Downloading our PDF patterns is very straightforward.

Just go to the emporium and choose your patterns along with any other item you might wish to purchase.

Go through the checkout. Pay for and complete your purchase as usual.

When you have your online Invoice there will be a WID_ transaction code. 

Note down or highlight and copy this number including the WID_ bit.

Click on the hyperlink to the download site.

Enter your WID_ code or just paste it into the box.

Enter your email address in the box, the one your invoice was sent to.

Now click on Download and you can download and save the pattern to your computer.

How easy was that?

You can print your PDF patterns as a tiled version at home or as a 36" wide copy shop version so you can copy it to a USB and have it printed in one continuous sheet at a copy shop.

Happy Printing!

Jules x

The Things We Love To Use...The Tradtional Tomato Pincushion

This is a little series of posts about gadgets and tools we love to use.

The Tomato Pincushion

Ever since I can remember a tomato pincushion has been in either my Mum or Nana’s sewing basket. So consequently one has found its way into my own sewing basket studio.

The ones we have are filled with wool to prevent rusting and the little strawberry has iron filings in it to help sharpen the pins. I had great fun as a child “stabbing the strawberry!” We tend to have boxes of pins in the studio as we get through so many, but I have always had a cheery red tomato pincushion sitting next to my own sewing machine and wouldn’t be without one.

But I had never really pondered on the reasons for that particular shape, or why it had a strawberry dangling from the tomato?

However, on doing a bit of interweb digging into the history of pincushions I found they have been mentioned as far back as the middle ages where they were known by a few names: pimpilowes, pimplos, pimploes, pin-pillows, pimpilos , and my personal favourite “pin-poppets”.

But it wasn’t until the Victorian era that the tomato shape became popular. Apparently the tomato shape relates to a bit of folklore where tradition dictates that a tomato placed on the mantlepiece of a new house will bring prosperity and drive out evil.

Unfortunately, tomatoes go out of season and don’t actually last very long, so alternatives were created out of fabric and paper to provide year round protection. This coincided with the fact that Victorian ladies liked a little bit of conspicuous consumption and were able to use the fabric tomatoes to hold and display the expensive pins and needles they used in their needlecraft.

As yet I have been unable to find any reasons for the strawberry shape of the emery cushion; maybe it was just an easier shape to sew?

If anyone has a better solution or ideas please let me know.

Jules x

Ps. You can find the Traditional Tomato Pincushion in our online store.

A Day Off, now that's a rare thing....

Now I know this post is nothing to do with sewing but I just though I would sing the praises of the Homes and Gardens Show at Alscott Park last weekend.

Charlie and I had a rare day off with NO KIDS so thought we would actually “go out” somewhere and be part of humanity rather than bumbling away at home doing more of the same old stuff.

I duly booked our tickets online (it was a bit cheaper that way) and off we toddled.

Alscott Park is just outside Stratford upon Avon and a beautiful setting for the show. We didn’t do too many skids on the rather waterlogged grass when parking and made our way to the entrance marquee.

We had a general wander through and perused the surprisingly high quality of stands before meandering our way to the outside stalls and nurseries.

The wonderful smell of the flowers was intoxicating. And there was even a demonstration marquee showing you how to bake pizza on your BBQ, gutted I missed that one!

We kept a discreet eye on the rather foreboding clouds brewing overhead, making a dash for the tea tent when the heavens opened. And boy did they open! 

The thunder and lighting was spectacular. All conversation was drowned out by the beating of the rain; but the band played on!

Yes I know, but the cream tea beckoned and it would have been rude not too…

Now please don’t forget this is good old Blighty and as soon as the storm had come it passed over and the sun was beaming down upon as all again. Time for another wander around the grounds of the park this time, with a few surprises hidden along the way…

...isn't he handsome...

This came from the Fortnum and Masons Garden at Chelsea a few years ago...

...can you spot the Mermaid?

Charlie is perfectly camouflaged in the Lavender Garden…

Back to the show again and this time we stopped off to make a few purchases…

The Tipsy Tart tempted us with their titivated Gin and Vodka...

...and the Truckle Cheese Co Mature Farmhouse Cheddar just melted in your mouth.  With a Make Your Own Cheese Kit, that’s Christmas sorted.

I have to say the show looked fantastic and the organisation was very slick, including the staff uniforms - denim dungarees, bright yellow T-shirts and land girl headscarves for the ladies. Or maybe that just appealed to the designer in me?

Speaking to some of the traders there the foot-fall could have been higher, but I suppose this was the first show. And a note to the organisers Blooming Marvellous Events would be that the door price was a little steep, £20 on the day to come to the show and grounds. I paid £13 in advance, which I still thought was on the pricey side (but maybe I’m being a bit of a skinflint?)

Having said all that I am really looking forward to next year. Hopefully it will be bigger and better and I will definitely be coming back!

Jules x