Bustle & Sew Magazine Issue 124 May 2021 Sampler

Meet the Maker: Amanda Barnes, Textile Artist Hoop Up! Choosing the Right Hoop for your Project A Little Look at Silk, its history and manufacture Busy as a Bee: Bumblebees in the Garden Plus: Poetry Corner, the Merry Month of May, Blast from the Past, the Beauty of Swans, May Almanac and much more 1

A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright © 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 May Magazine Hello everyone!

The days are longer now, and filled with sunshine here at Bustle & Sew HQ. We haven’t had any meaningful rain for several weeks and so the Engineer and I spend evenings watering our new baby plants - and then covering them up against the nightly frosts! Still, May is the gateway to summer and by the end of this month I can expect to enjoy warmer evenings sitting outside with my sewing, or a book, until it’s too dark to see properly any more. This will be quite late by then as the longest day approaches ever closer.

May of course is the month of blossom, of lilacs and tulips, peonies and the explosion of colour in hedgerows and fields as our wild flowers begin to bloom. There’s plenty of colour inside this month’s issue too, which also brings a welcome return of our “Meet the Maker” feature, beginning this month with the very talented Amanda Barnes. There’s plenty more inside too (I particularly enjoyed researching and writing the feature on bumblebees!) and I do hope you’ll enjoy this month’s edition.

Very best wishes

Helen xx

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Between this month’s covers …

May Almanac

Page 5

The Great British Cake

Page 47

Helston Furry Dance

Page 7

Embroidered Hoop Sign

Page 50

True Colours Shining Hoop

Page 8

A Little Look at Pinking Shears

Page 53

Spring on the River

Page 11

The Cutting Garden

Page 54

Choosing your Hoop

Page 12

A Lovely Idea: Artwork Hangers

Page 55

A Little Look at Silk

Page 14

Working from Home

Page 56

Hickety Pickety Tote Bag

Page 17

Floral Swan Hoop

Page 59

The English Daisy

Page 21

The Beauty of the Swan

Page 61

Busy as a Bee

Page 22

The Land in Spring

Page 63

Blast from the Past

Page 25

Embroidery Stitch Guide

Page 64

In the Garden Printables

Page 26

In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables

Page 65

Sleepy Badger Head

Page 28

Templates

Page 66

The Merrry Month of May

Page 30

Tropical Leaves Planter

Page 41

Poetry Corner: The Night

Page 44

Meet the Maker: Amanda Barnes

Page 45

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May There is new growth and new life everywhere - indeed the very name of May derives either from the Roman Maia - the goddess of growth or possibly from the ancient Sanskrit word “mah” which means to grow. More recently, in classical mythology, the name “Maia” was given to the brightest of the seven stars that make up the constellation of Pleiades, a conspicuous feature of the night sky at the beginning of May in southern Europe. Today we don’t worship the goddess of spring, but crowning the May Queen - a tradition that still persists up and down the country - celebrates this season of new growth.

The coming of May has always been a time for celebration. If we welcome the warm weather now, with all the comfort of our centrally heated homes and thermal clothing to keep us snug during the winter months, then think how much more eagerly the month was welcomed when the only source of

heating in a cottage would have been an open fire, and possibly a cooking range, around which drenched heavy woollen clothing and leather boots had to be dried out.

“Where the bee sucks, there suck I, In a cowslip’s bell I lie; ….

Merrily, merrily shall I live now, Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.”

The first of the month is of course, May Day - traditionally a time for setting out to gather greenery and flowers, especially May blossom

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from the hawthorn tree. Known as “bringing in the May” the custom was associated with a lot of rather saucy goings-on between all the lads and lasses who seized the excuse to vanish into the woods.

It’s impossible to ignore the birds this month, even supposing you wanted to, as by May the dawn chorus is at its peak with our resident birds joined by the migrants returning from their wintering grounds. Birds sing to defend their territory and to attract a mate. They put most effort into singing before the daylight fully arrives because the sound of birdsong will travel further on the still, quiet air and also because it isn’t light enough yet for them to begin their daily search for food.

Many birds are now coaxing their broods out of the nest and into the world - and it’s fun to watch them trying out their wings with wobbly

test flights from bush to bush, zig-zagging across the garden.

They still can’t feed themselves though and their poor harassed parents have to work even harder to feed their scattered offspring until they finally become selfsufficient - when if the conditions are right, the parents may raise a second or even third brood of chicks during the summer months.

At Magdalen College, Oxford, there is a medieval bell tower within the college grounds and on the first day of May, just before sunrise, cassocked choristers climb the narrow stairs which open onto the roof. Here, high above the city, the view can be spectacular, though more often than not, all that is visible on May Day is a sea of cold grey fog. On the last stroke of six o’clock, the pure sound of the choir can be heard, singing a joyous chorus in celebration of spring. Beyond the spires, now emerging into the dawn, the rising sun slowly burns away the gloom and welcomes the beginning of another May. By the middle of the month, much of our countryside is snowy with the blossom that takes its name from the month. The small white flowers of the hawthorn form billowing ribbons of may blossom as far as the eye can see. These

lines mark the hedgerows planted in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries following the Enclosure Acts of that time which created much of the patchwork of fields and hedges that we recognise today as the quintessential English countryside - and the main species

“In the sixteenth century it was customary to go forth at an early hour of the morning on the first day of May in order to gather flowers and hawthorn branches which would be brought home at sunrise with all possible signs of joy and merriment. With these spoils they would decorate every door and window in the village.

This ceremony was known as “the bringing home of the May.”

planted was hawthorn. Alongside hawthorn, you may well be dazzled by a blaze of yellow - not the acid yellow of oilseed rape, but the more traditional, mellow yellow of the buttercup. From May through to July, buttercups bloom across the country.

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In May many of our woodlands are carpeted with bluebells, perhaps Britain’s most famous and charismatic plant. The Atlantic climate bestows relatively mild, wet winters on our country, especially near the coast and these favour the growth and spread of bluebells. On the continent of Europe, where winters are cold and dry, bluebells are very are. In Britain they are everywhere! Confusingly however, many Scots call the English bluebell a ‘wild hyacinth’ and reserve the name ‘bluebell’ for the summer flower that south of the border is called a ‘harebell’.

An immensely important anniversary in light of the current pandemic falling in May is the fourteenth - the day that Edward Jenner inoculated a boy with matter from a pustule on the hand of a woman with cow pox. The boy was subsequently inoculated with small pox and discovered to be immune - the first signs of success in our battle against a deadly disease that was finally won in 2010 when smallpox was declared to have been eradicated worldwide. As the Covid vaccine is rolled out across the world even if we’re unable to eradicate the virus, hopefully we will be able to control it and enjoy a return to normal living over the summer months ahead.

The Helston Furry Dance As I walked home on a summer night When stars in heav’n were shining bright Far away from the footlight’s glare Into the sweet and scented air Of a quaint old Cornish town Borne from afar on the gentle breeze Joining the murmur of the summer seas Distant tones of an old world dance Played by the village band perchance On the calm air came floating down I thought I could hear the curious tone Of the cornet, clarinet and big trombone Fiddle, cello, big bass drum Bassoon, flute and euphonium Far away as in a trance I heard the sound of the Floral Dance And soon I heard such a bustling and prancing And then I saw the whole village was dancing In and out of the houses they came Old folk, young folk, all the same In that quaint old Cornish town.

Song written by musician and composer Katie Moss in 1911. Perhaps the most famous version is that released by the late Sir Terry Wogan in 1978.

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Spring on the River It all seemed to good to be true. Hither and thither through the meadows he rambled busily, along the hedgerows, across the copses, finding everywhere birds building, flowers budding, leaves thrusting - everything happy, and progressive, and occupied ….

He thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before - this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and a-shiver - glints and gleams and sparkles rustle and swirl, chatter and bubble. The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spellbound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the back, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.

Kenneth Grahame, from The Wind in the Willows 9

Hoop Up! Choosing your Hoop We're all familiar with the basic embroidery hoop or, to give it its full name, the tambour hoop. But did you know the word "tambour" the French derivation of the Arabic word "tunbur" meaning lute or drum. Perhaps it was given this name as when fabric is stretched tightly within it, it does rather resemble a drum? I wonder if the musical instrument "tambourine" got its name from the same source? But I digress …..

To hoop, or not to hoop, that is the question…. I know there are many stitchers who don't use a hoop, perhaps because they find it awkward to hold, too much trouble to move around their work, or simply have tried using one but just didn't get on with it. And lots of

those stitchers produce lovely work without one - but the majority of us find our work is much neater and goes much more smoothly when we hoop up before beginning to stitch.

Using an embroidery hoop is the easiest and handiest way to keep your stitch tension correct (frames are possibly even better, but not always as portable and certainly more expensive). Your hoop has to hold your fabric tight and taut while you work to achieve this - but beware - not all hoops are the same, and some are (much) better than others.

An embroidery hoop can be made from wood, plastic or metal - but whatever the material, it is 10

comprised of two rings. One ring, the inner, is placed beneath your fabric, then the second, or outer, ring is placed on top, then pushed down over the inner ring and the screw tightened to hold your fabric in place and nice and taut.

My preference is to use a wooden hoop, preferably birch (nice and smooth and springy with no splinters). Birch is also strong and solid and I should think it would be almost impossible to bend a good quality birch hoop out of shape, though when Ben was a puppy he did find one rather good to chew on - bad dog! Your hoop should have good quality brass fittings that can be tightened so that there is no gap at all between the inner and outer ring.

When you're purchasing a new hoop, check that the brass fittings are strong and durable, and that they don't bend, no matter how much you tighten the screw. The screw itself should have outer ridges to help you get a good grip when tightening, and the best sort also have a groove in the top for a screwdriver for that extra tightness.

When you're buying a hoop, choose one that fits comfortably in your grasp. You should be able to hold the edge of your hoop in your palm, secured by your thumb, and be able to easily stretch your fingers to the middle of the hoop.

I find that 6" and 7" hoops work best for me. If you're using a larger hoop (eg 10") then you might like to consider purchasing a stand to support it, so that when necessary you have both hands free to reach the centre of your work. You must

remember to loosen the screw and remove your embroidery when you are not working on it as if you leave the hoop in place for a long period of item it can cause your fabric to stretch and distort.

Binding a hoop isn't absolutely essential but it does advantages as when you bind at least one ring (I bind the inside ring), by making that ring less smooth and slippery it will "grip" your fabric tighter an keep it taut for longer. The binding also helps to protect your fabric by padding the hard edges of the hoop. Binding your hoop doesn't take very long at all and once done you shouldn't have to repeat the task. I have hoops with the inner ring bound that I've used for quite a few years, and they're still just as good as when I first bound them.

To bind the inner ring of my hoop I usually use cotton twill tape as this has a nice non-shiny surface great for gripping my fabric and, unlike bias binding, doesn't have any lumps, bumps and edges where the pieces are joined. This means I get super-smooth coverage of my hoop. I have been known to use my glue gun to secure the tape, but I'm not sure that's really the best way - in fact I know it isn't! The best method is to stitch along the edges as you go to create a really strong seam that will last for years.

Mary Corbett has a really good tutorial for doing this over on her Needlenthread blog, just CLICK HERE for her step by step instructions with excellent photographs.

Busy as a Bee

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Blast from the Past….

Over the years a number of my patterns have featured bees, and this is one of my favourites.

It recalls a saying of my mum …. “If you can’t think of anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all” and I think this hoop reflects her point of view! It’s great if you can always be a nice person of course - but if like me you’re only human(!) this design is a pretty way to remind you to keep trying!

It uses a variety of stitches including satin stitch, French knots, bullion stitch and ghiordes stitch so isn’t perhaps for the complete beginner, but would suit someone with a little more experience.

To download this pattern please just LINK DISABLED FOR PREVIEW for the pdf file.

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The Merry Month of May

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“ talks to us about her design process, where she finds her inspiration, and how she started her business Originally from a small town in Wiltshire, Amanda now lives in Houston, Texas with her husband. She creates realistic embroidery pieces with a twist she adds beautiful beadwork to certain elements of her work which really makes them wonderfully eyecatching!

I started with cross-stitch when my son was a toddler. It was recommended to me as a way to ’destress’ and it worked. It has just evolved over the past 25 years as I get bored very easily and have a constant need to try new things. But it’s always been about fabric and thread for me. ’

To approach it as a business and be prepared to evolve in ways you might not expect! It’s 16

incredibly easy to think that because it’s ’just’ sewing or ’just’ your hobby that it isn’t so important. If you are creating something beautiful that someone wants to buy then you are running a business. Every time you sit at your desk, the kitchen table or even your chair in the corner of the living room, you are working on your business. My business has changed drastically in the last few years. I went from making small soft sculpture Liberty fabric mice to unique embroidery art.

Nature, nature and oh, nature!

I’ve always loved animals. I grew up in the country, with chickens, rabbits, dogs and cats and it was pretty idyllic. I was always bringing strays home and even now I’ m a very proud foster mama for our local shelter. I love the vibrancy of animals and

A (very) Little Guide to Pinking Shears the first cut open the shears and line up the teeth with the last notch of your first cut and close the blades again. Continue in this way for a neat and even edge with all the notches matched up.

Always sew the seam before trimming the edges with pinking shears as this will give you a consistent seam allowance and neat effect.

Finishing raw edges to prevent fraying is a key part of most sewing projects and if you don’t have a specialist overlocker (serger) then one of the easiest and quickest ways to do this is to use pinking shears. These resemble regular shears but instead of flat blades they have triangular shaped “teeth” that will make a zig-zag cut in the fabric. As well as preventing fraying they’re great for cutting curves as they have a similar effect to clipping your seam allowance to make it lie flat.

Don’t try to cut too many layers at once as the fabric will slide and warp making for an untidy edge. When cutting a delicate fabric consider putting a heavier scrap behind for stability.

Pinking shears are usually around 8 - 9” long.

Good quality shears have ball joints to ensure the blades operate smoothly and some have soft-grip handles too. Purchase the best quality you can afford so they will last you as long as possible.

Don’t use your pinking shears on paper or card as this will dull the blades in the same way as fabric shears. Keeping them in a drawer with other metal items can also result in their becoming blunt. If this does happen then you will need to have them professionally sharpened.

When cutting with pinking shears be sure to hold them straight as you cut as they won’t provide good results held at an angle. After you’ve made 17

The Cutting Garden

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The Land in Spring ….

And for this summer's quick delight Sow marigold, and sow the bright Frail poppy that with noonday dies But wakens to a fresh surprise; Along the pathway stones be set Sweet Alysson and mignonette, That when the full midsummer's come On scented clumps the bees may hum, Golden Italians, and the wild Black humble-bee alike beguiled: And lovers who have never kissed May sow the cloudy Love-in-Mist.

Extract from the poem by Vita Sackville-West

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