A Simnel Tale

Homely Matters

"I’ll to thee a simnell bring

'Gainst thou go'st a mothering

So that when she blesseth thee

Half that blessing thou’lt give to me."

Robert Hendrick 1648

             On Sunday it's Mother's Day in the UK. I decided in the spirit of my emerging homemaker, to bake a Simnel cake so I too could go a'mothering. So I have been reading up a little about Simnel Cakes which are now mostly a symbol of Easter but were originally given for Mothering Sunday. There are many different accounts about how the Simnel cake came into being but it would seem to have been around since the middle ages originally as a cake which was given to the church on the 3rd Sunday of Lent. In the 1600's this Sunday became a rare day off for servant girls and they would be allowed to take flowers and maybe a simnel cake to their mother. There are myths regarding where the name Simnel came from and you can read about that on Wikipedia if you are particularly interested.
            Never having made a fruit cake or marzipan I thought it would be fun to try and might be a welcome change from the usual gifts I give my mum, who incidentally is the best mum in the whole wide world! So here are the results of my efforts.

It was actually quite easy except the marzipan (made with ground almonds, sugar, eggs and almond essence) was really sticky and I had to add lots more ground almond so that I could roll it out. The recipe said to divide the marzipan into three, cut out two rounds and make 11 or 12 balls. The balls represent Jesus' disciples (not including Judas as he betrayed Jesus) and a 12th larger one can be added in the middle to represent Jesus himself.

Next you cream the butter and brown sugar and add the other ingredients - flour, eggs, mixed spice, mixed fruit, mixed peel and lemon rind.

Then you put half the mixture in a cake tin and one of the marzipan rounds on top.

 In goes the rest of the mixture and it's baked in the oven for about 1 hr 50 mins. Once cooled apricot jam is spread on the top, the marzipan round is placed on top and it's decorated with the marzipan balls around the edge.

If you want to make one there are many different versions of the recipe on the internet. Hope you enjoy Mothers Day however you decide to celebrate. xx

Saturday's Sewing

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was quite an adventure. As its Monday I'm talking textiles.

It was with great fear and trepidation that I embarked on my next mission- to learn how to sew a skirt. It wasn’t without its challenges. Firstly when my gorgeous Amy Butler fabric arrived it looked completely different to how it looked online. Yes, I probably should have realised it might, but it was a rookie mistake. Anyway it was a gorgeous pattern but I felt it was just toooo bright (looks lovely on the screen but the green is less lime and more fluorescent), rather too busy and would probably make me look several sizes larger. Oh well .. it’ll make a gorgeous apron. Better put that on my list. So I had to go fabric hunting again at the last minute.

I love fabric shops but I don’t get them. They are full of such incredible possibilities and yet I have no clue as to what each fabric is suitable for. I need a tour guide to point out what the properties are of each fabric and so I plumped for a fairly standard cotton (printed with a cord look and little flower print) even though what I really wanted was a thicker fabric more akin to what I guess to be upholstery fabric.

Armed with my supplies, the nervous feeling was replaced with one of anticipation and excitement. Off I went to my class at The Ministry of Craft in Manchester. On arriving, I was pleased to see we were a select few – just the four of us, which meant lots of personal attention. The tutor was very personable and made us feel relaxed. We watched as she demonstrated all the basics on the machine, the placing of patterns, cutting fabric and marking the darts. We all had a go at each step and then it was on to the sewing.

I was particularly scared of using the fancy machines. I have a bog standard Toyota machine and theirs were Janome machines (All electric buttons and fancy stitches). Once I got the hang of it, it was ok. We sewed our darts, our back seams and then it was zip time! The bit everybody dreads. It was a little tricky and I will be practicing some more this week just to make sure I can do it without guidance, but we all managed it.

Next came sewing up the side seams and using the over locker on the pressed edges. If you think a sewing machine is scary, it's nothing in comparison with the over locker. It's much faster and cuts the fabric so one wrong move and you could destroy your garment. I think after a few goes you could really get to like it though as it gives a very professional looking finish.
Then came the first fitting, which was another nerve wracking part of the process. Apparently after measuring we all had to make a size larger than we would normally wear due to the outdated measuring system on patterns. I always think my hips are humungous and was dreading the skirt not fitting but it fit nicely and I was sooo proud of myself. I can’t show you the finished article until next week as I’m doing the second part of the course next Saturday but please come back so I can show off a little bit! x

Heskin Hall

Our latest trip out and about was to Heskin Hall near Chorley in Lancashire. It is a place full of contradictions. A beautiful old hall alongside a modern build- a contemporary art gallery and a plethora of antiques – period meets present-day.

         Initially, I was disappointed as we entered the modern building first. There were about twenty different retail units but there were less makers/crafters and more repro gifts than I imagined there would be and I was hoping it would have more character. There is a little permanent farmers market and a tea room with a wood burning stove, but for me, it just lacks something. We had a little browse round and then decided to check out the Hall itself. We walked a few yards down a path and were met by the stunning, grade 1 listed manor house. It was well worth a visit after all. Inside it is in need of a little TLC but if restored to its former glory it would be wonderful.

Each of its rooms are crammed with antiques and vintage ephemera for sale. So much so that it sadly takes away a little from the beauty of the hall. Still, there were some good finds to be had if you looked carefully enough. I fell in love with this little chap. He looked like he needed to be hugged and given a good home but his £110 price tag meant he was out of my league! Doesn’t he look forlorn? Oh well, I guess he’ll have to wait a little longer to be rescued.

This cash register also caught my eye and Mr K was very taken with a beautiful vintage child’s bicycle. (He has quite a penchant for bicycles especially vintage ones and we have two in our lounge at the moment!!) I would have been quite happy to take this one home but I think we need a suitable house first – it would look out of place in our modern home.

I dread to think what we’ll be like if we ever get our Victorian dream house. For now we appease ourselves by buying lots of lovely old books. I love them – the smell of them, the history they bring with them and the character they give to a room.

As well as my growing collection of home management books, Mr K has bought me several old craft books which I adore. They take me back to another time and they are precious to me. Through them, I feel somehow connected to the women who have owned them before me.

 This weekend  we won't be visiting any halls or vintage fairs as I am going on the first day of a two part course in Manchester to learn to sew a skirt. I am quite nervous as sewing is pretty new to me and I will be using a machine I’m not used to. Wish me luck and I’ll be back on Monday to let you know how it’s gone. Enjoy your weekend however you are spending it. xx