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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 January Magazine And here we are in 2019! Whatever happened to 2018 is what I’d like to know - the year seemed to simply fly past. January is traditionally the month for settling down by the fire and Rosie’s Recipes this month feature some lovely warming soups as well as some economical ideas for using up any remaining leftovers from the holiday season. This edition focuses on hand embroidery, and as well as our collection of lovely new projects for you to try, no matter your level of expertise, we’ve also looked at some important but not often addressed parts of the process - pressing your work when you’ve finished and the right needles to choose. We also chat to Celeste Johnston, the creative force behind the Lemon Made Shop and much more besides. I do hope you’ll enjoy this month’s edition, and just a quick reminder that the February issue will be published on the last Thursday of the month - in this case Thursday 31 January. So if you’re a subscriber watch out for it arriving in your inbox then! Until then, I hope you have a wonderful month and behalf of us all here at Bustle & Sew HQ wish you a very Happy New Year 2019!
Helen xx
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Tips for Stitchers When you’re stitching with a hoop always stab your needle up and down through the fabric, never try to “sew” by running it through horizontally. Professionally trained embroiderers (and other clever folk) work with one hand above and one beneath the hoop. This takes practice, but does speed up your work once you’ve mastered the technique.
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26 Between this month’s covers … Tips for Stitchers
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Best is yet to be Hoop
Page 42
January Almanac
Page 6
Lovely Idea: Laundry Bags
Page 45
Stay Wild Hoop
Page 8
A Winter Garden
Page 46
Lovely Idea: Paper Christmas Cactus
Page 10
Pressing your Hand Embroidery
Page 47
You’re a super stitcher
Page 11
Snowdrops
Page 49
Winter Hyacinths
Page 13
Cactus Necklace
Page 50
A Snowy Night in the Wild Wild Wood
Page 14
Poetry Corner
Page 52
Be Kind Hoop
Page 17
Home Comforts
Page 53
Clearing up after Christmas
Page 19
In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables
Page 54
Meet the Maker: Celeste Johnston
Page 21
Templates
Page 55
The Feast of Epiphany
Page 23
Winter Dachshund
Page 24
Rosie’s Recipes: Super Soups
Page 26
The Indoor Gardener Hoop
Page 34
Poetry Corner
Page 36
Lovely Idea: Concrete Ring Cones
Page 37
Hand Embroidery Needles
Page 38
Taste of the Season: Jerusalem Artichoke Page 41
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Stay Wild Hoop I think the text on this hoop may be my New Year’s resolution! So much more fun than lose weight, go down the gym and all those other more usual resolutions! This little cheetah looks perfectly comfortable reclining on his rather ontrend black and white cushion. The cheetah is a simple felt applique shape, whilst the spots are embroidered in satin stitch. Shown mounted in 5” hoop. I applied a darker stain to the outer of my hoop as I preferred this effect rather than the usual pale beech or bamboo.
● Temporary fabric marker pen
Materials
● 5” wooden hoop
● 9” square white linen, cotton or blended fabric suitable for hand embroidery (nonstretchy). White felt would also work well for this project
Method
● Stranded cotton floss in black, cream, green, medium brown and brownish-pink (exact shades don’t matter which is why I haven’t specified floss colours)
● Iron the fabric well before beginning. ● Separate the hoop into two parts and place the inner in the centre of your fabric square. Draw around the outside with your temporary fabric marker pen. This
● Golden yellow felt ● Bondaweb
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You’re a superstitcher! Do you enjoy looking at hand embroidery projects online? But feel that maybe your own work doesn’t stand comparison with those super-talented embroiderers? Do you find yourself feeling anxious that you’ll never achieve a “good enough” standard of stitching? If you’ve been stitching for a while, you’ve almost certainly succumbed to the temptations of Instagram and Pinterest, scrolling through the work of some very talented needlework artists who produce simply wonderful pieces that leave you (and me too!) in awe and wondering how on earth they ever produce such beautifully stitched complex designs. Then it’s hard not to listen to that small internal voice saying or The danger of this kind of thinking is that you’ll become so insecure or intimidated by others’ skills that you’ll stop
enjoying embroidery believing that you lack the talent to produce work that’s even half-way as good. It’s worth stopping for a moment though to consider, what exactly is talent? I guess that we would normally describe someone possessing a particular talent as having a natural ability, an aptitude for, or leaning towards, some particular skill which means that person can easily master that particular activity. And yes, it’s definitely an advantage to possess natural talent for something, but it’s not a guarantee of success - but simply a starting point. 7
I think we’re often in danger of confusing talent with expertise. Talent is definitely a bonus, but real skill and expertise comes with three P’s - Practice, Perseverance and Patience. Those wonderful pieces that leave you in awe weren’t produced by beginner stitchers on their first attempt. No, those needlework artists had to practice, practice and practice - hours of stitching sessions and innumerable failures and unpicking of stitches would have gone on before they were able to complete those beautiful pieces. Without dedication and practice a natural talent is worth
very little as it isn’t being developed properly. Conversely, even if you don’t have any natural abilities, if you are keen and enthusiastic and keep practising you will certainly develop and improve your needlework skills. Be patient with yourself, take time and understand that you need to grow, and in time you will be able to achieve the results you dream of. Also, it’s worth remembering that there is really no such thing as perfection. Any errors and imperfections in your work will always be blindingly obvious to you, though in many cases others will never notice them. Yet when you look at others’ work, you may often think that they are indeed perfect -
but true perfection doesn’t exist you simply don’t see the errors. I don’t mean that you shouldn’t look at your work with a critical eye however, as if something is really wrong, and you are completely dissatisfied with the result, then it’s always best to unpick and rework that spot. Trust yourself. It’s much better to redo a particular area than to feel out of sorts every time you look at your work. Like any craft, hand embroidery is a constant learning process, and you’ll improve your skills over time whether you begin with a natural talent or not. If you are satisfied with your work then that’s the really important thing. And finally, this may sound counterintuitive, but learn to welcome your
mistakes. Nothing is a better learning experience than making a mistake for yourself. Take the time to think about what went wrong, where you made your mistakes and try to learn from them. Do try to remember all of this next time you come across an amazing piece of needlework and don’t let that inner voice stop you from enjoying your creative journey. Instead of thinking “I could never achieve results like that” instead take a good look at the piece and try to think what appeals to you most about it, whether it’s the subject, colour choices or stitches used. Then try to incorporate some of those design elements into your next project - and next step on your stitching journey.
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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Clearing up after Christmas In previous times it was important to be careful when discarding your Christmas decorations. Although the decorations themselves were intrinsically lucky, one mistake in their disposal could bring bad luck on the family for the rest of the year. Decorations in the house had to stay up until Epiphany, whilst those in the church would remain in place until Candlemas at the beginning of February. The mistletoe bough, a remedy against poison, was kept until the new one was cut the following year. Holly had to be burned or buried, left to wither away or fed to the cows, according to local custom. Sometimes a sprig was kept for good luck. It was considered extremely unlucky to drop a piece of holly while removing it from the house. Charcoal from the Yule log was also carefully preserved as it was believed to prevent lightning from
striking the house and guarded people and animals from various diseases. It could also be fed to the cows or dug into the soil to encourage fertility. Spring-sown seeds benefited if charcoal was ploughed into the field. Although few of us nowadays would go to these lengths when we take down our decorations, it’s still a good idea to pack up carefully once the Christmas holidays are over.
The Christmas Tree If you chose a real tree, then you’ll probably discover a pile of needles underneath it when you take it out of the house. These can be swept up and dug into the garden where they will benefit other plants. You can take your tree to the local council centre for disposal, but if you have an open fire or wood
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burning stove, then it will make a lovely useful addition to your supplies. Small twigs and branches can be used for kindling wood and the trunk can be sawn into sections to provide aromatic logs. If you purchased a rooted tree, planning to keep it for future years, then you may well already have planted it into a suitable tub or other container. If so, carry it into the garden, water well and place in a sheltered spot until the tree has had time to acclimatise to the cooler temperatures outdoors. If you wish to replant the tree into the garden itself, then be sure that the hole you dig is plenty deep enough to allow the roots room to spread, and be sure to loosen them if they’ve become cramped in the tub. Fork some peat into the earth and make sure the tree is firmly bedded in and well watered.
Christmas Lights
paper, and in today’s eco-conscious world, perhaps this is something we should all be doing again.
Check the lights are in good working order before you put them away, and if they’re battery operated then be sure to remove the existing batteries to guard against damage from corrosion.
Wrapping paper can often be damaged beyond reuse when sticky tape is ripped off in the excitement of presentopening. However, there will often be parts that do survive. Cut these out, iron on the wrong side with a warm iron and then wrap around a cardboard tube. Theses small pieces will come in useful next year to wrap tree presents or little packages and will save cutting into a large expensive sheet.
If you have the type with separate bulbs (less common these days) then be sure to tighten the bulbs. To avoid the frustration of tangled bulbs next year, it’s a good idea to wrap the string of bulbs carefully around a strong piece of cardboard. Put the lights in a box with a layer of sponge or cotton wool on either side to protect them from knocks.
Tree Decorations To ensure their safe survival over the coming year, it’s worth taking the time to wrap each one separately in soft kitchen paper and then pack them into a strong cardboard box.
Wrapping Paper I remember my mum, a member of the thrifty wartime generation used to carefully save all reusable wrapping
Christmas Cards Though less are sent these days, plenty still arrive through the letterbox, and you will often find people make a note of any changes of address on their cards, so when you take them down do be sure to check through for any messages or notes. If you don’t want to keep the cards, some charities will take them or they’re great for crafting next year - gift tags are the obvious choice, or what about helping any children in your life to recycle them into new cards for the festive season?
talks to us about where she finds her inspiration, her design process and how she started her business, Celeste Johnston is the maker behind Lemon Made Shop. She lives in Austin, TX with her husband and children. She is an elementary teacher turned embroidery artist whose current project is stitching unique designs for all 50 of the United States.
I wish I had known to pace myself a bit. There are busy seasons and slow seasons. Those slow times are great for preparing for the busy days ahead. As I go into my second holiday season I feel much more prepared from the I have always enjoyed crafty experience I have gained last hobbies like painting, making year. jewellery, crochet, drawing, making holiday and party decorations, but I picked up embroidery by chance and loved it from the first stitch. A friend I’m inspired by nature, fabric saw a finished piece and asked stores, vintage botanical and if she could buy it and she later gardening books at the library, encouraged me to start selling and other embroidery artists and my work. I opened my Etsy shop makers. June of 2017, a month after my second child was born. It was a busy time! However, I needed to earn an income after putting on hold my career as an I start by drawing in my sketch elementary teacher and this book with pencil. I don’t stitch was a very fulfilling outlet for my everything I draw, but I keep 12
Rosie’s Recipes: Super Soups and Leftovers
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Winter Sweet blackbird is silenced with chaffinch and thrush, Only waist-coated robin still chirps in the bush: Soft sun-loving swallows have mustered in force, And winged to the spice-teeming south lands their course. Plump housekeeper dormouse has tucked himself neat, Just a brown ball in moss with a morsel to eat: Armed hedgehog has huddled him into the hedge, While frogs scarce miss freezing deep down in the sedge. Soft swallows have left us alone in the lurch, But robin sits whistling to us from his perch: If I were red robin, I’d pipe you a tune, Would make you despise all the beauties of June. But since that can’t be, let us draw round the fire, Munch chestnuts, tell stories and stir the blaze higher: We’ll comfort the robin with crumbs, little man, Till he’ll sing us the very best song that he can.
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Hand Sewing Needles 15
Snowdrops Drifts of snowdrops carpeting the woodland floor are one of the earliest signs of spring One of the earliest signs of spring is the appearance of graceful snowdrop flowers, that carpet the floors of some of our deciduous woodlands. “Chaste snowdrop, harbinger of spring” wrote Wordsworth, though rejoicing that winter is over when you spot the very first snowdrops is, to say the least, a little hasty! Snowdrops begin their flowering season when the weather is still decidedly chilly - although they look delicate their leaf tips are tough enough to push up to the surface through frozen soil, which in is how they gained their name of France and Snow Piercers in parts of the UK. A Snowdrop flower looks like three drops of milk hanging from a stem which gives the plant its Latin name Galanthus which means milk-white flowers. There are seventy five different species and varieties of snowdrops, which are all white - and that’s probably why only two species are commonly cultivated, though snowdrop enthusiasts, known as Galanthophiles cultivate large collections of different
types. A Snowdrop flower looks like three drops of milk hanging from a stem which gives the plant its Latin name Galanthus which means milk-white flowers. A snowdrop walk is a wonderful way to enjoy the countryside in late January and early February when snowdrops are in full flower. Many country estates and gardens open at this time of year to host these events. If there isn’t a snowdrop walk near you, then try wandering around your local churchyard as snowdrops and churches have an historical affinity. Many churchyards were planted with snowdrops so that there would be plenty of flowers available to decorate the church for Candlemas on 2 February to celebrate the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary. It was traditional to leave Christmas greenery up until Candlemas when jugs and bowls of snowdrops would be brought inside to take its place. Wherever you go to enjoy snowdrops this spring, don’t plan to bring any home with you. We all know we shouldn’t pick flowers in the wild, but many people also consider snowdrops are unlucky flowers to bring into our homes. This superstition arose in Victorian times when it was believed that the flower structure resembled a corpse wrapped in a shroud, If you’re in the UK, then visit the National Trust website to find details of snowdrop walks near where you are. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lists/top-spots-forsnowdrops
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