Chocolate Truffles for Easter Setting up a Business with Friends & Family Organic Fabrics in Quilting Sparkle and Shine this Spring Plus: April Almanac, Poetry Corner, Lovely Ideas, Your Sewing Machine and more 1
A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2020 The right of Helen Challenor to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate. However, due to differing conditions, tools and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses and other damages that may result from the use of the information in this book.
First published 2020 by: Bustle & Sew Station House West Cranmore Shepton Mallet BA4 4QP www.bustleandsew.com
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Welcome to the April Magazine Hello everyone! And here we are at the end of March - and what a month it has been! It’s impossible to write this introduction without mentioning the impact that the coronavirus is having on all our lives in one way or another. It’s a worrying time for everyone, especially those who depend on face to face contact with customers or clients for their livelihoods, families with children at home, those who work in the health service and those caring for vulnerable loved ones. We have been affected in that our wedding has now been postponed indefinitely - we missed the lock down here by just four days. But still, we will be heading off to the church when restrictions are lifted, and there will be much to celebrate when that day arrives. Happier news here at Bustle & Sew HQ is that we have been joined by a new team member - a baby Newfie! Ted is a feisty and determined young fellow whom we’ve named Ted. He’s just 8 weeks old, but is quickly making his mark and settling in well. You’re sure to hear more about him in the weeks and moths ahead. This month’s issue is a little later than usual as I’ve been coping with wedding cancellation administration, and have been overwhelmed by orders for our kits as, I think, people are taking the opportunity to enjoy the comfort and joy that stitching can bring. I hope April will be a better month than March, with news that the pandemic is beginning to die away, but whatever happens there’s Easter, and lots of chocolate(!) to look forward to. Stay safe and well everyone!
Helen xx
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Between this month’s covers … Tips for Stitchers
Page 4
The Countryside in April
Page 45
January Almanac
Page 5
Poetry Corner: The Cuckoo
Page 46
Primrose Day
Page 7
The Beautiful Bluebell
Page 47
No Drama Llama Hoop
Page 8
The Secret Garden
Page 49
A Spring Day
Page 11
Spring Cleaning in April
Page 50
Secrets of a Happy Stitcher
Page 12
Sparkle and Shine this Spring
Page 52
Lovely Idea: Knitted Bunny
Page 15
This Too… Hoop
Page 53
Caring for your Sewing Machine
Page 16
Secrets of Perfect Pressing
Page 55
Leaping Rabbit Cushion
Page 17
Poetry Corner: Spring has Come
Page 57
Make your own Chocolate Truffles
Page 24
A Country Diary
Page 58
Lovely Idea: Very Nice Mice
Page 25
A Pair of Rabbits
Page 59
Growing Cress Indoors
Page 26
Spring Bunny Wreath
Page 62
Quilting with Organic Fabric
Page 27
Embroidery Stitch Guide
Page 63
Beginning a Business with Family/Friends
Page 29
In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables
Page 64
Freddie’s Gecko Hoop
Page 31
Templates
Page 65
In Season Now: Dandelions
Page 33
Tastes of the Season: April
Page 34
In Season Now: Asparagus
Page 41
Making your own Butter
Page 42
Spring Bunny Storage Pot
Page 43
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Primrose Day April 19 is Primrose Day. The Primrose League was formed in 1883 to perpetuate the political ideals of Benjamin Disraeli (Prime Minister in 1869 and 1874-80) who died on 19 April 1881. Although nowhere near as strong as it used to be, the League was until recently still a presence in the modern Conservative party and sympathisers wear primroses or primrose badges on the day of Disraeli’s death. Certainly this was a popular custom at the beginning of the twentieth century, and I remember in my own childhood in the
1960s and 70s, my grandad, who was born on Primrose Day 1898, telling me that in his childhood he remembers enterprising individuals would make excursions to the woods just before the day itself to gather primroses for sale to the general public. It is usually stated that the spring flower was Disraeli’s favourite, but it maybe this arose from a misunderstanding at his funeral. Queen Victoria sent a wreath of primroses to Disraeli’s funeral with a note that read “His favourite flowers” by which she meant
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those of her late husband, Albert, but which was actually taken to refer to Disraeli himself. Primroses themselves are small perennial woodland plants that grow no more than 4” high and can flower from December through to May. The pale yellow flowers of the native English primrose (below) provide a valuable source of nectar for early butterflies. They are also said to represent eternal love and in Irish folklore primroses in the doorway protected the home from fairies.
â—? When working satin stitch do not be tempted to bring your needle in and out of the fabric in one movement (My grandma was especially strict on this!) because (1) you will find it more difficult to follow your outline accurately and (2) the floss will enter and leave the fabric on a more oblique angle that will make your stitch flatter and far less lovely - you have been warned!
â—? And finally, use a hoop. Even if you normally prefer to stitch without one, then give it a go - you may be surprised. If you don't have a hoop to keep your fabric taut, then it's possible your satin stitches may grow tight causing your fabric to pucker beneath them - or alternatively loose, in which case they won't sit beautifully straight on top of your fabric.
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A Spring Day There had been rain the night before - a spring rain, and the earth smelt of sap and wild grasses. The warm, soft breeze swung the leaves and the golden buds of the old oak tree, and in the sunshine the blackbirds were whistling their hearts out. It was such a spring day as breathes into a man an ineffable yearning, a painful sweetness, a longing that makes him stand motionless, looking at the leaves or grass, and fling out his arms to embrace he knows not what. The earth gave forth a fainting warmth, stealing up through the chilly garment in which winter had wrapped her.
John Galsworthy “The Man of Property�
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Six of the Best …. Tips for Caring for your Sewing Machine ● Have your sewing machine serviced annually. It's also a good idea to carry out regular mini-maintenance sessions yourself as recommended in your sewing machine manual. ● About every 8 hours of sewing time, or once a season if you don't use your machine frequently, clean the bobbin case as dust and lint gathers here. Use the cleaning brush supplied with the machine to remove this. ● Change needles frequently as a high proportion of problems begin with the needle. You'll save yourself a lot of frustration while stitching! ● One of the best things you can do for your machine is to use a good quality thread. Poor quality threads, or those actually intended for overlockers will shed more lint and break more easily which will clog up your tension discs. ● Cover your machine when not in use to keep it dust free. ● Clean your machine before putting it away if you're planning to store it for a while. When you take your machine out of storage, run it for a bit unthreaded.
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Make your own Chocolate Truffles for Easter …. by
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Look!
This little mouse from Anne Wood is absolutely adorable and even nicer, Anne has generously made the pattern available for free!
a lovely idea -------------------
Very Nice Mice
You can find the pattern for his little felt boat in Anne’s online shop.
Tutorial available from Anne Wood : Very Nice Mice Pattern 11
Tastes of the Season: April
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Spring Cleaning in April
I know April is well under way when I see Mrs Smith’s pink curtains blowing on her clothes line. Mrrs Smith is always the first to start springcleaning, and it seems as if all the rest of the village awaits her signal to begin the rout in their own homes, as if Mrs Smith had some affinity with the Clerk of the Weather and was hanging out her curtains as a signal to us all that it was to be fine for a week! So in less than twenty-four hours after the pink signal curtains have fluttered their message, The Shop has sold out of soaps and suds, detergents and disinfectants, floor polishes and furniture cream, red raddle and rust remover, starch and silver powder. The husbands, at one fell stroke,
find themselves in a no-mans-land of rolled up carpets, curtainless windows, and cold meals on the corner of the table. The sun rises on a galaxy of women in workmanlike overalls and turbaned heads, hanging out dripping covers, curtains, and bedspreads. Red and blue, green and yellow, striped and spotted. The casements and the cottons, the satins and the silks, the folkweave and furnishing rep all blowing and billowing under the benevolent gaze of the April sun. Before the men set out for field or farm, the village chimneys are abob with sweeps’ brushes above the thatched roofs, and when the men return in
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the evening, they are to be seen paint-pot and brush in hand, touching up the outside doors and sills. After all, they say to each other, if there is nowhere to sit until it’s all over, might as well lend a hand to get it done as quick as possible! At school, children report progress and tempers run high. “My mum’s done our living room!” “My mum’s done all the bedrooms!” “Well our living room’s as big as all your bedrooms put together!” “No it ain’t!” “Yes it is!” And the battle commences.
Things are quiet at The Shop. A panting housewife dashes in for another tin of polish, and “something cut and cold for the man’s dinner!” But she has no time to stop for the usual cosy gossip. The children, too, only stop a moment for their “penny chew” and run on home to see how mum is getting on. They are soon chased out of the way with a tin of buns to keep them happy. By the end of the week the pace slackens. The last of the covers are ironed and put back on the chairs. The jackdaws start happily to build their nests in the clean chimneys. On the lines a flutter of yellow dusters proclaims the battle won, the dirt and dust of winter has been vanquished for another year. Gratefully we shed our overalls and turbans and hurry along to The Shop for some sausages for the first good hot tea for a week! And of course we have a whole week’s gossip to catch up on as well!
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Sparkle and Shine this Spring! As the days grow longer the increasing sunshine reveals any dust, cobwebs and general grubbiness hidden during the winter months. It’s no wonder that Spring is the traditional time for giving your home a super-deep clean. Simply opening your windows will let fresh air in, giving rooms an instant lift. Whilst there are many good commercial cleaners available, if you’re environmentallyconscious, then it’s perfectly possible to tackle most household tasks with natural products such as lemon juice, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. A 50:50 mix of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle is a good all-round cleaner, whilst a more dilute solution works well on windows inside and out. Wipe your windows with a duster and then a ball of scrunched-up newspaper to remove any smears. Windows are best cleaned on a cloudy day as sunlight dries the liquid too quickly leaving streaks behind. Baths, sinks and grouting can be cleaned with a paste of one part lemon juice to two of bicarbonate of soda. Lemon juice is super-useful when you’re cleaning as you can also use it to clean work top surfaces and add a shine to copper and brass.
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The Secrets of Perfect Pressing
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Spring Bunny Wreath
An old favourite - my Spring Bunny wreath - or maybe it’s a hare - just look at those ears! But whether rabbit or hare, just CLICK HERE to download the pattern.
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