Manchester to Fredrikstad - 4-night travel itinerary for early Summer
Manchester to New England - a road trip itinerary for 16 nights in Summer
Itinerary journal of my jam-packed summer touring holiday through New England, taking in Maine, Vermont and a Boston city break.
Rhubarb & Rose Compôte
Recipe for a fragrant rhubarb and rosewater compote, to keep in the fridge for livening up smoothies, pancakes or plain cakes. An utterly delightful flavour combo and a taste of The British Isles.
Low-and-Slow Pecan & Pumpkin Seed Granola
Very simple two-step recipe for homemade pecan and pumpkin seed granola. Memories of Suffolk.
Closet Core Patterns : “Just. Make. It.”
The online advice I needed to hear, to stop procrastinating on the ‘scary sewing project’ that I was afraid to ruin or fail at. Just Make It. Cut into that expensive fabric and be done with it. Get on with making and wearing the thing.
Cherry Jeffs : “Repeating a process can teach us important lessons about subtle variation and refinement.”
Cherry Jeffs must be a kindred spirit. This excellent article about what an artist’s body of work is also perfectly encapsulated why I refine - for longevity, strength and coherence of my inner voice. My favourite passage and link to the original article.
Leeds to Quimper, Brittany: an active itinerary for Spring
Itinerary for a springtime 7-night holiday in Brittany, with medieval Quimper as the base. Cider, cycling, springtime walks, crepes and art.
Sewing a square neck tiered midi dress in Liberty Heidi cotton poplin from 1970’s Style 1169 pattern
Fifth time I am using this pattern. Perfected the fit, and finally making with an expensive fabric, Liberty’s cotton poplin in Heidi. Absolute favourite make with this pattern so far. Lessons learnt and seam finished, with detailed dressmaking closeups.
Workings of a Garment: a Y2K Acne oversized long-line shirt, designer ready-to-wear
Study and analysis of how this Y2K oversized Acne blouse was constructed. Learnings and inspiration for improving my dressmaking up to designer ready-to-wear standards.
Sewing a pleated blouse in wool flannel from 1970’s Gunne Sax Simplicity 8907 pattern
Starting with a Gunne Sax pattern from the 1970’s, after some significant design amendments, made a cropped blouse in micro-houndstooth wool flannel. Lessons learnt.
Leeds to Jersey: a 3-night travel itinerary for Spring
My travel itinerary for 3 days in Jersey, Channel Islands. Ideas for walking, history and dining.
Chocolate, Rose & Beetroot Loaf Cake
Recipe for Chocolate, Rose & Beetroot loaf cake, topped with cream cheese frosting. Fragrant and decadent, and an excellent keeper. Adapted from a Paul Hollywood recipe.
Mushroom Risotto
Recipe for an autumnal oven-baked mushroom risotto, portioned for a moderate 2 person meal, saving space for a dessert.
Choc-Chip Cookies
Recipe for choc-chip cookies, using a blend of dark and milk choc chips, and three types of sugar for optimum mix of crunch and chew.
Leeds to Stockholm - 5 night workcation in Autumn
Itinerary journal of an autumn break in Stockholm, departing from Leeds. Where we ate, what we saw and how we enjoyed a workcation trip amidst falling leaves and the last of the long days for the year.
Shortbread
Recipe for plain buttery shortbread, topped with crunchy sugar and sliced into bitesized bars. Tips for achieving that ‘short’ crumbly texture you are aiming for.
Sewing a puff-sleeve midi dress in khaki green linen-cotton twill from 1970’s Style 1169 pattern
Fourth make with this pattern, following several refinements on fit and pattern instructions. Details on total make time, adjustments and seam finishes for square neck, puff sleeve, tiered maxi dress in a robust khaki green twill
Leeds to Penzance - 4 nights in Summer
Travel tinerary for a 4-day mid-week summertime break in Penzance.
Chokoladbiskvier
Recipe for Chokoladbiskvier, or Swedish Chocolate Buttercream Macaroons. Alcohol optional.
Manchester to Brest, Brittany: an off-season itinerary for the end of Winter
Travelling in the off-season of winter, itinerary for 7 nights in Finistere. Winter hikes, thalasso therapy, eating crepes, visiting medieval towns and castles, and admiring the early sunset in pretty port towns.