Drifts of Snowdrops - and a free pattern for you

Published: Sun, 02/09/25

Updated: Sun, 02/09/25

Hi ,

There are snowdrops popping up' everywhere in my garden now - this year seems to be a particularly good one for them, maybe because it's been what my mum would've called a "proper" winter with plenty of cold spells and some really quite severe frosts.

Shepton Mallet, our nearest town, holds a snowdrop festival every year in honour of James Allen, the first person to breed Snowdrops from the wild, who was born in Shepton Mallet. Each year volunteers plant thousands of bulbs on roadsides, roundabouts and public spaces within the town which blanket the town white with snowdrops at festival time - this year from 13-22 February. If you're in the area and would like to visit you can find out more here.

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And of course, fast behind the snowdrops follow the other spring flowers, narcissi, lily of the valley, grape hyacinths and finally bluebells, all of which appear in my "Spring is in the Air" hoop above. Though spring hasn't quite arrived yet, there's not long to wait now, and I thought that while we wait you might enjoy this design.

You can download the free pattern (along with lots more besides) over in the Newsletter Readers' Pattern Library. Just click here to visit and check out what's available - all absolutely free for Newsletter readers!

The February Magazine (above) was published at the end of last month and if you're a subscriber you should most definitely have received it by now and I hope you're enjoying it.

As well as the llamas, I particularly enjoyed stitching the pansies design. I'm old enough to remember when pansies were only late spring and summer flowers and will never forget my first sight of a bed of winter pansies when I was a teenager back in the 1970's! I was totally amazed to see the mass of their colourful blooms on a grey January day from the top of the bus carrying me into school - and double geography followed by maths! They definitely cheered me up. My mum always used to say that pansies had little faces, though sometimes you do need to have a little imagination to make them out!

Both the Llamas in Love and Posy of Pansies patterns are available to purchase in my Etsy shop and of course both appear in the February issue with much more besides to enjoy.

I'll be back soon with more news from Bustle & Sew HQ, but until then, here's a picture of a little snowdrop-coloured dog - who has, rather mischievously, made himself a bed in my scraps box....oh Alfie!

Very best wishes

Helen x

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Station House
West Cranmore
Shepton Mallet Somerset BA4 4QP
UNITED KINGDOM

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