Mandy Shaw - A Taste Of... Stitch at Home: Three Sample Projects from Mandy Shaws Latest Book

Most of the projects in this book are decorated with appliqu embellished with simple embroidery stitches. Appliqu is an easy technique using fusible webbing, but I love to be creative, and I just cant help adding those special little touches with extra hand-worked embroidery stitches and the addition of the occasional button or charm.

Blanket stitch is my favourite appliqu stitch, which can be done by hand or by machine, and even if you choose to machine stitch you can still achieve a hand-stitched look with clever thread selection. This is just one of the secrets I share with you in this chapter, and my aim is to help you to get the best results for your appliqu and embroidery.

I had such fun finding fabrics to use in this book. I decided on a colour palette of teal, raspberry, brown and cream, and, as dots are in such favour, I opted for those in all different sizes, with some beloved stripes and florals of course.

I love to work with 100% cotton and cotton/linen mixes (50/50) to give a clean, crisp textured look to my makes. It is advisable to wash and press your fabrics before you sew in case the colour runs. Fabrics are often treated with a sort of starch dressing to make them easier to sew; after washing and drying your fabrics, you may find that giving them a little spray starch will aid sewing.

For the best and long-lasting results, use a wool felt or a wool/mix felt at the very least.

Oilcloth is a waterproof material made by treating one side of a cotton fabric with a synthetic resin. It is not difficult to sew when working from the wrong side of the fabric; when working from the treated side, use a Teflon-coated foot, specially-designed to prevent the machine foot from sticking on the fabric. Alternatively, use your walking foot and help ease the fabric through. Always use a new, sharp, larger-than-normal needle (16/100). Never pin oilcloth as it will leave holes in the fabric, and do not iron it directly as it will melt.

I love to to embellish my projects with decorative tapes and pretty buttons, and ric-rac braid is a particular favourite. It can be sewn on by machine or by hand. However, there are a few pitfalls, so do refer to the instructions for working in the Techniques section. Use a fabric spray adhesive, such as 505, to attach wadding to your material. Follow the manufacturers instructions and always spray the wadding not the fabric.

As the projects call for different styles of stitching, I have used different types of embroidery thread. Stranded cotton (floss) is good for fine work but can be used to embroider thicker lines too, while coton broder is sometimes too thick for the detailed work required on some projects, so mix and match as you choose.

A favourite of mine, this single strand thread has a matt finish. It is available in different widths in several colours. I prefer No.16 which is quite thick and ideal for blanket stitching, outlining, backstitching, and quilting. Shops rarely stock the whole range but they can be ordered.

This is available in skeins consisting of six strands which can be pulled out individually for use. It is most usual to use two strands in the needle, but for fine detail use just one, and for a chunkier stitching line use three or more.

When making up your projects, always use a good-quality sewing thread in a colour to match your chosen fabrics.

This is a machine sewing thread that looks like wool and sews up a treat to give a hand blanket stitch appearance. You will need to use a larger size 16/100 needle; make sure you use a good-quality one as cheaper needles may have burrs that will shred the thread. For the bobbin thread, use an ordinary thread. Maderia Lana can also be used to hand quilt and embroider, and you will need to use a large-eyed, good-quality needle.

Invest in a pack of good-quality mixed embroidery needles. These have large eyes and are very sharp, piercing the fabric and allowing the thread to be pulled through with very little friction. How do you know what size needle to use? If after three attempts the needle wont thread, change to one with a larger hole.