Gaynor Marshall Designs

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Take Your Sewing to the Next Level

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Sewing Hints & Tips: Fun facts, sewing hacks and tricks of the trade

I’m so excited to share this news with you, I’ve written a book! How cool is that?

It’s a little reference guide that I hope you will find extremely useful. It’s full of shortcuts and helpful suggestions.

All of the sewing hints & tips in this ebook are little nuggets of useful information that I have been gathering, subconsciously over my many years of sewing. Not all of them are my own, but all have been invaluable to me and have made my sewing journey easier.

Why did I write it?

I’m not a natural storyteller and I didn’t think I had anything useful to say. However, when I began sharing some of these hints and tips over on instagram as #TuesdaysTip, the reaction was amazing. People were really interested.

I was happy that my little tips were having such a big impact. Lots of people who had been sewing for years were learning practical things that they could use in their day to day sewing.

Friends began telling me to compile all of these tips.

I could see the sense in putting everything together in one place, I just had to come up with the concept.

As you see, I finally did!

sewing_ebook_meme
Sewing Hints & Tips ebook

Sewing is a life skill that we need to pass on to the next generation. It’s fun, productive and a lot cheaper than therapy!

Gaynor Marshall

More than a list

I knew I wanted my book to be more than just a list of hints and tips. With this in mind, I have included a number of sewing related facts, some of which are quite surprising!

It’s currently for sale here: https://payhip.com/gaynormdesigns and at only £1.99 you could even treat a friend.

If you decide to purchase a copy, I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear what you think about it.

Until next time…

Further sewing related reading can be found here:

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Who Smells Like Popcorn? Fun facts about the Binturong

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  • The binturong is a mammal.
  • It has a face like a cat and a body like a bear which is why they are also known as bearcats.
  • Their scientific name is: Arctictis Binturong.
  • Binturongs are classed as carnivores but will eat most things.
  • They are born after 84-92 days gestation, their eyes are still sealed and they remain hidden in their mothers’ thick fur for the first few days of life.
  • Binturongs live solitary lives apart from females with offspring who tend to live in family groups.
  • They have a lifespan of between 15.6 years for females and 18.8 years for males.
  • Binturongs are related to civets and fossas and spend most of their time in the trees. They do however tend to climb down to get from tree to tree as they are not very agile.
  • They can turn their ankles 180 degrees in order to grip the tree trunk when climbing down head first.
  • The end of the binturong’s tail is actually prehensile, meaning it can use it like an extra hand when climbing. A leathery patch at the tip also helps them to grip.
  • The binturong is the only mammal to be found in Africa, Asia and Europe and only one of two carnivores with a prehensile tail (the other is a kinkajou).
  • One of the most unusual features of the binturong is its scent. It smells like a freshly made batch of popcorn!
  • In some parts of their range they are listed as vulnerable, in other parts endangered.
  • Binturongs are at risk from: habitat destruction; poaching for use in traditional Asian medicine; the fur and pet trade; and in some areas they are considered a delicacy and hunted for food.

How you can help

Please show your support in any way that you can; spread the word to family and friends; donate directly to the wildlife organisations that are working every day to protect these majestic animals.

We simply cannot lose them. 

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Remember, remember…stay Safe Out There!

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Remember, remember
The fifth of November
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot
I see no reason
Why Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot

Here in the UK it’s Guy Fawkes Night, more commonly referred to as Bonfire Night. 

Traditionally, children have grown up singing versions of the rhyme you read above, eating toffee apples, treacle toffee sweets, Parkin and baked potatoes. These goodies were usually consumed whilst standing around a bonfire and watching grown ups light fireworks, sending colourful explosions into the night sky…usually in the rain. Oh the fun we had!

When I was a little girl, I loved the whole experience of Bonfire Night, except having to wait and wait and wait for my Dad to get home from work to light the fireworks. It was exciting going out in the dark, holding sparklers and writing my name and watching all the beautiful fireworks that seemed to light up the whole sky.

Many children would make a “guy”, an effigy of Guy Fawkes to throw on top of the bonfire before it was lit. They would drag it round the neighbourhood asking for “a penny for the guy”, and any money collected would be used to buy sweets and fireworks for the big night. (You must remember that this was way before health and safety deemed it wrong to sell fireworks to under 18’s.)

Children with their “guy”.

Guy Fawkes Night

The origin of Guy Fawkes Night goes way back to 1605 and a plan to return the religion of England to the Roman Catholic Church.

The men behind the Gunpowder Plot were Catholics who wanted to blow up the Palace of Westminster during the opening of Parliament. The aim was to kill everyone inside including King James 1 and his heir Prince Henry.

On the night of 5th November 1605, 36 barrels of gunpowder were discovered hidden in a storeroom beneath the Palace of Westminster.

Near the barrels was a man calling himself John Johnson. He was found to have fuses in his pockets and was quickly arrested.

After days of intense torture the man confessed his part in the conspiracy and declared his real name to be Guido (Guy) Fawkes.

The rest of the Plotters were rounded up and arrested and eventually put to death. I’ll spare you the details.

In January 1606 Parliament passed ‘An Act for a Public Thanksgiving to Almighty God every Year on the Fifth Day of November’. 

As the years have passed, celebrations with bonfires and fireworks have been adopted into common culture and effigies of the pope have changed to effigies of Guy Fawkes. 

The men behind the Gunpowder Plot.

Stay safe

Bonfire Night – writing with a sparkler!

If you do choose to celebrate with fireworks and bonfires this year, please stay safe. Keep hoods up, gloves on and trousers over wellies! Follow the firework code and please, please, please check for any wildlife that may have inadvertently taken up residence inside your unlit bonfire.

Enjoy yourselves and have fun!

Until next time…

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What is Halloween really about?

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Monsters, zombies, vampires and ghosts? I like Halloween but I’m not a huge fan of anything really scary. I like cute, whimsical and fun.

That could be viewed as a contradiction in terms. Especially as many people consider Halloween to be all about ghouls, blood and frightening beasts.

With this in mind, I wanted to look behind the commercialisation and candy eating, to the real story…

Why do we celebrate Halloween?

The origins of Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (SAH-wane).

The ritual of Samhain marked the end of Summer and the start of the long, dark Winter to come. It was a symbol of the boundary between the living and the dead. Times were tough. If you didn’t grow enough crops in the summer to sustain you and your family there were no handouts. You would starve. Being grateful and thankful for being alive was at the heart of everything.

Celtic priests (Druids), would take embers from the sacred village bonfire to light the hearth fire in each house. They believed this would help protect the people and keep them warm throughout the Winter months. Helping them to survive and experience another year.

These cyclical offerings helped to maintain the community and strengthen village bonds. Helping to keep up morale during the most difficult times.

Making changes

In the Christian calendar, “All Hallows’ Day”, was a day to remember those who had died for their beliefs.

As the Christian church became more powerful, it wanted to turn the people away from their Pagan beliefs. One way was the attempt to assimilate the pagan festival of Samhain into something more acceptable to the Christian church.

During the 8th Century, Pope Gregory had the date of the All Hallows’ feast moved. It was originally celebrated on May 13th but it was moved to November 1st.

Eventually, the evening of Samhain became known as All-hallows-even, then Hallows Eve before being changed to Hallowe’en and now Halloween. 

Our modern celebration

It’s easy to see how the old traditions have evolved in to the celebration that we recognise today.

Celebrating the seasons and remembering the Saints and martyrs, became more about spirits and devils.

Zombies, vampires and other creatures have taken centre stage. Candy consumption and commercialisation has become the norm. This week I even spotted Halloween crackers!

I’m not against children having fun. I do actually like the decorations and the dressing up. But within reason.

I don’t agree with gangs of teenagers dressing up and knocking on peoples doors late into the evening. It can be very distressing for the elderly or those who live alone.

Many people believe that Halloween is all about satanic worship and demons. Looking at the hype we are surrounded by it is easy to understand why they think that.

We should focus on the true meaning of Halloween. Reclaim one of our long forgotten traditions and bring people together in these worrying times.

And for those who do celebrate…Happy Halloween!

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The Western Lowland Gorilla – Save Them Now

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The western lowland gorilla is a great ape.

They are the most numerous and widespread of all gorilla subspecies. They can be found in the rainforests and swamps of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea and large areas of Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

Their scientific name is: Gorilla gorilla gorilla.

Western and Eastern

Gorillas can be divided into two main types – western and eastern.

The Western gorillas are further divided into the Western Lowland Gorilla and the Cross River Gorilla which can be found in Cameroon and Nigeria.

The Eastern gorillas are also divided into two further subspecies – the Eastern Lowland Gorilla (Grauer’s gorilla) and Mountain Gorillas.

Size and weight

It can be observed that Western lowland gorillas are slightly smaller than other gorilla subspecies and they have brown-grey fur and auburn chests and heads. They have wider skulls, a more pronounced brow and smaller ears.

Weight: up to 440 pounds.

Height: 4-5.5 feet.

Family dynamics

Gorilla groups are led by a dominant silverback who will defend his family to the death from any threat including that from humans.

Western lowland gorillas have the smallest family family groups of all gorillas consisting, on average, between 4-8 members.

Lifespan in the wild can be up to 40 years.

Gorillas are primarily herbivorous and they spend most of the day eating. They do take a break at midday when the adults take the opportunity for a nap and the youngsters play amongst themselves.

Western lowland gorillas show more tolerance towards non-relatives and gorillas from other groups and this appears to be unique to this particular subspecies.

Threats to their survival

The greatest threat to the survival of these iconic animals comes from humans: Diseases such as influenza and ebola; from being poached for bushmeat; being captured for zoos and circuses; medicine men who use gorilla body parts for charms; poisoning; habitat loss from illegal logging and mining. Gorillas do not stand a chance without our help.

Status: critically endangered.

How you can help

Please show your support in any way that you can. It can be as simple as spreading the word to family and friends, or by donating directly to the wildlife organisations that are working every day to protect these majestic animals.

We simply cannot lose them. 

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100 Day Project, Part 4

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Woohoo! 100 Day Project, Part 4, complete! That’s a total of 100 consecutive days of illustrating my beautiful girl, Juno. That means another 25 illustrations and repeating patterns ALL inspired by her.

In case you missed them, Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 are here.

Friendships

Without realising it, the theme this month appears to be about friendship. Whether that was between Juno and mermaids or aliens, or her actual real life, best friend who was also a Dobermann, Kimba.

Juno and Kimba originally met at Puppy Training School when they were just a couple of months old and immediately bonded.

Kimba had a horse brother, who lived at a local farm, so Juno and I would go over to the farm to play with Kimba. Juno and Kimba adored each other. They were always so excited to see each other and they would run and chase each other in the fields for hours.

There was never a cross word between them, although I think it helped that Kimba was a little more easy going than Juno.

Juno was very selective with her friendships, but once you were in her gang she was very loyal. Very much like her Mummy!

What I’ve learnt doing the 100 Day Project

Doing this challenge was fun, frustrating, challenging, enlightening, emotional and educational. I learnt such a lot along the way. The fact that I could keep my focus and continue with the challenge, especially on the days when I was tired or really busy, was one thing that quite surprised me.

I love that I now have 100 pieces of artwork dedicated to Juno that I can develop further.

Next steps

Moving forward I want to develop the patterns that I created into a range of surface designs; homewares, stationery and fabric. The possibilities are endless.

I think I will do more challenges, maybe not for 100 days, but I found that I actually enjoyed the commitment. It may have been more to do with my subject matter, but I’ll give it a go.

Who knows, there may be more Juno illustrations waiting to be drawn!

Until next time…

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