Pretty Lavender Bags...

I've been a busy bee this last couple of weeks, working on some new products... first up being these little lavender bags. Perfect for hanging in your wardrobe to keep your clothes smelling lovely and fresh or on a door knob for fragrancing the entire room (tried and tested in my own house, which smells beautiful now!)



There are two different collections to choose from; 'beach huts' in nautical navy, red and white, with plenty of seaside-y spots and stripes, and 'flowers', with a patchwork embroidered flower on a soft needlecord backing.

Lavender bags can now be purchased at Not on the High Street, and on my own website in the near future so keep an eye out!

Pingg Designer Series...

I received a lovely email today to say that my 'Robin' design has been chosen as this week's staff pick from the Pingg Designer Series!

Pingg is a stylish, design-led online invitation service which features beautiful designs by a number of established artists, designers and photographers. Invites and e-cards are all customizable with your own details (some you can even upload your own photos into), and can be sent either online or by post.

Below are a few examples of my other invitation designs available to send at Pingg or click here to see my entire collection!

Portuguese Pottery...

In the last few years, I have developed somewhat of a fascination with ceramics and tiles and love to visit the colourful markets, stalls and potteries when I'm abroad. I nearly always end up buying a selection of local ceramics, which I then find myself having to cram precariously into my hand luggage for the flight back... This year was no exception!

When driving back from a day out in Sagres in Portugal, we came across a wonderful pottery, where the outside walls were absolutely covered with brightly coloured decorative plates like multi-coloured pick and mix, all different shapes and sizes. Some of the plates were broken and chipped, but this didn't deter at all from the charm of the display.

I spent a happy hour that day wandering up and down the many isles of dishes, stacked high with every colour and design imaginable. You do have to be selective as some of the designs in these potteries can be quite garish, but there are nearly always hidden gems to be found amongst the piles!

Holiday Snaps...

Just back from a lovely sunny holiday in Portugal; I am slowly re-acclimatizing to the rubbish British weather and gradually getting back into the daily routine! Had a great time away with my family... it was lovely to spend some time with them, which is a real rarity these days as we live so far apart. We stayed for two weeks in Lagos, a historic maritime town on the coast of the Algarve, which also has many beautiful beaches surrounding it.

The weather was amazing, but very, very hot during the day, so many of our beach trips were made a bit later in the day when it was slightly cooler and also less busy. Had a lot of fun scouring the beaches for shells and driftwood with mum; found lots of interesting bits and pieces to make into 'coastal style' decorative items (think driftwood mirrors and hanging shell decorations!)

When we weren't sunbathing or beach combing, we also went on quite a few day trips, driving out into the surrounding countryside and along the coast. We visited several traditional little towns, such as Salema, where I loved all the colourful painted fishing boats, filled with old bits of rope, lobster pots and other fishing paraphernalia. A couple of times, we also visited the nearby historic town of Silves, which has some pretty buildings adorned with highly decorative, old-fashioned wrought iron balconies and very Moorish patterned tiles. We also spent one very windswept day at Sagres, which is only a mile or two from Europe's most south-westerly point. It was so exposed out on the cliff tops and very remote but had stunning views on all sides out to sea...

All in all, a wonderful holiday!

Seaside Inspiration...

It is only a couple of days now until I go on my summer holidays (getting very excited!), so I thought it would be a perfect time to share some of my favourite 'summer' inspired finds...



First up is a lovely print named 'Small Sailor' by illustrator Tutti Shafir, who is currently based in Tel Aviv. With it's beautiful subdued colour palette, it takes me back to the innocence of childhood days, when hours could easily be passed daydreaming and playing in my own little world... very nostalgic! If you want to see a wider selection of Tutti's work, visit her etsy shop, where there are lots more of her charming prints for sale.




Isn't this just the perfect print for summer? This beautiful eco-friendly fabric is named Gwylan (which is Welsh for seagull) in Seafoam blue, and is by Welsh-born designer Jenny Lee-Katz. I love the simplicity and placement of this design, as well as the fun and quirky imagery. Take a look at Jenny's website for more of her gorgeous designs.




Finally, 'Ladies at amusements' is a textile piece by one of my favourite designers at the moment, Laura McCafferty, who documents everyday scenes and ordinary people using a combination of screen print, fabric appliqué and hand stitching. I just love the juxtaposition of all the different prints and patterns she uses, as well as the humour and sincerity she injects into her work with the often personal subjects she depicts. Laura welcomes commissions of all sizes, so if you would like more information, (or just want to see more of her amazing works) check out her website.

Off to the beach...

I was asked a couple of weeks ago by a lovely lady called Calypso at Clippy to customize one of her products. Being a girl who can never have too many bags, I chose her small photobag and set about personalising it's pockets with textiley bits and pieces... and ta da... here is my fab new beach bag!




If you've never heard of Clippy, then I have to say just where have you been?! Celebrities have been spotted carrying their own Clippy products for years and if you pop over to their website, you too can join the club with you're very own customized shoulder bag, wash bag or even a personalised 'dolly brolly'!

Pretty Sewing Finds...

I haven't had time for much sewing in the last couple of days as I have been busy taking some new pictures for my website. However, I have come across some beautiful 'sewing' related prints and products recently, which I thought I would share...


These lovely nostalgic prints of vintage cotton reels can be purchased from Lola's Room. I love the soft, muted colours and very beautiful styling...


These wonderful prints of a classic Singer Sewing Machine and Vintage Sewing Kit are from illustrator Clare Owen's collection, and can be bought from her Etsy Shop.



A lovely set of four vintage style sewing machine tags by Two Paper Pals, perfect for adding a touch of old-fashioned charm to any gift.



Lastly, this fabulous vinyl wall decal from Grey Wolf Graphics is now on my wish list! Just need to decide what colour to paint my wall first...

All about me...

Well this is my first ever blog post so I thought I should start by introducing myself! So here goes… I’m a textile designer with a love of colour and a passion for fabric. I’m addicted to all things pretty and anything with a nautical or ‘English country’ feel. There are a lot of things I love, including pressed glass cake stands, big vintage flower prints, polka dots, brown paper and string, rustic painted furniture, walking in the countryside, fabric bunting, pretty patterned crockery, hot air balloons, growing flowers in my garden and many more things besides.

I’m obsessed with storage and love collecting all sorts of different tins, boxes and bags to keep all of my clutter hidden, including a beautifully battered old leather suitcase which I use to hold some of my fabrics (picked up at a car boot sale for £2!) and an old fashioned printer’s tray which is perfect for storing some of my cottons. I do like to make a lot of mess when I’m working, but with everything else I’m compulsively neat and very organised; in fact making lists is a speciality of mine!

I live and work in a small historic town in the heart of the Somerset countryside, with my very lovely and supportive other half. My days are spent designing and making a whole range of embroidered textiles and printed accessories which I sell primarily through my own website and also Not on the High Street. When I get time, I also love to make bits and pieces for our house. Recent projects have included several fabric pin boards, lots of curtains, a peg bag, cushions and a garden kneeler… to name just a few off the top of my head.

This blog will be a chance to share some of my thoughts, ideas and inspirations, as well as the opportunity to share any news I have. I would love to meet more like-minded creative types out there in blog world, so please get in touch even if it’s just to say hello! Either leave a comment below or contact me through my website.