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A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2018 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 2018 by: Bustle & Sew The Cottage Oakhill Radstock BA3 5HT UK www.bustleandsew.com
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Welcome to the December Magazine It’s the end of another year - and I simply have no idea what happened to 2018?! It began with a spell of unseasonably mild weather, that quickly gave way to a Narnian style winter - the sort where it’s always winter but never Christmas as we were snowed in not once, but an almost unheard of twice here in our little village in the Mendips. Then it seemed that no sooner had the snow melted, than we were thrust into a heatwave - the longest hottest summer for decades - with the chance to enjoy our gardens and the countryside around us to the full. And now as I type this we’re settling into a typical dark November day - but still the lights, good cheer and festivities of Christmas are not too far away. We embrace the season fully in this issue with four Christmas-themed patterns (none of which are long and complicated projects, we know time is limited this month) as well as Rosie’s recipe corner that features some of our own family’s seasonal treats. We also chat to two very talented makers, find out more about turkeys and reindeer (!) and much more besides. I do hope you’ll enjoy this month’s edition, and just a quick reminder that the January issue will be published on the last Thursday of the month - in this case Thursday 27 December. So if you’re a subscriber watch out for it arriving in your inbox then! Until then, I’d like to wish you a very happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas wherever you are, and whatever you’re doing, with love from Rosie and myself, and our four-legged team members Daisy and Tilly too. Merry Christmas everyone!
Helen xx
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Tips for Stitchers Like Girl Guides across the world - be prepared! That is to say, it’s worth taking some time to prepare your background fabric before you begin the exciting part of stitching your design. Give your fabric a good iron so you have a lovely flat un-creased base for your stitches - they will look much nicer if you do this. And especially, do take time to neaten the edge of your fabric. This sounds like a boring extra step that comes between you and that exciting moment when you make your first stitch, but it really is worth taking the time to do this. If you don’t then you’ll potentially have the nuisance of fraying fabric threads to pull away while your stitching - and if you don’t notice and you accidentally catch one into the back of your work, then you’re likely to end up with a horrid tangled nest on the back of your work.
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Between this month’s covers … Tips for Stitchers
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Nature Notes: The Robin
Page 49
December Almanac
Page 6
Sewing with Velvet
Page 50
Reindeer Pennant
Page 8
Christmas Dachshund Hoop
Page 52
Christmas Reindeer
Page 11
A Long Ago Christmas
Page 54
Meet the Maker: Sammy of Paraffle
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Meet the Maker: Emily of Loomshakalaka
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Lovely Idea: Retro Cake Pan Diorama
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The Winter Solstice
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The Countryside in December
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Love My Garden Hoop
Page 58
Cactus Hoop
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Poetry Corner
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Nature Notes: Of Trees and their Leaves
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Home Comforts
Page 62
Applique Made Easy
Page 21
In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables
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The Gifts of the Magi
Page 27
Templates
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Christmas Stocking
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Tastes of the Season: Turkey
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Rosie’s Recipes: It’s Christmas!
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A Victorian Christmas
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Tastes of the Season: Cranberries
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Partridge in a Pear Tree Cushion
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Let’s Look at Sewing Machine Needles
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Lovely Idea: Knitted Stocking
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December December 21 dawns much the same as any other winter’s day, whether that be crisp clear and cold or dull, dank and depending upon the prevailing weather conditions. Though our weather here in England is notorious for its changeability, one thing remains constant, some time between 21 December and the early hours of 22 December the UK passes through the winter solstice. During this time the sun sinks to its lowest point in the sky and so we experience less daylight than at any other time of year making this the shortest day. It’s true that the worst that winter has to throw at us is still to come, with all the problems that snow, frost and ice bring for people, plants and animals alike. Yet once the solstice has passed, there is the promise of rebirth, of new life as gradually the days begin to lengthen once more. But for most of the month the days are still shortening, though they are cheered by the prospect of Christmas and celebrations to come. The plants we associate with Christmas, that we use to deck our proverbial halls and kiss beneath are reminders of older celebrations of the longest night and the shortest day. These evergreens symbolised continuing life at a time when most plants have shed their leaves and everywhere looks more dead than alive. Holly was thought to be a female plant, whilst mistletoe was male and they were often hung together - hence the kissing! Christmas wreaths themselves are also an extremely ancient tradition, dating back to at least Roman times when they were hung to decorate homes during Saturnalia, the Roman festival of midwinter. The word “Yule” now used synonymously with Christmas was originally the name of on of these older pagan festivals, in this case celebrated around the time of the winter solstice. The traditional Yule log which was once ceremoniously dragged in from the woods on Christmas Eve to provide warmth and light for the festive season is a relic of the ancient bonfires that were lit to celebrate this festival. Today the Yule log itself survives only in symbolic form as a chocolate-covered, logshaped cake eaten at Christmas time.
In the Christian Church, the weeks preceding Christmas are known as Advent, celebrating the coming of Christ. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day which is known as Advent Sunday and can fall on any of the last four days of November or the first three
“Dark December has now come, and brought with him the shortest day and longest night; he turns the mist-like rain into ice with the breath of his nostrils and with cold that pierces to the very bones, drives the shivering and houseless beggar to seek shelter in the deserted shed… even the houses with their frosted windows, have now a wintery look; and the iron knocker of the door, covered with hoary rime, seems to cut the fingers like a knife when it is touched.”
days of December. In our increasingly secular society, this period is often simply referred to as the “run up to Christmas” but excited children still use Advent calendars to count off the days.
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Of course Christmas isn’t the only festival to fall in December, Hanukkah, the Jewish Feast of Lights usually falls this month and continues for eight days, commemorating the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabaeus in 165 BC, after his victory over the Syrians. Candles are lit on each day of the festival and placed in the branches of a special menorah (candelabrum) If you have a garden pond it may often freeze in December and though this may look pretty in the low sunlight, remember that wildlife needs access to water and in particular, birds need to bathe, no matter how cold it is. If you watch individual blackbirds carefully you may even discover that they have a particular time of day they like to take their bath, turning up at the same time each day, as if responding to an internal alarm clock. So take care to break the ice each day, and even more than once if the temperature is low enough to refreeze. Another seasonal tradition is that of the pantomime, when various celebrities take to the stage in comic dramatized versions of children’s fairy tales or folk tales, such as Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Dick Whittington and Aladdin. Among the cast you are always sure to find two characters - the attractive “principal boy” played by a female actor, and the grotesque “dame” played by a man. Audience participation is definitely encouraged too! (Oh no it isn’t! Oh yes it is! Or he’s behind you!) The modern pantomime has come a long way from its origins as an entertainment in mime with elements in the introduced from the Italian early eighteenth century, notably the characters of Harlequin, Columbine and Pantaloon. Towards the end of the month - on the 28th - falls Holy Innocents Day, also known as Childermas, commemorating King Herod’s massacre of all the male infants in and around Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the young Jesus. Warned by an angel, Mary and Joseph had previously escaped to Egypt with their baby, where they remained until Herod’s death. In less child-centred times, Childermas was a time for indulging children with treats and parties.
Reindeer Pennant Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? I don’t think I could until I’d finished stitching this pennant - finishing of course with the most famous of all Rudolph with his nose so bright - won’t you light my way tonight!? The reindeer names form the shape of a Christmas tree, topped by a yellow (or why not use gold metallic floss for an extra-sparkly finish?) star. The pennant is really easy to assemble - as the design is stitched on felt there are no raw edges to worry about and a pompom at the bottom point finishes everything off nicely! Finished pennant measures 8” x 11” (excluding pompom) ● Black pompom (optional)
Materials
● Stranded cotton floss in yellow (or gold if you prefer), light and dark green, pale blue and red
● 12” x 8” white felt ● 11” x 8” felt for the backing - this doesn’t have to be white as it won’t be seen - I used some grey felt I left over from an earlier project
● Temporary fabric marker pen
● 13” x ¼” wooden dowelling - I painted mine dark grey using some left over emulsion paint, but this is optional ● 18” black and white twine
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Christmas Reindeer Christmas Eve is a magical time when little children, far too excited to sleep, lie awake for a long time (rather too long for tired parents perhaps) hoping to hear the sound of a sleigh landing on their roof or in their garden where they may have put out some refreshments for their eagerly anticipated visitors to enjoy. Perhaps a glass of milk, a mug of cocoa, or even something a little stronger for the stout man in red, and some nice juicy carrots for his reindeer. But the question is - how many reindeer does Father Christmas have? It would be terrible if there weren’t enough carrots for them all to have one each.
Blitzen are newer additions. Their names are the German for thunder and lightning. Originally however, Donner was Dunder and Blitzen was Blixem - these are in fact the Dutch words for thunder and lightning. A later version of the poem published in 1837 changed the reindeer’s names to Donder and Blixen - which changed again at some later point to their current forms of Donner and Blitzen. Rudolph is a much later addition to the team and is famous for his red nose that glows so brightly to enable Father Christmas to see his way in the dark. He was actually created by Robert L May who was an advertising copywriter and first appeared in a colouring book called in America in 1939. He went on to become the star of a song, more books and a film.
According to “A Visit from St Nicholas” there are in fact eight reindeer, each of which has a name. They are all listed in order in this poem as….. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.
It is not known how his fellow reindeer view this latecomer’s celebrity status as, rather like the Queen, they never give interviews!
The names of the first six haven’t changed at all since the poem was first published anonymously in 1823. But Donner and
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talks to us about experimenting with different designs, her inspiration and how she started her business, Originally from Plymouth, and Sammy has been living in extra Edinburgh for the last 10 years. She started Paraffle Embroidery a couple of years ago, and splits her time between embroidery and her PhD in Religious Studies.
I started just a couple of years ago, when I decided to make my parents a piece of embroidery for Christmas - I experimented with a few different designs, and ended up making a stag's head out of paisley shapes. Much of my work has continued in the same style - although it took me several more months to pull myself together enough to start my shop!
I'm not sure - I still feel like I'm making it all up as I go along! I think having a working knowledge of the boring
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have saved me a lot of time research, though.
It varies, but it usually starts with something that has a striking silhouette or shape. Then, I think about which colours will be bright, eye-catching, and will really stand out on a dark background . Once I've got the basics, I try to work out which stitches will make desired parts of the shape stand out, and how I can add more texture to the piece. There's always a bit of trial and error involved, too!
All over the place - my most recent pieces were inspired by a traditional Polish design that was on a napkin from a relatives' wedding. Instagram and Pinterest are great for finding beautiful pieces of embroidery
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Nature Notes: Of Trees and their Leaves Most of the trees have now lost their leaves and because of this we are able to learn something more precise about their trunks, branches and buds. Every kind of tree has its own form of trunk, with a special pattern into which its expanding bark splits in order to allow growth of the woody tissues it protects. Each has its own manner of branching; and the branch of an oak will be found to differ from that of a beech as much as the rough bark of one is unlike the smooth coat of another. So, too, with the shoot and leaf buds of each: they have distinctive forms and start at different angles from the boughs and twigs, which affects the plan upon which next year’s leaves will be arranged. Compare the short, thick buds of oak and elm with the long pointed ones of beech and birch. Trees that are the first to put out their simple flowers in the early months of the year - such as alder, birch, and hazel - have formed their catkins in readiness, though these are as yet small and hard. If you are curious to know what happens to the vast number of fallen leaves that rustle under your feet and form a thick carpet in the wood, turn up a few with a stick. Where they are dry and loose you will find that some are covering small insects and snails that have adopted them as bedspreads to keep off frost. More in the open and in slight hollows they have become matted together with moisture and between these you will find worms and snails feeding upon them and reducing them to skeletons. Some are covered with the delicate white tracery of fine fungus-threads. These are also doing their best to break up the leaves and return them to the soil to furnish food for other plants.
Edward Step, Nature Rambles: An Introduction to Country-lore, 1930 11
Applique made Easy!
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Starting to stitch: Before you begin to stitch do be sure that all your shapes are firmly ssecured in place - if you’re using Bondaweb, then you need to hold your iron over the shape for 10 seconds.
For hand applique I like to use two strands of matching embroidery floss (or you could use a different thread if you prefer) and work small stitches at right angles to the edges of the shape. Blanket stitch is also a great choice. Hand stitching gives quite a different feel to your piece - the little badger and fox above are hand stitched - I think it
gives a softer-looking, less defined finish. Machine stitching on the other hand clearly defines the edges of your shapes and is also extremely hard-wearing - in my experience the fabric is more likely to tear or wear than the stitches to come loose!
The Gifts of the Magi
The Christmas story tells us that the Magi, three Kings or three Wise Men, however they are referred to, brought gifts for the baby Jesus of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold makes an excellent gift for a newborn, and even today many godparents give their new godchildren money in one form or another. As well as its cash value, gold was considered to be purifying, which would have been very useful at a time when many new mothers and their babies died from infection due to childbirth. In terms of its spiritual significance, it is a most suitable gift for a king and would have been symbolic of Jesus’ position as King of the Jews. Frankincense is an aromatic resin that was also a valuable medicine two thousand years ago. It is used to staunch the flow of blood, heals wounds and is useful in treating uterine conditions, so would have been a very appropriate gift for a woman who had just given birth. When burned it purifies the air, calms
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nervous tension and can induce a meditative state, which makes it an important ingredient of incense. Myrrh is another aromatic gum whose properties were first discovered thousands of years ago in the east. It is particularly useful as an analgesic and for cleaning wounds, so again another extremely practical gift under the circumstances. It is also a perfume so could have been used to mask any unpleasant smells. But myrrh has a darker use too, because it was used in embalming and for annointing the dead. In terms of it is the darkest of the three gifts, because it was a reminder of Jesus’ fate, anticipating his eventual crucifixion and death.
Rosie’s Recipes: It’s Christmas!
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About Mince Pies A mince pie is a sweet pie of British origin filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices called mincemeat that is traditionally served over the Christmas festivities here in the UK. Its origins are traceable right back to the Middle Ages when knights returning from the crusades brought back Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits and spices. In 1413 King Henry V served a mincemeat pie at his coronation, whilst Henry VII was fond of the meaty Christmas pie as a main dish. Mince pies were originally filled with meat - hence the name - such as lamb rather than a mix of dried and fresh fruit and spices as they are today. The only remnant of meat remaining is the use of suet to bind all the dried ingredients together. They were also first made in an oval shape to represent the manger that Jesus slept in as a baby, and sometimes they would even have a pastry baby Jesus on the top. These early mince pies were known by several names including mutton pie, “shrid� pie and Christmas pie. During Stuart and Georgian times, that is to say the 17th and 18th centuries here in the UK mince pies were a status symbol at Christmas. The rich and aristocratic liked to show off at their Christmas parties by having pies made in different shapes such as stars, crescents, hearts and flowers, that were often designed to interlock, rather like an edible jigsaw!
They also looked a little like the knot gardens that were popular during those periods. Being able to afford such an elaborate display meant that you were rich and could afford to employ the best and most expensive pastry cooks. Mincemeat would often be made on stir-up Sunday along with the Christmas pudding, on the last Sunday before Advent. English tradition dictates that it should only be stirred clockwise as stirring the other way would lead to back luck and poor fortune in the year ahead. To spread the good luck it was traditional for each member of the family to stir the mixture while making a dish. And finally, to absolutely and totally ensure good health and happiness in the coming year you should eat one mince pie every day for the Twelve Days of Christmas, from Christmas Eve until 5 January. The reasons mince pies are so inextricably linked with Christmas are complicated. Its filling of meat and fat would feed you well and keep you happy during the dark winter days, whilst the trio of spices used, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon, is said to be symbolic of the gifts given to the baby Jesus by the wise men. Today children will leave out mince pies for Father Christmas by the fireplace, often with a glass of whisky or brandy - and a carrot for Rudolph too of course!
The Twelve Days of Christmas The Partridge in a Pear Tree is of course taken from the well known Christmas song‌ but did you know that the 12 days of Christmas is the period that in Christian theology marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi — the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings' Day)?
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talks to us about where she finds her inspiration, her design process and how she started her business, Emily Primbs lives in Northern Utah with her husband and two young girls. She creates playful textiles for her shop Loomshakalaka. Every piece is meant to be cuddled, snuggled and well loved!
When I was 34 weeks pregnant with my second daughter I went to a weaving workshop by Maryanne Moodie and shortIy after started Loomshakalaka, as a way to explore different fiber processes.
How much goes into the business side of things, and I’m still trying to figure it out. You know the fun things like taxes, profit margins, promoting, creating a cohesive look and message. I really just want to make things! 18
Watching my girls play inspires me. The love they show their play things, their little narratives. They infuse life into all of it, even cylinder blocks have become “mommy, baby, and daddy circle” to my 2 year old. I create my pieces with them in mind, like, oh the girls need a flower doll to take on hikes. Or, we’ve been learning about butterfly cycles, a butterfly wallhanging would be cool. I’ve also always been so inspired by the natural world and animals, I think we can learn so much from them.
My background is in painting and drawing so I almost always start with drawings. Then I just jump into a project and figure it out as I go. But making templates do help, especially
I Will Keep Christmas I will keep Christmas in the cold hedgerow, With red, shining holly and winter snow. I will keep Christmas far from any town On the frosted side of the windswept down. Stars will be candles of sweet silver fire, Swinging at midnight over tree and spire, Waves will be booming bells and break the air, With glory and greeting and winged prayer. I will keep Christmas alone and away, Praising the Lord of all on Christmas Day. P A Ropes
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