As many of us rediscovered the comforts of home and embraced nature during lockdown, a rising lifestyle trend called cottagecore emerged to the fore. It’s not a new trend but has certainly gained popularity over recent months.

Simply put, cottagecore it is a trend that celebrates simplicity, the home and rural life. There has been time to rediscover traditional skills and crafts including things like baking, gardening, knitting and sewing. And for many there has been a return to nature, a craving for cosiness, and a yearning for a slower, sustainable and more soulful way of life.

Recent events have also made us look at our homes and has led to a huge rise in re-decorating. Try getting paint during lockdown! The need for cosiness and safety have become high on the agenda and as a result the cottage aesthetic has become increasingly sought after.

The cottage look has always been popular, but people are actively seeking to ‘cosify’ their homes.  It’s all about creating an inviting, wholesome, rural feel whether you live in the country or the town.

If you like the idea of creating this look, start with simple elements such as neutral colours, muted tones and rustic carpentry. The look embraces feminine, floral patterns and the clutter of life, with things like dried flowers, jugs, plates and photos.
Warm whites, soft pinks and duck egg blues are perfect for the walls. Layer the look with cushions, floral linens and textures like knitted items and crocheted blankets to give a cosy feel. Pottery, baskets and life’s treasures will add to the nostalgic, country look.

If we can take one positive from recent weeks, it has to be the time we’ve spent connecting with nature, whether it’s in our gardens, a walk in the park or venturing into the countryside. We have noticed the birdsong, the busyness of insects and the onset of summer.

If you follow my social media stories, you will know I love the changing seasons and studying the flora and fauna. This year some of my plants, like the clematis and peony have been the best they’ve ever been, and they give a lot of joy.

Nature plays a huge part in my design process. I have a couple of hardy fuchsias in the garden.  The delicate flowers can really pack a punch of colour and that’s what I wanted to try and reproduce in my Fuchsia pattern. As with all my fabrics, it has been printed onto a soft cotton linen, which is perfect for curtains, cushions and blinds.

When it comes to colour, one of the all-time interior classics is set to become a huge buzz in the year ahead – and it’s blue.
Earlier this year, the colour trend-forecasting company Pantone, announced their 2020 ‘Colour of the Year’. And this year it’s Classic Blue; a wonderful rich blue reminiscent of the evening sky at dusk. It sits between royal blue and navy blue and is a perfect colour for the home. It gives a room a feeling of sophistication and luxury whether it’s used in fabrics, on the wall or as a statement piece.

Right: Rose Drop French blue

Blue is associated with calm and serenity, which makes it ideal for bedrooms. It’s the kind of colour that sets a relaxing tone.
It’s also a popular shade for bathrooms and coastal properties, reminding us of the sea and the sky.

Left: Elise French blue fabric

I have quite a few blues across my fabric collections – there’s something for every room whether made into cushions, blinds or curtains.

Left: Lulworth Stripe French blue Middle: Mollie denim Right: Star Cluster French blue

Spring is the ‘classic’ time to start planning your decorating schemes, so please let me know if I can help. It’s time to have some fun!

Jacqueline x

It’s been a busy time in the studio, working towards a new collection of fabrics. It’s always an exciting time seeing the painted designs emerge as fabrics.

The patterns are now in their final stages of colour selection, although the darker evenings aren’t very helpful with this process because you really need natural light to see their true colours.
Choosing the colours is fun, but it’s also the part that I find most difficult. The temptation to add oodles of different colours is huge, but as a small, niche company, I can only bring you what I think are the most enticing choices.

My new collection will introduce a couple of new colours and in this photo, you can see my new raspberry shade. I’m very excited about this colour and I’m looking forward to using it in my own dining room.

If you’re not familiar with my design process, take a look at my short video which takes you behind the scenes in my studio.

There’s a definite shift in the seasons. The nights are cooler, seeds and fruits are starting to show in abundance, and the hues in the landscape are changing. Autumn is a season of exceptional beauty and we can look to nature for colour combinations that work perfectly together.

Highlights from Maison & Objet 2019 Design Fair are showing a trend for warm harmonies, such as mustards and burgundy.

Using warm yellow shades in the home boosts optimism and happiness, and they can be balanced with more subtle colours such as neutrals, greys and soft pinks.

Autumn is the perfect time of year to plan a room makeover. Planning a new look doesn’t have to be a large-scale project; it’s surprising how a few small changes like cushions can give the room a whole new feel.

I’m always happy to put fabric ideas together for you, so please get in touch if you would like some help.

Blue sky and summer flowers can’t help but lift the spirits.

I’ve put together some of our pretty fabrics to get you in the mood for Summer. They mix and match beautifully, just like the abundance of happy annuals in our gardens.

If you’re a little unsure about mixing patterns, try using my Pinstripe fabric. It’s a delicate hand painted stripe that’s almost a plain: perfect for co-ordinating with other fabrics. Our fabrics are also arranged by colour to help you with your selection.

I hope you’re enjoying the Summer.

Have you ever wondered how your furnishing fabrics start off?

I’ve had so much interest in my design process and curiosity about my studio, that I decided to commission a short video with the help of Jemma Cholawo. Between us, we made a short film to show the development of my designs and the inspiration behind my work.

When the day of filming arrived, I was feeling excited and a little apprehensive. As a designer, I’m happiest working quietly behind the scenes and so having to speak to the camera was a totally new experience for me. Funnily enough I’m not usually short of things to say until faced with a microphone! However, Jemma was great and soon put me at my ease.

Surprisingly for a short film, it took over half a day of filming. There was also a lot of pre-planning before the day of filming. I now understand why a film takes so long in the making, but it was a hugely interesting experience.

We had a lot of fun putting this together, and I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my world. Just click the image below to follow the link, or visit the studio tab.

When stylist Selina Lake contacted me about her forthcoming project, I was very excited to hear her plans. Selina explained she had been commissioned to style the Alitex greenhouses at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year. If you’re not familiar with their greenhouses, you must have a look, they are seriously stunning! Think National Trust and Kew.

Selina is well known for her botanical styling and was the perfect choice for the challenge. She explained how she planned to create a show stopping Floral Party inside the larger greenhouse and an entomology theme in the other greenhouse, hopefully highlighting the importance of bees and garden insects.

If you’re familiar with my work, my Field Study and Busy Bee designs were the perfect choice for the entomology theme. When Selina asked if my fabrics could be made up as cushions and used as part of the display, I was already reaching for the needle and thread.

Setting-to on my trusty old sewing machine I made the cushions, packed them up and sent them on their way. But things don’t always go smoothly behind the scenes and the cushions went missing. With deadlines looming, I thought the only thing to do was to make up more cushions. And with the help of our local courier, Knights Delivery, they were driven up personally on the same day; the cushions arrived on time!

After all Selina’s careful planning, the Alitex stand was awarded 5 stars form the show organisers. It’s such a boost for my small studio to have been a part of the display that captured the imagination of show judges and visitors alike. Here are some photos that will give you a flavor of the display.

You can read more about everyone involved in bringing together the 5 star award winning Alitex stand here.

Photos by Julia Currie Photography and Lorna Syson

I love the changing seasons, with each shift, nature delivers a new colour palette. And this is particularly noticeable with greens. Spring brings forth tender shoots of fresh lime green, followed by jewel-like vibrant greens and finally more subdued olive greens.
I have a shady corner in my garden, which has been established with plants grown especially for their different shades of green. I love how they all work seamlessly together. They are offset by neutrals such as a mossy stone bench, the warm grey bark of an old apple tree and a splash of white on some leaves and flowers.

Shades of green and neutrals are a joy to live with. They are calming, fresh and energising. Offset them against a neutral base, such as a stone, grey or white and enjoy the beauty of nature in your home.

These tasty biscuits are a great alternative to chocolate at Easter and easy to make with the children.

Ingredients
200g/8oz softened butter
150g/6oz caster sugar
2 egg yolks
400g/14oz plain flour
1 level tsp mixed spice
1 level tsp ground cinnamon
1 Lemon zest (optional, but I like it)
100g/4oz currants
2-4 tbsp milk (if required)
a little caster sugar, for sprinkling

Serves 12

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Lightly grease two baking trays lined with baking parchment.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the lemon zest (optional) and beat in the egg yolk.
5. Sieve in the flour, spices and currants and add milk (if necessary) to give a fairly stiff dough.
6. Roll out dough on a floured surface until 5mm/¼” thick.
7. Cut into rounds using a circular cutter (or shapes if you prefer).
8. Place on the prepared baking trays.
9. Gather together the off cuts and re roll to make further biscuits.
10. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10/12 minutes or until golden brown. My oven’s quite fierce, they all vary.
11. Sprinkle with extra caster sugar when still hot, then transfer to a wire tray to cool.
12. Or wait until cooled and decorate with icing.

If you don’t like currants, then just leave them out – you still get a delicious biscuit which could be decorated with icing instead.

I always think these make nice presents at Easter; you can package them up in cellophane, tie with a ribbon and decorate with Easter chicks or flowers.

Happy Easter! x