1

2

3

Between the Covers …Contributors

Rosie Studholme

Puts together all our lovelyideas and baking pages as wellas researching & editing ourfeatures and interviews.

Enhar Koc

Talks about crafting, creatingand her online business, Love,Joy Create

Brooke Becker

Describes how her dreamsbecame reality, her hopes forthe future and the inspirationbehind Lady Belle Fabric

Breezy Guerra

Doesn’t believe in followingrules - just inspired creativityand having fun!

Debbie Thomson

Joined Bustle & Sew inNovember and is keeping usvery well organised, as well ascoming up with some lovelycrafting ideas.

January Almanac Page 6

Keep Cozy Cushion Cover Page 8

Fragrant Flowering Hyacinths Page 12

Meet the Maker: Enhar Koc Page 14

Lovely Idea: Thimble Necklace Page 16

Naughty Pups Trophy Heads Page 17

Nice and Easy: Freestyle Machine Applique Page 20

Poetry Corner Page 25

Fragranced Bath Bombs Page 26

Signs of Spring Hoops Page 28

Dream It, Do It: Lady Belle Fabrics Page 34

A Little Look at Linen Page 36

Baking: Champagne Cake Page 38

Magazine Pocket Page 39

Meet the Maker: Breezy Guerra Page 42

Drifts of Snowdrops Page 44

January’s Favourite Blogs Page 46

New Year - Time to Blog? Page 47

Puff Bunny Page 48

Matchbook Needle Keeper Page 51

Fabric Collecting Page 52

Cup of Tea Hoop Page 55

And Finally … Page 58

January Calendar Page 59

Templates Page 60

4

February

February is often thought of as a grey and gloomymonth, the tail end of winter and one which we’reglad to bid farewell. But for us here in the UK it’sthe time when we are most likely to see snow, evendown here in the south, where it’s an increasinglyuncommon event (Rosie didn’t see snow at all untilshe was 13 or 14!). There is a traditional believe thatthe heaviest snowfall of the year will occur on StDorothea’s Day - the sixth of the month. But if snowdoes fall it’s guaranteed to cause great fun andexcitement for children and, along with theinconvenience, lots for adults to enjoy too. Thefamiliar countryside around us takes on a whole newaspect and wrapping up warm to enjoy a brisk walk,feet crunching through the snow is a real pleasure.

But February is also the month when the earliestspring flowers make their appearance in thewoodlands and hedgerows, whilst the brownbuds on the trees, so long dormant and almostdead-looking begin to fatten and swell bringingthe promise of fresh young spring leavesbeginning to appear in just a few weeks time.Catkins, or “lamb’s tails” hang from the baretwigs of the hazel and the first of the year’sbutterflies, the Brimstone emerges from itswinter home among the ivy.

During the fifth century the pagan festival of“Imbolc” that celebrated the beginning of the

Celtic lambing season, was subsumed by theChristian church into the festival of Candlemas- the feast of the purification of the Virgin Maryon the second. A traditional weather prophesyassociated with this date states that:

“If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter will haveanother flight; but if Candlemas brings cloud andrain, Winter is gone and won’t come again.”

In the Christian Church the 40 days (excludingSundays) before Easter Day are known as Lent,a period of fasting that remembers the timeChrist spent in the wilderness. Although manyof the ancient rules concerning what peopleshould and shouldn’t eat during Lent have beenrelaxed, many try to abstain from somethingthey particularly enjoy such as chocolate oralcohol.

Shrove Tuesday, which this year falls on theninth, is marked by celebrations such as thefamous Mardi Gras in New Orleans, orCarnevale in Venice, making the most of the lastopportunity for partying before Easter. ShroveTuesday is also a time for using up foodstuffsforbidden in during Lent, notably eggs and milk,hence the tradition of making and eatingpancakes on this day - which today is probably

5

better known as Pancake Day - a day when lotsof very silly pancake events take place acrossthe country. At Olney in Buckinghamshire forexample, there is a race that any female residentover the age of sixteen wearing an apron and acovering on her head can enter. She must alsotoss a pancake in her frying pan at least threetimes before she reaches the finish. Traditionclaims that the race dates back to an incidentin 1445 when a housewife ran towards thechurch on hearing the bells whilst still carryingher frying pan!

The general silliness continues on the other sideof the Atlantic, if a little earlier in the month, whenthe USA marks Groundhog Day. Thegroundhog (or woodchuck) is said to emergefrom hibernation on 2 February to check out theweather. If it’s dull or wet he remains activebecause winter will soon be over, but if he cansee his shadow (ie if it’s sunny and dry) then hereturns to his burrow to sleep for another sixweeks.

On 5 February 1953, the rationing of sweets andchocolate finally came to an end in Britain, andshops reported a brisk trade in all supplies ofconfectionary from lollipops to liquorice! Anearlier attempt to remove confectionary from theration books in 1949 had ended in failure as thegovernment underestimated the demand forsweets and demand outstripped supply.Towards the end of the Second World War, theweekly ration of sweets and chocolate was ameagre 2 oz per person although this hadincreased to a more generous 6 oz per week bythe time rationing came to an end.

In the countryside birds are beginning to pair upand the volume of birdsong increasesthroughout February as they sing to attractmates and defend their territory. Nest buildingalso begins and you can help them with this byputting out hair from your pet’s brush, driedgrass and snippets of yarn and thread. Ahanging basket with vegetation and moss leftover from the previous summer will be a goodsource of nest-building material for manyspecies - do be sure that nobody is nestinginside before you pull apart any such baskets!

February’s other famous feast, Valentine’s Dayon the fourteenth, celebrates the day when birdsare traditionally thought to choose their mates- and couples across the world declare their lovefor each other. I remember when I was atschool any classmate who didn’t receive at leastone card on Valentine’s Day was thought to bevery unfortunate indeed.

And finally, this year brings us a one-in-fourevent of Leap Year Day - which happens whenthe year number can be divided by four. Peopleborn on this day have to celebrate their birthdayon 28 February or 1 March in non-leap years.

On this day also, women who are tired of waitingfor their loved ones to propose are entitled totake the initiative and propose marriagethemselves. Often referred to as “The Ladies’Privilege” it was believed that the man proposedto on this day couldn’t refuse - or if he did thenhis refusal had to be accompanied by a gift suchas a silk gown or gloves.

6

7

February brings Pancake Day!

talks to us about how her love of craftinghelped her overcome cancer and start her business,

in her 70’s when most people are thinkingabout retirement!

Meet theMaker

Barbara loved to craft little housesfor her paper dolls from shoe boxesback in the 1940s. Today she hasmastered new technology and toopen her own Etsy shop offeringthe printables that gave her such joyas a child. She shares her story withus here ….

“I remember that my dearestchildhood Christmas wish was apaint set, but I didn’t get one untilmy Grandfather bought me awatercolour set when I was ten. Iwas overjoyed, but on the car ridehome I cried all the way, whileasking my Grandfather “WillGrandmother be angry?” It was tendollars. A huge amount of moneyin the nineteen-forties.

Like most young women back then,I married and raised a family,squeezing little bits of crafting timehere and there, but never managingto make one project that I’d alwaysdreamed of - a little Mouse House

for my childhood imaginary friend,Miss Mouse. She was an old ladymouse and, funnily enough, Ialways imagined her a little like I amnow at 76 years old - plump, a bitbedraggled, and loving to decorateand make her little home beautiful.

The years went by, my family grewup and married and, afterbecoming disabled following a caraccident I retired early. Then alongcame computers with graphicprograms - and I was hooked! Ibegan to make what I still call“printies” and sell them on mywebsite. After completing a fewsmaller projects I finally began workon my Miss Mouse Tea Pot House.

Then fate dealt another blow in theform of lung cancer and I was givenless than a year to live. I so wantedto be around to see mygrandchildren grow up - and alsoto finish the project that had waitedfor me since childhood, the MouseHouse. I went through chemo,

Product image 2

Don’t let anythingstop you - if you loveto do something then

your dream is alreadycoming true.

9

Recycle with Style: Rag Rugs

I wanted to share with you awonderful visit I made to Peterand Carol Searle's home on theedge of Shepton Mallet inSomerset.

It was a lovely sunny morning withbright blue skies when I arrived formy visit, the perfect day forseeing the goats. I was warmlywelcomed in and after a nice cupof tea, we settled down to talkabout Faerie Kid Goats MilkSoaps.

The business is run by Peter andCarol, who between themundertake every aspect of thebusiness, from bringing the babygoats into the world, toproducing, packaging andmarketing their finished products.It wasn’t always this way thoughas Peter and Carol's backgroundis in computers, where they hadrun two very successfulbusinesses in the past. Sadlyfinancial conditions forced themto close these companies andthere the followed a period whenPeter worked as a consultant.

This meant he spent long periodsaway from home, and, after he’dspent time in Amsterdam, Hollandthey decided to call it a day andso he took retirement.

Soon after this, Carol persuadedPeter to accompany her to a large3 day agriculture show heldlocally. They wandered aroundthe animal sheds, until they got tothe goats and that was it! Theybecame goat owners.

Their business got off to a bit of ashaky start, when their first goat,Olive, who was pregnant whenthey bought her, became very ill,and had to be induced early. Shehad three kids, two of whomsadly died and the third, Cara,was very premature and sickly.Carol had to nurse and hand feedher and it wasn’t until two wholedays after her birth that the littlekid finally stood (this usuallyhappens soon after birth). Fromthis point Cara went from strengthto strength and they still have hertoday. Sadly, they lost olive soonafter Cara’s birth.

For the next few issues, just for a change we’re talking toenterprising folk who have started their own country

businesses. This month Debbie visited Peter and CarolSearle , the team behind Faerie Kid Goats Milk Soaps

You have to beprepared to turn yourhand to anything -

and don’t be afraid ofhard work!

11

3 4

1 2

12

13

1. Blogger Michelle (aka Mooshie) shares herlove of hand embroidery, including some ofthe loveliest photos you’ll find anywhereonline. http://mooshiestitch.blogspot.co.uk

2. Amy is a quilter, designer and self-confessed fabric hoarder who used to feellike a granny when she told people sheloved quilting! Thankfully she’s over thatnow and shares her love of all things quiltyon her blog, Diary of a Quilter.http://www.diaryofaquilter.com

3. Jessica and her partner Mike didn’t justthink about escaping the rat race - theyactually did it - buying a cottage in thesouthwest of England and living a simplerlife. Read about her adventures over onher Rusty Duck blog.http://www.rustyduck.net

14

In the Kitchen : Citrus Marmalade

by Debbie Thomson

15

English Paper Piecing:Behind the Hexagon

16

WhaleWouldn’t you like to be a whale

And sail serenely by -A eighty-foot whale from the tip of your tail

And a tiny, briny eye?Wouldn’t you like to wallow

Where nobody says “Come out!”?Wouldn’t you to swallowAnd blow all the brine about?

And wouldn’t you love to spout -O yes, just think -

A feather of spray as you sail away,And rise and sink and rise and sink,

And blow all the brine about?

Geoffrey Deamer

17

18

Home ComfortsAt this time of year the first daffodils are beginning to burst into bloom bringing

a splash of bright yellow sunshiny flowers along hedgerows, garden paths andall kinds of unexpected places. They’re a sign that winter really is coming to an

end, even though it may not feel that way. Bring a few inside and display in avariety of containers to brighten your home and bring a touch of spring indoors.

19

20