The Author Wants You to Know...
Name: Sue Phillips
Instagram: @HomeSpunWithLove
Readers can enjoy a discount code on Sue’s creations. Read on for the code.
"Perhaps it’s time I started to please myself ~ but when we do please ourselves this can be misconstrued as being selfish"
“The Wonder of You” - The words made famous in the song sung by Elvis, a big hit in 1970, but what this draws my mind to is how often we don’t sing our own praises, and we rely on others to tell us when we’ve done something well. I spend half my life worrying if I’ve upset people, trying to do the things that please others - pleasing parents, friends, colleagues and even teachers when I was at school (and making myself unpopular in the process eg. handing homework in on time).
I always had the approach of doing things sooner rather than later, so even in the workplace when writing school reports that had a deadline, a work colleague said sarcastically to me once, “I suppose you’ve already done them” ~ and yes I had ~ what’s the point of leaving it to the last minute? You annoy people for being a goody two shoes, but then upset others if you are over a deadline and they can’t do their job because they are waiting upon you.
Perhaps it’s time I started to please myself ~ but when we do please ourselves this can be misconstrued as being selfish - I can’t win!
* * * * *
Anyway, what does please me is this time of year, and the wonder of the season. A favourite time of year for me, and I guess for a large majority of people - it’s just so magical. It’s when I really can be at my most creative, either in my sewing room or in the kitchen.
I love using my mum and nan’s mince pie pastry recipe, handed down to me, which I share with you below. I have not come across a better pastry in all the Christmases I have been baking for.
Mince Pie Pastry Recipe
This is a lovely sweet pastry mix that could also be used instead of shortcrust pastry, when making a sweet flan for dessert.
Makes approx 30.
12oz / 300gm self raising flour
6oz / 150gm hard margarine
2oz/ 50gm lard (or use a shortening eg Flora)
2oz / 50gm icing sugar
1 beaten egg
Milk to mix (Use cold water or an extra egg, if lactose-intolerant)
Filling - mincemeat.
- Turn on oven gas 6, 200C.
- Place flour, fat and sugar into a mixing bowl and rub with fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Make a well in the centre and pour in beaten egg. Mix together.
- Gradually add sufficient milk to make a soft, firm dough.
- Knead lightly on a floured surface.
- Roll out half of the pastry, thinly, and cut out circles with a 7cm pastry cutter. Line your patty tin (bun tin) with the circles of pastry.
- Fill each with a teaspoon of mincemeat. Don’t overfill.
- Roll out remaining pastry, and cut out lids with a 6cm pastry cutter. Dampen rim with cold water - use a pastry brush, or run a wet finger round.
- Place a circle over the filled cases, and press down gently around the rim, to seal the edges.
- Make a tiny hole in the centre to let out steam.
- Bake for approx 10- 15 mins - the pastry should be pale golden brown. You may need to turn the tin round half way through baking, if one side is baking quicker than the other.
- Remove from oven and let the mince pies cool in the tin for a couple of minutes, before transferring to a cooling tray. Lift them out too soon and the pastry may break up.
- To serve, dredge lightly with some extra icing sugar.
Whilst I’ll often make my mince pies, as above, I also like to ring the changes, and instead of using the same pastry for the lid, I will make up a mixture of Viennese shortbread, which you pipe over the top of the mincemeat, using a large piping bag and nozzle, as shown in the photo below.
Photo Credit: Nicki Franklin
It’s a busy time of year for HomeSpunWithLove too, as the primitive style of my work really suits the festive season. My head can be running wild with too many ideas or patterns I want to stitch. If I use a pattern, I always purchase the ones where the designers are happy for you to make and sell in small quantities - while remembering to have the courtesy to credit the pattern designer.
Here’s a simple make that I have been creating for a few years now.
Primitive Christmas Trees
These make lovely bowl fillers, or ‘ornies’ as they call them Stateside. You could tuck them under parcel string to decorate a gift, rest on Christmas tree branches, or add a hanging loop - just a few ideas, but you may have your own.
You will need:
- Scraps of patchwork quilt - red and white is ideal if you can find them. Alternatively join some squares of red and white to make your own piece of patchwork or buy a fat quarter of a pretty Christmas print from a quilt shop.
- Some plain calico or linen for the backing, if you want to make the patchwork quilt stretch further.
- Toy filling
- Twigs collected from the garden - approx 15cm / 6inches long
- Scraps of fabric ribbon / jute string / raffia - anything that can be tied into a bow.
To make:
- First make a tree template - either draw one or find one on the internet and print out. If I’m going to make several, I always stick mine on to card. I don’t include turnings (seam allowance) at this stage.
- Mark out as many trees as required on the WS (wrong side) - either on double fabric (RS together), if using the same front and back, or one of main fabric & one of backing fabric - also RS together. I use a Frixion pen which irons out. I then put a pin in the middle of each tree to stop the two layers moving.
- Machine on the drawn line, but remember to leave a wide gap at the base for turning and where the twig will go.
- Carefully cut to 0.5mm / 1/4inch away from the stitching line.
- Turn through to the right side and push edges out well before pressing.
- Fill firmly with the filling, a bit at a time.
- Using a needle and thread slip stitch the opening and at the same time insert the twig in the centre, stitching either side. I sometimes use a small amount of contact glue like UHU or Bostick, to help it stay in place.
- Tie a bow round the twig at the base of the tree. Add a hanging loop at the top if required.
To view some of Sue’s beautiful homespun items and seasonal crafts, visit her Folksy store and use code "Celebration10" for 10% off all orders.
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