Bustle & Sew Magazine Issue 151 August 2023 Sampler

A Bustle & Sew Publication

Copyright © Bustle & Sew Limited 2023

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 2023 by: Bustle & Sew Station House West Cranmore Shepton Mallet BA4 4QP www.bustleandsew.com

Welcometothe AugustMagazine

Hello everyone!

The summer is well advanced now and the landscape around us is beginning to change colour once more from the fresh vivid greens of spring and early summer to the deep green and almost dusty foliage of the trees and hedgerows and golden corn in the fields. The harvest is upon us now and we can hear the combine harvesters working in the fields until late at night if rain is forecast.

For us stitchers perhaps the earliest sign of the changing season is the arrival of the first of this year’s Christmas designs. There are two in this month’s magazine - or should I say one and a half?! I always think changing around my cushions is a great way to add some extra Christmas sparkle to my room and so we have “Alfie’s Christmas Cushion” as well as the first part of a new Advent Calendar (part 2 will be included in next month’s magazine).

I hope you enjoy this issue and the September Magazine will be published on Thursday 31 August, in five weeks time. Until then I hope you have a lovely month, with lots of time for stitching!

Very best wishes

Betweenthismonth’scovers…

August Almanac Page 5

Time to Bloom Hoop Page 8

Successful Satin Stitch Page 11

Floriography, the Language of Flowers Page 13

Lovely Idea: Printed Lampshade Page 17

Christmas Garland Advent Calendar (1) Page 18

Bath time for Birds! Page 21

A Golden Glow Page 22

A Guide to the Pre-wash Page 26

Cluck1 Hoop Page 27

August in the Kitchen Page 31

Hedgehog Pin Cushion Page 43

Blooming Lovely: the Honeysuckle Page 46

From Respectable to Risque: the Stocking Page 47

Nature Notes: The Swallow Page 52

At Ocean’s Edge Hoop Page 53

August, the traditional holiday month for most of us, is a busy time for the farmers as they work long hours to bring in the harvest. Here in the Somerset countryside, we can hear the muffled roar of combine harvesters and tractors in the field well into the night if the weather holds,

This month was renamed over two millennia ago in the time of the Roman Empire. Augustus Caesar held his first consulate in the month then named in 43BC and made Egypt a province of Rome exactly thirteen years later. It was his lucky month! So was renamed in his honour, according him the same status as Julius Caesar for whom the month of had been named . So the vanity of imperial Rome still lives on today in those names, July and August.

It was the Victorians who selected August as the customary month for the annual family holiday. This was traditionally the time for gathering the grain harvest, and almost everyone in the countryside was required to lend a hand, even children who could make themselves useful turning sheaves or scaring crows from the gleanings. So, when school

August

attendance was made compulsory for every child up to the age of ten, following the General Education Acts, a summer break was established for the month of August and everyone took to the fields. Today even though less than one percent of our population

“Inthesummer,thedays werelong,stretchinginto eachother. Outofschool, everythingwasonpauseand yethappeningatthesame time,thiscollectionofweeks whenanythingwaspossible."

works on the land (and very few of those have anything to do with harvesting) we still regard August as the month to take our holidays. Disappointingly though, August often has less sunshine than either July or September, and can actually be quite wet, especially inland.

Across gardens and countryside everything is ripening all at once and there is a sense that summer is beginning to slip quietly from our grasp. The colours are turning from green to gold and in hot weather the grass looks parched and tired.

Plants are no longer growing vigorously, rather their energies are put into ripening seeds and fruits. All of this is a sign that summer is on the wane, and won’t last forever, no matter how much we wish it could - so enjoy these golden days while they last - and they are now growing noticeably shorter - in London day length decreases over the month by 1 ¾ hours to 13 hours and 38 minutes.

A sad anniversary falls on the fourth as this was the day, when in 1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany - and this date is generally regarded as the beginning of the First World War.

The conflict was precipitated by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by a Serbian nationalist on 28 June 1914. Austria-Hungary, supported by Germany had declared war on Serbia, and other countries of Europe had begun to take sides. It was the German invasion of Belgium that brought Britain into the conflict - a move that was initially greeted with enthusiasm by the British people.

August 5 brings another harvest - a maritime one - as this is the first day of the oyster season, although those who believe that oysters should only be eaten when there is an “R” in the month prefer to wait until September. Tradition has it

that if you eat an oyster on this day they you won’t lack money for the rest of the year. In parts of London in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries children had their own way of making money around this time. They would collect the oyster shells discarded form fish shops and restaurants and build cone-shaped grottos with a lighted candle inside or on the top, begging coins from passers-by as a reward for their efforts.

By the end of the month, the Scottish highlands and grouse moors are already showing signs of autumn, while further south, in the lowlands, the last hay cut is long since complete. There will still be walkers in the hills throughout September and beyond, but there is now a chill in the air which sends them back to their lodgings well before (the now much earlier) dusk falls.

The traditional August Bank Holiday weekend, falling on the last Monday of the month, is in many ways the last gasp of summer before the schools return for the new academic year and we begin to look towards the autumn months. But for now, the motorways leading to seaside towns and resorts host the final traffic jam of the season. Cars, coaches and caravans throng the roads as the warm summer sunshine tempts people out for their last official break before Christmas

A week later the grouse season begins on the twelfth - th the se “Glorious Twelfth” confirmed by the Game Act of 1831 which created “close seasons” - times when game should not be under thread and allowed to breed and establish their populations.

And finally, on the last two nights of the month, a blue moon will shine brightly in the night sky, the second full moon in August.

“Iwanttogohome,Iwantto gohome.

Idon'twanttogointhe trenchesnomore, Wherewhizzbangsand shrapneltheywhistleandroar.”

“Thereisnomonthinthewholeyear,inwhichnaturewearsa morebeautifulappearancethaninthemonthofAugust… Orchardsandcornfieldsringwiththehumoflabour;trees bendbeneaththethickclustersofrichfruitwhichbowtheir branchestotheground;andthecorn,piledingraceful sheaves,orwavingineverylightbreaththatsweepsaboveit, asifitwooedthesickle,tingesthelandscapewithagolden hue. Amellowsoftnessappearstohangoverthewholeearth.”

ThePickwickPapers1836

SuccessfulSatinStitch

You might think that satin stitch is an incredibly easy stitch to sewafter all you just go in and out, out and in, from one side of the shape to another - and in one sense you'd be absolutely right. I would argue though that it’s very easy in to work, but harder to work well. I am by no means a perfect satin stitcher, though I do have a few tips to share with you - so I thought I'd share a few of my tips with you - just hints that my mum and grandma passed onto me.

1. Use a good quality floss. You won't get good results with any kind of stitch if you're using cheap floss

that breaks and tangles and is horrible to work with.

2. I usually like to work with two strands, and personally would be unlikely to use more than three for a nice smooth stitch - but that really is a matter of choice. No matter how many strands you use, when you're separating them from the skein, do so one strand at a time and then line them up together to thread your needle, making sure they're not twisted in any way.

3. Make sure the outline of your shape is nice and clear and unambiguous. You don't want to

be wondering where is the best place to pass your needle through the fabric as you work.

For a nice plump stitch you can outline your shape with running stitch first, then work the shape by taking your needle through the fabric just outside your back stitches so that the satin stitch sits over them. This works well for simple shapes, but isn't always practical if your shape is quite irregular.

4. Use a hoop. Even if you normally prefer to stitch without one, then give it a go - you may be surprised. If you don't have a hoop to keep your fabric taut, then it's possible your satin stitches may grow tight causing your fabric to pucker beneath them - or alternatively loose, in which case they won't sit beautifully straight on top of your fabric.

5. Choose the angle at which you're going to work your stitches (this will depend on the shape you're stitching - if, for example you need to slant your stitches around any curves). Once you have chosen your angle, then stick to it! Beware your stitches drifting away from your chosen direction. I am particularly prone to this happening (I think I forget that floss has width

as well as length and so my stitches tend to become bunched together at one end and fan out at the other).

There are two ways round this problem - either draw parallel lines across the shape with a sharp pencil (preferred) or work stitches at intervals then fill in between them. This is less satisfactory as the gaps you leave may not be the exact intervals to fill with strands of floss - you may have to squeeze extra stitches in from time to time.

6. Do not be tempted to bring your needle in and out of the fabric in one movement (My grandma was especially strict on this!) because (1) you will find it more difficult to follow your outline accurately and (2) the floss will enter and leave the fabric

WorkingSatinStitch

Satin stitch might look like one of the easiest embroidery stitches there is - but be warned - it is actually one of the most difficult to work correctly and neatly. It covers the area to be stitched with long smooth stitches placed close together, giving the effect of continuous, solid, smooth colour

When working this stitch you carry your thread across the space you want to fill and then return underneath your fabric to the starting point again. The skill is in making your stitches lie evenly and closely together and in creating a neat firm edge to the shape being filled.

You can work your satin stitches in any direction, and they can be of any length, but the longer they

on a more oblique angle that will make your stitch flatter and far less lovely - you have been warned!

7. Don't try to carry your floss across the back of your work between areas of stitching. Work each area separately, starting and finishing off as necessary as I have done below. Because satin stitch depends so heavily on achieving the right tension, carrying your thread can be risky as your stitches may become loose and "wobbly."

8. If the area to be covered is large, or your work will be subject to a lot of wear, tear and washing, then consider using another stitch such as split stitch which is much more hardwearing to fill your design area.

become, the more unwieldy and untidy they may appear. For this reason any large shape you want to fill with satin stitch should be split up as much as possible. This change in the direction of your stitches has the added bonus of giving light, shade and depth to your shape which is most effective.

You can work running stitch beneath your satin stitch, or work two layers in different directions to give a raised, padded effect. It’s also nice to whip your satin stitch as shown in the diagram on the left to give a raised and corded effect. If you are doing this, then your satin stitch should be slanted and your whipping stitches placed almost at right angles and slightly apart.

Floriography: TheLanguage ofFlowers

BrittanyfromTheHousethat LarsBuiltsharesnotone,but ideasforattractive lampshadesusingunusualand recycledmaterials. Whatever yourtastes,there’ssuretobe oneforyou!

ThankyouBrittanyforsharing

A(very)LittleGuidetoWashing yourFabricBeforeSewing

If you’re at all like me, then you’re always super impatient to begin working on your new project as soon as you have the materials to do so. But if your finished project is likely to need washing at any time of its life then it’s worth taking the time to pre-wash your fabric before you begin in case of any shrinkage. The exception to this rule is if you’re working with 100% polyester fabrics such as polar fleece and minky or if your fabric is marked pre-shrunk and comes from a reputable manufacturer.

Be sure to serge (oversew) or trim the edges of your fabric with pinking shears before you machine wash it though. Taking the time to do this will prevent the threads at the edges from unravelling

and your fabric from twisting into a snarled up tangled mess.

Cotton is particularly prone to shrinkage so even if you skip pre-washing with other fibres you should almost never do so with cotton fabrics. Whatever your fabric choice be sure to use the same method that you’ll use for your finished project - the temperature of the wash and whether or not you’ll put the finished piece in the tumble dryer are both important. For example, if you plan to wash your embroidered napkins in the washing machine on a medium hot setting, then dry in the tumble dryer, make sure you do the same with your fabric before you begin work.

IntheKitchen: Nature’sBounty.

August, and the coast beckons whilst all around the countryside shifts hue once more, this time to purples, greens and ochres as the heather begins to bloom and under the August sun, wheat fields change to a deeper golden brown. As the wind rustles the ripening ears, it is like the sigh of a tide on some distant shore. In the drift of clouds across a sunlit sky, barley and oat fields are a patchwork of yellow and white, while the hills are massed with purple heather. In orchards, plums of every size and colour grace the trees. On cracked plums black and yellow wasps play the freebooter, and the red admiral butterflies come to feast on fallen pears. In my childhood this stubble would then be burned, a practice that has long since been discontinued due to environmental and safety concerns.

All this month locally sourced food is abundant, whether that’s from the garden, allotment or farmers’ market, with a huge selection of fruit, vegetables and fish in season, all bursting with summery goodness.

Heat-loving crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and chillies are in their prime now. Even aubergines and

peppers, which are imported to the UK all year round, can be found growing in British greenhouses and vegetable gardens this month. Before the month is out the hedgerows too will be brimming with more elderberries and early blackberries that you can shake a jam thermometer at, whilst the grouse season begins in the middle of the month.

If you’re on holiday, this is the nicest time to enjoy a traditional fish and chip supper. There’s always a queue at the best fish and chip shops - the sign is on the door - “frying tonight” and you can smell the warm paper, sharp vinegary tang and almost feel the crisp salty batter on your lips as you wait in line for your own order. You lick your lips and wait for your own hot, paper-wrapped parcel.

The best place to sit and eat your prize is the harbour wall, perching on the stones still warm from the day’s sun and looking out across the sea as you finally peel back the paper to reveal your delicious supper. The batter should still be crisp, and the fish should come away in thick white flakes.

RisqueorRespectable?Sultry or Sensible?A(very)littlelook atthehistoryoftheStocking….

TheThingsthatGrow

Itwasnothingbutalittleneglectedgarden, Laurel-screened,andhushedinahotstillness; Anoldpeartree,andflowersmingledwithweeds. YetasIcametoitallunawares,itseemed Chargedwithmystery;andIstopped,intruding, Fearfulofhurtingthatsoabsorbedstillness…..

….Herethelightwasasleep,andgreen,green Inaveinedleafitglowedamongtheshadows. Ahollyhockrosetothesunandbatheditsflowers Luminouslyclusteredintheunmovingair; Abutterflylazilywinkeditsgorgeouswings; Marigoldsburnedintentlyamidthegrass; Theripeningpearshungeachwitharoundedshadow: Allbeyondwasdrownedintheindolentblueness; Andatmyfeet,likeawordofanunknowntongue, Wasthemidnightdarkbloomofthedelicatepansy.

PreservingSummer’s Beauty…