Summer Time - Embroidery Pattern

The second of the seasonal designs is now ready for you lovely lot to download and stitch to your hearts content. 

It's a bright design to bring in summer, the third in the series will be available late August, newsletter subscribers get first dibs to download it. Once all the four designs have been released they will be turned into a mini art quilt. Of course, you don't have to wait till then to do something with the designs when you've stitched them.

Click to download the summer embroidered pattern.

The pattern includes how to transfer the design and stitch diagrams too boot. I hope you enjoy stitching it, and feel free to make your own mark by using the threads you have to hand and even add a few more stitches if you fancy it!

Please be mindful of the fact that this pattern isn't for commercial use, and if you do wish to share it on your blog, please can you make reference to me. 

Though please note and respect that this is pattern isn't for commercial use, and if you share it on your blog, please reference me or I may be forced to set Hamish on you. 

Spring Time Cheer - Embroidery Pattern

Released on my March newsletter last week, I am pleased to now be able to share the latest free embroidery pattern to you lovely blog readers.

It's a simple and cheery design to welcome spring, even if it has been a little reluctant to show it's face. This is the first in four designs that I will be sharing with you this year. The four designs will be put together in winter to make a seasonal mini art quilt. Of course, you don't have to wait till then to do something with it when it's done, it's a handy square design that can be used as a design on a cushion cover, or your own quilt design and so forth.

Click here to download the pattern; which includes instructions on how to transfer the design and stitch diagrams too boot. I hope you enjoy stitching it, and feel free to make your own mark by changing the colours used and instead of French Knots (if your not a fan) use tiny seed beads.

Please be mindful of the fact that this pattern isn't for commercial use, and if you do wish to share it on your blog, please can you make reference to me. 

Though please note and respect that this is pattern isn't for commercial use, and if you share it on your blog, please reference me or I may be forced to release the hamsters....

Bees, Pictures and Tea

The secret squirrel project has been posted off, and I've decided to treat myself this weekend to a bit of me time, and wrapping up a few loose ends. So I can start a fresh next weekend and finally crack on with new projects and start work on the Honeycomb tutorial I've been promising.

So this weekend I've cleaned my abode, pampered myself and Hamish, hung pictures and tarted up a new mega sized notice board, cooked and finished off another overdue project. Oh, I also wrote a mini newsletter. 

Before I talk about the newsletter I thought I'd show you a few shots from the room, I've been able to keep the room tidy...lets see how long that lasts. ;) 

Just a few shelves...

Yes, that is Mary Poppin's on the screen. A few pictures on the wall.

New uber big notice board, time to fill it!

The newsletter that went out today was just a smaller than normal one mainly because of the sheer lack of doing anything other than sorting out the flat and focusing on the secret squirrel project. But I promised a free pattern to download so, the 50+ folks who kindly subscribe to the newsletter were the first to get it.

So the new pattern is a wee little planet to join the series and it's theme is bees...

To view this month's newsletter click here, or if you just want to skip to the new pattern then click this link. I'll have a stitched version of this soon, as well as an advanced purchasable pattern.

Now time to start sorting out some dinner and I have this vague feeling that I've forgotten to do something....

Oh, there was something a date for your diaries if your in Surrey, I nipped over to Farnham Maltings yesterday and picked up their events diary and on the Saturday 19th & 20th October is the Festival of Crafts. I'm going to nip along on one of the days to check out the wares.

Bye for now!

Honeycomb Tutorial Time: Eyelet Polka Part 3 - The Finish

Welcome to the final part of one of my new tutorials, 'Eyelet Polka'. By now you would have gathered together your materials, selected your colour palate, and stitched four different types of eyelets. And now your going to learn how to finish it off.

If, however, you've only just stumbled across my blog and wondering what this post is all about, then I recommend looking back at my previous posts, in particular Part 1 - Getting Started and Part 2 - Eyelet Polka. 

Wrong side Applique:

You will need:

• Neutral coloured machine thread
• Pins
• HB pencil
• Fabric scissors
• Needles: Tapestry and a sharp.
• 12cm square of Calico fabric, you could use the excess from the embroidery
• The template again, 12cm square of light weight cotton fabric (this will be showing through the eyelets).

Working:

• Take your embroidery out of the frame. On the back, using your template (the one you used to draw the eyelets from), draw the hexagon outline. Use the eyelets to help you line it up. 

• Trim down the fabric till you have about a 1cm seam allowance all the way round. 
• Cut the hexagon shape out of the fabric you have chosen to show through the eyelets and from the calico, remembering to give them 1cm seam allowance. Put the calico piece to one side. 
• Pin the right side of the fabric, to the wrong side of the embroidery piece. If you turn it over you can see it through the eyelets. Lightly tack the pieces together on the line, remove the pins. 
• Place the calico piece on top of the right side of the embroidery, and pin through all layers. Make sure that any outlines you have drawn on to this plain calico is on the top (so you can see them). 
• Neatly back stitch on the hexagon outline, all the way round, going through all three layers. 
• Using your scissors, cut an opening through the calico (only), this is for turning inside out (it’s a bit tricky but if you ease the layers apart, it will be easier to do), but don’t turn it yet. 

• Trim back the seam allowance until there is no more than about 3mm all the way round, and to help you get a neat finish, snip the points of the corners off, but not through the stitching! 
• Now turn the shape inside out, the print layer will be sandwiched between the embroidery and the calico. Use a tapestry needle to help ease out the points of the corners. 
• Sew up the slit in the calico. 
• You can gently press the shape with an iron, on the back.

I hope you found all three parts of this tutorial easy to follow, it's been a bit nerve wracking coming up with something people might want to do. And, a tutorial that is easy to follow. It's been a learning curve and I think there are still things I can do better, so I would love to get some feedback.

Leave comments here, or pop over to my flickr forum, click here.

Enjoy!

Little Home Planet - First Free Embroidery Design

This is the first, in what will become a series of free embroidery designs for anyone to use (personal only - no commercial use!). I will be releasing one design each month. You can stitch it in anyway you design, and for those who are a dab hand with a pair of scissors could also do a very mini appliqué. The designs are small so they will fit nicely in a 3" hoop.

Little Home Planet

Fancy having ago yourself? Then why not download the pattern.

Backstitch features heavily in this wee design, I've used it for stitching the ground, and details on the house, with freestyle stitching for the grass. A bright yellow chain stitch path leads up to a padded satin door, with a French knot handle. The roof is also padded satin with backstitch detailing, the eves a form of lazy daisy stitch. The world is your oyster, when it comes to stitches that could be used! 

I would love to see your versions, so why not join my Flickr group and show them off. Join the group by clicking here.

Please play fairly and remember to credit me and link back to my blog or website if you feature this design on your own site or blog. Otherwise I may be forced to release the hamsters on you.