Frequently Asked Questions

Links: 

If you’d like to see new products as they're made, or see behind-the-scenes videos, you can find The Fernery here:

YouTube the much talked about 'Studio Tour' is here, along with other longer-form content. If the snippets you see in reels leaves you wanting more, this is the place to be
https://www.youtube.com/@thefernery

Instagram My social media 'happy place' - come and join the community I'm building!
https://www.instagram.com/thefernery

Facebook The busiest of all my social platforms - come and join the chat. There's even a group you can become a member of if you download my tutorials
https://www.facebook.com/thefernery

TikTok 
https://www.tiktok.com/@thefernery

Amazon Storefront Tools, materials and useful things you see me use in my studio, along with reading recommendations, and the nail polish shades you all ask me about! (Affiliate link)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/thefernery

Where are your products made?

All items are handmade by me, Lisa Newark, in my garden studio in East Sussex, UK. Each piece is designed by me, stitched and finished by hand. I don't have a team of people, although my husband Ross is the very best tech support a girl could ask for, and is the backbone of so many of the amazing features on my website - if you've ever marvelled at our clever Fairy Builder, that was a 'Ross project'!

What kind of sewing machine do you use?

I use a regular domestic Bernina 570. I don't use an embroidery module, and I don't use the BSR attachment, so my machine likely does all the same things yours does. I work solely in Freemotion, which means I drop the feed dogs leaving me free to move the fabric where I need to, to follow my designs.
I have never used a computerised embroidery machine as I enjoy the process of freemotion - I consider it to be an art form when done well, and also a sort of therapy too. 

 

What kind of foot are you're using? 

Freemotion can be done footless, or with a darning foot. Most are a full hoop, but I use an open toed darning foot. The specific one I use is a Bernina no. 24 - a quick Google should tell you what you need to fit your machine, as they're all quite different attachments, depending on what machine you have. 


What stitch do you use for your work?

 

 

I just use a straight stitch for all my work - whenever I answer this question on social media someone pipes up to tell me it's definitely not a straight stitch, but I promise you it's not as complicated as you think!

 

 

When you freemotion it doesn't make any difference what length your stitches are set at. The stitches are determined by your control of the foot pedal, and how you move the fabric so you can set your machine to 1 or 9, it won't affect your stitch length when freemotioning. This is possibly one of the hardest things to learn, and it just comes down to practicing lots. 

 

 

What kind of products do you sell? 

My work has three distinct parts to it, and all three link up beautifully to form one cohesive business that I run from my studio here in Sussex;

Firstly, I design, make and sell finished products - they're all designed by me and made in house, and I've been doing this now for over fifteen years, since our children were small.

More recently I started selling a few tutorials for some of the techniques I've perfected over the years I've run my business, and also a few designs like my bookbands and some Christmas Decorations too. 

As soon as I began selling the tutorials it became clear that my customers also wanted to be able to buy some of the gorgeous products I use in my own makes - the glitter fabric, the elastic I use on my bookbands, and some of the gorgeous fixings, findings and buttons I've sourced too - while this is a very small part of what I offer, it sits so well alongside the rest of my work and I really enjoy sharing the lovely materials I've carefully sourced with you.  

Can you do Next Day shipping? 

Most of my items are items are made to order, and usually take up to three weeks, depending on my current workload. The expected lead time is always displayed on a banner at the top of my website. If you need something sooner than this, the Ready to Post section contains items I have ready to go, which will be posted within 48 hours. 

Do you offer personalised items?

Yes, lots of my pieces - especially the fairies  - can be personalised down to the tiniest detail and made to look just like you! 

What size are your bookbands?

Bookbands are designed to fit most standard novels, diaries and A5 planners. If you need yours made to fit a larger planner or A4 book just let me know at te time you place your order.

Do you ship outside the UK?

Yes, international delivery is available. I currently cannot ship my items to the EU due to the new GSPR rules that came in in 2024, and no one is more sad about this than me.

If you are ordering from the US, please note that the price you will see on screen INCLUDES your tariff payment. Shipping charges will be calculated and added on top of this at checkout. 

Costs and delivery times are shown at checkout and vary by location, the simplest way to get a postage quote is to add the items you'd like to your basket and head to the checkout - this will be far quicker than messaging me to ask. 

Can I wash your products?

The pieces I make are not machine washable, but you can gently spot clean with a damp cloth. Please avoid wiping the Fairies faces, or getting any stitched lettering wet. If you need to iron any of my products to flatten them out, please place a small piece of greaseproof paper over them first to protect them. 

What is your returns policy?

Full details are available on the Shipping & Returns page. If there’s ever an issue with an order, getting in touch via email is always the best first step. Please do not contact me via Social Media if you have a question that requires an answer. 

Still have a question?

If something isn’t covered here, or you’re unsure which item is right for you, please get in touch. Questions about sizing, personalisation, delivery times or choosing a gift are always welcome. You’ll be speaking directly to me, Lisa

Here's the link to Contact Me