New in the Shop - Hand-turned vintage-style point turners

Handmade especially for The Stitchery by Rose and Wren, these 3” vintage-style point turners are perfect for poking out the corners of cushions and needle cases but they are also ideal for bagging out tiny limbs of rag dolls. Made extra dinky, you can pop one of these in your travel sewing kit. I am delighted with them, they are made of a very pretty blonde oak wood; smooth and tactile. A good pointed tip but not lethal. You can buy them here.

I’ve also added a few 5g balls of pretty Anchor perle cotton and updated our scissor stock. More to come soon but the post is a little delayed with the current health emergency.

I hope you are keeping well and that stitching is keeping you calm.

With love

Nicki x

Free Embroidery Pattern: A little Spring cheer

It isn’t often I share the things I am stitching because I am usually working on something secret for one of the subscription kits. However, as I worked on the March Haven kit I decided to lift a tiny motif from the design that I thought would be nice stitched for a homemade Mother’s Day or Easter card. You could, of course, also make it into a tiny lavender pillow. (If you do make this into a lavender pillow I would recommend using a larger square of fabric - I love a tiny motif with a lot of negative space around it.)

We could do with a little cheering up, am I right? And if we have to stay at home we may as well be stitching!

The possibility of being quarantined here in the UK feels very real and I have huge sympathy for my Italian friends at the moment. (Please pop over to my friend Cristina Embroidery Therapy on Instagram to say hi and cheer her up!)

Let’s get started and stitch away our troubles!

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STITCH INSTRUCTIONS

You will need:

• 5’ square of linen (I used a slubby antique hemp).

• 4” embroidery hoop.

• Sharp embroidery scissors.

• A size 7 crewel needle.

• Stranded embroidery cotton: Dark pink, light pink, yellow, mid-green, beige, dark blue and light blue. I used DMC.

Download and trace the attached pdf (file at the foot of the page).

Begin with the stems of the flowers. Use one strand of mid-green thread and make small back stitches from the pot up towards the base of the flowers. For the thicker leaves, make columns of back stitches close to each other to fill in the shape. Layer your flowers on top of the stems.

Next stitch the hyacinths. Thread your needle with one strand of dark blue (a nice purply blue is good for this) and one strand of light blue thread. Make French knots to fill the shape, tapering towards the tip of the flower head. Wrap twice around the needle.

I made tulips in two different shades of pink; one very pale pink and one sugary pink. Use two strands of pink thread and make an open lazy daisy stitch with the catch at the base of the flower, near the stem. (You can see this more clearly in my March video on Youtube.) Fill the open stitch with one or two straight stitches.

For the daffodils use two strands of yellow thread and make tiny star shapes with straight stitches. Pop a French knot in the centre, wrapping twice around the needle. To achieve the appearance of a daffodil in profile, stitch just three or four petals with the French knot to the side of them.

Work the pot outlines with two strands of beige thread using a very small split stitch. Fill with a rough satin stitch using one strand of thread. I worked the rim of the pot in vertical satin stitches and the base in horizontal stitches, to add interest. Make little straight stitches at the bottom of the pot to suggest grass. I added a couple of French knots too, only wrapping once.

Remove the pen lines, press face down on a fluffy towel, and you’re done!

I hope everyone is staying well and healthy. We’ve resigned ourselves to the fact that we need to stay home for a little while and stocked up yesterday on kindling, bread, milk and treats so that we can do our bit (however small) to help slow the spread of this nasty virus.

With love for a happy weekend,

Nicki xxx

You can trace from your laptop, tablet or phone. Just ensure that the image is the correct size - it is tiny - 3cm at its highest point. Use an erasable pen to trace onto the linen. If your fabric is too thick to see through, trace with the old-fashioned tracing paper technique: trace, turn paper over, trace reverse with a soft pencil, turn back the right way and trace onto fabric, pressing hard with pencil.

Kindred Spirits: A New Embroidery Design

The Stitchery is on the move! At the beginning of the year it became glaringly obvious that we need more space and more help. Currently I work full-time with my sister helping part-time during school hours and my husband helping with accounts in the evening. Daily orders have increased and keeping on top of them, sending them in good time, has become a full-time occupation, not to mention the despatch of monthly and quarterly subscription kits. With the quantity of kits now in stock, and preparation for the Festival of Quilts and Handmade Festival later in the year (E X C I T E D), we need more space for stock too.

With a little sadness I gave notice to my Landlord on my pretty little studio in beautiful Castle Ashby and I have signed the contract on a much bigger unit in the heart of Northampton, not far from the train station.

Moving is expensive; I have a large rent deposit to pay upfront (four months’ worth), removal van costs and then the furniture and equipment to kit out the space. We started to look at options for generating the funds and, not wanting to borrow money, I decided on a Kickstarter campaign.

Kickstarter is fairly new on my radar. It is a way of generating funds for a project without asking for a loan, formal investment or donations. Customers ‘pledge’ a specific amount of their choice and in return receive a ‘free’ item/s further down the line. You can read more on my kickstarter page here. As an example, if you pledge £12 you receive an enamel pin badge (which are quite the thing these days! Lovely popped onto a craft tote bag or project bag). If you pledge £50 you receive an exclusive embroidery kit. As you move higher up the pledge value, the ‘rewards’ (items you receive) become even better value for money. Given that my embroidery cushion kits retail at £50 anyway, you are really just pre-ordering a kit but showing your support for this new venture in doing so.

As I binge-watched Anne with an E this Winter, I smiled to myself as Anne enthused over the Kindred Spirits she met. It made me think of my Stitchery customers and me; so many times I have met new women through my workshops and stitch club and immediately felt that I have found a Kindred Spirit. Indeed, lots of people have said the same to me.

At a time when social media can feel like a pretty angry place to be, it is comforting to know that there is a supportive and joyful community connecting over the gentle occupation of stitching. Anne makes a piece of textile art for her friend Diane with the words ‘Kindred Spirits’ to honour their friendship and this inspired my Kindred Spirits design.

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

The embroidery kit, which is only available to backers of the Kickstarter campaign, is going to be a cushion cover kit. I am still working on the sample and plan to share progress via my blog, newsletter and social media feeds, which I hope will be at least mildly interesting! I have chosen a very soft, gentle colour palette so that the cushion will complement most home decor schemes; the hope is that you will stitch this for yourself or make it as a lovely gift for a dear friend.

There will be ample linen in the kit to create an envelope closure cushion cover with torn linen ties for extra pretty detail if you wish. If you are not a machinist then you could easily frame the design - it would make a nice piece of hoop art - and use the remaining linen for other embroidery projects. The kit will, of course, use antique linen and quality DMC threads just like all of the other Stitchery kits (with this one in Special Edition packaging).

If you would like to pre-order the embroidery kit by way of Kickstarter pledge, please click here and follow the instructions to BACK THIS PROJECT (the green button). You will need to pay via card and your pledge details are kept anonymous from other people. The details you input will ONLY be used for the Kickstarter campaign, there are very strict rules that we have to adhere to in accordance with Kickstarter’s policies and that involves not using your details for anything other than fulfilling your reward.

If you have any questions regarding the Kickstarter project, please let me know. I am building an FAQ page and your question might be one that someone else wants to ask!

I have lots of plans for the new space; it is essentially a long, light and airy, room with a kitchen area and partitioned little office. I will have a large but cosy workspace for workshops and stitch clubs, a production area for cutting fabric and making up kits as well as a permanent show stand mock-up to provide a little shop area for visitors.

There are some exciting new tutors to coming to teach in the Autumn and work is underway on some beautiful collaborations too. Amongst many more embroidery kits, my sketch book holds a quilt design alongside wallhangings and ideas for all kinds of other lovely projects that can be hand-sewn in front of the television or when you travel.

More help will mean more time on my hands which I can spend updating the blog and creating video content. I have wanted to join the vlogging community for a long time now and I will do that as soon as we get the keys to the unit, so that I can share my journey in glorious, messy, technicolour!

Thank you for all of your support and kind words to date, I am so proud of the stitching community and love sharing my skills and ideas with you.

Have a great week,

Nicki

A Patchwork of Thoughts

This weekend I finished a slow stitched needle book; the pattern belongs to Ann Wood whose work I so admire. Her blog is one of my favourites.

I have had a lot of thinking and planning to do, which I always find easier when doing something creative. Given that most of the sewing I do is for The Stitchery, it is nice to have a piece of stitching that I can lose myself in without worrying if people will like it. I am used to documenting everything I do too, so it is nice to just sew for fun once in a while.

I’ve put some photographs below. Quite a lot, which I realise is self-indulgent, but I am working on the basis that I like poring over these sorts of photos so perhaps you will too…

I am fortunate to have met some lovely people in the antique textiles business who keep me well stocked with beautiful fabric and linen. Red and white (and all shades of red/pink in between) are my favourite colours alongside neutrals and my fabric collection has a heavy bias!

There are one or two pieces of new fabric in the needle book; namely the vintage ticking stripe from Ian Mankin; it is my absolute favourite stripe. I regularly use the red and charcoal colourways as I think they both work beautifully alongside my typical fabric choices. (I stock up whenever I am at Cowslip.) The pink wool felt is new too, from a little bundle bought at Cowslip.

Only a smidge of embroidery features in this needle book; I really wanted to showcase the fabric. The little flowers were embroidered in semi-darkness, watching The Stranger (with a glass of wine) which is why they aren’t in my usual teeny-stitch-style! I am definitely a less-is-more kind of girl though and my favourite pieces of needlework usually have a lot of negative space and a light touch.

I finished assembling the needle book on a sewing day with my mum and sister. I sat in the conservatory listening to the rain on the roof and watching Lottie chase leaves in the wind. We ate tiny salted caramel brownies and drank pots of tea. I made a black bean and lentil chilli with sweet potato fries for our dinner. I came home with a sweet little box full of fabric scraps that mum had saved for me. It was a lovely day.

A couple of close friends have each had a horrible time recently, finding themselves in really sad and stressful situations. I haven’t been able to find the right words, but found myself continuing to patch and embroider small pieces of fabric as I thought of them, which I made into little needle books. I hope these little trinkets will say everything that my words cannot.

I am pleased to have finished my little book ready for the weekend. I am going to use it for my slow stitching projects and I am attending a Slow Stitch 101 on Friday with Lisa Mattock. Lisa is an ambassador of the slow stitch movement, lover of vintage fabrics and here all the way from Australia. I am so looking forward to it, stitching workshops are my favourite way to spend the day!

I will take plenty of photos I promise.

Nicki

Making Winter, my way

Well goodness. January is done and I am getting through the Winter!

Every year I learn a little more on how best to look after myself at this time of year and whilst I’ve done well with keeping my chipper up, I have learnt NOT to save any work until January thinking ‘oh it will be quiet then and I can get lots done’ because a) it isn’t quiet and b) I have zero energy and everything takes ten times* as long as normal.

Some things that have kept my chipper up this Winter and might help you:

• Knitting in the evenings - Stitching is my thing. I love it. I am constantly sketching embroidery designs, stitching little motifs or working on a piece of embroidery. I would stitch all day and all night if I could but when it’s your job you kind of have to force yourself to have a break sometimes. I’ve picked up my knitting again and make sure that 8pm finds me by the fire with my husband, dog and knitting for a couple of hours before bed. (I can also recommend a visit to Loop London if you’re feeling in need of knitting inspiration. It is absolutely my favourite shop to visit in London - aside from Choosing Keeping. I spend aaaaages there and always come home with something lovely.)

• Making Biscotti - Niki at the Cottage on Instagram shared a biscotti recipe that is super easy, uses store cupboard ingredients and is a home-baked item that lasts so long I don’t feel it urge necessary wolf down three pieces in one go (as I would with cupcakes). Revolutionary. You can find Niki here.

• My Hello Fresh subscription - I love cooking but I can never think what to make for dinner. My mind goes blank. A long text conversation with a good friend over Christmas has fired me up for cooking this year. She has a big family and her Christmas menu planning is super impressive and super inspirational. (I am going to ask her to help me plan my Christmas menus this year!) She gave me a code for a free Hello Fresh box and I’ve been hooked ever since. Three planned dinners every week and I make sure that two of them are vegetarian to reduce our meat intake. Everything we’ve had so far has been lovely and our food waste has reduced dramatically. Definitely worth it you’ve been thinking about it (I know I am late to the party).

• Stitch Club - Last weekend was the first Stitch Club of 2020. Previously called The Stitchery Social, we have reached a number of regulars who come each month with their knitting or stitching and we have the happiest day together. Spending time with such lovely women has been a real tonic and a highlight of my month. We are all different ages with different backgrounds but the common thread of stitching has brought us all together. The kind of stitching club that people write books about.

  A lot of people have said to me how much they would like to come to one of my Stitch Clubs but the distance is too great - my advice is to be brave and set one up! If you don’t want to invite people into your home you can set a cafe as the venue and invite two or three people to join you for a coffee and bring their current WIP. You’ll soon find that there is no such thing as awkward silence where stitchers and knitters are concerned; you already have such a lot to talk about!

• Books - I read like an addict and always have more than one book on the go. I usually read a hardback or paperback book at home with a separate kindle book that I can easily access on my phone if I find I am left waiting somewhere, unexpectedly. I read when stirring risottos and I read waiting in line at the supermarket. Stories I’ve enjoyed this year so far include The Gown, A Half Baked Idea, Letters to the Lost and The Penmaker’s Wife. I started The Lost Ones this weekend and I can’t put it down!

From a work perspective, we are getting through the workload. The final Seasons kit for 2019 shipped last week; I think it is my favourite of all four. I love the colours and the simplicity. Kate’s folder and artwork are beautiful - one of my friends uses the labels as bookmarks. Such a gorgeous idea and a good way to keep them to hand and admire throughout the season.

Journals are being handmade from antique linen; they take quite a long time and we have been getting through the linen stash at an alarming rate but orders are being fulfilled and we are receiving emails from delighted customers.

The Haven subscription has kicked off with a wintery Cabin in the Woods design for month one. The cover art has been revealed and kits for those will ship this week. I am really pleased with the cover art and I don’t think you have to be a Haven subscriber to stitch it. I can quite easily see it stitched and hanging in sewing rooms, living rooms and holiday homes the world over!

I am currently working on the kit for Haven month two alongside a lengthy but fun project for the alphabet sampler subscribers of 2019. Subscribers qualified for a free booklet with lower case alphabet, numbers and motifs. It is almost like writing a mini book and is taking much longer than anticipated but I am confident it will be worth the wait. I am so enjoying putting it all together.

Thanks for reading. I hope you are having a lovely winter too; savouring the moments rather than wishing the days away waiting for Spring.

Love

Nicki xx

*Not exaggerating

Pondering Small Business: An Embroidered Goose

Today I launched a mini kit of a Christmas goose. You can buy it here if you fancy. I designed it back in the summer when I was preparing my advent calendars (which include six mini kits). ‘Designed’ is a bit of a grand word when it is just a little drawing of a goose but I particularly wanted to use the beautiful soft pink antique linen that I have been saving for a while.

I decided not to use the goose for my advent calendars, choosing instead a Nutcracker-inspired mini stitch. The goose, I thought, would be a lovely kit that I could launch closer to Christmas, available for everyone. We filled the thread cards, wrote the instructions and I was just left to finish the stitching ready for photographs. Of course I then had the actual advent calendars to produce and despatch (100 of them) as a well as the Handmade Fair in London to prepare for. The goose was left to languish in my WIP pile.

Meanwhile, a stitching friend of mine, The Embroidery Bird, shared her own goose design on Instagram. It is so very beautiful; she was planning an embroidery class with a choice of three gorgeous designs. I was enchanted by Penny’s embroidery (as I always am) but my heart sank. I had put such a lot of time and money already into my goose kits, but now I was going to look as though I had stolen my friend’s idea. I contacted Penny immediately to let her know; her response was typically gentle and generous but I still felt bad.

I think lots of makers can empathise. In these days of social media there is such a lot of content being shared with us each and every day via various platforms, influencing us both consciously and sub-consciously. Not to mention images on the television, in magazines and shop windows. Inspiration and influence is everywhere, resistance is futile.

Running a small business I have to spin so many plates; kit design, marketing, production and despatch are just a few of them so it is impossible to launch designs as quickly as they are drawn up. I have sketch books full of ideas and possible embroidery kits. Nothing I do is ground-breaking, I know that. I am inspired by nature, social history and the seasons; my ultimate goal is to produce beautiful vintage-inspired embroidery patterns (with a modern twist) and create step by step instructions so that a beautiful design is achievable for the absolute beginner. To encourage people to take refuge from the stress of every day life and promote positive mental health.

I have learnt, through experience, to scan absolutely everything into my computer as a way of protecting myself should it become necessary further down the line and I really recommend that other makers and designers do the same. It isn’t a form of copyright but it is a pretty watertight way of dating your design process when you are holding back a launch date or focusing on something else for a while.

I am very much of the opinion that all art shared is A Very Good Thing and if my work has inspired something similar from another maker then I am honoured. The world is big enough for all of us, there are plenty of customers for everyone and stitching is a happy occupation that is a welcome respite from the stress of everyday life.

I don’t often share my musings on running a small business; I am doing my dream job and loving [almost] every minute but there are challenges all of the time that I am learning from. If my experience can help other people then I think it’s worth a bit of waffling now and then, don’t you?

I’ll be back soon with a little Christmas round-up if you are stuck for gift ideas but in the meantime remember that the offer of a free mini cotton gift bag with all orders over £55 (excluding subscriptions) is still live. The Christmas thread collections are beautiful, Aurifil embroidery thread is very good quality and the sets make a lovely gift for the enthusiastic stitcher in your life (or a treat to yourself).

Thanks for reading and happy stitching,

Nicki xx

Autumn, grief and a new puppy

Lizzie. I miss her so much.

Always by my side!

Lottie and her ‘ride’

Full name: Lottie Doreen Bagel Franklin. Likes cheese, leaves and wicker baskets. Dislikes carrots, gates and seatbelts.

I am writing this at our kitchen table on a chilly late October morning. I have made myself a nice strong coffee and the room is quiet except for the [unexpectedly loud] hum of our fancy new fridge and the occasional squeak as our new little dog chews her rubber lizard.

I love this time of year. I usually blog sooner, I think, declaring my love for Autumn and the run up to Christmas. It starts in September, when we get the first proper chill after Summer, and that distinct earthy smell one day that lets us know that Autumn is around the corner.

I am late with things at the moment, though, and it is taking me a while to catch up. Our sweet little dog, Lizzie, died in August. At nearly 13 she was getting old but had shown no real signs of illness until the very last couple of days of her life. Losing her was a shock and it turned it my world upside down.

It seems silly and indulgent to talk about grief in relation to a dog. “Just a dog”. The thing is, she was never just a dog to me. At home she was always by my side; I talked to her constantly, walked her, sat quietly with her and danced around the kitchen holding her in my arms. She comforted me when I was sad and when she wanted a cuddle herself would come and tap me on the arm until I fussed her. She was gentle, friendly and incredibly well-behaved, if a little smelly sometimes.

Whilst it was comforting to know that I had done the right thing by acting quickly on discovering Lizzie’s illness, it is so hard to get used to life without her.

Lottie came to live with us on 16th September when she was 9 weeks old. She is such a character and makes me laugh every day. (She also makes me cry, swear and stress every day, too, but I am trying not to focus on that!) She travels in what I can only describe as a small sports holdall, for pets, and has subsequently developed a penchant for tiny spaces. She pulls out the bottom drawer in our vegetable rack and climbs in, squeezes her fat little bottom under the sofa and on Sunday made a casual leap into the simmering oven of the Aga when I opened it to cook our lamb mince. It’s not an especially hot oven but the floor has a very hot plate which could burn her little paws. I acted remarkably quickly considering my panic, pulling her out by her tail like a furry saucepan. I spent the rest of the evening feeling very shaky and checked her paw pads many, many, times for burns. (She is fine.)

So it is safe to say that Lottie is keeping us on our toes. I accidentally tread on a squeaky toy, making myself jump most days and my hands are dry and chapped from her [incredibly painful] ‘play-bites’. Having had her vaccinations Lottie is able to walk freely outside now and is loving her trots around the village. She has partied hard at the local vet’s puppy gatherings and is responding really well to training. She can sit, lie down and roll over on command (if I am holding a small square of cheese). We are working on stay and drop. Toilet training is hit and miss. We spend ages in the garden, in the icy rain, waiting for her to do her business, only to eventually give in, come indoors and have her immediately pee on the kitchen floor. It is like a battle of the wills and she wins. We need to up our game.

She likes to be held like a baby, on her back, and have her chest tickled. It sends her off to sleep, which is adorable and a very useful trick to know if you can calm her down long enough to lay back!

Of course it makes me cry when I see her sitting at the garden gate, just like Lizzie used to, but it is nice to have a fluffy white reminder of beautiful Lizzie around the house. She is gone but never, ever, forgotten.

After updating you on my biggest news I must crack on and start the day. Advent calendars are starting to ship this week and the October subscriptions need to go out too. Those packages won’t wrap themselves!

Thanks for reading,

love

Nicki xx

Journalling with Abby Monroe 13th July 2019

Image credit Abby Monroe

image credit Abby Monroe

Image credit Abby Monroe

A snippet of EdieRoseAshley’s beautiful botanical dye journal

A dye journal by EdieRoseAshley

My botanical journal; this page with a poppy in remembrance of my Great Uncle who had died just a few days before.

Remembering a sunny Spring day with my Mum and nieces. I was anxious about mum’s forthcoming operation.

Watercolours in ceramic palettes.

Abby Monroe is coming to the studio next weekend (Saturday 13th July) to teach a blissful day of journalling. We are going to learn how to make our own paper journals (with stitched binding) and decorate the pages however we like with old papers, stamps, fabric and tracing paper, adding little pockets for pressed flowers and other found treasures. Abby will talk to us about the benefits of journalling and how we can try to fit a little bit of slow creativity into our busy days. With everything available digitally now it is so lovely to hold a beautiful paper journal bulging with favourite scraps of fabrics and little notes from loved ones; even shopping and to do lists are nice to keep and will one day inform social history.

I think the word ‘journal’ is a little intimidating. It alludes to creative arty types writing in the wee hours; endless pages of beautiful script and thoughtful prose. But actually a journal is just a sketch book or a notebook, filled with things you want to remember. Whether that’s bread and bananas from the shops tomorrow or the way your little girl mumbled something sweet in her sleep.

Prettying up your notebook and holding onto things you find and love is an easy way to incorporate some creativity in your life every day. An easy way to slow down, think about your day and plan your week. I have lots of journals, still on the go now. I have a botanical journal full of pressed flowers that I started in 2016, a sketchbook (or two) full of embroidery designs and a little book I made from the post-it notes I used to quickly scrawl funny, or cute, things my family has said over the years. The latter is very basic but quite sentimental to me now as I have been adding to it for ten years.

A favourite ever gift was the exquisite book hand made for me by a friend who wanted to treat me when I started The Stitchery ‘because you always send post to make other people smile and I thought you should have some happy post too”. The pages are constructed of beautiful handmade rag paper, quality watercolour sheets and even old lace handkerchiefs. There are tiny pockets and envelopes on some of the pages and thoughtful little snippets from old books and magazines. It has its own creamy antique linen cover and a little pen made from an old twig. It is divine and so very special to me.

I am so excited about making a new little journal and I have been trying to decide what I will use it for. There are so many uses, but I am favouring:

• A little book of very favourite recipes from friends and family together with little illustrations or tiny photographs* of the ingredients and finished dish.

• A record of this year’s holiday; brief notes on what we did, what craft project I was working on, little photographs of the scenery, receipts from cafes and cute things my nieces said.

• A record of craft projects; dated, with pattern details, colour palettes and snippets of fabric, threads and yarn used or considered. I could write where I was sitting, what I was watching and what the weather was like as I worked. Bullet points of my thoughts rather than huge longhand missives.

• A ‘mood board’ book’; little collections on a theme, just because. Wildflowers or trees would be a lovely topic and there is lots of inspiration in Castle Ashby.

• A little book of colour; gatherings and found items with separate little journals for each colour. I quite fancy making a sepia-themed book full of old paper collages with antique photographs, little sepia sketches and gathered nature finds. In one of my first art classes I painted a little sepia barn in a field and I rather need somewhere to keep it.

• A dye journal; inspired by EdieRoseAshley at a botanical dyeing workshop she taught last week. Rosie shared her beautiful dye journal and with its snippets of dyed fabric and notes on colour recipes, I am totally going to start my own. Too beautiful for words. (I’ve included a couple of pictures above.)

Come and join us if you can. There will be lots of shared ideas and inspiration; papers, string, prints and washi tape. Don’t worry if your handwriting isn’t the prettiest, I have rubber stamps, typewriters and old letraset transfers to play with! We will be cutting up old books, newspapers and antique documents and creating pages on which to write and draw.

Book here; the course price includes a full day of tuition and all of the papers and materials you need to create and start your own journal. There will also be a delicious two-course lunch provided by Castle Ashby Deli with plenty of tea, cake and fruit to keep us refreshed throughout the day. There is ample parking and the Castle Ashby grounds are beautiful to walk around at the end of the day if you need some fresh air. It is the loveliest way to spend a Saturday.

Hope to see you then - have a wonderful week!

Nicki xx

*there are lots of ways to easily print pictures from instagram and I have a lovely portable printer than makes teeny tiny photograph stickers for my journals.

World Embroidery Day - Tuesday 30th July 2019

Following our first wonderful Wilderstitch sewing retreat at Domaine de La Salle in France, Erica and I have created a special Chateau-themed project inspired by the friendships formed during the long weekend of quiet companionable sewing, brocante-shopping and tea-drinking.

My absolute favourite thing about The Stitchery is how it has brought people together; both in real life and online. Friendships have been made and there is the most lovely sewing community that has come together to help and support each other with the gentle art of sewing. Without The Stitchery I wouldn’t have met Erica and I wouldn’t have been to France with the most lovely group of women. All because of a few shared photographs and stitches; I am so grateful for what sewing, and social media, has done for me.

With this in mind, World Embroidery Day feels like something I want to celebrate and promote! On Tuesday 30th July 2019 I will be holding a gathering at my studio in Castle Ashby teaching a gorgeous sewing pattern designed by Erica and embroidered by me. Attendees will receive a full kit and materials together with accompanying ebook, and enjoy a delicious afternoon tea with a group of like-minded people. Beginners and advanced stitchers are all welcome. The project is something you can expect to have finished by the end of the day and will be very useful for future sewing sessions! Book here if you can join me!

We are mindful of our customers across the world who we would love to stitch with but cannot due to distance… so we thought it would be fun to create a mini ebook containing the pattern, instructions and a few pretty little extras so that you can hold your own chateau-themed sewing party and connect with us online.

More details will follow but the digital book will be available to buy here on 14th July 2019 so watch this space! We hope you can join in and celebrate this important day. Book online to join in the workshop here. Tell your sewing friends, and sewing groups, too. Everyone is welcome and it would be truly amazing to have a little online sewing party on the day.

illlustrations by Erica Jane Waters of Wilderstitch (find her books here)

Escape to the Chateau - Sewing Weekend

On a misty day in November I made the short drive to a beautiful old cottage in the Northamptonshire countryside. Having made acquaintance via instagram, as soon I walked into Erica’s sewing room I knew I had met a kindred spirit. I immediately spotted a chippy old cabinet, stuffed full of squishy balls of yarn, in colour order, of course. I could see that Erica’s colour preferences matched my own: cool and creamy neutrals, muted blues, soft greys and dusty pinks. Curiosities adorned the old stone walls; a display of antique scissors, decorative picture frames and antique sewing supplies with beautiful labels.

All manner of soft, handmade toys were perched lovingly on every surface. Sweet dolls with enviable hairstyles and whimiscal woodland creatures wearing cosy hand-knitted jumpers. A fire burned brightly in the grate and French cafe music played quietly in the background. It was the cosiest setting imaginable and I knew I was going to have a truly special day.

Bonding over a love of antique buttons, lace and trims, we talked a little about France, brocantes and dreamy chateaux so I was delighted when Erica contacted me to see if I fancied joining her for a Chateau Dolls sewing weekend in the idyllic setting of Chateau Domaine de la Salle. Erm, yes please!!!

If you have watched Escape to the Chateau DIY you will be familiar with the owners, Mariam and Johnno, who have moved to France from Dubai to renovate their chateau for a B&B and retreat venue. The chateau is light and airy, the food delicious. Set in acres of woodland, it is the perfect setting for a magical weekend sewing dolls and making tiny dresses.

I cannot wait to go and you can join us too!

Arriving on Friday 14th June and leaving after breakfast on Monday 17th June, we will spend the weekend making Erica’s beautiful heirloom Chateau dolls with dresses made from delicate antique linen and lace. Small shoes made from antique kid leather gloves and fastened with tiny buttons. Hand-knitted shawls in the softest, natural yarn. I will show you how to embroider the dresses with sweet little details; perhaps a row of pale pink rosebuds along the hem or tiny daisies on her bloomers. I am planning everything that I need to take and experimenting with naturally dyed linens and embroidery threads for special, one-of-a-kind, embroideries.

You can come alone or with a sewing friend and if you want to incorporate the weekend into a longer visti to France, your non-stitching partner can join you in a double bed for the extra cost of just £150 to include all meals and accommodation for the weekend. There are plenty of places to relax, read and wander during the day as we sew.

A brochure is available with more details and prices. Please drop me an email at [email protected] and I will send it across to you. Have a look at Erica’s lovely blog for more information and photographs, too. I hope you can join us for a truly magical weekend.

Nicki x

Free Vintage Folk Dove Embroidery

Free with orders placed from now until midnight on Friday 12th April; receive this lovely vintage Folk Dove design screen printed onto antique linen.

The design fits perfectly within a 4” hoop.

I am back from a mini break in the Lake District and preparing for a Social Stitch at my studio tomorrow. Although everyone brings their own projects to work on, I do occasionally like to hand out a little complimentary stitching project for people to work on. This month we are trialling new silk threads by stitching simple little wildflowers onto olive green linen and embroidering these little folky doves with a lovely mid-grey cotton thread.

Hello Spring!

Welcome, Spring. We have been waiting for you! (Well, I have.)

Despite having a million and twenty three things to do today, I took my notebooks and coffee into the conservatory first thing this morning for a bit of a slow start to the day.

I love our conservatory even though it is falling to bits. There is a big comfy sofa in there, lots of lovely cushions and my antique quilt collection (safely stored in an antique meat safe where I can see them folded and pretty, but out of direct sunlight). There is a little desk for when I want to paint by the window and a very shabby coffee table piled with books on all manner of subjects. It’s a lovely, relaxing and inspiring room to be in.

As I cradled my coffee cup this morning I watched the birds come and go. A pair of blue tits was checking out the accommodation I have provided and seemed to settle on the sweet pale grey property that I have put up on the old barn wall. One of them kept popping in and hammering its beak on the wall inside, which I took as a positive sign that the dwelling is satisfactory! It is in a pretty little spot right above an old ladder on which I hang galvanised steel buckets planted with trailing pink flowers in the summer. We had blue tits nesting in the same box last year and I wonder if the same family has returned. I like to think so.

A large female blackbird hopped around collecting various leaves and twigs, carrying huge beakfuls to a spot in the neighbour’s hedge which overhangs a wall in the shady part of the garden, by our swing seat. This makes me very happy as I adore baby blackbirds. They are so darned fluffy and very cute when learning to fly.

Narcissi are bobbing their heads happily and my favourites are those that are pure white with spiky petals. I planted a variety of tulips which all look set to bloom very soon and I can’t wait for the bluebells. Is there anything nicer than a walk in the bluebell woods during Spring? I have been stitching a little bluebell embroidery in my spare time and dreaming of it.

The Stitchery Seasons Spring kit was posted out to subscribers last week and the reaction has been very positive which is a huge relief! When people sign up for a surprise through their post box each month there is a huge responsibility to make sure that you meet expectations and create something that people will enjoy stitching. There are a few kits left (unfortunately without Kate’s beautiful Limited Edition packaging) over on the website now if you fancy stitching a few Springtime flowers in the sunshine. We ship everywhere and the kits are suitable for all levels. I’ll be sharing a tutorial video in the next few days too, for anyone stuck with the stitches. The kit comes with a little paper sign with ‘hello Spring’ but as the pictures above show, you could customise it with your own lettering (and words) if you prefer. Just be sure to use a removable pen and cover the marks very carefully.

Wishing everyone a happy week and a short ‘to do’ list.

Love

Nicki xxx

New Year: Take Two

You may remember that I started the new year full of hopes and plans, as I always do. In fact, I wrote about it here.

Well.

Despite loving the Winter and all of the cosiness it brings, I usually struggle with a low mood and tiredness in January and February. I thought that I could fix all of that by making lots of plans; things to look forward to. It didn’t work. Instead I felt too tired and just too low to go anywhere or do anything. Cancelling plans made me feel even worse.

January and February was mostly spent at home, wading through huge workloads which felt tougher than usual. I slept a lot, ate a lot and, in retrospect, hibernated. I felt horribly guilty, and lazy, until I went for a restorative weekend in Devon for a break away with my husband and dog. I had booked onto a watercolour workshop and, by chance, met up with a friend who was doing the same class. I told her about my impromptu hibernation and she mentioned a podcast she had been listening to called The Living Experiment. She especially recommended that I check out the podcast about Winter.

I could hug my friend for telling me about that podcast. Early the next morning, I made coffee, set up a painting table in our little holiday cottage and listened as I practised brushstrokes from the day before. The presenters talked about the necessity of resting in Winter. Taking downtime during the shorter days to recover from the busyness of Christmas but also to preserve energy and prepare for the longer days of Spring and Summer when we are naturally out and about, busy and having fun. It makes perfect sense to me. Living in alignment with the seasons.

The Slow Living movement has been on my radar for a long time now. I have been seduced, if I am honest, by the myriad of photographs on instagram showing hands cradling steaming cups of milky coffee amidst swathes of crumpled linen and piles of interesting books. I have tried to find words that resonate with me about living more intentionally but all of the articles I found seem to focus on spending less money, buying less things. Doing less.

The Living Experiment has brought everything into focus. I am a sensitive person (sometimes over-sensitive and upset easily I know) but that is why it makes absolute sense that my mood and wellbeing is sensitive to the weather, daylight and sunshine.

Talking to my yoga teacher (and all-round wellness guru) Lisa at a private class with her, I feel more comfortable with making decisions on how to have a life, and business, that suits me. I am starting to realise that I don’t need to follow the usual rules of business and, indeed, I don’t have to run my creative business in the same way that others do.

I will emerge for my own new year, henceforth, in March. With the daffodils. Next year I will actually PLAN to spend January and February at home; in my little cottage with a fire burning, my hands cradling a steaming cup of milky coffee whilst I surround myself with swathes of crumpled linen and piles of interesting books. And I won’t feel the least bit lazy, or guilty.

Nicki x

Mothering Sunday 31st March 2019

I love to buy gifts for my Mum and Mother in Law for Mother’s Day. Both Mums love flowers, gardening, perfume, body lotions and chocolates but they are also super talented women who really appreciate a handmade gift.

My Mum trained as a dressmaker in a top fashion house before I was born. She made lots of outfits for me (and matching dresses for my dollies) and went on to teach me how to sew, dressmake, cross stitch and knit. Filling my floral padded sewing box with new, brightly coloured embroidery floss was one of my earliest shopping pleasures with Mum. Way before I started to enjoy shopping in HMV and Tammy Girl!

My Mother in Law is a highly skilled shoemaker and was a college lecturer on the subject too. She has taught hundreds (maybe thousands) of people in Northamptonshire the artisan skill of shoemaking over the years and the shoes she has made or overseen have been sold by the fanciest establishments in London. The Elves and The Shoemaker was my favourite childhood book and the fact that my MIL can make a pair of shoes from scratch is amazing to me and a little bit magical.

Both women know their way around a sewing machine, blindfolded, yet they still seem to love the little gifts I make for them: small patchwork lap quilts, lavender cushions, hanging hearts and sponge bags. No matter how skilfully produced (or not), handmade gifts are always, always, best.

It isn’t too late to embroider and sew up a pretty little lavender cushion with a spring tree in blossom or a little heart garland. A little mindful sewing will mean that you can enjoy the process as much as your mum enjoys receiving your work.

Love

Nicki xx

Introducing: The Stitchery Mini Kits

Hello hello! I have been busily working away behind the scenes preparing for my spring workshops and the release of lots of lovely standalone kits. The February issue of my The Stitchery subscription goes out tomorrow and whilst the pattern and design was sent out in month one, each kit has an added little happy and relaxing surprise in; this month it is an extra little embroidery project and I am looking forward to seeing how my subscribers stitch it. Non-subscribers will be able to buy the extra little kit later in the month; I’ll let you know via the newsletter when they are available.

In the meantime, I’ve been putting together designs for a new range of mini kits. The first of which is this little watering can embroidery. The kits still contain full instructions, threads and a 10” square piece of antique linen but the design is smaller and easier/quicker to complete than my usual standalone kits. In line with the ‘mini’ theme, the packaging for these kits is also different to the usual standalone kits. Still beautiful, vintage-inspired and good for gifting they are in smaller envelopes with a simpler design.

I hope you like them as much as I do. The first kit is available as a pre-order here - pre-orders are really helpful for me as they enable me to make a more accurate estimate of how many kits I might need to produce. Please remember that anything you order at the same time as a pre-order will be despatched at the same time as the kit. If you need extra items more urgently please place a separate order.

You can order the watering can mini kit here.

The Stitchery Sampler: Our 2019 Subscription - FAQs

Last year’s subscription was so much fun that I knew very quickly that I would run another in 2019. I am so excited that the first kit is finally on its way to my lovely customers; it has felt like a long time coming. Mostly because it took me a while to decide on the right fabric for this project.

I most often stitch onto antique linen but I do love new fabric, if it’s the right quality. I pondered the benefits of both for this sampler for a long time and having trialled lots of potential fabrics I have decided on a beautiful white 100% linen which I have had professionally printed. The new linen has a lovely even weave but is still slightly slubby so it has a little texture. It presses nicely when you have finished stitching and the colour is a perfect base for the soft colours and stitches I have chosen this year. I will still use antique linens but for such a large piece of work aimed at beginners and advanced stitchers alike, it is important to have a good background that is easy to stitch into and that perfectly showcases the stitches.

I thought that I would write a quick post to answer some of the questions I’ve been receiving about the kit, whether you have subscribed or you are thinking about it, I hope the following information will be useful. Warning: it’s a long one!

I subscribed to last year’s Stitchery Journal. Will my subscription carry on for this year?

No, it’s a whole new payment process for just another 12 months. Your subscription for 2018 will have ended and no further payments will be taken. If you would like to join The Stitchery subscription this year, please do so by ordering the first kit here. (There is an option to buy the full kit up front, at a discount, if you prefer.)

I have only ordered month one. How do I pay for the other kits?

The first kit was a one-off purchase only to allow me to gauge appetite for a subscription this year. Your order has secured a place for you in the 2019 subscription, don’t worry. A subscriber button will be live here on the website next week to enable you to set up automated payments for the rest of the year. To ensure that you receive the February kit please complete the subscription before 10th February.

Why is the subscription in your shop cheaper than the paypal button?

The unit price for the kit is £25 plus £3.50 postage and packing. You will pay £28.50 per month (if you choose the instalments option) however you choose to pay; the shop listing just breaks down into unit and postage cost.

Do you ship overseas?

Yes, we ship everywhere and at a very competitive flat postage rate, however large your order.

I have never embroidered before, will I be able to do it?

Yes, yes, yes! The kits come with detailed step-by-step instructions and an annotated illustration. Subscribers also have access to my brand new channel over at Vimeo where I will upload regular tutorials and podcasts. Find me here. Be sure to follow me so that I can follow you back (we have to go through this process to enable access to content as my videos will be private). It is free to set up an account and you do not have to pay to view. I will still upload tutorials to my youtube channel and I am always happy to help via DM or email if you get really stuck.

How does it work on a monthly basis if I already have the whole pattern in month one?

You will be given the backing linen in month one, pre-printed with the entire alphabet that we will stitch this year. The pattern is vague, however, and whilst you can see where the various blooms or stems are placed you will not know until each month which colours and stitches we will use. The sampler is a riot of English Country Garden flowers in a soft, muted, but quite colourful palette.

Each quarter (March, June, September and December) you will receive bonus patterns and printed linen for a few small floral motifs that will complement the letter designs and enable you to build a collection of designs that you can use however you fancy. Those who have completed the full year will receive a detailed pattern for the lower case alphabet and numbers 0-9 with their December kits, giving a whole host of design opportunities for future gifts and decorative homewares.

What sewing tools do I need for the Alphabet Sampler? What size hoop do you recommend?

The kit comes with the linen and threads that you need to complete the stitchery. You will need a basic sewing kit to include a small pair of very sharp embroidery scissors, a selection of hand-sewing needles (I often use crewel needles because they have a larger than usual eye) and an embroidery hoop. I use wooden embroidery hoops with a screw but find one that suits you best. If you use a wooden hoop then, for a project of this size, I recommend wrapping both the inner and outer hoops with a natural coloured cotton tape. This helps to keep the fabric taut in your hoop and can prevent staining from the wood.

I always recommend the smallest hoop you can find. I prefer a 4” or 5'“ hoop; occasionally I will use a 6” hoop but any larger and I feel all fingers and thumbs. I also find that the fabric slackens very quickly. Embroidery hoops are inexpensive to buy and so it is worth having a selection to experiment with. The size of the sampler means that, whichever size hoop you use, you will need to move it around the fabric as you work. My favourite brand for quality sewing needles and scissors is Bohin. I keep a good stock of materials in my online haberdashery and at my studio in Castle Ashby if you are close enough to pop in.

If you have any questions please drop me a message and I’ll make sure I update this post. I am so looking forward to stitching with you this year!

Credits:

Thank you so much to Kate Nicole at Oyster Bridge & Co who has, as always, produced beautiful delicate calligraphy for my Sampler together with the Stitchery Logo suite. Lucy Hopcraft at Three Six Five pulled together the design, branding and managed print work. They are basically a dream team to work with.

The pattern designs, text, illustrations and watercolours throughout these monthly kits are all my own work.

All rights reserved. Copyright Nicki Franklin 2019.

A New Year with ice skating, tidy hair and ribbon embroidery

Happy happy new year! In all honesty I am still struggling to get into the swing of ‘normal’ life after a lovely Christmas break.

We worked our bottoms off up to Christmas and spent the festivities in a light fug of exhaustion. We did manage to escape for a delightful break in the Lake District where we walked, ate, read and knitted (well, I did) in a gorgeous little hotel my friend discovered earlier in the year within Beaxtrix Potter’s old stomping ground.

I remember eating lots of chocolates, binge watching Killing Eve (oh my gosh, LOVED it), reading lots of books and knitting several rows of my little cotton blanket. An entire bottle of violet gin may have been consumed too.

I did spend a lot of time thinking about the year that was and the new year ahead of me. I love this time of year for exactly that; filling out empty planners, diaries and calendars. Considering the things I’d love to achieve this year and how to go about it… So much possibility and opportunity, it’s dizzying.

Over the last few years I have tried to make my new resolutions happy ones, or I at least phrase them positively. So this year as well as eating more vegetables and protein, having tidy hair, learning to ice skate and mastering calligraphy I am going to conquer ribbon embroidery.

I have dabbled with ribbons, reasonably successfully, but never gave it the time and focus to develop any skill in it. Having found the loveliest teacher I am filled with enthusiasm and she is coming to The Stitchery Studio in February to run a beginners class. If you fancy joining in, you can book here too. All I am going to say is: ribbons. Beautiful silk ribbons.

You can check out Tanya’s work here and the pictures in this post show my floral heart garland design that Tanya converted to ribbon embroidery. So gorgeous, delicate and so textural. Hope you can join us.

In the event of another Beast from the East then the workshop will be re-arranged for a mutually convenient date so please don’t let the potential weather put you off. We will be cosy and warm in my light and bright studio for the day.

Christmas Embroidery Kits at The Stitchery

I have been watching Christmas films (well basically Little Women on repeat), singing Christmas hymns loudly (with lots of muffled mumbles when I don’t know the words) and I have had my first Christmas Costa cup (a hazelnut praline latte which was yummers). For my first Christmas at The Stitchery I have created two embroidery kits for you to stitch at home.

The Vintage Christmas Wreath is elegant and understated featuring a wreath of dark red roses and poinsettia flowers. Full instructions are given in the kit and a youtube tutorial will be published at the beginning of December. The wreath is finished with a white antique linen bow. It is my favourite handmade Christmas decoration this year.

The Carol Singers Embroidery Kit is a fun and easy piece to stitch using mostly split stitch. The colour palette is fresh and modern. I like this a lot, it was so enjoyable to stitch.

Festive embroideries are so lovely to work on when you need a little downtime over the busy holiday period. Whether you stitch the designs to decorate your home or as a gift for a loved one, taking the time to slow down and stitch helps you to savour the season and enjoy the little moments that make Christmas so special; things that are often overlooked when we rush through our to-do lists.

These embroideries are beautiful framed but could also be made into little cushions, lavender bags or used to adorn the front of a project or gift bag. I have used my embroideries to decorate journal covers and adorn apron pockets. There are so many possibilities! You can buy here via my online shop and I ship worldwide.

Nicki X

Festive Photographs, Peanut Butter with Jam and a Very Cross Lady

It is late Friday afternoon and dusk is falling. I have just got home from the studio and my first job was to set about the business of switching on the lamps, fairy lights and lighting candles. I am about to put a match to the fire too; it has turned really chilly today. Having made myself a coffee I found a couple of stashed (and forgotten) squares of milk chocolate in the fridge. So that’s a high note for the end of the week!

I have had the cosiest week. I have been feeling a little under the weather with what feels like the onset of a cold and it has really forced me to slow down. I’ve worked from home for most of the time, often next to the woodburner in the kitchen. There has been some online training, lots of stitching and lots of planning! I am pleased to have finalised my embroidery workshops for the Stitchery Retreat which is in just three weeks! We have five days in Cornwall; one day at the Cowslip Christmas fair, another out for Sunday lunch and three lovely hyggelig days of embroidery workshops. I have planned three exclusive kits for everyone and I am really looking forward to it.

I have also taken a few festive photographs this week. Loosely translated this means that I have tripped over fairy light wires more times than I care to mention, made countless cups of coffee in Father Christmas mugs and rummaged about in the garden in my nightdress and birkenstocks looking for Rosemary, Ivy and Holly and anything remotely ‘Christmassy’. (It did not yield much.)

So I thought I would share my photos with you here on the blog. My Christmas kits are in production and I have an anniversary kit coming out in mid-December to round up a year of The Stitchery Journal. I love the Gift Vouchers that I have produced with Three Six Five Design and Oyster Bridge & Co. So beautiful. You can buy them here.

In the spirit of a weekly round-up, this week I have also:

• Started my Christmas shopping. For myself. Haha. So far, Father Christmas will be delivering a beautiful pair of Victoriana lace-up ankle boots, a pale rose cashmere sweater and a festive set of gorgeous fine silk embroidery threads (don’t worry I got some thread for you too).

• Finished two books; The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes and The Woolly Hat Knitting Club. Both very cosy reads.

• Eaten three peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches. One of which was rustled up at the ungodly hour of 2am when I couldn’t sleep for my rumbling tum.

• Smothered my face nightly with an eye-wateringly expensive cream (Cult 51) which so far appears to be making no difference whatsoever.

• Tried to rescue a very cross lady who was knocked off her push bike by a DPD driver right outside the studio. (I think she was cross because she was knocked over. Who wouldn’t be. She was fine but her bike which “cost thousands of pounds and isn’t even my best bike” had a few scratches. I offered her a cup of tea and the use of my loo (which she crossly declined) and went inside for a cherry bakewell and a cup of tea to get over the shock. It is really scary to hear a van screech to a halt right by your window!

The weekend beckons and I have too many plans and not enough time. Lizzie is skipping about by my feet reminding me that it is her dinner time and Andrew will be home soon for a glass of wine and Killing Eve. What a lush day!

Have a great weekend, thanks for reading.

Love

Nicki xxx

Hips, Haws, Sloes and Blackberries

The Stitchery Studio Autumn Wreath

Such a beautiful time of year; September to New Year's Eve is my very favourite. 

So many cosy, lovely things to do and see.  Walking through the countryside at the moment is blissful.  The days are comfortably warm, the hedgerows and trees laden with fruit.  So much colour; beautiful muted pinks and greens of slowly ripening fruit contrasts with the vivid orangey red of rosehips and the jewel-like deep purples of blackberries and elderberries.

So much inspiration; for drawing, painting, stitching and applique.  I have been working on a few Autumnal pieces - a beautiful bramble wreath for a forthcoming workshop at the Rosehip Farmhouse and a more muted wreath of seedheads which will be released as a standalone kit very soon.  

I am enjoying the cooler weather at last, particularly at night time, but so appreciate the still-warm sunshine during the day.  Still perfect temperatures for taking a coffee outside, wearing sandals and sunglasses.

I always feel so inspired at this time of the year that I feel almost panicky that there aren't enough hours or days for me to get everything done.  I have dug out my Cali Cozy quilt kit from Alicia Paulson and plan to start piecing the top this weekend (after a little brocanting and brunching, of course).  I am trying to balance my desire to savour the present seasons with the necessity of planning for forthcoming seasons.  I have been working on Christmas plans for a few weeks now and whilst I am excited to launch Christmas workshops I am loath to move on too quickly and miss the onset of Autumn in all her glory.

The concept of new beginnings has been overused in social media but I am totally on board with the fresh start that September brings; squeaky new school shoes and all.

Have a wonderful week and thanks for reading. 

Nicki xx

PS if you can make it to Suffolk and would like to join us for a blissful day of wreath embroidery then you can book here.  There are still spaces available. These are my last workshops at the very special Rosehip Farmhouse as the family is moving next month.  Very exciting for them but I am sure tinged with a little sadness to be moving on.