Caring for your Embroidery A Very Little Look at World War I Silks Winter - a time for Warmth - and some warming Recipes Plus: February Almanac, A Little History of Redwork, Nature Notes, Poetry Corner and more 1
A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2021 The right of Helen Grimes 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 2021 by: Bustle & Sew Station House West Cranmore Shepton Mallet BA4 4QP www.bustleandsew.com
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Welcome to the February Magazine Hello everyone! Brrr… January has certainly been a snowy and shivery month here at Bustle & Sew HQ. I’ve been nice and snug though in my little blue shed at the end of the garden, looking out at the fields around me as they change from muddy brown, to frosty and, at the moment a snowy white - by far my favourite winter look! Spring is on the way though, there are snowdrops blooming all around the garden and the daffodils I planted with Freddie and Florence last autumn are thrusting their sharp green spikes up through the cold soil towards the pale winter sunshine. It’ll be a while until they bloom of course, but the days are noticeably longer now and the sun a little higher in the sky. This month brings Valentine’s Day of course and I hope you like my little tattoo inspired loveheart, as well as the reminder to “keep smiling through” - very apt during these present difficult times I think. We have warming winter recipes, and lots of other features and articles that I hope you’ll find interesting. I do hope you’ll enjoy this month’s issue - stay safe and warm, and I’ll be back again next month. Very best wishes
Helen xx
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Between this month’s covers … February Almanac
Page 5
A (very) Little Look at WW1 Silks
Page 49
Keep Smiling Through Hoop
Page 6
Leaping Rabbit Cushion
Page 50
Be My Valentine
Page 10
Poetry Corner
Page 56
Love Printable
Page 12
Hand Embroidery Threads
Page 57
Caring for Embroidery
Page 13
A (very) Little Look at Redwork
Page 59
Lovely Idea: Giant Knitted Bunny
Page 15
Pin Cushion Puppy
Page 60
Loveheart Tattoo Hoop
Page 16
Embroidery Stitch Guide
Page 62
Nature Notes: The Blue Tit
Page 19
In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables
Page 63
Winter Lemonade
Page 21
Templates
Page 64
The Festival of Candlemas
Page 22
A (very) Little Look at Rag Rugs
Page 24
Sleepy Lion Head
Page 25
Comfort, Good Food and Warmth
Page 29
Born to be WILD Banner
Page 42
Nature Notes: The Dawn Chorus
Page 45
Shrove Tuesday
Page 46
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Be my Valentine‌
Seynt Valentynes Day And in a launde, upon an hill of floures, Was set this noble goddesse Nature; Of braunches were hir halles and hir boures, Y-wrought after hir craft and hir mesure; Ne ther nas foul that cometh of engendrure, That they ne were prest in hir presence, To take hir doom and yeve hir audience. For this was on seynt Valentynes day, Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make, Of evey kinde, that men thenke may; And that so huge a noyse gan they make, That erthe and see, and tree, and every lake So ful was, that unneth was ther space For me to stonde, so ful was al the place.
The middle of February has been the time for celebrating love before ever Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the above in honour of the engagement of the fifteen year old King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia (also aged 15) in 1382. Indeed, the Romans celebrated the festival of Lupercalia, which was held every year on February 15. Honouring the goddess Juno, who was responsible for marriage and fertility, it was rather like a country fair. One of the customs was for young people to choose a sweetheart, or perhaps even just a special friend, for the coming year. Over the centuries this festival gradually became merged with the feast day of St Valentine. This day commemorates not one, but two, Roman martyrs, both called Valentine. One was a priest in Rome who was beaten to death for sheltering persecuted Christians, whilst the other was a bishop who was executed for conducting forbidden weddings. Legend also holds that February 14 is the day when birds choose their mates, which is why lovebirds so often feature on Valentine’s greetings cards. In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Shakespeare wrote the lines “Good morrow friends, St Valentine is past Begin these wood birds but to couple now?”
Love letters, tokens and poems have been exchanged by lovers on St Valentine’s Day since the Middle Ages, but it was in Victorian times that the Valentine’s card really became popular. Some of the early cards were a little tasteless to say the least, but towards the end of Victoria’s reign, elaborate cardboard and paper creations embellished with lace, beads and embroidery containing what we might today consider to be perhaps a little sickly sentimental verses appeared. Red roses - believed to have been the flowers favoured by Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, became the traditional symbol of love in the popular Victorian invention the “Language of Flowers.” Sadly for us here in the northern hemisphere, Roses don’t bloom in February, and so lovers have to rely on hothouse blooms or imported flowers - Kenya has a thriving rose industry. The other symbol of romantic love of course is the love heart. Heart shaped boxes, artwork, jewellery and all kinds of items made in the form of love hearts have always been favourite gifts on Valentine’s Day.
Caring for Embroidery Don’t be frightened to use your embroidery as well as displaying it. If the ends of your threads are worked in well, then your work should be robust and you should be able to enjoy it without fearing for its survival. If you take care with laundering then most embroidery should last for a long time, especially if you used good quality materials to begin with. strong sunlight will eventually bleach out at least some of their colour, while dust will cause natural fibres to deteriorate, especially wool. It is therefore very important to keep embroidery clean. With the exception of canvaswork, most embroidery is washable - and if they have been well worked in good quality threads you may even be able to machine launder them on a gentle cycle.
Using vintage embroideries If you have some old pieces, pretty but not valuable that you have inherited or otherwise acquired, you may be able to reuse them in different ways from what was originally intended. I have seen lots of lovely bunting and cushions made from vintage embroideries as well as incorporated into quilts. Where the original piece is stained or worn in places then the undamaged pieces can be appliqued onto various items.
These days, due to environmental concerns, threads may not always be as colourfast as they were in the past. Cotton threads are best washed in plenty of hot water as lukewarm or cold water increases the risk of the colours bleeding. Use a mild non-biological detergent with no special additives (eg for whitening).
Laundering Dust and strong sunlight are the main enemies of embroidery. However colourfast the threads are, 9
Do not spin or tumble dry embroidered pieces, instead roll up in a white towel and squeeze the water out very gently before hanging up to dry. Press the work while it is still a little damp, placing it face downwards on thick towelling to prevent flattening the stitches. The embroidery threads may not dry as quickly as the base fabric, so lay it flat after pressing and leave until it is completely dry. Never ever wash canvaswork (sometimes called needlepoint or tapestry). Washing can shrink the canvas, and also soften it as washing will remove the dressing that is added to keep it in place. In addition the wool yarn can become felted and fluffy, spoiling its appearance. A thorough cleaning should remove any
dust that has collected, but if the embroidery is really dirty, dry cleaning is recommended for the best results.
Storage The best way to store embroidery that won’t be used or displayed for a while is to lay it flat in a drawer, wrapped in acid-free tissue paper. Don’t use plastic bags as the static in them will attract the dust and the textiles won’t be able to breathe. Ensure that the pieces are fully covered with tissue paper, otherwise any protruding edges will yellow, and then lay a piece of sheeting over the top.
The Festival of Candlemas
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“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens� Robert Browning (1812-1889)
Bread is a first necessity of life to the great mass of the English people, being in part the food of all - the chief food of many - and almost the sole food of many more. Everything, therefore, which relates to its consumption or economy is of real importance to us; and it might naturally be supposed that the art of preparing it well, wholesomely, and without waste would be an object of particular household interest in families of every degree throughout the kingdom; and that a familiar and complete acquaintance with its details would be considered absolutely indispensable in the practical domestic education of all classes to whom it is likely ever to prove useful … it is by far the most precious aliment that we possess, being indeed the very “staff” of man’s strength and “life”, and adapted equally to persons of all ranks and ages. The above was written by Eliza Acton in the midnineteenth century at the beginning of “The English Bread Book.” It is true that bread holds a very special place in our lives - not for nothing did the main earner of the household become known as the “bread-winner” - not the chocolate cake or roast beef winner - and the word itself is an old fashioned slang name for money. In medieval times, thick slices of bread, two or three days old, were used instead of plates. These “trenchers” from the French word meaning a slice) were neatly trimmed into platters, and at the end of the meal, when they were full of all the gravy or whatever had been eaten from them, they were gathered up and given to the servants, or the poor to eat. This is why it has always been considered bad manners to eat from a large piece of bread at a mea - it should be cut or broken first as “He can give little to his servant who licks his own trencher.” As the word trencher is derived from the French, so also is the word pantry, by which was meant the place where the bread ( ) was kept. It was only later that the meaning changed to a place where other food was also stored. At one time, the choice between white and brown bread was one of status - the white and more refined the flour, the more expensive the bread. In earlier days “manchet” bread was considered the best as it was made from pure and unadulterated flour: the cheap flours had many foreign substances such as chalk, alum or bones added to eke out the flour.
Today we choose our bread on the basis of diet and nutrition as we now know that the more whole wheat is left in the flour, the more nourishing is our bread. In the UK, the main source of bread flour is wheat, although the use of rye and barley has increased markedly over the last two or three decades. We don’t raise all bread dough with yeast: many delicious breads can be made with bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar instead. Soda bread is often to be found in country districts, particularly in Ireland. However our bread is made, or whatever the source of the flour, bread remains a symbol of well-being and friendship. We are prepared to “share our last crust”; “break bread” with a friend; “gather up the crumbs” and the old woman in the shoe, having whipped her many children, gave them the additional punishment of giving them their “broth without any bread.” There is something immensely satisfying about bread-making, and perhaps this is why it remains so symbolically important; it has to be And the ingredients are so simple and accessible - flour, yeast, salt and water are sufficient for a basic loaf. We mix them together, pummel and knead them heartlessly, knock up and then knock down the dough and then, we leave it in this battered condition to rise, then subject it to heat - after which a sweet-smelling, wholesome and delicious food almost miraculously appears - a food of which we seem never to tire.
Basic White Bread Ingredients ● 25g fresh yeast 15g dried yeast and 5 ml sugar ● 900ml luke warm water less 45 ml (3 tbspns) ● 1.4kg strong plain flour ● 25g salt ● 25g lard
Method ● Mix the yeast with 300ml of the warm water (if using dried yeast dissolve the sugar in the warm water and sprinkle on the dried yeast.) Leave in a warm place for about 10 minutes or until frothy.
● Sift the dry ingredients together. Rub in the lard, then add the yeast liquid and the remaining water and mix in with a wooden spoon. ● Put the dough on a floured working surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough feels firm and elastic and has lost its stickiness. Put into an oiled plastic bag, or into a large bowl and cover and leave in a warm place to double in size. This will probably take between one and two hours depending on the warmth of the room. If more convenient you can leave in a cool place or your fridge overnight. ● When the dough has risen, knock it down again to remove any air bubbles and knead lightly. Divide into four. Put into 450g (1 lb) loaf tins, or shape into flattened rectangles and place on greased baking sheets. ● Brush the tops of the loaves with salted water to give a crisp crust and make two or three slashes on the tops with a sharp knife. Cover the tops of the dough with oiled polythene to prevent a skin forming on top, then leave to rise again for about 20 minutes. ● Bake at 230C for 30-40 minutes or until the bread is risen and golden. Test to see if it’s done by knocking on the bottom of the loaf; if it’s cooked it should sound hollow. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
Soda Bread Ingredients ● 350g wholewheat flour ● 350g strong plain flour ● 1 level tspn bicarbonate of soda ● 2 level tspn cream of tartar ● 2 level tspn salt ● 50g butter ● 400ml soured milk
Method ● Mix the two flours together and add the bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, salt, butter and soured milk. Mix to form a soft, but not too wet dough. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more milk. ● When mixed put into a 2lb loaf tin and make a trough in the centre so that the bread will rise more evenly. Bake at 200C for about 1 hour, or until cooked through. If the top gets too brown, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking time. When it is cooked the bread will sound hollow if you knock it. ● Turn out to cool on a wire rack. For a more textured loaf, substitute 50g porridge oats for the same amount of flour.
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A (very) little look at WW1 Silk Postcards During World War One, a popular souvenir amongst British soldiers was the embroidered silk postcard. As they were quite an expensive souvenir, a lot of postcards were unwritten and unmarked and sent home with accompanying letters to loved ones. The embroidery itself is mounted onto card and enclosed within an embossed border. The reverse side is divided into two parts, one for the address and the other for a message, just as postcards are still today. First shown at the Paris Exposition in 1900, postcards were bought in France as sentimental greeting cards before 1914. Each blank postcard had an embossed paper surround framing a piece of silk. Some featured a silk pocket into which a pre-printed card could be found. Hand embroidered onto the silk were a vast number of designs, usually patriotic or sentimental. Flags, butterflies, birds and rainbows were common as they showed the bright colours of the threads extremely well. Some also had words embroidered in a single colour. The hand embroidery was usually carried out in domestic houses as ‘out-work’ by women and children
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in France and Belgium. They worked the embroidery in strips of silk organza up to 25 cards’ worth long. The finished strips were then sent to factories in cities such as Paris, where they would be cut and mounted, ready to be sold. Woven by machinery, factory made embroidered silk postcards were much more elaborate in design. They contained far more complex images, generally depicting the war destruction of historic buildings in towns such as Péronne and Arras or recognisable portraits such as Edith Cavell, General Haig and Lord Kitchener. Amongst collectors, embroidered silk postcards featuring cap badges of individual regiments are some of the most sought after as they contained intricate designs often requiring great skill to reproduce in thread. Embroidered silk postcards were proudly displayed for years on mantle shelves and bedside tables by the loved ones who received them.