Summer's here at last! It's such an inspiring time, isn't it?

Summer’s here at last! It’s such an inspiring time, isn’t it?


We’ve been enjoying blue skies and beautiful weather here – and the garden is blooming.
After I’ve dropped the children off at school, I like to come back to my garden and potter with a cup of coffee. Feeling the sun on my face, listening to the hum of bees and breathing in the warm scents of summer – it’s so calming and gives me a wonderful sense of purpose for the day ahead. After a session in the studio, it’s also the perfect spot to catch the last of the day’s rays – preferably with a glass of something delicious in my hand!

Meanwhile, pirates have taken over the studio! Our classic pirate ship design is back with new fabrics and a very special personalised twist. Choose a name and I’ll embroider it on my handmade and appliquéd cushions, laundry bags and framed pictures. I’m particularly excited about the pictures – they’re my first foray into appliqued and embroidered textile art and I know you’ll love them as much as I do.

Pirate ship collection

Each of our pirate designs combines denim, ticking stripes and spots – they’re the perfect gift for the little adventurer in your life. I’m currently developing this design into a printed fabric, so keep your eyes peeled for more exciting new products!

This month I’m also feeling inspired by my recent adventures with my family on the North Norfolk coast. The sun shone and it was even warm enough for the youngest member of our team to have a little paddle in the sea! The Norfolk coast is about big blue skies, pale sand and little beach huts. No trip is complete without a visit to Cromer to do a spot of crabbing. Did we catch any? Sadly not, but a great time was still had by all!

 











Now, it might sound a little crazy, but I’ve also been thinking about Christmas. Yes, that’s right, Christmas in June! In the world of design, we’re always thinking ahead. And I’m so excited about what I’ve got planned. I’ll be launching my very first Christmas fabric! 
As well as beautiful textiles, my design will also feature on kitchen products, cards and gift-wrap. Exciting, right?


Now, let’s make a swift return to summer time! As you know, I hand make everything in my studio. I thought you might like a peek inside my day. Here’s a little video, showing part of the process of making the new pirate range. I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into life at the studio!

I’d love to hear about what’s been inspiring you this month!

New collection

New nursery collection includes prints, bunting and lampshades

Hello! It’s Kirsty here. How are you all? It feels ages since my last post. So much has been happening in the studio. I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Spring has well and truly sprung and we’ve all been hopping with excitement about the warmer weather and longer days. The extra light in the mornings and evenings means lots more creative time for me – essential when I’m fitting my designing and sewing time around my busy family life!

I had a such a lovely Easter at home with my family. One of our favourite traditions is decorating our Easter Egg tree. This year I hung the branches with sweet little fabric cones. The Easter bunny was kind enough to come and fill them with lots of mini eggs. Yum!

We’re based in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside. I love this time of year because everything gradually starts coming to life again. I’ve been pottering around the garden and veg patch, watching it all wake up after winter. I love to start my day with a wander down to say hello to my chickens in the sunshine. Then I grab the coffee and biscuits and climb the stairs to my little attic studio.



And there’s been lots happening in the studio! I’m thrilled to have launched my new Bunny range, which is perfect for nurseries. Elm Tree Studio started out with nursery products and I’ve really enjoyed going back to my roots. I’ve been experimenting with new designs and I’m so happy to be able to share them with you all.

New co-ordinating nursery fabrics available by the metre

The Bunny design (nursery fabrics) is based on my original appliqué artwork. It’s been cleverly reproduced as fabric, whilst keeping a flavour of the original stitching and embellishments. It’s available on our classic lampshades and as beautiful bunting. It’s soft and pretty – perfect for boys and girls alike.

Bunny nursery bunting

No nursery is complete without a bit of bunting. It’s such a pretty way to add character to a plain room! I design and make everything by hand, so each piece is truly unique.

My bunny bunting has been a joy to make and it’s available in several different styles. Choose from  flag style bunting or more traditional triangular bunting. There’s something for every baby! I can even personalise bunting with a name. It really doesn’t get much cuter!

Beautifully embroidered personalised bunting

Bunny flag bunting

Nursery lampshade

You know I love my coffee, and it’s been so soothing sitting with a cup of my favourite blend while I cut and stitch all that lovely bunting. I know you’ll all love this new design as much as I do.








And while we’re on the subject of new designs, have you spotted my new mustard coloured aster fabric? When I first designed my aster range, I was inspired by the striking natural shape of the aster flowers in my country garden. This dream has translated into a subtly modern design, with a real hint of mid-century style about it. My new lampshades are effortlessly stylish and will inject a bit of scandi-cool into your home. I love mine!

I hope you’re all enjoying spring as much as me. I’d love to hear more about what you’ve all been up to!

Finally getting organised….. Working for yourself, at home must be so easy, so everyone says.

It’s August, almost half way through the long summer holidays, if you have kids. How are you doing? Are you surviving with a smile on your face, or like me, getting more and more stressed as each hour ticks by? I’ll let you into a secret. One day last week, I actually locked myself in the loo, just so I could answer some emails in peace! Yep, I'm that kind of mum.

I'm normally pretty organised, but the last week everything went to pot. I have over the years, learnt to just roll with it, but when work calls, you stick to the floors and you realise that your five year old is living on food from the “goodie cupboard” I had the feeling that I needed to take some kind of control, again.

OK, so it won’t stop me working strange hours over the holidays, but if that means I get to bake cupcakes with the littlest, then that’s fine by me.

My personalised wall planner from Who ate my crayons

It’s time to “Live by the Planner” again, plus it gives me 5 minutes to just sit down and look at the week ahead. I always put in the “Family” stuff first, dentist appointments, play-dates and what-nots, so that even if I don’t know what I'm doing, at least I know what everyone else is doing! Second on the planner is my work schedule, orders that need to be made and admin which needs to be done. Thirdly, I enter a bit of me time…… I find that if I don’t then I start to get frazzled, snappy and just right down horrid! It may be just half hour chill out time or gasp, a whole afternoon!

To-do lists.

I break them down into monthly, weekly and daily. Just remember that not everything needs to be done that minute! I keep mine all together in another pretty notebook, again broken down into “Life” and “Work”. The monthly one has everything on that must be done, I then break it down into weekly amounts and then again daily, that way what’s starts to look like a big, daunting list gets smaller and smaller and much easier to tick off!

This is where my planner, wall chart and note books come in. And if you are a stationary addict like myself this is where its gets exciting! Let’s face it, even if you don’t use any of the lovely stationary, it will look pretty on your desk, kitchen counter or bag!

I've made a list of my favourites below.

Weekly planner from The Green Gables with lots of space for lists and notes.

• Above my desk, I have a personalised wall chart planner, by the super Who ate my crayons. On here I pop all the important things that I need to see at a glance, such as the all-important hair dresser appointments, holidays and school terms. I always cross reference this with the kitchen calendar downstairs.       
•  I have another weekly planner by the wonderful Green Gables, I try to fill this in on a Sunday and it’s mainly used for my work stuff. What orders need to be made, what supplies I need to order and any other important information. It sits on my desk and is also a handy mouse mat, if your old school like me. One thing that I have found to be very important to how I work is to try and pencil in some me time, much easier when the kids are at school, much harder when it’s the school holidays.
•  Small note books are a must for slipping in my bag, to jot down ideas, must do’s and any other “monkey brain” stuff that goes on. Personal favs are my sewing machine print, from Green Gables and my personalised “Awesome plans” by Who ate my crayons.  
• Hard backed notebooks, now I have quite a selection, in all different sizes. They all have a different role, from sketch book, general note making, and the one that I always keep on the cutting out table for making notes on new products/costings, I love this one from Charlotte Macy and features one of her beautiful printed fabrics. I have another, slightly larger one for blog/photo/product ideas, big enough for me to sketch out ideas and layouts.

• 

  A selection of note books that I currently use, functional doesn't have to be ugly!

  So there you go, that is how I'm surviving (or not) the summer holidays whilst working from home x