I planted some Iceland poppies in the winter and when I looked out of the window this morning, a single flower had bloomed. It's the most beautiful faded pink, with dark purple seeds and dust inside.  Made me think of this beautiful old fabric I bought at the last Fabricabrac- not sure what I'll use…

Remember that chamomile tea I was talking about a week or two ago? It's really nice. I recommend making your own- it has a witchy kind of feel about it, and the flowers look beautiful in the sunlight. I dried a big bunch of washed flowers upside-down for about ten days, then snipped off the…

Here is my favourite way to make a tote bag. I thought it would be useful to share my 'recipe' here, in case you're thinking about making gifts for friends or yourself. The design allows you to showcase your favourite small-ish pieces of fabric and have fun coordinating with other pieces you might have lying…

I found a glossy 'ladybug' poppy in the garden today. A beauty! I didn't know what sort of poppies I'd planted, back in the winter, as they were just a sprinkling of seeds in an unmarked envelope. Love the ladybug variety. I've been thinking about making a few Christmas presents (I usually make a few,…

I made this top using the Scout Tee pattern. It's such a well-loved design all over the making-world, and as usual I am late to the party but I am so glad to have the pattern now! I will be making many more, I can just tell. At The Craft Sessions this year, Sophie taught…

In sync with the poppies in the garden (ready to pop, any day now), I received this beautiful brass poppy pin in the mail, from photographer Martin de Ruyter (last year he sent me this little spitfire which travels with me on my winter coat.) This poppy brooch is made from spent brass bullet shells,…

I've been doing a bit of second-hand shopping lately. I have a new plan, which is only to buy things we will genuinely use often, or something that would make a lovely gift for a friend. A couple of years ago, I bought this yellow candlewick bedspread secondhand, and it's been one of the best…

My children read before and after school, over breakfast, on the bus, in the car, and all the times in between. I’m sure they’d read during other mealtimes if I didn’t insist on good manners. We’ve been asked for their book recommendations lately, so they helped me put together this list. I’ve put the books…

I've been growing plants for making herbal tea. It seems like one of those things that you don't really need to do these days. I mean, there are so many different kinds of tea in the shops and they're not expensive or difficult to find or anything. But I love the idea of growing tea…

Here's a simple pattern for making pillowcases. I've used this many times to stock up our linen cupboard, and the kids love the ones made from old printed brushed cotton ('flannelette'), especially in the winter. So cosy! Last week I wrote about some cases I'd made from one piece of fabric, and I'm still working…