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A Bustle & Sew Publication Copyright Š Bustle & Sew Limited 2018 The right of Helen Dickson 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 2018 by: Bustle & Sew The Cottage Oakhill Radstock BA3 5HT UK www.bustleandsew.com
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Welcome to the June Magazine June brings Midsummer and the longest day of the year. Our gardens are at their best with an abundance of roses, sweet peas, all kinds of herbs and early peas, beans and more, whilst strawberries are eaten with every meal, making the most of the midsummer glut. Rosie’s recipes this month features a host of strawberry recipes, and we have more floral delights for you with articles on roses and lavender too - as well as a little lavender bag to sew. I do hope you’ll enjoy this month’s edition, and just a quick reminder that the July issue will be published, as always, on the last Thursday of the month - in this case Thursday 28 June. So if you’re a subscriber watch out for it arriving in your inbox then! Until then, I hope you have a wonderful month!
Helen xx
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Between this month’s covers … Tips for Stitchers
Page 4
Instagram Round Up
Page 44
June Almanac
Page 6
A Strawberry Summer
Page 45
Baby Rabbit Hoop
Page 8
A (very) Little History of DMC
Page 47
The Wildflower Meadow
Page 11
Marching Elephants Cushion
Page 48
The Rose Garden
Page 12
Lovely Idea: Happy Days Printable
Page 51
A (very) Little Guide to Buttons
Page 16
Meet the Maker: Clare Buswell
Page 52
Lovely Idea: Pom Pom Ballerinas
Page 17
Lovely Lavender
Page 54
Laundry Bag
Page 18
Lavender Sachet
Page 55
Loving your Linen Closet
Page 21
Home Comforts
Page 57
The Legend of Arachne
Page 24
In the Kitchen: Conversion Tables
Page 58
A (very) Little History of Press Fasteners
Page 25
Templates
Page 59
Giraffe Trophy Head
Page 26
Tastes of the Season: Gooseberries
Page 28
Rosie’s Recipes: Strawberry Fayre
Page 29
Tastes of the Season: Garlic
Page 37
Practically Perfect Pennant
Page 38
Poetry Corner
Page 43
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June The word “summer” comes from Old English - many people believe that it literally means “more sun,” though this isn’t true. The Latin name for the summer season was “aestas” from which the English words “aestival” (of the summer) and “aestivate” (to pass the summer) are derived. June is of course the first month of meteorological summer which comprises the three months of June, July and August. During this time the countryside around us will gradually change from the fresh greens and bright colours we see this month, through the gold and brown of ripening crops and scorched grass in July and August, to the early signs of the approach of autumn in September. Agricultural workers are busy with haymaking, fruit-picking, sheepshearing and preparing for the harvest ahead, but most of us simply look forward to picnics and barbecues, swimming and maybe sailing, or even just relaxing in our
gardens. This is a great time for eating healthily too, as there is a steady succession of locally grown
“June has now come, bending beneath her weight of roses, to ornament the halls and bowers which summer has hung with green. For this is the Month of Roses, and their beauty and fragrance conjure up again many in poetical creation which Memory had buried….This is the season to wander into the fields and woods, with a volume of sterling poetry for companionship, and compare the descriptive passages with the objects that lie around. We never enjoy reading portions of Spenser’s Faery Queen so much as when among the great green trees in summer.”
fresh produce coming into season
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- asparagus, cherries, strawberries, blackcurrants new potatoes, tomatoes, peas and all kinds of fresh green herbs. Each year we hope for a “flaming June” but sadly we’re far more likely to see a month that begins fine and warm, but then descends into rainy weather round about the middle of the month - at the exact time that the summer season of festivals, fetes and sports events begins. Nearly three out of four Junes are actually rather damp - not to say positively wet - so perhaps it’s wisest to hope to need your sun hat - but take your umbrella as well, just in case! In June the twilights are long - and for Muslims the actual time of dusk is particularly important as the moment they can break their Ramadan fast. This year the holy month of Ramadan runs from 16 May to 15 June, beginning and ending at the sighting of the crescent moon.
The Coronation of Elizabeth II as Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Head of the Commonwealth took place on 2 June 1953. The events of that day were witnessed by eight thousand guests in West Minster Abbey, three million onlookers who lined the London streets to watch the procession to and from the ceremony, and more than twenty million television viewers worldwide who tuned into the BBC’s live coverage, which was broadcast in 44 languages. Some people purchased their first (very small, black and white) television set just for this day, and invited neighbours round to share in the historic occasion. Away from London, across the countryside, hedgerows and roadside verges are full of the first foxglove flowers, wild honeysuckle, dog roses and bramble flowers, that later in the year will become succulent dark blackberries, perfect for crumbles and jams. In the past it was often customary to light a midsummer bonfire as the sun set on Midsummer Eve. The celebrations may also have included torch lit processions and the rolling of a burning wheel. The smoke from the fires was supposed to have a magical quality - cattle would be driven through it and young men would leap over the first
hoping this would bring them luck in the year ahead. Long-burning kitchen hearth fires would be extinguished and then relit using burning brands from the midsummer fire, as if in an attempt to hold onto the height of summer and keep away the dark months ahead for as long as possible. Sweet peas begin to flower in June, and you must pick them often in
“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.”
order to stop them setting seed. A jar of sweet peas on the kitchen table is a sure sign that summer has arrived - in our house at least! June 5 is World Environment Day, aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues, and encouraging action to protect the environment. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. The day is celebrated in many ways - from concerts and festivals to tree planting and more. Each year the United Nations Environment
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Programme announces a theme and a host nation for the main celebrations. This year the host nation is Canada and the theme is “Plastic Pollution” - an issue that has been very much in the news lately. Across the Atlantic, June 25 marks the anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand - the day in 1876 when the US cavalry officer George Armstrong Custer led a column of some 650 soldiers into battle against thousands of Native American warriors in the valley of the Little Big Horn River. Custer had been ordered to wait for reinforcements before launching his attack and his decision to “go it alone” resulted in the death of 267 men, including Custer himself. Equally as well known are the events of 26 June 1284, when 130 children were allegedly led out of the town of Hamelin in northern Germany by the Pied Piper, a handsome young man wearing colourful clothing and playing irresistible music on his pipe. According to a later version of the tale that dates from the midsixteenth century, the Pied Piper had rid the town of a plague of rats and had not been paid his agreed fee, so he lured the children away as an act of revenge. The children disappeared into a nearby hill and were never seen again.
Baby Rabbit Hoop When Rosie and Dan were living in Bristol and I was in Devon, I used to travel up to see them quite regularly. During the summer months I preferred to make the return journey starting very early in the morning and in certain places at this time of year the grass verges along the edge of the road would be teeming with baby rabbits. They always used to pop their heads up from the long grass in a startled manner as I drove past - in just the same way as the baby rabbit in this hoop. Last month I included a little cat with very densely stitched fur, this rabbit is much quicker and simpler to stitch, using only two shades of floss. Shown mounted in 8” hoop.
Materials
Stitching Note
● 12” square background fabric. I used a natural coloured linen blend. Be sure to choose a fabric with a fairly fine weave as the bunny is stitched in a single strand of floss and it will need to stand out on the fabric.
The rabbit (including eyes and whiskers) is stitched in a single strand of floss. The garland is stitched in 2 strands of floss.
● DMC stranded cotton floss in colours blanc, 310, 604, 720, 839, 840, 906, 907, 3771, 4045
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The Rose Garden
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A (very) Little Guide to Buttons Buttons come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and materials - though when it comes down to basics there are really only two different types, flat (those with holes that you sew through) and shank. You can attach buttons by hand or use a special button foot on your sewing machine that has a small U-shaped base covered in a rubber material - but do be sure to refer to your sewing machine manual before attempting this. You should always choose a button with a depth and diameter that suits your buttonhole. If anything it should be quite a snug fit when passing through the buttonhole as these do tend to stretch and give with use and time. When you’re sewing on buttons by hand it’s best to double your thread to make it stronger. When sewing on flat buttons that are going to be used as a fastening then it’s good practice to create a thread shank which will allow a bit of space between the button and the fabric that will make it lie better. To make a shank push a
cocktail stick between your button and the fabric and stitch the button on loosely a few times. Then remove the stick and wrap your thread round and round the stitched threads beneath the button to create a shank, securing firmly on the back to finish. Shank buttons have a hole or loop at the back that you stitch through to attach the button to the fabric. This makes them great for thicker fabrics and outerwear. If, in spite of the variety available, you can’t find exactly the right button to suit your project then you might like to try covering your own. These buttons come ready to be covered by placing a circle of fabric (especially pretty if enhanced by a tiny embroidered motif) on the front of the button and snapping the back into place using the special tool provided. This is a great idea for soft furnishings and for creating a coordinated finish.
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The Legend of Arachne
“Arachne first invented working with the needle, which this mayd of Lydia learned from the spiders, taking her first samplers and patterns from them in imitation� Edward Topsel, History of Fourfooted Beasts and Serpents, 1608
According to Greek mythology, Arachne was a beautiful, young and talented maiden, who was so proud of her skill that she claimed she could spin and weave better than anybody else - even the goddess Athene. When the goddess visited her, disguised as an elderly woman, Arachne unknowingly challenged her to a duel at tapestry weaving - which of course the goddess won. Arachne, in despair, hanged herself and Athene, as a warning to all conceited mortals, quickly changed her into a spider so she could spend eternity practising her stitches. 11
A (very) little history of the Press Fastener Most clothing - and lots of other textile items too - require some kind of fastening and of course by far the most common is the button. Metal press fasteners, or poppers, are the next most popular type of fastening and these were first patented in Germany in 1885 by Heribert Bauer. Poppers are comprised of either two metal parts for the sew-on kind or four metal parts for the riveted or non-sew kind. They make a characteristic snapping or popping sound when they’re closed - which gave rise to the term popper or snap fastener.
fasteners, weren’t rustproof - or even very reliable. But Prym improved the manufacturing process and developed standards that are still maintained today. Its factory produces millions of fasteners every day, 24 hours a day, and supplies a large proportion of the world’s fashion industry with high-quality fasteners. One of the most successful marketing campaigns used by Prym and other manufacturers of press fasteners was to attach then to decorative cards. These havnow become collectibles, depicting as they do attractive country landscapes and other images, including the original Prym logo of a deer with a needle through its antlers. During the 1950s the company slogan was “the most reliable waist fastener of the present and the future.” Even today, with the rise of new options such as Velcro, most sewing kits will include a couple of poppers, proving that they have remained useful over the 130 years since their invention.
If you look closely at the picture above you’ll be able to see the distinctive double S-spring which ensures the fastener isn’t too tight or too loose. The Prym family have manufactured metal goods in Germany since the sixteenth century and are synonymous with press-fastener production since purchasing the original German patent in 1903. The earliest types, also known as ball and socket
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The Taste of Summer
Although these days strawberries are available all year round, mum tells me that when she was a child the season was short - just three months from June to August when the English fruit was in harvest. And today we both eagerly anticipate this time as home grown strawberries are so much sweeter and more luscious than the imported varieties. The arrival of sweet juicy homegrown strawberries, firm, plump and heart shaped is the most certain sign that summer has really and truly arrived - at last! We are very lucky to live in Somerset, near Cheddar which, as well as being famous for its cheese, is a major strawberry-growing area. Farmer’s stalls pop up along the lanes, and it’s easy to stop to purchase cartons of delicious juicy fruit, picked straight from the fields earlier in the day. The English strawberry season is short, with traditionally field-grown berries available from only early June to August, though with the arrival of polytunnels, this has been extended by several weeks. But did you know that the average strawberry will have around two hundred seeds, and that it’s the only fruit that carries its seeds externally Like raspberries, strawberries are not classified as berries by botanists (though I must admit I’m a bit hazy on the details!). I do know however that amazingly they are actually a member of the rose family! The strawberry has a long history, the earliest mention being in Roman times, around 200 BC. During the Middle Ages, newlywed couples would feast on strawberries with borage and soured cream, believing them to be an aphrodisiac. Although this claim is uncertain, strawberries are
certainly good for us as well as tasting delicious. The classic dish of strawberries and cream is believed to have been introduced in Tudor times, by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey at the court of King Henry VIII. In Sweden, strawberries are a traditional dessert served on St John's Day, also known as Midsummer's Eve. Depending on area, strawberry pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, or strawberry shortcake are also popular. In Greece, strawberries are usually sprinkled with sugar and then dipped in Metaxa, a famous brandy, and served as a dessert, while in Italy strawberries have been used for various desserts and as a popular flavoring for gelato (gelato alla fragola). Native to many parts of the world, hundreds of varieties of strawberries exist due to crossbreeding techniques. In 1714, a French engineer commissioned to Chile and Peru, observed that the strawberry native to those regions was much larger than those found in Europe. He decided to bring back a sample of this strawberry to cultivate in France. The end result was a large, juicy, sweet hybrid (the modern garden strawberry) that became extremely popular in Europe. Here in the UK we cultivate more than thirty different varieties, with Jubilee often considered to be the
sweetest and tastiest. Most of our strawberries are red, but there are yellow and even white varieties these actually taste more like pineapples than strawberries. In the past they’ve been used to treat digestive problems, discoloured teeth and skin problems. They are high in vitamin C - just five strawberries contain more than an orange, and are also a good source of folic acid, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain high levels of antioxidants - probably linked to their bright red colour. The best strawberries should be unblemished with bright green hulls or stalks. Leave the hulls on until you’re ready to wash and eat your berries as they will keep longer this way. Ideally don’t eat strawberries directly from the fridge, but allow them to reach room temperature as this will intensify their flavour. Strawberries are easy to grow, though they do need a warm area of the garden with plenty of sunshine. They have shallow roots and need good drainage and rich soil, so it’s important to prepare the ground well before planting them. You should be able to harvest your first berries around 60 days after planting and a well-tended bed should continue fruiting for up to three years before needing to be replaced.
Strawberry Roulade Makes one roulade using a 20 x 30 cm Swiss Roll tin.
Ingredients For the sponge:
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
● 4 eggs
● Line the baking tin with parchment. Pre heat your oven to 200C
● 110 g sugar
● Separate the eggs and beat the yolks, sugar and vanilla extract together until creamy.
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ● 25 g icing sugar ● 75 g plain flour ● ½ teaspoon baking powder ● Extra sugar for rolling
For the filling: ● 600 g strawberries, washed and hulled ● 200 g whipping cream
Berry Juice If you have some misshapen or extra berries left over from your visit to the fruit farm, or supermarket, then a great way to use them up is to make juice. For strawberries use 3-4 kg and blend in a blender - if you’re in a hurry it’s fine to leave the green hulls on. Add approximately 900 g sugar (be sure to add gradually and taste as you go as sweeter varieties will need less sugar) and pour the juice into warm sterilised bottles.
● In a separate bowl beat the egg whites and icing sugar until stiff. Fold into the yolk mixture. ● Mix together the baking powder and flour and sift over the egg whites. Mix carefully, trying not to lose too much volume from your egg white mixture. Spread onto the prepared baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. ● Turn the warm sponge over onto a tea towel dusted with sugar. Brush the baking paper with cold water and peel away from the sponge. Roll up the sponge immediately and leave to cool. ● Slice the strawberries. Beat together the cream and vanilla extract and mix with the strawberries. ● Gently unroll your sponge and spread with the strawberries and cream mixture. Roll up again and refrigerate until set.
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talks to us about her love of nature, her design process and how she started her business, Based in Limerick, Ireland, Clare creates hand embroidered jewellery and needle felted creations inspired by nature. She runs her business Mossy Meadow from her home studio.
I do a variety of creative work, including commissions for craft magazines and also illustration work. For quite a while I wanted to start my own little business but like a lot of creatives wanting to open an Etsy shop I kept putting it off until everything was just right or perfect! I had been making a lot of things and sharing them on Instagram and I’d been getting encouraging feedback from fellow makers. I was asked to do an interview with a craft magazine about my illustration work and they asked if I had an Etsy shop and if I would like to include a link to my shop. I had been working on a logo at this stage and I had an idea of what I wanted my shop to look like but this was the deadline I really needed and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. So I really knuckled 18
shop within a month, I’m so glad I did now!
I have a lot of sketchbooks, pretty fabric covered notebooks that I jot ideas down in as they flow out of me. I do come from a graphic design background that has really helped me in the development of ideas, taking an initial concept to a finished product but I usually just follow my instincts. Sometimes I’ll get a big sheet of paper, sketch lots of designs out, maybe add some colour with watercolour but a lot of the time I can see what I want to make in my head and I just go with that! The most important thing for me is for what I’m making to have meaning to me, so I don’t follow trends. I really have to connect to the subject matter to stay interested. I think people can really see if your work is authentic or not.
I don’t particularly like making the same thing over and over again, I get bored easily and have so many
Lovely Lavender….. Lavender is the most evocative fragrance, reminding us of long summer days even in the coldest winter months. The stalks bear delicate blooms of white, blue, violet and even pink. It’s easy to grow and flourishes in sunny well-drained gardens. Lavender dates back some two and a half thousand years, originating in the Mediterranean. The name derives from the Latin verb “lavare” meaning to wash, and the Romans used it to perfume their baths, beds and clothes, as well as appreciating its medicinal properties. Lavender oil is a natural disinfectant and antiseptic, while both the oil and dried flowers are used to aid sleep and relaxation. Dried lavender is of course also perfect for sachets to freshen your linens and clothes, and try to keep those pesky moths at bay! As a member of the mint family it also has culinary uses, being used to flavour both sweet and savoury dishes. But be careful - a little can go a long way! Chocolate and lavender are a delicious combination, so use lavender in chocolate cookies for a taste that’s just a little bit different. If you’d like to dry lavender from your garden then cut above the foliage, just after flowering, leaving a long stem. Tie into bunches with a string and hang upside down to dry in a dark place for a month.
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