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A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2012 The right of Helen Dickson 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 2013 by: Bustle & Sew Coombe Leigh Chillington Kingsbridge Devon TQ7 2LE UK www.bustleandsew.com
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Hello, And welcome to the April issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine. April is the month that we can really begin to look forward to spring, and I hope you’ll enjoy the spring-like feel of this month’s issue. Rosie is back again this month with the most wonderful (and incredibly calorific!) recipe for Crème egg brownies. She’ll be here for Easter and I’m very much hoping that she will bring some samples with her! She’s also started her very own blog “Cosy with Rosie” and I know she’d love it if you had time to pop over and say “Hello!”. This month as well as Easter, there’s a bit of a bear theme going on with my easiest-ever bear softie pattern, an interview with the very talented Ruth Bowman of Flutter-by-Bears and my “Follow your Dreams” simple stitchery. Even my Auricula Theatre pattern continues the bear theme - did you know that Auriculas used to be known as “Bear’s Ears?” I do hope you’ll enjoy this issue, and I’ll be back next month with a birds, blooms and bugs theme as in May it’s time to venture out into the garden. Happy stitching!
Helen xx Notes from a Devon Village
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Little Felt Bear Softie
Page 6
The Auricula Theatre - a brief history
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Auricula Theatre Applique
Page 12
Flutter-by-Bears
Page 21
Follow your Dreams
Page 24
Cosy with Rosie
Page 28
Bunny and Balloons Embroidery
Page 30
Easter Fun from Flapdoodle Designs
Page 35
Pin Cushion Mice
Page 41
Playing Hooky
Page 44
All the Nice Girls
Page 47
Found on Facebook
Page 51
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Notes from a Devon Village
are still chilly! Then I thrust my feet into a pair of well worn boots, forget to brush my hair - and we're ready to go ....
Light streaming through the crack in the bedroom curtains. A light breeze, sounds of birdsong - a bright sparkly spring morning. A morning to leap out of bed full of the joys of life - no more snuggling under the covers, that's for dark, damp November mornings. Now the year has turned and spring is here at last while the world outside is calling ... come on out and join us.
Downstairs a squirming mass of dog-flesh awaits me. Eyes bright with excitement, pink tongues lolling and tails quivering. I struggle past them to grab their leads from the hook. "OK dogs," I tell them, "we're off!" Immediately excitement turns to frenzy and Daisy leaps through the door as soon as it's opened - then in her mischievous way waits for Ben to proceed up the steps in a more dignified fashion, then pounces on him. Having put a stop to his nonsense and escorted the more sedate Ben up the stairs, I pause to take a deep lungful of the fresh, cool air. But where to go? Of course it has to be the beach - the tide is low and the sunlight makes sparkles on the water. Splashing in rockpools, crashing through waves and rolling in the sand ‌ what could be a better start to the day?
So I swing my legs round, feet to the floor, and tiptoe across the bedroom. Mustn't wake the dogs yet ... try to get dressed first - but no - Daisy has the ears of a bat and she hears the tiny noises I make on my way to the bathroom. A large, black, furry face appears at the top of the stairs, eyes bright with love and anticipation. Downstairs I hear Ben stretch and yawn - the game's afoot and my cover's blown. So I dress as quickly as possible - canvas trousers and cotton shirt, pullover for warmth - after all it’s only April and the mornings 4
Little Felt Bear Softies I’ve never attempted a bear softie before as there are so many great designs and talented makers out there. But I was finally tempted - and think this will be one of the easiest patterns you’ll find anywhere. Completed sitting bear measures 4� tall.
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Auriculas are among the most admired plants of mid to late spring, with short stalks supporting clusters of tiny blooms in a range of shades and colour combinations. Some blooms are covered in a fine white powder - they look as if they've been dusted with icing sugar. But how did the concept of placing them on shelves in an “auricula theatre� begin? in her Chelsea garden. But as the different varieties were developed and refined, the need to protect the more delicate flowers became increasingly important as the blooms were powdered with a fine white dust that even the slightest touch of rain could ruin. The initial solution was a covered stand or awning over the plants in question.
Originally from the Alps and other mountainous regions in Europe, Auriculas first appeared in English gardens around the middle of the 16th Century, when tradition has it that they were brought to England by Flemish weavers fleeing religious persecution on the Continent. A more likely explanation is that the plants (also known as Bear's Ear) arrived by interchange between leading Continental and English gardeners, in the same way as many other plants. First grown by the aristocracy, they quickly gained in popularity and new varieties were continuously being developed. Samuel Gilbert in "The Florists Vade-Mecum" of 1682 described their colours as: "Their golds, their purples, scarlets, crimson dies, Their dark and lighter hair'd diversities. With all their pretty shades and Ornaments, Their parti-colour'd coats and pleasing scents. Gold laid on scarlet, silver on the blew With sparkling eyes to take the eyes of you." By 1691, Mary, first Duchess of Beaufort - one of the most distinguished horticulturalists of her time, had hundreds of auriculas in pots, beds and borders 6
Auricula Theatre Here in England, the traditional way to display your delicate Auricula blooms is in an Auricula Theatre - tiered shelving covered by a canopy to stop the rain spoiling their beauty. Auriculas only bloom for a few short weeks in the spring, but you can enjoy them year-round with this applique design.
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As part of the “bit of a bear” theme that seems to have developed in this month’s issue, I’m delighted to be able to introduce the amazingly talented - and award winning - Ruth Bowman of Flutter-By Bears. The delighful bear on the left is “Lilibet”, inspired by H.R.H the Queen; as a little girl in those yellow tinted photos. She wears a dress of organza overlaid with antique lace, and carries a diamante heart to celebrate last year’s Diamond Jubilee. In November 2012 Lilibet was declared Winner in her category in the Excellence in Bear Artistry Awards - and I’m sure you’ll agree she is simply the most enchanting little bear. How did your bear making begin?
Hi Ruth, please do introduce yourself and tell us all about your creations:
I was already a bear collector (an arctophile to use the proper name) when my sister showed me a book about sewing mini bears. The idea of such small scale teddies was so enchanting that I soon had a go at a ready made kit. For my second bear I plunged right in with my own design, and the rest, as they For the last ten years I have been designing say, is history! and creating miniature teddy bears and other animals of 1 to 3 inches tall. I absolutely love What goes in to the basic construction of being part of the worldwide artist / collector each bear? bear scene; it is so friendly and creatively diverse. There is a thriving passion for teddies I hand sew the cut pieces, which are typically made from Upholstery Velvets with on every continent. Ultrasuede for paw pads, then I turn and stuff Golden teddy them. Next I work on the head: noses are nominee 2011 stitched with embroidery floss, and onyx bead eyes are inserted. The head and body are joined using split cotter pins and washers, enabling the head to turn. The ears are then attached, and lastly I give articulation to the arms and legs with thread-jointing, which involves passing stitches through the body and Hello, I'm Ruth, I live in Staffordshire, UK, with my husband, 3 sons and 2 dogs, where I enjoy sewing, baking, all things historical, and hoarding as much ribbon, buttons and vintage lace as I can get my hands on!
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Follow your Dreams.. A simple stitchery from Bustle & Sew featuring two little teddy bears who have launched their sky lantern (balloon!) and are hoping that their dreams will come true and they’ll be happy together forever. Really easy stitching - a great design for beginners. Shown framed in an 8� hoop.
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There’s a new blog on the block!! Yes, Rosie has decided to start her own blog - a mixture of her creations, baking and - of course - her two favourite furry friends - Daisy and Ben!! I’m sure she’d love to see you over there - just visit www.cosywithrosie.blogspot.com to catch up with all her news! And meanwhile … why not try out these wonderful Crème Egg brownies? Rosie tells me she discovered the recipe on Facebook and ….. but I’ll let you tell you herself …..
Crème Egg Brownies As soon as I saw these on Facebook I knew I just HAD to make them - and clearly I’m not alone. This recipe was shared over 30,000 times (that's a LOT of brownies!). I mean, what's not to love? A Creme Egg in a brownie...genius!
Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
85g plain flour 40g cocoa powder 3 large eggs 275g golden caster sugar 6 Cadbury’s Creme eggs cut in half
1. Preheat the oven to 160C and grease your baking tin. I used my favourite baking tin from Lakeland - it makes 12 perfectly shaped individual brownies. No fighting over who gets the biggest piece! 2. Cut the butter into cubes and break the chocolate into small pieces. Pop them both in a bowl placed over a pan of boiling water and stir gently until completely melted.
To make 12 of these delicious brownies you will need: Ÿ 185g unsalted butter Ÿ 185g best dark chocolate (I used Bournville)
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Bunny and Balloons This little bunny was one of my earliest - and still one of my most popular designs, though he’s never been included in the magazine. But I - after all it wouldn’t be Easter without at least one bunny pattern in the magazine! Shown framed in 10” hoop.
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Easter Fun from Flapdoodle Designs!
Jacqui’s Etsy shop is now open and selling her downloadable Easter bunting. Just CLICK HERE to visit her shop and purchase the full set of flags.
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Pin Cushion Mice A Bustle & Sew classic, I originally released my take on this old-fashioned method of making these little mice back in March 2011. They turned out to be one of my most popular free patterns ever - and now they’re back and looking even more cute for 2013. They’re really easy to make - great for fetes, bazaars or for making with children - you’ll have a dozen of the little creatures sitting in
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Rug hooking is both an art and a craft where rugs are made by pulling loops of yarn or fabric through a stiff woven base such as burlap, linen, or rug warp. The loops are pulled through the backing material by using a crochet-type hook mounted in a handle (usually wood). The craft of making hooked rugs from rags is a very old one going back centuries and recently, as we're all becoming much more interested in creating our own unique handmade items for our homes, it is enjoying an increase in popularity once more. In bygone days, nearly every home would have had handmade rugs, both upstairs in the bedrooms and downstairs in the living room and kitchen. Here in the UK, the tradition of hooked rug making was strongest in the north east where "rye" or "rya" rugs, made by pulling loops of wool through a woven Working on a rug backing were mentioned in inventories and wills in the late 17th century. would have been extremely expensive, so the thrifty American housewife depended upon linen or wool Amazingly, fragments of clothing made in the same that was spun, woven and dyed at home. Nothing very primitive way have been discovered in Danish was wasted - every little scrap and the least-worn Bronze Age graves. For hundreds of years hooked parts of old clothes went into the ragbag to be rugs, made by "rug women" who travelled from re-used. Cotton pieces were great for patchwork, island to island were part of a bride's dowry in whilst the woollen scraps would have been turned Orkney and Shetland - islands to the far north-east into rugs. of Scotland. Like the earliest American rugs, they were used to warm the bed rather than the floor. Life in the countryside and small market towns, where most people would have lived was centred This tradition of rug-making crossed the Atlantic to around animals and crops. So dogs and cats, horses America, where most of the rugs made before the cattle and chickens were favourites choices to depict, mid-19th century were humble, every-day items, whilst beavers were popular in Canada and the designed at home by men and women who took seafaring and fishing villages on the cost often inspiration from the natural world around them and showed ships in full sale, lighthouses and whales. depicted it with child-like naivety in the rugs they created. All these patterns, worked in bright colours would have cheered up the rooms through the long, dark Life in those days was hard, with long cold winters winters. Flowers and fruit were another popular and very few, if any, luxuries. Shop-bought textiles motif, whilst the maker may have ventured into the 15
All the Nice Girls.. “Love a sailor .. All the nice girls love a tar! All the nice girls love a sailor…. For there’s something about a sailor - Well, you know how sailors are!!” Popular British song - first published in 1909 - and the lyrics probably ring true even today!
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Odds & Soxlets is a small business based in the north Dorset town of Gillingham, in the UK. Erica Martyn is the creative force behind Odds & Soxlets - describing herself: "A devoted wife, mummy to a 3 year old little boy and currently pregnant with our 2nd child due in May 2013. With a background in dance, theatrical costume and graphic design I decided after the birth of our first son to step aside from my previous working life and develop my own design studios so I could combine being a stay at home mum with my love for art, creative design and illustration. Odds & Soxlets was born in May 2011 with just a few sock toys and illustrated cards and has since developed into a creative design house were I design and make a variety of handmade toys and co-ordinating products alongside offering my design services too"
You can find Erica at her website: www.oddsandsoxlets.co.uk And also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ericamartyn.oddsandsoxlets
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BUSTLE & SEW The “Bustle & Sew Magazine” is a Bustle & Sew publication. To see my full range of Rosie & Bear publications, together with many more stitching, applique, softie and quilting projects please visit my website: www.bustleandsew.com
You can also find out about my Bustle & Sew Magazine on my website. This is my monthly e-zine packed with unique projects, articles, features and loads more, and is by far the best (and nicest!) way to build your collection of Bustle & Sew patterns… You’ll never be stuck for ideas again!! Just visit the magazine page on my website to learn more: www.bustleandsew.com/magazine.
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