wall, or agift for a similarly-minded friend.Simple applique, machine and handstitching all combine to great effect.

Shown mounted in a 10” hoop.

Materials� 12” square light pink check background

fabric (I used part of an Ikea tea towel!)

� Scraps of lime green dotty fabric forsewing machine and blue floral fabricsfor fabric and heart

� DMC stranded cotton floss in colours154, 335, 597, 602, 718, 726, 907 and3849

� Small (approx ¼”) white button

� Black and a light coloured thread

� Bondaweb

� Temporary fabric marker

� Embroidery foot for sewing machine

Method� Transfer the design to the centre of your

fabric using the method of your choice.The pattern is given full size and alsoreversed to help you do this.

� Using the reversed template trace off theshapes for the sewing machine, heartand fabric to the paper side of theBondaweb and cut out roughly. Fuse tothe reverse of your printed fabric and cutout along lines.

� Peel off paper backing, position shapeson design using your transfer lines as aguide and press into place with a hotiron.

� Draw the fold lines on the fabric withyour temporary marker pen.

What MakesYou Happy

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English CottageTea Cosy

Inspired by those lovely vintagepatterns, and brought right up-to-date with freestyle machineembroidery, this little tea cosy issure to please.

Mine is shown on a 2-cup pot,but I’ve included instructions formeasuring your teapot so thatyour cosy will fit snugly overyour own choice of pot.

Materials● Two 12” squares of pink medium weight

fabric for the exterior

● 2” x 3” rectangle fabric for chimney

● Two 12” squares of light green medium orquilting weight fabric for the lining

● Two 12” squares of lightweight batting or Iused some old woollen blanket pieces thathad been well washed and shrunk already

● Two 12” x 4” rectangles of thatch-colouredfabric for the roof

● 6” square light blue felt for shutters

● 4” square light coloured floral fabric forwindow panes

● 3” x 2” floral fabric for door

● 3” x 2” beige felt for pots

● Scraps of floral fabric for door panels andlothes on line

● 3 ½” x ½” tweedy fabric for clothes pole

● Stranded cotton floss in two shades ofgreen light & dark) and assorted colours ofyour hoice for the flowers. I used 309, 677,701, 04, 827, 3716, 3726 but it’s really upto your personal choice.

● Dark green, black and cream thread formachine needle, light colour in bobbin

● Embroidery foot for sewing machine

● Temporary fabric marker pen

● Bondaweb

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Machine Applique -freestyle and very easy!This collection includes patterns that use freestylemachine embroidery and raw edge applique. I lovethis method as it gives great results in a remarkablyshort period of time – perfect if you’re working to adeadline, or if you’re trying to give lots of handmadegifts this year. I know many people are a little nervousof trying this technique, I most definitely was, but nowI love working in this way – I view my sewing machinein a whole new light as not just a method of joiningpieces of fabric together, but as a means of creativeexpression in its own right.

You don’t need any expensive equipment for thistechnique – you’ll almost certainly have everything youneed already. You will need a sewing machine ofcourse – but it doesn’t need to be expensive and/orfancy. In fact the simpler the better as you will onlyneed to use the basic straight stitch option.

Use sharp scissors to cut out your applique shapes.I use my large shears which seems perhaps a little oddwhen I’m often cutting fairly small shapes, but for meit’s easier to make long smooth curving cuts with theirlong blades as I don’t have to stop and open themagain all the time. I also have a small pair of sharpscissors that are good for cutting very tiny curves, likethe twirls on the cat’s movember moustache.Many people like to hoop up before starting theirmachine applique. I personally don’t do this as I preferto work without. (unlike hand embroidery where I simplycan’t stitch without one!). If you do decide to use ahoop then, like hand embroidery, be sure to choose a

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Lovely fresh eggs and toast soldiers -favourite comfort food for childhood teatimes, or perhaps an indulgent weekendbreakfast?

Enjoy all week round with this quick andeasy project combining machineapplique with hand embroidery andmounted onto an artist’s canvas block.

Materials� A4 size canvas block (approx 8 ¼” x 11

½”)

� 17” x 5” rectangle fabric for lowerbackground (yellow with feathers)

� 17” x 9” rectangle fabric for upperbackground (green stripes)

� Three 2 ½” x 3” rectangles of patternedquilting weight cotton for egg cups.Choose fabrics with small patterns tokeep the scale correct.

� 6” square brown felt

� 3” x 2” piece golden yellow felt

� 3” x 1” piece white felt ¾” x 2 ½” piecesuitable fabric for toast finger (I used atextured upholstery fabric)

� Dark green stranded cotton flossBondaweb

� Dark grey and cream thread

� Staple gun to mount your finished pieceonto the canvas block.

� Temporary fabric marker pen

� Embroidery or darning foot for yoursewing machine

Farm FreshEggs Applique

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Spring BunnyWreath

All you need is an oldembroidery hoop, some scrapsand a hot glue gun to create thisenchanting little bunnydecoration. Treat your housethis spring!

I used an 8” embroidery hoop,but you could easily make yourwreath larger or smaller, justresize the bunny template toSuit.

Materials● 8” embroidery hoop

● Strips of fabric to bind hoop - theseshould be about ½” in length and youwill need approximately 2 ½ yards, butthis depends on how closely you wrapyour hoop. I cut my strips with pinkingshears for a decorative effect, butthis is optional.

● 10” square rabbit coloured felt and atiny scrap of pink for his ear

● Tiny scrap of white or cream fluffyfabric for his tail.

● Scraps of coloured felt for the flowers

● Coloured embroidery floss forthe flowers around the rabbit’sneck.

● Floss to match yourrabbitcoloured felt to sew his bodytogether and a slightly darkershade to add lines for legs andnose.

● Tiny black bead for eye (ifunavailable then a few stitches inblack floss will work too)

● Toy stuffing

● Hot glue gun

● Temporary fabric marker

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TAKING CARE OF YOUR SCISSORS

1Sharpen your scissors often. As yourscissor blades become blunted over time,it will become increasingly difficult to cut

fabric, especially heavier-weight fabric orjerseys. You can use a specialised scissorsharpener to keep your scissors sharp at homeor take them to a sewing machine repair shopfor a periodic service(!) You don’t have to buy anew pair of sewing scissors just because theyare starting to get dull.

2Only ever use your scissors for fabric.Guard them jealously and NEVER letanyone use them to cut paper. You may

remember your your mum or grandma tellingyou not to use their sewing scissors on anythingbut fabric. They weren’t being mean, it wasbecause sewing scissors become dull morequickly when they are used on items other thanfabric.

3Pressing your work as you go is a mustfor most sewists, but irons usually havewater in them so we can steam as we

press, and the steam really isn’t not good foryour scissors. Don’t leave your scissors on yourironing board as you work or even after you’vefinished, as your board will retain the moisture

from the iron’s steam a lot longer than you mighthave thought.

4Try not to drop your your scissors as thebump when they hit the floor can knocktheir blades out of alignment. This can

happen even if you drop them on carpet, butthe worst damage will be done by wood orconcrete floors.

5 It’s a good idea to wipe the blades witha soft cloth after using your scissors.Some fabrics are abrasive and can

damage the metal on your scissors, especiallysome man-made fabrics. If your sewing scissorshave a sticky residue on them (eg fromBondaweb if you’ve been doing applique work),then use a little bit of water and a soft cloth towipe them clean. Make sure to dry themcompletely afterwards to prevent rust.

6For the best possible cutting experience,the blades of your sewing scissors needto be tight. Many will have a central pivot

screw that can be tightened with an ordinaryhousehold screwdriver. Just tighten the screwand apply a drop of oil to the screw (wipe anyexcess oil).

7Watch out for hidden hazards and be surenever to use your good fabric scissors forcutting wired ribbons, paper patterns and

Bondaweb. Guard against the perils of pins -a serious enemy to the smooth operation of yourscissors. If you’re pinning a pattern to fabricbefore cutting out, then make sure your pinsdon’t protrude beyond the edge of the paper.This will prevent your accidentally cutting overa pin cutting the fabric. Using glass-headed pinswill help you spot them as you go.

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Spring Daisies

Appearing on your lawn - first inones and twos, then scatteredacross the grass in handfuls,tiny white and pink daisies areone of the first signs of spring.Here a handful has beenscooped into a teacup andbrought indoors to enjoy…

Design is mounted in a 10”hoop.

Finished embroidery measures7 ¾” diameter (approx)

Materials● 12” square neutral coloured linen or

linen/cotton blend suitable forembroidery

● Scraps of green felt measuring about1 ½” long x 1” wide

● Scrap of tweedy brown fabric for soil

● 5” x 4” piece of soft blue fabric for theteacup

● Assortment of cotton scraps for thepatchwork border

● 10” hoop for mounting

● 12” square lightweight white cottonfabric to act as base for patchworkborder

● Bondaweb

● Temporary fabric spray adhesive

● Temporary fabric marker pen

● Sharpie or other heavy felt tippen

● DMC stranded cotton floss in colours:ecru, 166, 470, 580, 732, 906, 963, 3755,4015

● Anchor stranded cotton floss incolour: 1360

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Possibly the most frequent query I receive is “How do I transfer my embroidery design from the printedpage to my fabric?”This is one of those questions where there isn’t a single right or wrong answer –it’s all about choosing the method that works best for you.

The easiest method to transfer a design is ofcourse an iron-on transfer, many of which used tobe given away free with needlework magazines inthe mid-20th century, printed in either blue orsilver.

My grandmother had a huge collection of thesetransfers, all carefully stored in a biscuit box witha cute puppy and kitten picture on the lid. Therewere sunbonnet and crinoline ladies - too many tocount - birds, bears and an infinite variety of flowerpatterns. If you enjoy stitching vintage, it's stilleasy to find these old designs in thrift shops, atjumble sales and of course on auction sites suchas eBay.

But if you don’t have a transfer and want to transfera downloaded pattern (like those in this magazine)there are several different methods available toyou, some of which are easier, and so perhapsmore popular, than others.

If you're embroidering onto a pale coloured,light-weight fabric, then it's easy to trace yourdesign onto it as though it was tracing paper. Todo this, print your design in the usual way, thentape your printed sheet to a light source - mostusually a light box or window pane. Position your

fabric over it, right side up, making sure that thedesign is beneath the position you have chosenfor your finished embroidery.

Tape your fabric in place over the paper. Don't betempted to try to hold it with one hand while tracingwith the other - unless it's really small and simpleyour fabric is quite likely to slip out of positionleading to frustration and a spoiled design (I amspeaking from experience!). If you have some thenmasking tape is the best to use as it's easier toremove than sellotape and leaves less stickyresidue. Use the smallest amount you actuallyneed and keep it to the edges of your fabric, justin case.

When everything is securely held in place, traceover your design with a sharp pencil or a watersoluble temporary fabric marker pen. I have readdebate online about whether or not the marks fromthese pens can reappear over a period of time,spoiling your finished work. I haven't personallyexperienced this problem, but if in doubt then usea pencil. This will leave a permanent mark, but itwon't bleed into other areas and should becovered by your stitching.

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Bring spring into your home all yearround with this embroidered hyacinthbulb sitting prettily in a china cup. I loveforced bulbs in the winter and onlywish I could enjoy them for longer asthey don’t last long once they begin toflower.

This is one of my earliest patterns andis based on a photo of an actualflowering hyacinth I enjoyed on mywindowsill back in, I think, February2010 and I hope you enjoy stitching itas much as I did.

The finished design measures 9” x 7”approximately.

Hyacinth inTea Cup

Materials

● 12 x 10” piece of medium-weight naturalcoloured linen or cotton – if it has a nice softslubby texture that would look very effectivewith this design.

● 4” square piece of light or medium weightcotton patterned fabric

● Stranded cotton floss in pink, blue, lightgreen, dark green, light brown, dark brownand a variegated pink (or whatever colour

you’d like your hyacinth to be) floss for theflower.

● Bondaweb

● Temporary fabric marker pen

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A stack of lovely vintage china teacups - waiting for the washing up?Or waiting to be filled with thatfavourite of all drinks for theEnglish - a nice cup of tea?

Either way this is a lovely simplefreestyle machine applique projectand is great for using up all thosepretty scraps that you simplycan’t bear to throw away.

Finished size 21” x 7”

Materials� 10” x 24” piece of medium weight linen or

cotton/linen mix fabric

� Assortment of quilting weight or lightercotton scraps for the applique. Theyshould measure between 4” - 6” . Choosecolours that will work well together - addat least one plain fabric - stripes and floralsalso work well together. The patternsshould be quite small as otherwise theeffect will be lost.

� Small amount of white felt for the insidesof the cups

� Bondaweb

� Embroidery foot for your machine.

� Black thread in machine needle and lightcoloured thread in the bobbin.

� Temporary fabric marker pen if you wantto draw in the shading on the tea cupsbefore you stitch - if you are confident withthis technique then you probably won’tneed to draw your lines before stitching.

� Staple gun

� Fabric adhesive tape

Tea CupsApplique

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I do hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of Bustle & Sewpatterns.

You can keep up to date with all the goings-on at Bustle& Sew HQ over on our website

www.bustleandsew.com

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