Bustle & Sew Magazine January 2018

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A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2017 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 2017 by: Bustle & Sew The Cottage Oakhill Radstock BA3 5HT UK www.bustleandsew.com

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Welcome to the January Magazine January is traditionally the time to hunker down and sit out the winter months. Although the days are growing longer again at last, spring is still a long way off, though if you look carefully, especially during a mild winter, there are already the first signs appearing in the hedgerows.

This month brings the 84th issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine - I can hardly believe that it was SEVEN YEARS ago that I sat down at my (then brand new) laptop and began to put the first issue together.

Things have come a long way since then and I do hope you’ll enjoy all that this month’s issue contains, and if you’re thinking of starting your own craft business in the new year then please do look out for our new series “From Passion to Profit” that begins this month.

I think that’s enough from me - just a quick reminder that the February issue will be published, as always, on the last Thursday of the month - in this case Thursday 25 January. So if you’re a subscriber watch out for it arriving in your inbox then!

Until then, have a very Happy New Year!

Helen xx

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Tips for Stitchers Sometimes a pattern asks you to work large areas of satin stitch - a stitch that seems easy but can be deceptively hard to work properly. It’s important that you separate your strands of floss carefully before beginning to work, ensuring that they lie together in your needle. Some stitchers iron their floss, and I can definitely see that this would make your stitching extra-neat, though it’s not something I have the patience to do.

My main problem when working large areas of satin stitch is to keep the angle of my stitches constant - they have a tendency to drift off course. I get around this by drawing lines at regular intervals across the area to be covered. This helps me keep my stitches lined up properly. These lines will be dissolved away with the Sulky Sticky Fabri Solvy, or alternatively covered by my stitching when the project is finished.

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Between this month’s covers …

Tips for Stitchers

Page 4

Seasonal Ingredient: Leeks

Page 36

January Almanac

Page 6

A Very Little Guide to the Flame Test

Page 37

Enjoy the Little Things Hoop

Page 8

Instagram Favourites

Page 38

Lovely Idea: Mason Jar Terrarium

Page 10

Macrame Succulent Hoop

Page 39

Meet the Maker: Laura Brown

Page 11

Winter Hyacinths

Page 43

Country Diary

Page 15

The Countryside in January

Page 45

A Little Look at Linen

Page 16

Your Indoor Plants

Page 47

Felt Rhino Trophy Head

Page 18

Lovely Idea: Fox Pot

Page 48

Farewell to Christmas

Page 20

Wilderness Bunting

Page 49

Nature Notes: Rainbows

Page 22

From Passion to Profit Part One

Page 52

A (very little) History of Honiton Lace

Page 23

The Thimble - Love or Hate it?

Page 55

Animal Friends Cache Pots

Page 27

Llama Sewing Machine Cover

Page 56

Poetry Corner: Milk for the Cat

Page 30

Home Comforts: Sage Tea

Page 59

Seasonal Ingredient: Citrus Fruits

Page 31

In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables

Page 60

Rosie’s Recipes: Winter Warmers

Page 32

Templates

Page 61

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January January is named after the Roman god Janus, the guardian of doorways and bridges. Janus had two faces, looking in opposite directions - back towards the old year and forwards into the new.

Although the shortest day is past and gone, January is a dark month in northern Europe. The nights are still long and in dull weather it can feel as though there is hardly any daylight at all. Frost, ice and snow make life hard for our nonhibernating wildlife, especially birds and small mammals, whilst also causing major problems for travellers motorists and pedestrians alike. Once the New Year celebrations are over it’s time to return to work - gone are the days when the festive season lasted for the full twelve days of Christmas.

It’s not just in modern times though, that nobody wants to go back to work after the holidays. The words on the right are from an old song called “The Painful Plough” which captured the hardship of agricultural workers in times gone by. It was often sung on Plough Monday, the first Monday after Twelfth Night.

From the Middle Age onwards this

day traditionally marked the beginning of the ploughing season and so the official start of the agricultural year. But the cold weather and difficult conditions in the field meant that workers were

“Come all you jolly ploughmen, of courage stout and bold, That labour all the winter in stormy winds, and cold; To clothe the fields with plenty, your farm-yards to renew, To crown them with contentment, behold the painful plough”

not enthusiastic about their return, preferring instead to decorate their ploughs, drag them through the village and ask for money.

There were dark days 78 years ago too, during WW2 as food rationing began on 8 January 1940, four

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months after the outbreak of war.

Prior to that the UK had imported over two thirds of its food supply.

As enemy ships targeted incoming merchant vessels, supplies became scarce and the Ministry of Food issued ration books to every person.

A typical weekly allowance for an adult included one fresh egg, 4 oz margarine and bacon, 2 oz butter and tea, 1 oz cheese and 8 oz sugar. Cheaper cuts of meat became more popular as they required fewer tokens. The Dig for Victory campaign encouraged people to be self-sufficient and grow their own vegetables. Many used their gardens, digging up the flower beds, and the number of allotments soared. Pigs, rabbits and chickens were reared for meat and a bartering system sprang up.

Alan Alexander Milne (who died in 1956) was born in London on 18 January 1882. In the 1920s he began writing poems and stories for his young son, Christopher Robin, creating characters such as Winniethe-Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore that were to win the hearts and minds of generations of children worldwide. Each year some fans

celebrate his birthday as “Pooh Day” with appropriate songs and games - notably Pooh Sticks, which involves dropping sticks from the upstream side of a bridge then running to the downstream side to see which one appears first - a chilly occupation at this time of year! But though the countryside around us may lie bare and dormant, January brings two festivities that celebrate trees and their crops, acting as a timely reminder that warm summer weather and the harvest will return again, however unlikely and far off that feels right now.

Wassailing is an ancient custom of the cider-producing regions of England (including Devon and Somerset) in which the wassail king or queen hangs pieces of cidersoaked bread in the branches of the largest or oldest tree in the orchard, wassail songs are sung and cider is poured onto its roots in the hope of enticing friendly spirits towards the tree. A wassailcup is drunk - made by warming cider and apple juice with spices, sugar, citrus fruits and perhaps a splash of cider brandy! Finally, shots are fired through the chosen tree’s branches, pots and pans are banged together loudly and so any lingering evil spirits are driven away, so guaranteeing a good harvest to come.

Tu BiShvat is a Jewish holiday that this year falls on 31 January. It marks the revival of the growing year after winter and is the day from which the ages of trees are

calculated to determine tithes It’s customary to eat dried tree fruits and nuts or to make a meal featuring the seven species described in the Bible as being abundant in the land of Israel:

“January is the open gate of the year, shut until the shortest day passed, but now open to let in the lengthening daylight, which will soon fall upon dim patches of pale green, that show where spring is still sleeping. Sometimes between the hoary pillars - when the winter is mild - a few wan snowdrops will peep out and catch the faint sunlight which streams in coldly through the opening gateway, like timid messengers sent to see if spring has yet stirred from her long sleep.”

wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.

Our garden birds would also appreciate a little of this bounty during January as at this time of year they’re engaged in a search for food against the clock, with the combination of shorter daylight hours and less available food making survival hard. Putting food out for them is the quickest way to fill your garden with birds. You should aim to provide a range of food suitable for different species Coconuts, peanuts, seeds, oatmeal, maize and jacket potatoes will keep

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most garden birds happy. Thrushes and blackbirds love apple cores and grapes. You should soak dried fruit and bread before putting out to prevent them swelling in birds’ stomachs and always buy your supplies from reputable sources to avoid dangerous toxins. You can also buy suet cakes with nuts and seeds in them but these are very easy to make by simply melting some suet in a bowl and stirring in whatever you would like to add.

The last week of the month brings two more notable festivals. The birthday of Robert Burns (1759-96) is celebrated by people of Scottish descent across the world. The central attraction of the Burns Night Festivities on the twenty-fifth is a traditional Burns Supper of haggis, tatties and neeps followed by toasting, speechmaking and singing - most notably “Auld Lang Syne.”

The following day brings Australia Day, a public holiday throughout that country commemorating the foundation of the first colony of European settlers at Port Jackson (now Sydney, capital of New South Wales) on 26 January 1788.

Although January in Australia is of course the height of summer, here in the UK it’s one of the two coldest months, and the month in which we are most likely to see snow, the days are lengthening, albeit slowly at first, and during the course of the month day length increases by over an hour as we put the darkest days behind us and begin to look forward to spring ahead.

Enjoy the Little Things Hoop Sometimes I think we lose sight of the importance of the “little things” that go to make up the very fabric of our lives. For me this month has been a time of considering these “little things” as I miss Ben, and all the small routines and signs of affection we’d established together over the years, such as my telling him every morning that he was a silly old dog - but that he was MY silly old dog, and I loved him!

This hoop is a very simple design featuring some winter cherry blossom that’s ideal for a beginner stitcher, that aims to remind us all to take notice of and cherish those little things that mean so much.

Shown mounted in 9” x 5” oval hoop.

● Using two strands of floss throughout stitch the design as follows:

Materials ● 13” x 9” white linen or other suitable fabric for embroidery

● The top stem is medium, the middle light and the bottom dark green.

● Stranded cotton floss in three shades of green (light, medium and dark), light pink (I used DMC 967) and black

● Stems - stem stitch, fading into back stitch as they become thinner ● Leaves - satin stitch worked at an angle to the centres of the leaves, as if radiating out on either side of an imaginary centre vein

● 9” x 5” oval embroidery hoop

Method

● Flowers - centres are clusters of green French knots and petals are pink satin stitch.

● Transfer the design to the centre your fabric using your preferred method.

● Text - black split stitch ● When finished press lightly on the reverse being careful not to flatten your stitches.

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Look!

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a lovely idea

Mason Jar Terrarium

Terrariums are so ontrend right now, and quite different to the dusty bottle gardens of my 1970s childhood!

This is such a simple, but cute idea for displaying a selection of succulents in that old crafting favourite - the Mason jar. Scatter around your home, or one would make a lovely gift too! Thank you Susan for sharing this idea with us.

Free from OhMy! Creative : Mason Jar Terrarium 10

“I am only limited by my imagination ” 11

We’re very excited to feature Laura Brown of Them Silver Seas, our first-ever jeweller, in our Christmas issue. Laura creates the most beautiful pieces in silver and other precious metals that are inspired by the natural world around her.

Thanks for joining us today Laura, your jewellery is so beautiful and we’d like to learn a little more about you and your business. So without any further delay, can you tell us please ….

How did you choose the name for your business?

It took me so long to choose a name. I wanted to make pieces that have a story element to them and wanted my name to reflect that. It felt good to have historical local Southwest connection of smugglers and pirates - say 'Them Silver Seas' in a Southwest accent and I guarantee you'll feel like a pirate (Arrrrh).

Starting out felt like a bit of a journey to me, knowing nothing about the business at all, learning as I went along. The last part of the name was bound up in my love of the sea, the shimmering silver, the endless horizon - my thoughts were that I am only limited by my imagination and so when I began making the name is a reminder of that. I am using my own name more and more now and will probably changeover at some point when the time is right. .

How did you get started?

I took two short adult evening courses, 10 weeks, one evening a week at a local college to learn the basics. From there I used (and still do use) the library a lot. I bought one tool, then another... You don't need much to start - a saw, a bench peg, a kitchen table, an idea and a flame torch and you're away.

What do you wish you'd known before starting?

Be kind to yourself! It can be quite emotional so be prepared for that.

When you work independently, it is for the most part amazing but when things go wrong, you have a slow day, or a bit of a block with ideas you're responsible. It's hard to put down sometimes when you put so much of yourself into something.

You will always feel like you never have enough time.

Meet the Maker

recent 'Leaping hare' is also the story of Autumn, falling leaves, the swallows leaving. In my head there was a glimmer of another story happening where I was thinking of a man turning into a hare, I'm not sure why. It's funny what pops into your head.

Also, I live and work off grid in a field in Cornwall. This means I am driven to think about how I use resources.

I use traditional hand powered tools in the main. I use eco silver too which is the same quality as sterling but 100% recycled and I substitute chemicals for natural products that won't harm the environment around me. For example, my pickle which cleans oxides off of silver is made of salt and vinegar and warm water.

How long does it take to create, for example, your dreams of a fox Your pieces are quite unique - how necklace?

Well, that necklace has over 50 do you find your inspiration?

So much inspires me, nature, art, poetry but folklore, fairy tales and storytelling are my main inspiration.

When I am making a piece I create a story around it or I am trying to set up a scene. For example, when designing my 'At the end of the day' pendant I was thinking of the low lights in Autumn (my favourite kind of light) and silhouette of birds coming home to roost. My most

holes drilled, using a bow drill* in the front part alone and then each one of those I saw out to create a 'trees' so that is at least four - six hours. I would say the necklace takes about 50 - 60 hours in total.

I hand sand everything working up from coarse 240 to fine 2000 paper so that in itself is a bit of work. I think perhaps half my work time is spent sanding! *A bow drill is a traditional tool, you put the drill bit in the chuck,

End of the Day Pendant

Plique a jour technique Dreams of a Fox Necklace

Leaping Hare Pendant

Debra’s work is so unusual and original, making use of everyday objects from the past to create beautiful miniature houses.

Do visit her Facebook page and shop to see more of her work ‌

www.facebook.com/vintagemissclementine www.etsy.com/uk/shop/missclementineonline https://www.instagram.com/miss_clementine_

spin the twine up and push a handle up and down, maintain momentum, which spins the drill bit and a hole is drilled - it is an amazing tool.

things in great volume only two or three pieces at a time and these can take days to finish so I always start where I ended the day before.

Can you tell us just a little about I often listen to stories, plays and the different techniques you use? music as I work. Time-wise It helps Two techniques really. One is based around use of the saw. I love my saw. I cut out details and then build back layers into pieces so they become three dimensional. I like to put small details and texture in and I always like to see how shadows play on the pieces from what I have cut out.

The other technique I use is enamelling.

I use graphite on enamel, you can draw directly onto the enamel and fire to a permanent finish, which just opens up endless possibilities in my mind.

Another enamelling technique I use is plique a jour - which means 'glimpse of the day' - I cut out spaces and fill them with washed enamel and then torch fire. The end result is like stained glass. I break some rules to make the pieces.

Lots of trial and error practice to get to that point.

Please describe a typical working day I usually get my diary in the mornings with a cuppa and plan my day, check my emails, write a list of priorities. My work is best done in natural light so I like to be in my workshop as early as I can be. I am lucky that my workshop is at the end of the garden, so it's a (very) short commute to work! From there, orders are always the first thing I work on if I have them. I am small batch production, I don't make

to keep a track of where I am, I often work until the light fades in winter.

I stick to a routine as much as I can.

I try and remember (though often don't!) to take progress pictures as I go along. People like to see how things are made and see the work involved. I like to go out for a walk or run or cycle or sit in the sun for a bit too just for a bit of fresh air. Late afternoons you can find me at local post office and evenings tend to be admin - putting pieces in my shop, editing pictures, ordering materials.

I also tend to always have something new I am making on my bench. There are always gaps whilst making each piece and so its good to have two or three other new pieces which I can work on or drawings I am making in my sketch book.

Some days I might be making a piece and I will have to stop to write down an idea or do a sketch that has just popped into my head.

The days I don't have made to order pieces I still make sure I am in my workshop working on the new ideas.

What's been your moment so far?

proudest

I guess its a series of moments really. Its when customers contact me and they tell me about what a piece of mine means to them, the reasons why they bought it, some

of what people tell me can be really mind blowing.

I feel very humbled by some peoples lives and experiences and am happy and touched that what I have made might represent something to someone.

And your biggest challenge?

I struggle with marketing my pieces as I am quite introverted but I am getting better. I used to think it was enough to be in my workshop and quietly make and make and make and that would be enough but the truth is you do have to be able to sell yourself a bit too,. I think there are lots of very talented makers who struggle with that business aspect.

It's a learning curve.

Do you have any advice for budding entrepreneurs?

The best piece of advice I think I have is just to start... don't wait until everything is 'right' or there will always be something you are waiting for. Just one thing at a time.

What are your plans for the future?

Just to carry on making and building my business. I want to keep trying new things, progressing technically.

I want to make my own mark and use it on my pieces.

How do you spend your spare time?

I spend my spare time outdoors, listening to the birds, walking, running, cycling, swimming, staring at the sea or trees or stars.

How would you describe your lifestyle in three words?

Natural, free and off grid!

Country Diary Still snow, a vast quantity fell last night and now it continues to snow. Mr Amen snug at home tho’ I have work for him in the barn. I see people moving about at the ends of long rusty guns, I fear mischief will be done. A brace of woodcocks and a goose brought me from Rich of Pepperill. I took the goose out of compassion for a large family but the woodcocks were immoderately dear, besides I have a woodcock and a hare and snipes in the house, and another to be brought today from another quarter. Master Morris put on boots that I gave him to walk in the snow. I told him I did not give them for that purpose, had they been old thick rusty boots, it would be another thing.

What terrible weather this is for all kinds of birds, no food to be found anywhere and man, cruel man, adding to their calamity by hunting after their lives in every quarter, the whole region resounds with pops and explosions. Ann went off before dinner to her Father’s being Old Christmas Day when all the family are to meet. I like the plan very much and I find it much practised among the lower orders in this country. Betty, under the direction of Margaret, managed the dinner which was sent up very neatly and we enjoyed ourselves.

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A Little Look at Linen ….

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Linen has been my very favourite fabric for hand embroidery for as long as I can remember. But it has a long and interesting history too - did you know that it's been around for thousands of years? It has always been an expensive fabric which is due to the way it has to be harvested, processed, and woven. Linen was heavily used in the Mediterranean in the pre-Christian age and was sometimes used as currency in ancient Egypt. Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth. Some of these fabrics, woven from hand spun yarns, were extremely fine and the fineness of the yarns in them simply can't be reproduced today using modern methods.

The flax plant, from which linen is made, is one of the oldest agricultural plants in the world. An archeological dig at the site of Neolithic lake dwellings in Switzerland revealed the charred remains of food prepared from flax seed, together with remnants of linen threads, ropes, clothes and fishing nets. A little more recently, but still more than 5000 years ago the Egyptians named flax "woven moonlight" due to what they considered to be its beauty, while a little less poetic, but perhaps more apt name, is the Latin one "linum usitatissimum" "extremely useful" plant.

Flax blooms in clusters of bluish, navy-blue, and, more seldom, violet, rosy and white flowers that open up at dawn and close and fall at around noon when heat sets in. Each flower blooms for a few hours and, as an aside, bees can collect enough pollen and nectar from one hectare of flax field to produce 15 kg (well over 30 lbs) of honey.

Flax for linen is grown around the world, though the quality of the crops varies greatly.

It's generally considered that flax grown in Belgium and other areas of northern Europe is the best flax for making linen.

The quality of the finished linen product is also dependent upon harvesting techniques. To generate the longest possible fibres, flax is either hand-harvested by pulling up the entire plant or stalks are cut very close to the root.

After harvesting, the seeds are removed and the fibres are loosened from the stalk which is a long and complicated process involving several stages. Once separated, the shorter fibres are combed away, leaving behind only the long, soft fibres which can then be spun into yarns and woven or knitted into linen fabric.

There are various types of linen suitable for embroidery. If, for example, you're planning a counted cross stitch project, then you'll want even weave linen, whilst ordinary surface embroidery you'll want a firmly woven, lighter weight fabric that's still strong enough to support the weight of the stitches and doesn't allow any stray threads to show through from the back.

As always, cost and quality go hand in hand and if you're working on an important piece that you want to stand the test of time then you'll be concerned to choose a good quality linen. And I really do mean stand the test of time - in the British Museum are pieces of mummy linen at least 6000 years old!

The final reason I love linen so much is because the more it is washed, the softer and more luminous it becomes. That luminous quality is caused by nodes on the flax fibers, which reflect light. Freshly washed linen has a naturally clean fragrance and gives you a sense of well-being. Do remember to remove your linen from the washing line while it’s still damp. If linen dries thoroughly, it becomes brittle and takes several hours to recover its natural moisture and full flexibility. (The natural moisture content of linen is between 6-8%.

Linen dried beyond this point will have to re-absorb moisture from the air before it becomes soft and supple once more.)

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Felt Rhino Trophy Head I stopped making animal heads for some time after receiving some quite hurtful comments about encouraging hunting and cruelty to animals. But recently I’ve begun again, as after a great deal of thought I simply can’t see how creating an animal’s likeness in felt and fibre encourages any one to hurt the real living creature.

My little grandson Freddie loves his animal heads, and I very much hope that one day this childish love will translate into the desire to protect and conserve the natural world around him as much as he is able.

This rhino head is very easy to make, and though he looks a bit bad tempered I think that’s probably more a rhino characteristic than anything else as he’s really a very friendly fellow.

Shown mounted on 7” hoop.

● Black or dark grey stranded cotton floss or cotton perle thread

Materials

● 7” embroidery hoop

● 18” square grey marl wool blend felt.

Don’t be tempted to use an acrylic craft felt as this will be stiff and harsh and won’t give you the gently rounded shape you are seeking. Pure wool felt is likely to be too thick and heavy for this project.

● 9” square backing fabric - this should be a medium weight non-stretchy fabric. ● Toy stuffing ● Stuffing stick (simply a bamboo skewer with the pointed end broken off and frayed so it “grabs” the stuffing. It’s great for pushing stuffing into small spaces such as the points of the horns.

● 5” square dark grey wool blend felt for ear inners ● Two x ¼” black spherical beads ● Lightweight card

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● Stitch the felt oval shape to the back of the head between C and D. When you’re part way round insert the card oval between the felt and the stuffing. Insert stuffing as you go so that the head is nice and firm (but not too much so as to distort the head or bend the card).

Method ● Cut out all pieces using the full size templates.

There is no need to add any seam allowance.

Make sure you cut nice smooth edges as they will be visible when the head is finished. ● All pieces are joined by hand with wrong sides together using black floss. To do this place the pieces together and work a diagonal whip stitch over the edges in one direction using two strands of floss. Return in the opposite direction angling your whip stitch the other way so that the two stitches form a decorative cross stitch over the seam.

● Join the ear inners and outers together around the curved edges. ● Fold in half lengthways and secure the base with a few stitches. Position on sides of head using the photograph as a guide and stitch into place. ● Use glass-headed pins to mark the positions of the eyes. Take your time over this as their positioning will affect the final expression of your softie. Make sure they’re even from all angles. When you’re happy with their positioning stitch into place through the head pulling your thread tightly so that the eyes sit in little hollows or sockets. You don’t want a bug-eyed rhino!!

● Join the chin gusset to the bottom of one head side matching at A, B and C. Repeat with the other side. ● Join the top seam between the two side heads from A to D over the tops of the horns. ● Stuff your head. Use small pieces of stuffing to avoid lumpiness and push well up into the horns. Mould the head in your hands as you go, turning it round and looking at it from all angles to make sure the shape is nice and even and pleasing on all sides.

● Mount the fabric in the hoop, pulling it very tightly and screwing the hoop closed as firmly as you are able. ● Stitch or glue the head to the fabric.

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Farewell Christmas 20

n the past, the prudent householder couldn't be too careful when it came to taking down and disposing of their decorations. A single mistake in disposing of your Christmas greenery could result in bad luck following your family the whole year through. Holly had to be burned or buried, left to shrivel up or fed to the cattle according to local custom, and sometimes a spring was also kept for good luck.

Charcoal from the Yule log was also carefully preserved as it was believed to prevent lightening from striking the house and guarded people and animals from serious diseases.

Although today we are unlikely to feed the ashes from our Christmas fires to our animals to encourage fertility, it's still a good idea to pack your decorations away carefully at the end of the festivities.

Next Christmas might seem a long way off, but you'll be thanking yourself when your baubles remain unbroken and your lights aren't tangled when it comes to getting them out again in December.

Putting away an artificial tree is easy, just dismantle and repack.

Do be careful though to straighten out branches and lay them against the trunk as the

manufacturer intended, otherwise they may snap or become distorted over the summer months.

Disposing of a real tree does take a little more effort.

Firstly there's disposing of the needles. Be sure to carefully sweep or vacuum them, easy with hard floors but harder with carpet. I'm sure I can't be the only person who's experienced a nasty stab in the foot from an undiscovered pine needle in the middle of March! You can dig the needles into your borders where they'll benefit other plants. Smaller twigs and branches can be used for kindling when lighting your fire or stove, whilst the trunk can be sawn into sections to provide aromatic logs.

If you chose a rooted tree, hoping to keep it for another year, you'll probably have bedded it into a suitable tub already. If so, then carry it into the garden, water well and place in a sheltered spot until the tree has had time to acclimatise. If you want to replant it into your garden then dig a hole deep enough to allow the roots plenty of room and loosen the roots if they've become cramped in the tub. Fork some peat into the earth and make sure your tree is firmly bedded in and well watered.

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Check your lights are in good working order before you put them away. Tighten the bulbs and wrap the flex carefully around a strong piece of card (no more tangles!). Put the lights in a box with a layer of sponge or cotton wool (or even some toy stuffing) on either side to protect the bulbs.

To make sure your delicate baubles survive safely from year to year, wrap each one separately in soft tissue paper or kitchen roll and pack them in a strong box.

If you haven't already discarded your wrapping paper, then it's worth a rummage through to check for any large pieces that can be salvaged for wrapping smaller gifts next time - or even for games of pass the parcel at children's parties through the coming year.

Cut out any saveable pieces and iron on the wrong side with a warm iron. Fold carefully or wrap around a cardboard tube to store.

And finally ‌. people often write changes of address on their Christmas cards, so when you take them down be sure to check through for any messages or notes. It's nice to keep the cards that appeal to you - they can be recycled into gift tags next year.

Nature Notes: Rainbows A rainbow is, without doubt, a beautiful thing. But did you know that rainbows aren’t just pretty, they can also be a useful source of information? A rainbow will only form when the rain is in front of you and the sun is fairly low in the sky and behind you. Here in the UK most of our weather comes from the west, so rainbows in the morning mean that rain’s on the way (the sun is in the east in the morning of course, so the rain is approaching from the west), whilst rainbows in the afternoon mean that the rain is travelling away and the weather is probably about to improve.

The colours in the rainbow are also a clue to the type of raindrops about to fall. Quite simply, the more red you see at the top of the rainbow, the bigger the raindrops.

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A (very little) history of Honiton Lace

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Did you know that lace originated as a means of fastening your clothing - and also your shoes(!) before butttons were invented?

Gradually over time it evolved to become more elaborate and decorative until it developed into the form we’re all familiar with today.

Honiton lace is a delicate, floral style of lace, made with bobbins using very fine thread, nearly always white, to create pictures It is a part lace, differing from the more commonly seen British “straight laces� that begin at one end and finish at the other creating a continuous length in a regular design. Honiton lace is much more flexible, allowing for the creation of much more detailed and

elaborate designs. Indeed the degree of complexity is such that it can take 8 to 10 hours to create a single square inch of lace.

Each Honiton motif is built up of individually worked shapes and braids, leaves and petals.

These may then be joined to make larger pieces, working bars, net or fancy filling stitches in the spaces. These 'fillings', of which there are countless variations, are a particular feature of Honiton lace.

Another of its beauties is its pictorial nature, as the part lace technique lent itself to the working of flowers, leaves and butterflies, nowadays lends itself to the making of many modern designs.

The earliest known piece of this beautiful lace dates from the late sixteenth century.

Honiton lace was made in east Devon and Dorset and its name comes from the town where it was collected from local makers. From Honiton it was transported to London where the beautiful and painstakingly-created pieces of lace were incorporated into beautiful garments for royalty and wealthy aristocrats of the time.

In the nineteenth century the popularity of Honiton lace was boosted by Queen Victoria who, in a bit to support British artisans, insisted that anyone taking tea with her should wear a piece of Honiton lace.

Queen Victoria described her choice of dress in her journal : “I wore a white satin dress, with a deep flounce of Honiton lace, an imitation of an old design. My jewels were my Turkish diamond necklace & earrings & dear Albert's beautiful sapphire brooch."

Queen Victoria and all her daughters, as well as Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary, were married in Honiton lace, while the original Royal Christening Robe, made for the christening of Queen Victoria's first child, the Princess Royal, in 1841, was a gift from the lace makers of Woodbury Parish. It was worn

by Royal babies for nearly 150 years until it became too fragile when a replica christening robe was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II. This replica was first worn by Viscount Severn in April 2008.

Queen Mary, wife of George V also had a Honiton lace wedding veil and coronation fan.

for women to earn their own money at what was considered to be a ladylike occupation.

For centuries creating Honiton lace was a cottage industry employing women and girls as young as five. In 1870 the Education Act stated that all children must attend school.

Parents of lacemaking children were reluctant to lose the income so in east Devon many didn’t send their daughters. In 1903 a compromise was reached and schools were established where half the time was spent teaching lacemaking - an opportunity

When machine-made net was invented early in the 19th century Honiton motifs were applied to make veils and other items. Poorly worked and designed pieces of Honiton lace probably date from this period as those who made the lace and those who dealt in it struggled to compete with the lace the machines could produce, although they were unable to actually reproduce Honiton lace.

Extract from “The Western Times” (a Devon newspaper) 15th February 1840 “Her Majesty the Queen wore on her head a wreath of orange blossoms and a veil of Honiton lace, with a necklace and earrings of diamonds.

Her Majesty’s dress was of white satin with a very deep trimming of Honiton lace, in design similar to that of the veil. The body and sleeves were richly trimmed with the same material to correspond. The train was of white satin and was also lined with white satin, trimmed with orange blossom. The dress was made by Mrs Bettans, her Majesty’s dressmaker. The cost of the lace alone on the Queen’s dress was £1000, the satin of which was of pure white was manufactured at Spitalfields.

The lace of HM’s bridal dress though popularly called Honiton lace was really worked at the village of Beer, which is situated near the sea coast about 10 miles from Honiton. It was executed under the direction of Miss Bidney, a native of the village, who went from London, at the command of HM for the express purpose of superintending the work. More than 200 persons were employed

upon it from March to November during the past year. These poor women derive a scanty subsistence from making lace, but the trade has latterly so declined, that had it not been for the kind consideration of HM in ordering this dress, they would have been destitute during the winter.

No one can form an idea of the gratitude they express who has not heard it from their own lips.

The lace which formed the flounce of the dress measures 4 yards and is ¾ yard in depth. The pattern is rich and exquisitely tasteful in design, drawn expressly for the purpose and surpasses anything that has ever been executed either in England or in Brussels. So anxious was the manufacturer that Her Majesty should have a dress perfectly unique that she has since the completion of the lace destroyed all the designs.

The veil, which is of the same material and is made to correspond afforded employment to the poor lace makers for more than 6 weeks. It is a good yard and a half square.”

Animal Friends Cache Pots Another easy make, these little cache pots are such fun - and really useful around the house too featuring three animal friends - Lion, Panda and Cat. The largest is 6” square and the smallest just 4” square.

They feature some simple freestyle machine applique and are unlined, making them super-fast to create.

You could line them if you liked, simply use the same dimensions and slip the lining inside - a brightly coloured felt would work well with top stitching around the top edge to hold it in place.

● Black and white embroidery floss

Materials

stranded

cotton

● Bondaweb

● For the large (lion) pot five x 6¼” squares dark grey wool blend felt

● Temporary fabric marker pen

● For the medium (panda) pot five x 5¼” squares medium grey wool blend felt.

● Embroidery foot for your sewing machine

● For the small (cat) pot five x 4¼” teal wool blend felt ● Scraps of fabric and felt to create the applique designs. Quilting cotton makes a perfect applique fabric for this project.

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to press rather than making an “ironing” movement which could cause your shapes to move and/or distort.

Method ● First work your applique designs onto one of each size of your felt squares. The designs are all worked in the same way:

● Fit the embroidery foot to your sewing machine and drop the feed dogs. With black or another dark thread in your needle and a pale colour in your bobbin go around the edge of each shape twice. Don’t be too neat, you’re aiming for a sort of scribbled effect.

● Trace the applique shapes from the full size reversed templates onto the paper side of your Bondaweb. Allow a little extra at the top of each body for it to be overlapped by the animal’s head. Cut out roughly and fuse to the reverse of your fabric/felt. Cut out carefully.

● Use your temporary fabric marker pen to draw in the animals’ features. Stitch them with two strands of floss. They all use black except for the Panda’s eyes which are white floss.

When finished press on the reverse.

● Peel off the paper backing and position your shapes beginning with the bodies. The bodies should be positioned centrally on the felt with the bottom edge aligned with the edge of the felt square. Build up the shape

● To make up your pots simply join the squares by machine with wrong sides together using a 1/8” seam allowance. Remember when stitching each side to stop 1/8” before the end to leave room to attach the next piece.

● When you’re happy with the positioning of your shapes fuse into place with a hot iron using a cloth to protect your work. Be careful

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Milk for the Cat When the tea is brought at five o’clock, And all the neat curtains are drawn with care, The little black cat with bright green eyes Is suddenly purring there.

At first she pretends, having nothing to do, She has come in merely to blink by the grate; But, though tea may be late or the milk may be sour, She is never late.

And presently her agate eyes Take a soft large milky haze, And her independent casual glance Becomes a stiff hard gaze.

But the cat is grown small and thin with desire, Transformed to a creeping lust for milk.

The white saucer like some full moon descends At last from the clouds of the table above; She sighs and dreams and thrills and glows, Transfigured with love.

She nestles over the shining rim, Buries her chin in the creamy sea; Her tail hands loose; each drowsy paw Is doubled under each bending knee.

A long dim ecstasy holds her life; Her world is an infinite shapeless white, Till her tongue has curled the last holy drop, Then she sinks back into the night.

Then she stamps her claws or lifts her ears, Or twists her tail and begins to stir, Till suddenly all her lithe body becomes One breathing trembling purr.

Draws and dips her body to heap Her sleepy nerves in the great arm-chair, Lies defeated and buried deep Three or four hours unconsious there.

The children eat and wriggle and laugh’ The two old ladies stroke their silk;

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Tastes of the Season: Citrus Fruits It's perhaps somewhat surprising that these sunniest of fruits are at their best during the bleakest of months. During the winter, oranges supplied to the UK from southern Europe (particularly Spain) are high in quality and low in price. Apart from forming a vital part of an unlimited number of delicious juices and smoothies, oranges can be used in sauces for savoury dishes and in fabulous desserts where they form a heavenly match with chocolate.

Oranges are thought to have their origin in a sour fruit growing wild in the region of South West China and North East India as early as 2,500 BC. For thousands of years these bitter oranges were used mainly for their scent, rather than their eating qualities. The Romans brought the fruit to Europe and later oranges were spread to Spain by the Moorish conquests in the eight and ninth centuries. The sweet orange familiar to us today probably developed somewhat later.

The fruit arrived in Central America with Columbus in 1493 and soon afterwards the Portuguese introduced them to Brazil. Sweet oranges imported from Portugal were enjoyed by wealthy Britons in the late sixteenth century.

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Rosie’s Recipes: Winter Comfort Foods

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For me, January is a time for long crisp walks - preferably with a dog or two - perhaps a winter picnic - mum’s speciality - hot sausage rolls, pies and pasties, jacket potatoes and soup - perfect for warming the cockles of your heart when your fingers are frozen and your toes are without feeling! It’s also a time to snuggle down inside in front of a blazing fire and enjoy some of the lovely winter comfort foods we do so well here in the UK.

Cheese and Onion Pasties Pasties don’t have to contain meat to be delicious and these are a perfect winter picnic food - and great for suppers and high teas too - yum! Quantities make two large pasties (perfect for sharing)

Ingredients ● 250 g shortcrust pastry ● 200 g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced ● 100 g mature Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced ● 1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced ● 2 generous tablespoons double (or even nicer, clotted) cream ● 1 level tablespoon finely chopped parsley ● 1 egg, beaten ● Salt and pepper

Method ● Preheat your oven to 220C (425F)

● Dust a work surface with flour. Divide the pastry into two and roll out each piece very thin (about ¼”) and as nearly circular as you can make it. ● Arrange half of the potato slices in a layer over half of one of the pastry circles and arrange the other half in the same way over the other pastry circle.

Season each potato layer with a little salt and quite a lot of pepper, then top each with half of the Cheddar cheese, then half of the onions. ● Heap a tablespoon of the clotted cream on top of each pile of vegetables and cheese and sprinkle over the chopped parsley. ● Brush around the edges of the pastry circles with some beaten egg. ● Fold the uncovered halves of pastry over to enclose the filling and crimp the edges of the pastry together firmly to form two pasties. Brush more beaten egg over the top of the passties, then carefully transfer them to a lightly greased baking tray. ● Cook in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes (the pastry should crisp and brown, but don’t let it burn). Then turn the heat down to 180C (325F) and cook for another 20-25 minutes. ● Best eaten while still warm.,

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Fish Pie Another winter favourite - especially enjoyed by us all when Mum lived down in Devon and could take advantage of the local fishermens’ catches. But still very good made with frozen fish, warming without being as heavy as cottage or shepherd’s pie. Serves 4-6

Ingredients

● 1.5 kg potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed with milk and butter

● 250 g cod or haddock filet, skinned

● 25 g fresh white breadcrumbs

● 250 g salmon fillet, skinned

● 25 g grated Cheddar cheese.

● 250 g smoked cod or haddock fillet ● 500 ml fish sotlck ● 100 ml white wine ● 2 tbspn chopped parsley

For the sauce: ● 50 g butter ● 50 g plain flour ● 175 ml double cream ● 2 tspn English mustard ● ½ tspn Worcester sauce

For the topping

Method ● Remove any small bones from the fish fillets, then cut roughly into 1” (2 - 3 cm) chunks. Pour the fish stock and wine into a large pan and bring to a simmer. Add the fish and poach gently in the liquid for 2 mins. Drain, reserving the liquor, and cool. ● To make the sauce, melt the butter in a heavy based pan over a low heat, then stir in the flour. Gradually stir in the reserved poaching liquor. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 mins. ● Add the cream and continue to simmer for 10 mins or so until the sauce has a thick coating consistency. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning if required. Allow to cool slightly. ● Gently fold the cooked fish and parsley into the sauce and spoon into a large pie dish to about 1 ½” from the top. Leave to cool again. ● Preheat the oven to 180. Top the pie with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle over breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake for around 30 - 40 minus until golden.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding You simply can’t have an English winter lunch without pudding, and this is one of our absolute faves delicious served with cream, custard or ice cream - your choice! Serves 4 - 6.

Ingredients ● 150 g pitted dates ● 65 g unsalted butter plus extra to grease the tin or mould. ● 175 g soft dark brown sugar ● 2 medium eggs, lightly beaten ● 225 g self raising flour

For the toffee sauce: ● 600 ml double cream ● 350 g caster sugar ● 90 g unsalted butter.

Method ● Simmer the dates in 250 ml water for 10 - 15 minutes until they are soft and the water has almost evaporated. Whiz in a blender until smooth. Leave to cool. ● Preheat oven to 180C. Grease tin or mould ready. ● To make the sponge cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly, fold in the flour and finally the date puree. ● Spread mixture in the tin and bake for about 1 hour until the sponge is firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 mins or so. ● Meanwhile make the toffee sauce. Pour half the cream into a heavy based pan and add the sugar and butter. Bring to the boil, stirring and continue to boil for around 10 mins until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly, then whisk in the remaining cream. ● Serve the pudding in warm bowls, topped with the toffee sauce.

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Tastes of the Season: Leeks Leeks have been cultivated since the time of the Ancient Egyptians when they were so much appreciated they were used as payment for services rendered! The climate of the UK is perfect for growing leeks. The Romans first discovered how well they thrive here when they occupied the country from AD 43-410. Leeks contain a number of nutrients that offer a multitude of health benefits, while half a medium leek will also count as one of your five-a-day. Leeks contain B vitamins that can assist with the release of energy as well as helping to support the immune system.

They also contain vitamin K which is important for bone health and vitamin B6 which plays a role in the functioning of the nervous system.

Sauteing, roasting and grilling are all great ways to make the most of the leek’s mild and sweet flavour. Try them in risottos, soups, casseroles, quiches, warm salads and pasta dishes.

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A (very) Little Guide to identifying Fibres (using the Flame Test) If you’ve purchased vintage fabric – whether in the form of clothing, or as a bolt of cloth – that doesn’t have a label identifying the fibres it contains, then the easiest way to find out is through a simple flame test. Cut a small piece about an inch (2.5cm) square from your fabric and hold it with tweezers (not plastic ones!). Ignite the fabric over a non-flammable surface in a well-ventilated room, or outside if your smoke alarm is quite sensitive. The way that your fabric reacts when you set fire to it will help you to identify its fibre content.

Linen and Cotton both smell of burning paper and produce a grey ash filament. They burn slowly and linen takes longer than cotton to ignite.

Wool and Cashmere will smolder rather than burn brightly. You will experience a strong smell of burning hair or feathers and the flame will go out by itself. The ash is blackish and turns to powder when crushed.

Acrylic gives off a pungent, acrid smell. It continues to burn even after the source of the flame has been removed and it melts to a hard black lump.

Rayon burns in a similar way to linen and cotton, but will continue to burn after the flame is removed. Unlike cotton it does not have an afterglow.

Polyester has a sweetish smell when burning. It produces black smoke and rolls up into a hard, shiny black ball.

Additional test: If you unravel a clump of threads from a small piece of linen or cotton fabric and slowly move a flame towards them you will see that they ignite as the flames draw near. Synthetic fibres will curl back from the heat and tend to melt rather than ignite and burn.

Silk is another natural fibre so also burns slowly with a pungent smell of hair or feathers. Again, the flame will go out by itself. The ash is greyish and turns to powder when crushed.

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Inspiration

inspiration

A closer look at some of the accounts we love‌ C:\Users\Debbie\Downl...\penandpaperpatterns.png

@georgie.k.emery

@ladybirddiaries

Georgie is a hand embroidery artist based in Gloucestershire UK. She has a BA Hons Degree in printed textiles and creates the most gorgeous hoop art!

Marianne’s grid is full of her gorgeous pastel crochet creations. We especially love her blankets - they look perfect for snuggling up with this Winter.

C:\Users\Debbie\Downloads\Ins...\fuzzyandflora.png

@ohhellobeau

@cathyeliot

Gem creates hand-painted artwork on reclaimed wood. We absolutely love her Christmas Eve boxes - be sure to pop over to her Etsy shop to take a look!

Cathy was taught to embroider at a young age and since then has continued to stitch, draw and paint. Her grid is full of the gorgeous things she sells in her Etsy shop.

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Macrame Succulent Hoop This was such a fun hoop to stitch. It looks complicated, but actually it’s really very easy if you break it down into its separate stages. The pot is a simple applique shape and the succulent is just satin stitch in various shades of green. Then it’s finished off by adding some wooden beads with brown stranded cotton floss threaded through to represent the pot hanger and displayed in an oval hoop.

You do need a fairly firm background fabric to support the stitching and “macrame”, I actually used a nice natural coloured felt which I thought worked really well.

Shown mounted in 10” x 8” oval hoop.

and natural shades measuring between ¼” and ¾” long

Materials ● 14” x 12” natural or white background fabric. Use a medium weight cotton or linen or alternatively felt is nice and firm

● Bondaweb

● 3” x 4” scrap cotton (I used a quilting cotton) for the pot

● 10” x 8” oval hoop

● Temporary fabric marker pen

● Stranded cotton floss in 4 shades of green and dark brown ● Assortment of wooden beads - I used 24 in total of different designs in both dark

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1

3

2

Method ● Trace the pot shape onto the paper side of your Bondaweb using the full size template.

Remember to trace a complete pot with a straight top to allow the embroidered leaves to fall down over the edge (see diagram right) ● Cut out roughly. Fuse to the reverse of your fabric using a hot iron and cut out carefully.

Peel off the paper backing and position on your background fabric 4” up from the bottom edge and in the centre vertically.

When you’re happy with the positioning fuse into place with a hot iron, protecting your work with a cloth.

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● Transfer the embroidery pattern and work the succulent leaves in satin stitch using two strands of each of your green flosses.

Change the angle of stitching between leaves so that the light reflects differently off each leaves. I draw lines on my design to help me keep my stitches from wandering off the direction I want them to take! (1) It’s worth taking time to make sure your threads lie nice and flat, be sure to untwist them and you may like to use a thread conditioner too.

● Stitch your beads firmly into place using 1 strand of brown floss.

● When your plant is complete press lightly on the reverse.

● Pay careful attention to the threads at the top of the plant - you can see that some appear to come from behind it - again you should be able to see this in the large photo.

● Now work the “macrame”. Use six strands of brown floss and take your thread through the beads as shown in the large photo overleaf and (3). ● The top threads “disappear” at the top of the hoop - simply take the threads down through the fabric and secure at the back.

● With your temporary fabric marker pen mark the positions for the beads. Space as follows:

● To create the tassel at the base make some long loopy stitches with your brown floss, with a tiny back stitch in between each loop to make sure it doesn’t slip out of place. Cut the loops and trim to the desired length.

● 3 evenly spaced along the base of the plant pot ● 4 evenly spaced along the top edge of the plant pot.

● Mount your work in the hoop (I can see from the photos that mine is actually slightly off centre - apologies for this - I was suffering with the flu when I was finishing it off!! I’m sure yours will be much better!

● 5 evenly spaced just above the top of the top leaves. The middle bead should be vertically exactly above the middle of the three beads at the base of the pot. (2)

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The often gloomy month of January is brightened by fragrant winter flowering Hyacinths reassuring us that spring arrive again this year

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Winter Hyacinths A foretaste of spring in the darkest winter months ….

Hyacinths are the most wonderful flower to enjoy in your home during the cold dreary January days as they are not only vibrant in colour but also highly fragrant, filling the house with their scent.

The bulbs have to be “forced” to flower early indoors. If they’re planted and grown outside then they will flower in the spring normally around April time alongside the daffodils and earliest tulips. If they’re forced then they’ll flower much earlier - often as soon as December, depending on individual varieties and when they are started into growth. Forcing bulbs into flower was a Victorian passion that continues into the present day.

Bulbs for forcing have normally been heat-treated which fools the bulbs into believing they’ve been dormant through the summer by storing them for a certain period at artificial summer temperatures so they’ll flower earlier. Each hyacinth flower is made up of a spike of individual florets with thick waxy petals forming a bellshaped tube that opens out into a six pointed star. Their fragrance is extremely powerful, with blue-flowered varieties generally having the strongest scent.

As well as the more common blue and white, pink, cream and yellow-flowered hyacinths are readily available, whilst more unusual peach and maroon varieties can also sometimes be found.

The hyacinths grown today all originate from a single species, Hyacinthus orientalis, which is native to the eastern Mediterranean, growing on mountain slopes in Turkey, Israel, Iran and Syria.

The wild species is more delicate in appearance with taller, less densely-packed pale blue flower spikes - but still with the characteristic heavy fragrance. By the 16th century plant collectors had brought the hyacinth to Holland, the bulb-growing capital of the world, but it wasn’t until the late 17th century that records of named hyacinths began to appear as breeders began to select for larger flowers, different colours and shorter, more robust, flower spikes as well as double flowered varieties.

The popularity of hyacinths peaked in the 18th century when more than 300 varieties were available for enthusiasts to choose from. Their status as the “must-have” bulb was further enhanced by the

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French King Louis XV who had them planted throughout his palace gardens. Hyacinths aren’t especially difficult to grow - just remember that once their leaves are up and the flower buds have formed, then they must be kept moist.

If the flower heads are large and heavy, then a thin green split cane placed alongside the stem can be pushed into the bulb then secured behind the flower head with string - this doesn’t hurt the bulb. You don’t need to feed your indoor hyacinths because all the goodness the flower needs is in the bulb. This means you can grow them in plain water though the bulb mustn’t sit in the water or it will rot, hence the use of glass hyacinth vases. These have narrow necks that neatly hold the bulb above the water in the bottom.

Over time the water fills with an extensive root system and, after about 3 months, the flower emerges.

It’s a bit late this year to force your own bulbs, but it’s still perfectly possible to enjoy indoor hyacinths in your own home as they’re readily available from supermarkets and garden centres - a real foretaste of the spring to come - perfect to cheer you in the darkest winter months ahead!

The Countryside in January January in the village, proclaimed with New Year bells from the square church tower and the red-berried Christmas wreaths still hanging upon cottage doors. Twelfth Night, with the crackle of the holly and the ivy in the open hearth, the village chimney pots pungent with blue smoke, and the village shop once more its matter-of-fact, workaday self.

Morning and evening the mixed trails of rooks and jackdaws passing over dun skies, and every so often a sundown marked with multitudes of starlings, their wing-beats sounding the long whisper of prodigious power from overhead. How many birds in some of these vast assemblies which sweep over the winter skies making their strange music and huge patterns of flight at roosting time? A quarter of a million pairs of wings maybe rushing down the valley and darkening a sun’s disc clear as a harvest moon in the freezing, misty air.

The flowering of the winter jasmine is past, but it is nightly a sleeping tenement of sparrows against the shelter on the house wall, and a pocketful of wrens roosting together for warmth in the cup of the old thrush’s nest. The jasmine flowers are limp and soggy, and in their pocket beneath the cherry-tree the Christmas roses are unbending, like small snakes lifting their heads from the cold hard soil. And one day, the January day of exaltation and miracle where the first unbelievable pale lilac-coloured iris unfurls in the bleak sunshine Can anything so frail, so delicate as this survive in the winter weather, rise yearly to the challenge to do so?

C Gordon-Glover Extract from

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1953

Then the snows of January come down the hills from east-north-east, into the valley. An hour or two is enough to drift the outward-going by-roads, and then there follows the silence, the unearthly grey white silence in the freezing trees and along the village street where no wheels turn and rubber boots are soundless in the snow. Hard January weather in the countryside draws the community together with a warmth even greater than the easier warmth of Christmas. We share the coal, the bread, the milk, the oil, fare forth with shovels to clear the paths of pensioners from their cottage doors; and cheer the first tradesmen to get through.

The chunter of the helpful tractor is the most cheerful of sounds, and there is a mellow peace about the power-cut village pub by candlelight, appearing like something from another age.

There are signs that the year has truly turned. With the passing of each January day the sun lifts slightly higher, slightly higher above the southern horizon, with heat enough in it by the end of the month to warm a barn door and light up cosy corners for a barn yard mouser. And warm enough when blows the wind southerly to melt a night’s cat-ice in an hour and turn it to bathing pools for the sparrows of the village street.

But January is generally a poor old month in many ways, even if lightened by the thumpings through country letterboxes of seed catalogues, with their forward-looking promises of new potatoes and giant delphinums to come. These things lie in the future, though the plans take shape in the present. And as for the providence of the present - the first aconites are trim as butter-balls, the snowdrops forcing their way through to February and by the roadsides the dancing yellow tassels of the catkins breaking bright against the dark and leafless coppice behind them.

Indoor Plant Care At this time of year, when the garden is grey and gloomy, we rely on our indoor plants to bring a little natural colour and foliage into our homes. But fires, central heating, fluctuations in temperature and draughty windowsills can make this a difficult time for our houseplants. While days are short and often dark and natural light is at a premium plants living in darker corners will benefit from being moved closer to windows. Here they can make the most of whatever daylight there is at this time of year.

Indoor plants also need a constant temperature and suffer when they become too hot next to radiators or fires, or if left in draughts, so do consider their positions and consider moving them to a more comfortable spot if necessary. It’s particularly important not to over water at this time of year as even your indoor plants are unlikely to be actively growing. Over watering can lead to rotting roots and dying leaves. A weekly watering so their compost is kept just moist is best and will help keep your plants healthy until the spring returns once more.

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Help keep your workroom tidy with this gorgeous crochet basket. Perfect for stashing yarn or leftover fabric scraps - being tidy never looked so cute!

Look! a lovely idea -------------------

Foxy Basket

Image from All About Ami: http://www.allaboutami.com/post/82237092962/foxbasket

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Wilderness Bunting The little Wilderness Bear from last June’s Magazine has been one of my favourite patterns of all time - and certainly a favourite of my little two-year-old grandson Freddie.

And so now, as Freddie’s birthday approaches I thought it would be fine to give that design one last twist and reinvent my wilderness bear as some rather funky bunting - perfect for any party, or just to decorate a lucky child’s room instead.

The trees and bears are between 5 ½” and “ tall and the arrow roundels just over 3” in diameter. It’s a great project for using up oddly shaped scraps of felt.

● Toy stuffing

Materials

● Bondaweb

● For each bear 6 ½” x 9” grey marl wool blend felt and 4” x 3” white or cream felt

● Temporary fabric marker pen

● For each tree 7” x 9” dark grey wool blend felt ● For each roundel 7” x 4” cream or white felt ● Stranded cotton floss in black, grey and white or cream ● 3 yards ¼” wide white or black ribbon

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● Place the two bear pieces with wrong sides together and whip stitch around the edges stuffing as you go (you will find a stuffing stick very useful for this). Insert the ribbon into the seam at each shoulder. When you’ve gone all the way round return in the other direction to complete a decorative cross stitch.

Method ● Bears: Fold your piece of grey marl felt in half and trace around your template onto one piece. Cut out the folded felt so that you’re cutting two bears at the same time. This will make sure they are absolutely identical.

● When you stuff your bear use small pieces of stuffing to avoid lumpiness and be sure to push it up into the ears and paws.

● Trace the tummy and muzzle onto the paper side of your Bondaweb and cut out roughly.

Fuse to your white or cream felt and cut out carefully. Peel off the paper backing and position on your bear. Fuse in place with a hot iron protecting your work with a cloth.

● Make as many bears as you wish. ● The trees are very simply made by joining two tree shapes together in the same way as the bears.

● Secure your applique shapes to the main bear with short stitches worked in 2 strands of white or cream floss at right angles to the edges of the shape. Work a few short stitches to represent the ear inners.

● The roundels are embroidered in 2 strands of black floss. The arrows are back stitch and the points are satin stitch. ● Again insert ribbon into the seams, joining the shapes in your preferred order and numbers.

● Draw the features with your temporary fabric marker pen and stitch in 2 strands of black floss. The nose is satin stitch, the vertical line is back stitch and the eyes are a few straight stitches. If liked scatter a few straight stitches to represent fur on the bear’s head and chest.

● And that’s it. Just keep going as long as you like - and what about adding some different shapes too? Maybe mountains, clouds or even a campfire - the only limit is your imagination!

● Cut your ribbon into 8” lengths.

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From Passion to Profit

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It’s wonderful when you discover that it’s actually possible to earn some money by doing something you love - like sewing! Over the next few issues I’m going to be offering you some hints and tips on successfully selling the items you love to make … before you begin creating - or you might be stuck with a large number of purple velvet frogs that cost you time and money to make, but that nobody wants to purchase. You can market research both on and off-line - in fact the more methods you use to gather this information, the better!

As you probably know, I'm more than happy for you, as an individual stitcher and craftsperson, to use my patterns to make items for sale, as long as you credit Bustle & Sew with the design.

After all, I don't usually make items for sale myself, and so it's lovely to think that others are using my patterns to bring pleasure to others.

So, as we begin to think about next year’s bazaar, fete and fair season and crafters begin planning product lines for the summer, if you're considering starting selling your makes, or even if you already do so, I thought you might enjoy my tips for a creating or perhaps growing your own successful hobby-based enterprise.

Good ways to do this online are to visit websites already selling similar items to the ones you're thinking about making to sell. Browse around sites such as Etsy, Folksy and Not on the High Street and you'll soon begin to discover popular items and identify trends. This isn't copying others, a definite big fat NO, it's simply getting a feel for what's on-trend at the moment.

What shall I make?

Visit social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to find out what's out there and what people are commenting about them. You can even purchase from existing sites to see how their products compare to yours and get an idea of what they're doing well (Are their postage costs reasonable? Products nicely packaged? etc) and also not so well (Poor communication?).

Then, if you decide to sell your makes online you'll have some ideas about what you like - and also dislike!

I guess my first tip would be sure to choose to make something you love - in fact I'm sure if you're reading this, then you're probably already sewing and making things that you're both good at and enjoy doing. But if you're serious about turning your hobby into even a very small business then you need to be really passionate about it, and have the enthusiasm to keep creating.

If your business takes off, then you might find yourself needing to create 10, 20 or more of the same item, perhaps with just minor variations. If you are the sort of person that constantly likes to move onto new things, then you may want to consider offering limited editions so you don't find yourself stitching your 45th pink felt chicken at midnight to fulfil demand!

It's also a good idea to read homes and interiors magazines as again you'll quickly spot the latest trends and become aware of what everyone will be wanting for their homes this season. The good thing about being a small business is that you can respond to the market quickly, so if you spot that something's trending then you can offer items that satisfy current demand. Try and go to craft and other handmade fairs, department stores and even just walk down the High Street studying shop window displays.

Take a notebook around with you to jot down ideas copying existing items is obviously totally wrong (and you could find yourself on the wrong side of copyright laws), but if you notice that, for

And thinking about chickens …. it's absolutely vital that you research your market, and find out what your customers really want. You may love making purple velvet frogs, but find that they have a very limited market and that those pink felt chickens appeal to a much wider audience.

Be sure to get some idea of what's popular

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example, woodland creatures are, then make a note and consider how you could offer foxes, owls and toadstools for sale - either your own design, or from a pattern whose designer is happy for you to sell items you make with their patterns. If you're not sure whether a designer allows you to do this - then all you need do is ask him or her.

At the time Ben was a young, slim dog (I’m sorry to say he grew rather rounder over time!!) who would slink around, curving his flexible body through amazingly small spaces.

Obviously Bustle & Slink wasn’t going to work. I stuck with the “S” of slink though, and changed it to Sew as sewing after all is what it’s all about. In this way Bustle & Sew was born.

And finally – ask your family and friends. They’re going to be your most enthusiastic supporters and keen to ensure you make a success of your business. Ask them to be completely honest with you about your ideas and gather feedback on both the items you’re making to sell and whether or not they think you’ll be able to deliver – if yes to both of these– then that’s great. If not – then ask them what the problems are and how they think you could overcome them.

You can of course call your business anything you like – but I would recommend that you choose something that’s easy to spell and that people will remember. Even if you don’t plan on having your own website straight away its worthwhile checking that the domain name is available – and registering it if it’s free – so that if, in time to come, you do decide to set up your own site, you don’t find somebody else has taken your name. You can also protect your company name and logo with a trademark to ensure nobody else can use it – but that’s perhaps something for the future?

What shall I call myself?

This isn’t always an easy decision if you don’t want to use your own name. I actually named Bustle & Sew after my two dogs at the time.

Amy (my first Newfoundland) was a very girlie girl who loved to bustle around the house being busy and important, swishing her large black furry bum from side to side as she went. She also loved to lie on my feet as I sewed and so Amy gave me the “Bustle” part of my name.

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Coming next month ….If you’re planning to turn your hobby into a business you’ll want to sell the items you make.

The big question everybody asks at this point is “how much should I charge?”

The Thimble - love or hate? Some interesting facts …. (pushed into the thimble creating the dimple) when a wheel was turned.

And finally, did you know that ….. long time indeed …

Early thimbles were made from wood, bone, leather, ivory, tin, bronze, brass, silver, gold and iron. Until the invention of thimble moulds early thimbles were crafted by hand, making each one completely unique.

The earliest known thimble was found at Pompeii and is of Roman origin. It is a bronze thimble, and has been dated from the first century.

The origin of the word thimble is from the Old English thymel which means thumbstall, in Germany the word thimble means fingerhut literally meaning finger hat. Thimbles or some form of a thimble can be found throughout history and in every society. John Lofting introduced the commercial production of brass thimbles in Britain in 1693.

A digitabulist is someone that collects thimbles, and today many ornamental china examples are manufactured that are pretty, but completely impractical for sewing purposes.

Knurlings are the dimpled indents on the side of the thimble. These are a safety feature, providing a grip for any stray needles. Before the 18th century, all of these small dimples were added by hand. Each thimble could have an original design, pattern, or words created with these dimples. By the mid-18th century these dimples were created by a machine and the word “knurling” comes from the action of the machine that creates them. The machine "knurled"

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● In the board game Monopoly, first created in 1904, the thimble is one of the eight traditional metal game pieces used to mark a player’s position on the game board. ● During the First World War, silver thimbles were collected from “those who had nothing to give” by the British government and melted down to buy hospital equipment. ● Thimbles are given as gifts in Peter Pan, who thinks thimbles are kisses. ● One superstition about thimbles says that if you receive three thimbles as gifts you will never be married! So watch out if you’re hoping for a proposal this Valentine’s Day!

Llama Sewing Machine Cover It’s important to keep you sewing machine free of dust – but the manufacturer’s plastic cover can be oh, so boring – white and shiny – not pleasing to the eye. So now there’s the easy-to-sew solution from Bustle & Sew to keep your treasured machine safe and cosy! This is purely a dust cover, but if you wanted to make it more substantial then it would be easy to replace the fabric lining with a quilted alternative.

My cover measures 16” x 24” and will fit most machines as it is unstructured and ties at the sides with ribbon or tape.

● 4” square brown felt for face

Materials

● 6” x 4” faux fur fabric for llama “topknot”

● 17 x 25” piece medium weight fabric for outer

● Black, brown and cream or white stranded cotton floss

● 17 x 25” piece medium or heavy weight fabric for lining (if you don’t have any medium or heavier weight fabric, a light weight fabric with fusible interfacing will work just as well).

● 7” x 4” printed cotton fabric for llama blanket ● Assorted pompoms and braids to trim llama ● 48” x ½” ribbon for ties

● 16” square cream or white felt for llama body

● Temporary fabric marker pen

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● Decorate your llama with lots of braid and pompoms - this is the most fun part!

Method ● Trace the llama shape onto your cream felt and cut out carefully. (I haven’t used Bondaweb for this project as it’s such a large applique shape and would work out quite expensive to do this). Pin into place with the bottom edge of the llama body aligned with one of the short edges of your exterior fabric rectangle (this will be the front bottom edge).

● Cut your ribbon into four equal lengths. ● From the cream felt cut four rectangles, each measuring ¾” x 2 ½” and fold them in half lengthways. Press and insert ribbon into the folds. Machine stitch to secure ● Place the lining and exterior fabrics right sides together and pin. Mark four points, two on either side, each 4 ½” up from the shorter (bottom) edges of the fabric. Insert your ribbons. The main part of the ribbon should be between the fabric layers so that it will be on the outside when you turn your cover out.

Be careful not to catch the ribbons into your stitching - you may like to pin them out of the way.

● Secure llama to background fabric using short straight stitches in 2 strands of cream or white floss worked at right angles to the edge of the shape. ● Now repeat for the face, allowing a little extra at the top for it to be overlapped by the topknot. Finally applique the topknot itself and the llama blanket, again securing to the background fabric with short straight stitches and matching floss.

● Starting at the back edge stitch all the way around the cover using a ¼” seam allowance. Leave a 6” gap for turning.

● Draw in the llama features with your temporary fabric marker pen. Work the eyes and nose in 2 strands of black floss and satin stitch. The mouth is back stitch and the eyelashes are short straight stitches. Work a few additional short stitches in white floss to add sparkle to the eyes.

● Trim seams and clip corners. Turn right side out and press. Press raw edges of turning gap inwards. ● Top stitch around edge of cover 1/8” from edge. Press lightly again. ● Your cover is now finished.

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Home Comforts Now is the time of year that coughs and colds take hold, and often seem to linger far too long. Sage infusions are very effective for treating sore throats and mouth and gum inflammation due to the symptoms of a cold. If you’ve never tried a sage infusion before, you’ll love this - not only does it soothe your throat, it tastes good too.

Bring some water to the boil in a small saucepan. Put a teaspoon (3-4 leaves) of sage leaves in a cup and pour the water over them. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes then strain and drink.

The word “sage” derives from the Latin “salvare” which means healing.

The essential oils contained in sage leaves are anti-inflammatory and antibacterial which is why they are so effective.

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Please visit the following link to download your full size templates as an easy to use pdf file http://bit.ly/2E6CESq 61