Bustle & Sew Magazine Issue 128 September 2021 Preview

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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 September Magazine Hello everyone!

As Shakespeare put so well, “summer’s lease hath all too short a date…” and as I would say - so, just like that, summer is (very nearly) over. I do love September though, those lovely golden mellow days, lots of produce from the garden to squirrel away for the winter months and the chance to take my sewing inside once again to enjoy many happy hours snuggled on the sofa, with the log burner ready for when the true colder weather arrives. September is a beautiful month, and often warm - and we are certainly hoping for a warm Saturday later this month when our wedding blessing is taking place. The Engineer and I were married last year in a tiny Covid-compliant ceremony and so this year we are inviting all our family and friends to celebrate with us.

I hope you enjoy this issue and the October Magazine will be published on Thursday 30 September. Until then I hope you have a lovely month, with lots of time for stitching too!

Very best wishes

Helen xx

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Between this month’s covers …

August Almanac

Page 5

Harvest Moon

Page 50

First Day of Autumn Hoop

Page 7

Snow Angel Bear

Page 51

Poetry Corner: September

Page 10

The Harvest Mouse

Page 54

Meet the Maker: Wee Bothy Art

Page 11

A Little Look at Smocks and Smocking

Page 46

Support your Small Sellers

Page 14

Lovely Idea

Page 59

The Bathing Pool Hoop

Page 15

Driving Home for Christmas

Page 60

It’s Conker Time!

Page 18

The Sunflower

Page 62

Heather Honey Harvest

Page 19

Ode to Autumn

Page 63

Lovely Idea

Page 21

Home Comforts

Page 64

A Country Diary

Page 22

Embroidery Stitch Guide

Page 65

Wood Pigeon Pin Cushion

Page 23

In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables

Page 66

Last Loveliest Smile

Page 26

Templates

Page 67

Woodland Fox Hoop

Page 40

The Equinox

Page 45

Beginning and Ending Your Work

Page 46

September Printables

Page 48

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September September is a time of change - the sun goes into its long decline, the meadows are left bare and the apples are falling from the trees. It’s also a time to finish gathering the harvest for the winter, to ensure your log store is full and to dream of cosy evenings by the fire as the year rushes towards the festive season ahead.

Nature’s harvest is upon us too, and the hedgerows are laden with hips, haws and berries. Elderberries have been ripening since August, handing in dense deep purple clusters on their claret-coloured stems, bringing colour and richness to the countryside.

They are particularly rich in vitamin C and make dark wines, jams and jellies good for warding off those pesky winter sniffles.

Well into late autumn, the elder bushes are a larder for all kinds of birds who also enjoy their rich, succulent berries.

Best known perhaps, of our autumn fruits, is the blackberry.

For generations blackberry picking has

been a British countryside pursuit in August and September. Delicious in jams and jellies, with apples in pies, or simply fresh picked from the hedgerows, they are one of the enduring symbols of country life.

“There’s a whisper down the field where the year has shot her yield, And the ricks stand grey to the sun, Singing: ‘Over then, come over, for the bee has quit the clover, And your English summer’s done.’”

The flowers at the tips of the mature thorny stems are the first to set and usually produce the sweetest fruits (which then of course are always just out of reach!) As the berries ripen they turn from green through red to a deep glossy black, as the

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transformation works its way back up the bramble.

In London, the Albert Hall is packed for the last night of the Proms - that stirring blend of nostalgia and patriotism which marks the end of ‘the season.’ As the promenaders leave the hall and mingle with the crowds in Hyde Park, there is a sense of melancholy, of regret for the brevity of our British summer.

But take heart - there’s fine weather and enjoyment yet to come.

Statistically September is sunnier than August and October can bring with it an ‘Indian Summer’ and Autumn here in the UK can be our finest season.

The Anglo-Saxons called September Haligmonath, that is to say Holy Month, or the Month of Offerings to give thanks for the harvest. In the Middle Ages the celebration of the harvest was linked to the social structure of the time - many workers employed (or in earlier times serfs) by a single landowning farmer who would

provide a celebration feast for his workers as an expression of gratitude for their hard work in bringing in the harvest. There would have been an immense sense of relief from tension and worry after the harvest was safely gathered (after all in those days, this would have meant the difference between surviving through the winter or death by starvation if the food ran out). So Harvest feasts or suppers were inevitably joyous celebrations, accompanied by feats of excessive drinking, games and songs.

The modern Harvest Festival (held on or near the harvest moon - the full moon in September) owes its origin to the Victorians.

The celebration of harvest by bringing produce to the church and giving thanks with prayers and hymns was seen as a much more appropriate Christian celebration than the drunkenness and general overindulgence associated with the farm-based Harvest Suppers of earlier times.

September 3rd brings a much less joyful anniversary however, as this was the date that the Second World War began in 1939. The UK had originally followed a policy of appeasement, and in September 1938 the then Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, brought home the Munich Agreement - an event famously described by him as achieving “peace for our time.” After

the invasion of Poland however, Chamberlain’s “peace” was in tatters and the British nation was at war.

September brings the start of the apple season - did you know that there are more than two and a half thousand named varieties of British

“The leaves of brown came tumbling down Remember in September in the rain The Sun went out just like a dying amber That September in the rain To every word of love I heard you whisper The raindrops seemed to play our sweet refrain Though spring is here to me it's still September That September in the rain” Frank Sinatra (1961)

apple? It’s a very good time to look for apple trees in the hedgerows too.

Depending upon the tree, they may be a genuinely wild species or have grown from pips discarded by past travellers. Crab apples can also often be found in hedgerows though they’re unsuitable for eating,

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being small, sour and woody, they are high in pectin making them a great base for preserves and jellies.

In the New Forest, Hampshire, in the south of England the “pannage” or the “Common of Mast” season begins in September. The exact date depends upon when acorns begin to fall from the oak trees.

That’s when pigs, often from traditional breeds, are released to room freely through the forest hunting primarily for acorns, but beech nuts, chestnuts and crab apples are also much appreciated.

This practice dates back many centuries to when some forest inhabitants, known as “commoners” claimed their right to graze pigs in the forest. It also helps the more famous forest residents as acorns are poisonous to cattle and the New Forest ponies too.

The feast day of St Michael or Michaelmas falls on the penultimate day of the month.

It is the anniversary of the dedication of a church in his honour, the Basilica of St Michael, near Rome. Michaelmas is one of the four days on which quarterly rents are paid.

The tradition of serving goose for dinner on this day may stem from the custom of giving one’s landlord such a bird as a gift. It was also thought that eating goose on Michaelmas Day would bring financial prosperity in the year to come.

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” talk to us about their love of print making, where they find their inspiration and how they started their business, Based in South-East Essex, Wee Bothy Art is run by mother daughter duo Eleanor and Holly Mulinder. Eleanor is an art teacher with a degree in Graphic Design from Glasgow School of Art and Holly is currently studying Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia.

They both have a love for printmaking, which they make time for inbetween their busy lives - focussing on their work and the natural environment.

It wasn’t a thoroughly planned and thought out decision to be totally honest with you. I can be a little spur of the moment, once I’ve decided I want to do something I can’t think about anything else. My mum has always wanted to start an art business of her own and as I’ve gotten older it was something we had spoken about doing together but wanted to wait until I was out 8

of education and mum wasn’t working full time. However, over lockdown, we had more time to get creative and naturally started talking more, we even chose our name. I got it into my head that we could start selling now as and when we can, as we already had so much to show everyone, and grow the business over time. So I started an Instagram account!

Pretty sure I scared my mum half to death but it was a very exciting move in the right direction.

Since school, I have always loved the process of printmaking, which lead me to do a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Graphic Design at Glasgow School of Art. From there I went on to complete a PCGE in Education and went into teaching art and have done so now for 28 years. Although teaching has given me many wonderful experiences like moving the whole family out to live in Romania for 4 years, it has always been my dream to start my own business, something that Holly and the rest of our family have

heard me say many times. To be honest, if it wasn’t for Holly, I don’t think I would have started it now. Having a daughter who is as passionate about art as I am is wonderful. So to put a long story short, Holly was the one over lockdown who said, “let’s just do it together now”. Before I knew it she had set up the Instagram page for Wee Bothy Art and there has been no looking back! ’

I knew we’d have to figure out a lot along the way as I wouldn’t say either of us particularly have a head for business. Mostly I wish I’d known how welcoming and helpful the online community is. We have learnt so much from everyone sharing their best techniques, equipment and materials. If we had known this before I’m sure we would have been much less scared to dive right into it.

We are a very young business and still learning more

each day. Feeling like I needed to know everything about starting a business before I started one is what stopped me doing so for so long. Holly is more like “we will make mistakes and learn as we go” which has worked well so far!

Now I really wish I had started this a long time ago.

Our work focusses on the natural living environment so we find inspiration all around us. We are also lucky enough to be surrounded by the countryside and love long country walks so this has never been difficult. As an environmental scientist I am very aware of the current challenges the environment is facing and would love to help as much as I can through my art. I am currently working on a reduction print of an endangered butterfly species. There will be a limited number of these prints, like the butterfly itself, and some of the profits will go to a conservation charity. I hope to make this into a series for other endangered animals. We have

also found inspiration from other brilliant artists online after seeing their creative processes and ideas. I don’t think we will ever be short of inspiration!

At the moment, Holly is my inspiration and has helped push me to fulfil my lifetime dream of having my own art business.

Being a born and bred Scot, some of my work is very much influenced by my Scottish heritage, and I do love a thistle!

Also seeing the many students I have taught over the years go on to carve out successful art careers for themselves, is very much an inspiration. ’

It was a very natural decision in the end. My older sister, my dad and I were all very aware that this was my mum’s ultimate passion and goal. I inherited her arty genes and have always been passionate about art. We have similar styles and interests when it comes to what we produce so have always been

very involved in each other’s work. She was a big help when I was doing my Art A level and that was when she introduced me to my first Lino print. For the last few years, we’ve had multiple conversations where we spoke about starting a business and even chose a name, so it seemed to me like a natural thing to do.

Holly was most definitely the driving force on this and forced me out of my comfort zone. After hearing me talk about it being my dream all her life, she just simply said “let’s do it!”. We had already discussed names and other ideas for a long time beforehand. We work well together, and both get involved in each other’s ideas and prints.

Our design process always starts around our love of nature.

Detailed drawings are made in pen, which is a medium we both love using and it makes transferring the drawing onto Lino or screens much easier.

Beforehand we usually decide if we want the design to be on one block, multiple or be made as a reduction print. Once the drawing is transferred onto Lino, using tracing paper, we begin the process of carving the lines using our much loved Pfeil cutting tools.

This is where we can carve all the marks to create the magic of the final image. Next is the actual printing process. Inking up the Lino is where we see the print come to life. Our go to inks are Cranfield Caligo safe wash relief inks and our favourite roller is our

Japanese soft rubber roller. The ink goes on so well with this combination, whether we are printing on paper or fabric. We now have a small printing press from ‘Portable Printing Press’ which allows us to print up to A1 and it has been an absolute lifesaver, we can’t imagine life without it now (not to sound too dramatic!). We also print smaller pieces using a Japanese bamboo baren and a lot of elbow grease.

Our process so far is fairly simple, but we would love to work more with screen printing, possibly etching, and just really expand our printing mediums in the future. Our fabric prints we turn into cushions, table runners, napkins and tea towels. We do everything ourselves, and this is where being taught how to use a sewing machine by my mum, as a child, comes in handy.

Do it! Take it from us you don’t always need an intricate plan. We had some art work we wanted to show everyone and ideas of what we wanted to produce in the future and just ran with it. We don’t even have a proper studio yet! We obviously can’t wait to get a studio but we have managed so far without one. I know for my mum the fear factor was massive to overcome but the community will always encourage and support you and make your work feel very validated.

Advice would be just go for it. You can learn as you go

along and mistakes can lead to good things. Don’t let worrying about what you don’t know stop you, just do it. I have loved teaching but wish I had started this years ago.

Although I have loved it, I am giving up teaching after 28 years so will be working full time on Wee Bothy Art. I definitely want to do more screen printing as I love working with fabric. We have a few events ahead at some big craft fairs which I am so looking forward too. Once we have our studio built, I will run printmaking classes, for all ages, and combine my love of teaching and printmaking. The whole process of printmaking is very therapeutic and I will never tire of seeing my ideas transferred from drawings to prints.

Do be sure to pop over to Holly and Eleanor’s Website to see all of their gorgeous creations. You can also find them on Instagram too!

Conker Time!

Not all of the fruits gathered at this time of year are sought after for their nutritional value. Children spend hours hurling sticks and other missiles at horse chestnut trees in an attempt to bring down the green cases from the highest branches. Broken open they reveal two or three shiny brown fruits whose skin, if left for a few days, will harden so it can be drilled and hung from a string ready for a game of conkers.

The game of conkers probably evolved from a game called ‘conquerors’, which was originally played with snail shells. A variant of the game was later played with hazelnuts on strings and by the 20th century these earlier games had almost universally been replaced by the version we now know that makes use of horse chestnuts. There are many regional variations in the rules of the game and it’s also been called by different names. In some parts of the English Midlands it was known as oblionker and play was accompanied by such rhymes as ‘Obli, obli, onker, my nut will conquer!’

And finally, on another note, placing conkers along your windowsills is said to keep spiders out of the house, and moths from your clothes, whilst carrying them in your pocket is said to help prevent piles and rheumatism.

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The year’s last loveliest smile ….

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September of the summer equinox, her gardens cartwheeled with gossamer where the fat spiders, striped like tigers, wait for their nectar-seeking pre; September of the bush-rose turning on the slow, cool lamplight of the second bloom; September of the tin blue skies, slow of assertion after the morning mist; September of late holidays, blackberries, bracken turning, and heather dark as Burgundy upon the moors and the high hills where the cock grouse rise from their gravelly basking-places and bolt on whirring wings.

And still, autumn is the most beautiful of seasons, bringing with it a wonderful new landscape of bright colours, crisp mornings and a bountiful harvest full of fresh intense flavours to enjoy. The flavours of autumn are richer and earthier than the light sweet tastes of summer, and the last of the summer fruits and salads are replaced by the first squashes and nuts. The hedgerows are brimful of foraging treats too, with sharp damsons, plump blackberries and tart crab apples all abundant.

The arrival of September, the first month of autumn is, for me a bittersweet time. It’s sad to say farewell to summer, to golden hazy afternoons, sand between our toes and long warm evenings sitting beneath the moon until the hour grows late. Yet September is an exciting month too, a month of new beginnings, as the children return to school and the cooler weather energises us for all the tasks we need to undertake.

Clubs and societies begin once again, and there’s an awareness that Christmas isn’t really so far away now - time for the better organised among us to begin their preparations!

With a bit of luck September will bring some good weather too, even though by the middle of the month the swallows and the martins will crowd the wires, filling the air with their busy twitterings of departure.

The striped wasps gorge among the windfalls too.

The blackberries at their most flavoursome are ripe in the hedgerows and all about the sweet and sticky ivy-bloom the insects gather for their annual feasting.

Very quietly the last warm day of the month dies down towards the awakening of October’s evening owls.

The final pickings..

Around the end of this month you may be tidying out your greenhouse, and finding LOTS of tomatoes that need using up - why not try slow-roasting them for a delicious intense flavour that’s great served with cold meats and cheese.

Halve 12 ripe tomatoes and scoop out most of the seeds. Place the tomato halves into a baking dish in which they fit closely together and scatter over 2 chopped garlic cloves, 2 chopped sprigs of thyme, pinch of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and add a good squeeze of lemon juice. Roast at 150C/gas mark 2 for 2 ½ - 3 hours until the tomatoes are shrivelled (but not as dried a sun dried tomatoes). Allow to cool and serve scattered with basil leaves.

Rich Days …

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When Day equals Night ….

September brings a moment of harmony - a time of perfect balance when day and night are of equal length - the time of the Autumnal Equinox. This moment marks the transition between summer and autumn, the time when the new season begins as we move inexorably towards the darker days and longer nights of the winter months ahead.

This year the equinox falls on Wednesday 22 September, when the sun passes over the equator from north to south. In the summer the tilt of the earth’s axis brings the northern hemisphere closer to the sun, which makes the sun’s heat more intense and the days longer. Then as autumn progresses, the North Pole gradually begins to point away from the sun, which day on day rises ever lower in the sky. This makes the days shorter, temperatures begin to fall and autumn has arrived.

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I’ve started … so I’ll finish!

Threading your needle Many stitchers find threading their needle difficult because of poor eyesight (I can so relate to this now that I too need glasses), or simply through not knowing the best method to do so. A good way to thread your needle - and the way I was taught by my grandma - is as follows …..

Hold the needle in your right hand (left if you are lefthanded) and with your other hand loop the thread over the

point of the needle and pull it tight. Holding this loop firmly between your thumb and forefinger, turn the needle around, place the eye over the loop and push it down so that the thread passes through the eye.

Beginning your project Where you should start to stitch your design is a fundamental question. It’s always a good idea to work in a continuous flow rather than 18

to start in several different places and then discover that your work doesn’t join up successfully. If your design requires very dense stitching it’s easiest to start in the middle with the main features and then work towards the edges.

Starting a thread Your thread shouldn’t be any longer than the distance from wrist to elbow. Longer threads are not only uncomfortable to

stitch with as you have to stretch your arm and shoulder to pull them firm, but are also much more likely to knot, twist and fray.

For most hand embroidery projects, the neatest way to begin is to make a few small stitches, leaving the end of the thread at the front at a point that will be covered by the stitches you intend to make with the thread on your needle.

It is important to cover the starting stitches within this part of the project to ensure that colours don’t overlap and show through. Keep the “tail” short - snip it closely to the front of the fabric. Once your work is

underway you can run your thread under a few stitches at the back before starting to stitch. Try not to run dark threads into light ones and vice versa as they might show through.

Finishing a thread This can be done in the same way as starting a thread. If you’re continuing in the same colour, then make a couple of tiny stitches where they will be covered by your next thread.

Leave the end on top of your work, snipping it off when you reach it. If you’re using a contrasting colour then turn your work over and run the

thread under a few stitches at the back.

Never carry threads behind the work across an area that won’t be stitched - this can cause your work to distort, they may catch in wear and they may also show through to the front.

It’s important to trim your threads closely once they’ve been secured as threads left hanging will tangle and interfere with your stitching.

My grandma used to say that the back of your work should look as lovely as the front and whilst I’m not entirely convinced by this, I do believe that it should be as neat, tidy and secure as you can make it.

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A Little Look at Smocks and Smocking The use of the words “smock” and “smocking” can be a little confusing. A smock is a garment, usually a protective over-garment, that is simply cut with a lot of fullness and long sleeves. Fishermen’s or artists’ smocks are perhaps the use we’re most familiar with today - these are generally made of strong plain fabric and keep out the wind or protect garments from paint and clay etc. Children’s smocks or smock dresses are usually pretty clothes, light in weight and made of floral or other patterned fabric. Smocked here refers to the technique of gathering fabric and securing the gathers with special stitches to create a decorative pattern. So, a smock describes the garment, whilst smocking refers to the decoration.

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Home Comforts Celebrate autumn’s bounty with a walk through the woods as summer gives way to autumn in a blaze of glorious colour. There are sloes and damsons, crab apples and blackberries to gather, as well as clusters of hazelnuts to be pulled down with a stout stick.

For cheerful colour around the house bring back sprays of rosehips and haws, two tone spindle berries and skeins of Old Man’s Beard (wild clematis) with its soft, fluffy seedheads. You may find wild hop bines tangled through the hedges too - these can be carefully unravelled and brought home to garland a mantlepiece, lintel or beam. Their heady scent will permeate the house and, according to plant lore, ensure that everyone will sleep soundly.

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