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A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2019 The right of Helen Challenor to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate. However, due to differing conditions, tools and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses and other damages that may result from the use of the information in this book.
First published 2019 by: Bustle & Sew The Cottage Oakhill Radstock BA3 5HT UK www.bustleandsew.com
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Welcome to the April Magazine Hello everyone! It’s Easter - well not quite yet, but not too long to wait now! The days are longer, and warmer too, and blossom is bursting out all over as my mum used to say! And this month’s issue is bursting with lots of goodies for you to enjoy as well. There are interviews with two more very talented makers, some lovely chocolate recipes and articles galore - binding your hoop, embroidery scissors, Easter celebrations and some lovely crafting ideas too. Next month brings our centennial - or one hundredth - issue, it’s a super bumper edition that I’m sure you’ll love. It will be published, as usual, on the last Thursday of the month - in this case Thursday 25 April. So if you’re a subscriber watch out for it arriving in your inbox then!
Helen xx
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Tips for Stitchers When you’re positioning a filling pattern within an outline shape (such as in a blackwork project) its positioning is crucial as this will dictate how neat the finished design will look. The type of filling pattern you choose will depend upon scale and density of the shading you wish to achieve. With a symmetrical outline, try to position a complete motif at the centre of the shape you wish to fill. Alternatively, if you’re working within a non-symmetrical outline then position a complete motif at the top centre of the shape.
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Between this month’s covers … Page 39
Tips for Stitchers
Page 4
Lovely Idea: Easter Bunny Softie
April Almanac
Page 6
A (very) Little Look at Embroidery Scissors Page 40
A Hoopful of Bunnies
Page 8
The April Cuckoo
Page 42
Successful Satin Stitch
Page 10
Showers… and Rainbows
Page 43
The Cuckoo
Page 12
Wildflower Hoop
Page 44
Meet the Maker: Sandeep Pawar
Page 13
Easter Celebrations
Page 46
Lovely Idea: Mini-Egg Chocolate Parfait
Page 15
Meet the Maker: Nadine Reilly
Page 50
Henny Penny Egg Cosies
Page 16
Easter Decorations
Page 53
Pegging out the Washing
Page 19
The Countryside in April
Page 55
Even and Plain Weave Fabric
Page 20
Making your own Butter
Page 56
Poetry Corner: Spring Has Come
Page 22
In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables
Page 57
Great British Food: Jelly Babies
Page 23
Templates
Page 58
Lovely Idea: Apothecary Jars
Page 25
Brave Aviator Mouse
Page 26
Taste of the Season: Watercress
Page 29
Rosie’s Chocolate Delights for Easter
Page 30
Farmer Bernie the Bunny
Page 36
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April Now at last the sun is strengthening again and winter must finally release its grip on the land around us. The soil is beginning to warm, but the air is still cold, bringing us fine spells of sunshine followed by squally showers. The nights may still be frosty, but just as the days seem to be settling, a deep depression may whistle down from the Arctic, bringing sleet and snow. The name of the month “April” derives from the Latin verb “aperire” to open. From the Mediterranean to southern Scandinavia, April brings the opening of buds to revel bright new spring-green leaves. Bud-burst and the greening of the countryside around us is one of the great joys of living in a temperate part of the world where the seasons are so distinct. Here in the UK the flush of spring moves northwards up the length of the land, at walking pace - from the Isles of Scilly to Shetland
But even at the end of May there are places in northern Britain still waiting to shake off their long, hard winter.
“Oh, to be in England Now that April’s there, And whoever wakes in England Sees, some morning, unaware, That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough In England, now! ”
April’s weather is famously unpredictable - the old saying goes “April weather, rain and sunshine
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both together.” The proverbial April showers are welcomed by farmers and gardeners alike, but the month is also notorious for hard frosts that can literally nip young plants in the bud. But some April mornings can be enticing - the freshness and clarity of the air and the exuberance of birdsong invigorates your eyes and ears, and - quite simply - makes me at least, feel full of the joys of spring. In town and country alike, this is a very special time of year. Whether they are native, like the oaks of Greenwich and other city parks, or long established introductions like sycamore and lime, the magnificent horse chestnut and the ubiquitous London plane tree, all trees are a window on the season. Because of the heat generated by cities, the buds of urban trees usually open earlier than those here in the countryside. But introduced trees, however beautiful, are not as
attractive to our native wildlife as the species that made up our ancient woodlands. If, on a sunny April morning, you stop and observe a native birch tree for example, you will see and hear that it is alive with birds and insects. Out in the open countryside, rising temperatures and lengthening days bring a cloud of blackthorn blossom. This large shrub, almost a tree in fact, is native to our islands. It forms thorny thickets that provide other plants with shelter from browsing and grazing animals, and secure nesting sites for many birds. Blackthorn flowers early when easterly winds can still bring severe weather. Traditionally known as “blackthorn winters” these sudden cold snaps remind us that April can indeed be a fickle month. The old saying “Cast ne’er a clout till May is out” refers not to the month of May, but to the blossoms of the May tree, known also as hawthorn. When its white flowers adorn our hedgerows then spring is finally here to stay. Spring and Easter are of course inextricably linked and many of the secular customs associated with Easter have their roots in pagan spring festivals. The very word “Easter” may be derived from “Eostre,” the name of an Anglo-
Saxon goddess associated with spring, or it may simply be related to “east” the direction of the dawn, the rebirth of the day - a symbol of new beginnings. The Anglo-Saxon name for April, the month in which Easter most frequently falls, was “Eastermonath.” Easter Day can fall on any date from 22 March to 22 April and this year Easter Sunday falls on April 18.
“Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns! One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns! Give them to your daughters, give them to your sons, One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns!
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before the day itself, and marks the beginning of Holy Week. It is so named because it commemorates the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, his path strewn with palm branches. Since the Middle Ages, churchgoers have had “palm” crosses (made from any suitable plant, such as willow or yew) blessed by their priest on this day.
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Good Friday, commemorating Christ’s crucifixion, is a public holiday in much of the UK. Superstitions relating to this day include the belief that it’s a good day for planting potatoes and sowing parsley. Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday; any that are left over are supposed to remain fresh for ever, because they are marked with the holy cross, and their crumbs can be used as a remedy for digestive upsets. Now available in supermarkets for several weeks before Easter they were formerly sold by street vendors on Good Friday morning. The Jewish festival of Passover also takes place this month - Christ’s last supper with his disciples was the Passover feast. It is from the word “Pesach” that “paschal,” an adjective relating to both Passover and the Christian festival of Easter is derived. Passover commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, specifically God’s passing over their houses when he killed the first-born children of the Egyptians. It is marked by the eating of unleavened bread and by a special ceremonial family meal.
Working ghiordes knot (or turkey or velvet stitch are its other names) for rabbit tails:
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Working Successful Satin Stitch 1. Use a good quality floss. You won’t get good results with any kind of stitch if you’re using cheap floss that breaks and tangles and is horrible to work with.
You might think that satin stitch is an incredibly easy stitch to sew – after all you just go in and out, out and in, from one side of the shape to another – and in one sense you’d be absolutely right.
2. I usually like to work with two strands, and personally would be unlikely to use more than three for a nice smooth stitch – but that really is a matter of choice. No matter how many strands you use, when you’re separating them from the skein, do so one strand at a time and then line them up together to thread your needle, making sure they’re not twisted in any way. I have heard from stitchers that like to iron their floss before working satin stitch, and I can see how this would indeed give very good results – but I am far too impatient to begin stitching I’m afraid.
But satin stitch is in fact rather like the English language according to my Russian friend Elona who was once heard to remark … “English is a very easy language to pick up the basics, but a very difficult language to speak well.” And I think the same is probably true of satin stitch, so I thought I’d share a few tips with you – though I am by no means suggesting I’m an expert, or that this is a fully inclusive list – these are just hints that my mum and grandma passed onto me….
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talks to us about where she finds her inspiration, her proudest moment and how she started her business, Sandeep Pawar is the British designer behind Planes Workshop. She specialises in decorations and wearable accessories for children and babies as well as modern craft kits. Sandeep also focuses on prop design, creative workshops and DIY tutorials.
Although I have always been interested in making things (textiles at school was my most loved subject!) I really got started after I made a set of handkerchiefs and neck ties for my friend’s wedding. It was a real turning point for me because it was at a time when I was feeling low about my office job and wasn’t taking any joy from it. That small project reignited my love for making and once I started I just didn’t want to stop! In the beginning I dabbled in everything; from making bunting and cushions to neck ties and embroidering tote bags. This was 10
my time to learn and whilst it was scrambled at the start, it was also invaluable because I found my calling in life! Once I figured out that my true love lay in designing goods for kids and babies, Planes Workshop was born.
I wish I had known that I don’t have to do everything, specialising in one area is enough. It takes a great deal of courage and resilience not to succumb to those voices of comparison that tell you to do all the things that everyone else is doing. When I started I had very little direction as to where I was going and what I hoped to achieve beyond selling something…anything. This was a big hurdle to get over, but once I decided on what I wanted to achieve and what was at the heart of my business, I could focus on designing products that meant something to me and my community of customers.
A Little Look at Even Weave & Plain Weave Linen
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Spring has come ‌. Hark! The tiny cowslip bell In the breeze is ringing; Birds in every woodland dell Songs of joy are singing. Winter is o’er, Spring once more Spreads abroad her golden store Hark! The tiny cowslip bell In the breeze is ringing. Spring has come to make us glad, Let us give her greeting; Winter days were cold and sad, Winter’s reign is fleeting; Hearts are gay, blithe as May, Dance and sport the livelong day; Spring has come to make us glad, Let us give her greeting.
A seventeenth-century folksong.
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Great British Food: Jelly Babies
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Tea Time Chocolatey Treats!
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A (very) Little Look at Embroidery Scissors
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A month of showers… and rainbows In purely scientific terms, a rainbow is formed when light reflects off the back of a raindrop twice, splitting visible white light into the colours of the spectrum as we see it. There are various mnemonics to help us remember the order of the colours, my personal favourite being one that includes a little English history (the end of the Wars of the Roses in the fifteenth century) that was taught to me by my dad… “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain” - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. You will only see a rainbow when the sun is behind you, so if you’re experiencing a typical April day of sunshine and showers then be sure to turn your back to the sun when you’re rainbow hunting. If you’re super-lucky then you may sometimes spot a double rainbow, formed when raindrops that are higher in the sky reflect violet light and those lower reflect red light so the order is reversed with indigo at the top of the rainbow and red beneath. Double rainbows are most often seen when the sun is low in the sky, with a perfect complete arc occurring only at sunrise or sunset. But a rainbow is much more than this of course - the Bible tells us it’s God’s promise to Noah that there will never again be a great flood that will drown the earth, and even now we know the science that gives us rainbows, they still seem wondrous and magical to us earth-bound humans.
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talks to us about where she finds her inspiration, her plans for the future and how she started her business, Nadine Reilly is an Australian fibre artist who has always surrounded herself in the creative world, having studied fine arts in school and university. A principal theme in Nadine's embroidery work is nature - she loves to embroider flora and fauna, often using vibrant colour schemes and experimenting with new materials and techniques so that each embroidery artwork is full of character.
To be honest with you, I was in the biggest creative rut of my life and feeling like a big fraud. I stumbled across an embroidery artist from my hometown, bought an embroidery kit from her, and with no previous sewing experience I stitched that embroidery pattern from sunup to sundown. It's not exactly the most well-executed embroidery but it's kind of like a first kiss I
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suppose - it's not perfect but it holds a very dear place in my heart because, forgive the cheese on toast, it changed my life!
The amount of non-creative processes that go on behind the scenes. I was very much a novice and had it in my head that I'd just open a shop and it would be as easy as that. Little did I know I'd be battling algorithms, figuring out how to not have videos upload in potato quality, learning what SEO is and how to use it, networking, and planning my months in advance. And how much time I'd spend picking random bits of floss off every surface in my home every day. I don't know how it gets everywhere but it even ended up in my dishes once!
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