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First published 2024 by: Bustle & Sew Station House West Cranmore Shepton Mallet BA4 4QP
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WelcometotheJanuaryMagazine
Today’s world is busy, noisy and filled with demands upon our time and attention. All too often we put ourselves and our wellbeing second to our day-to-day tasks and responsibilities, whatever these may be. For me stitching is the perfect mindful craft that helps me channel my creativity and spend time with myself and my thoughts, whilst not sitting “and doing nothing but daydreaming” - the ultimate crime in my ever-busy mum’s opinion!
My designs are so often inspired by the natural world around me, and I try to share some of my love of nature between these pages, as well as the pleasure I take in making delicious (hopefully, not all my experiments are successful!) and nutritious dishes for my family and friends. This makes the Bustle & Sew Magazine quite unique I think. It may seem an unusual combination - stitching, cooking and the natural world, but it’s one that works for me and, as we’ve now reached our year of publication, it seems that others enjoy it too! As we enter the New Year I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers who make this magazine possible - and wish you all a very happy New Year 2025.
The February edition will be published on Thursday 30 January, in FIVE weeks time. Until then…
Very best wishes
Helen xx
“January is the open gate of the year; shut until the shortest day passed, but now open to let in the lengthening daylight, which will soon fall upon dim patches of pale green, that show where spring is still sleeping. Sometimes, when the winter is mild, a few wan snowdrops will peep out and catch the faint sunlight which streams in coldly through the opening gateway, like timid messengers sent to see if spring has yet stirred from her long sleep.”
Chambers Book of Days (1864)
January
Once the New Year celebrations are over, it is time for all to return to work - gone are the days when the festive season lasted for the full twelve days of Christmas. The holiday season lasts just a little longer north of the border however, as, since 1973, the second has been a public holiday in Scotland, giving the Scots an extra day to recover from their Hogmanay celebrations.
It is said that “as the day lengthens, the cold strengthens”, and January is usually the coldest month of the year. Frost, ice and snow take their toll on non-hibernating wildlife, especially birds, as well as causing problems for travellers and sometimes it can feel as though winter will never end. But don’t despair, it’s good to remember that the solstice is behind us, the days are lengthening and new life is beginning to stir.
Catkins are already appearing on hazel bushes, turning from lime green to yellow as the month progresses. You may spot the earliest shoots of wild garlic sprouting up through the leaf mould, recognisable by their pungent smell if you crush them between your fingers. In the gardens the earliest spring bulbs, including snowdrops of course, will be beginning to appear and hellebores will be in flower.
Also coming into bloom towards the end of the month are snowdrops, poking their sharp fresh green shoots through the cold soil before the delicateseeming white flowers appear. Their Latin name is G from the Greek meaning “milk” and meaning “flower” wihilst comes from Latin, meaning “snowy, snow-covered or snowlike.” In France their name is which means “snowpiercer.”
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 is how they gained their name of in 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.
By the end of this month the snowdrops will be appearing, bringing their promise that spring will soon be here, and I thought you might enjoy this vintage print…"Snowdrop," by Eugene Grasset (Plants and Their Application to Ornament, 1896) which I think would lend itself well to interpretation with needle and thread.
Hardanger embroidery is named for the district of Hardanger in western Norway, where it was known simply as hvitsøm (whitework). It is based on a counted thread technique combined with drawn thread work and needle weaving. The patterns and motifs are geometric but the angular quality of the designs is softened by the cutting and needle weaving which create a lacy effect. It’s stitched on even weave fabric usually 22 count. It’s thought that the relative isolation of the Hardanger Fjiord is the main reason this very distinctive style evolved.
The exact origin of hardanger emboidery is not known, but it’s thought to have its beginning in ancient Persia and Asia where a similar technique was worked on fine gauze netting with coloured silk and metallic threads. Garments which incorporated this type of embroidery were worn only by nobility. During the Renaissance this early form of embroidery spread to Italy where it gradually developed into Italian reticella and Venetian lacework. Reticella is a very geometric style with foundations in squares, diagonals, triangles, and arcs. Venetian lace dates from the 16th to the 19th century characterized by deep, acute-angled points stitched in separate pieces and linked together by a narrow band with buttonholing.
By the eighteenth century variations of this type of embroidery had spread to northern Europe where it developed further into Danish and Dutch Hedebo, Scottish Ayrshire work and Ruskin lacework as well as Norwegian Drawn Work, as it was then called.
In the period between 1650 - 1850 Hardangersom (meaning work from Hardanger area) flourished in Norway. Flax was grown, carded, spun and woven into white fabric and thread which was used to make and decorate aprons for traditional Norwegian costumes called bunads, as well as other items such as curtains, bedspreads and mats. Modern Hardanger fabric is an evenweave cotton material woven with pairs of threads, typically 22 pairs per linear inch in both directions, referred to as '22 count'. The weave gives a squared appearance to the fabric with distinct holes, making it easy to count and work on.
Traditional Hardanger embroidery is worked with a thread colour that matches the fabric, usually white or cream. Using self coloured thread enhances the sculptural nature of the stitches and enhances the details found in some of the intricate filling stitches.
It may also be worked on coloured fabric, as the linen
Thebadmomenthadpassedforallbutthevictim. The wholeheathbecamealiveagain;linnetsflittedand twitteredamongthebushes;abullfinchresumedits tuggingataheadofthistledownwhichhadlodgedin thegorse,andthechaffinchesresumedtheirinterrupted journey-minusone.
Allroundthecornerofthefieldwherethesheep-foldis theholliesstillstandintheiruntouchedcrimson. That isremarkable,becauseonothertrees,inmoresecluded positions,theberriesarefastdwindling. Before Novemberwasoutthebirdshadbegunuponthem;had thecropnotbeensoextraordinarilyprofuse,everytree uponthedownswouldhavebeenbarebynow.
From “Orlando” by Virginia Woolf published 11 October 1928
Bekindto yourself….
January brings the snow… makes our feet and fingers glow. January - dry January, veganuary, empty pockets and a long wait until payday, January is the longest month of the year it sometimes seems.
Start the year right with plenty of seasonal fruit and veg available through January, making those healthy eating resolutions a little bit easier. Choose between savoury toast in the morning with creamy avocados, or sweet with tangy homemade marmalade using sharp Seville oranges. Earthy Savoy cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli bulk out winter dinners, while lemons and limes brighten up the grey days. There is game to be found at farmers’ markets and independent butchers, whilst frost resistant roots like parsnips and carrots are all quite content to sit in the ground at this coldest part of the year, doing not very much at all apart from staying nice and fresh. Be careful if a hard frost is forecast though, as you may not be able to dig them from the frozen ground when you need them!
This can be a bit of a gloomy time of year as the winter closes in, bills land on the doormat and spring seems a long way off. But there will be bright sparkling days among the grey ones, crisp and frosty dog walks to enjoy before returning to a warm cheerful house on the stove to warm and comfort chilled bodies. The days are growing longer now too, though almost imperceptibly at first, and by the end of the month there will be snowdrops in bloom and strong green spikes of later bulbs pushing their way up through the ground.
In January thrift is often the order of the day following festive expenditure and so at least some of the following recipes make good use of Christmas leftovers - Stilton perhaps, or sausages to avoid them going to waste. This month I’ve chose some of our thrifty favourites, as well as focusing on ease and speed of preparation - after so much time spent in the kitchen over the festive season let’s be kind to ourselves, snuggle down and take things a little easier this month!
Method
CrispyGnocchi Traybake
Ingredients
● 1 broccoli (about 350g), florets cut into bitesized pieces and stalks cut into 1cm chunks
● 2 leeks finely sliced (about 350g)
● 1/2 - 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
● 2 tbsp olive oil
● 400g fresh gnocchi
● 3 garlic cloves
● finely sliced
● 1 lemon zested and cut into wedges
● 50g mature cheddar grated
● small handful of parsley finely chopped
● Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the broccoli florets and stalks into a 20 x 30cm roasting tin along with the leeks, chilli flakes (if using), half the olive oil and 3 tbsp water. Season well and toss to combine. Roast for 20 mins until the broccoli is almost tender.
● Combine the gnocchi with the garlic, remaining oil and the lemon zest, then tip into the roasting tin, stir and sprinkle over the cheese. Cook for 20-25 mins more, or until the gnocchi and cheese are golden. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges on the side.
Swap the broccoli and leeks in this gnocchi-based traybake for whatever you have left over from Christmas that needs using up. It makes a healthy and filling midweek meal
