A Picnic in Autumn

As I look out of the studio on a grey and rainy day, I realize that this post might be somewhat ambitious. However when there is a break in the clouds, there is nothing better than being immersed in the glorious colours of Autumn. Everywhere I look in my unkept garden, there are plants that seem to glow. If the weather forecast decides to gift us a day of clear skies, I will be dragging my family on a picnic this half term.

Our tablecloths work beautifully as picnic blankets as the linen is very robust and you can chuck it in the washing machine and drier. However If you are an organised sort of person who has camping chairs I would definitely bring them as the ground will inevitably be sodden. Here are the other things I will be taking on my Autumn Picnic :

1.Flask of hot chocolate made with real chocolate, cream and a pinch of cinammon

2. Lots of blankets and maybe a hot water bottle,

3. A book or magazine.

4. Binoculars… the birds are busy making their nests and it is delightful to watch them to go about their work.

5. A pot of stew in a food flask and chunks of bread. to dip.

6. Playing cards or a dice. If the player throws a 6 they need to collect 6 different leaves or stones. Just make it up as you go along !

7. A small sketch book and some bright pastels if you fancy a doodle,

There is only a small window of time when Autumn is at it’s most spectacular and soon the trees will be silhouettes against winter skies. I hope everyone has a nice half term and gets to have a good kick about in those golden leaves,

Sophie xx

Cushion and Pillowcase in Granny Smith. Bolster in Rose Gingham. Ruffle Cushion in Liberty fabric ‘Ciara Metallic’. Fitted sheet made from Liberty fabric ‘Theresa Green’. Scallop quilt in Theresa Green.

Custom Orders at Poppy and Honesty

Here at Poppy and Honesty, we love making custom orders. Perhaps you need that tablecloth a few inches wider or have the biggest bed in the entire world which requires a huge quilt. We are here to help you find exactly what you need. All you have to do is email us with your exact requirements and we will send through a quote and timeframe.

Large Linen Tablecloth and Napkins in Granny Smith

The variety of bedding sizes across the world is staggering (and very frustrating to be honest). Please always check the dimensions before placing an order for bedding and if your size is not included on our website, we will make it for you. Similarly, if you see a product and would like an extra detail, we will try our hardest to accommodate your request.

Over the years, we have had some fabulous custom orders including kitting out an entire guest house and making bespoke napkins for a large wedding. Our clever seamstresses Kate, Christine and Bev have amazing sewing skills and many strings to their very talented bows. As a very small business we make many of our products to order and so we can easily make adjustments to suit your needs.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like a custom order. We would love to help create something special for you,

Happy October

Sophie xxx

Our handmade quilts in Liberty Fabric ‘Theresa’ can easily be adjusted to your dimensions.

Bolster Cushion in Granny Smith

Images : Dee Campling and The Wild Girl Cots.

Just a little sale

Our business model doesn’t usually allow for much of a sale. I say ‘business model’ in the loosest possible terms. Basically we only make up small quantities of items and most of our bedding is handmade to order. Working with a small amount of stock, allows us to keep the quality high and our UK seamstresses in good biscuits. We rarely offer wholesale as our profit margins are already narrow, meaning that you are actually getting what you paid for.

In order to make space in our studio for our Autumn range, we have got a little sale on our website. Snap up a pretty thing while they are still there. Here are some of our favourite sale pieces.

Cushion made from Liberty fabric ‘Paysanne Blossom’

Bedding set made from Liberty fabric ‘Theresa’

Tablecloth in Marmalade Linen

Quilt made from Liberty fabric Poppy and Daisy Blue

Cushion made from Liberty fabric ‘Theresa’

Hello Skirt - Our new linen valances

Dressing up your bed has been more fun with the addition of our gorgeous valances (also known as Bed Skirts and Dust Ruffles). Mix and match our patterned linens with Liberty fabrics or go for a single print for more minimalist aesthetic, We are launching valances in our wide stripe linen ‘Gelato’ as well as our perennial favourite “Seaside Stripe.

Valance made from Seaside Stripe Linen. Pillowcases, fitted sheet and duvet cover made from Liberty fabric ‘Paysanne Blossom’. Big Top Cushions and Ruffle Cushion made from Liberty Fabric Theresa.

As all our valances are handmade to order in our Cornish studio we are able to offer you a bespoke service. On our website, we offer a range of sizes from Single to Super King, however if your size isn’t listed we are able to make any size from our wide width linens. Similarly, our valances include a drop of 38 cms, if you would like this dimension altered, we can try and meet your requirements.

If you would like any assistance choosing patterns and fabrics, please send us an email and don’t forget allow 2-3 weeks for your order to be handmade.

Enjoy the sunshine,

Sophie x

Valance and Ruffle Cushions made from Gelato Linen. Pillowcases, duvet cover and fitted sheet in Wimbledon. Cushion made from Liberty fabric ‘Annabella’ with velvet ruffle.

Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside!

Poppy and Honesty is based in Falmouth, Cornwall on the far west coast of the UK. Our studio is a sail loft and I can see the waves lapping at the quay as I type this post. We receive so many messages asking us where we have a shop front or offer wholesale, however for the time being the only place that you will find our lovely products is by the sea here in Falmouth. We love to welcome visitors for a look around our studio, have a chat and a cup of tea. Please contact us for an appointment first (so that we can have a bit of a tidy up a bit and make sure we are actually here).

Photo : Sarah Jane Humphries

Falmouth is a vibrant town during all times of the year. In the summer the streets are crowded with pasty eating holiday makers or enthusiastic shanty singers, however for the rest of the year Falmouth hosts university students who bring creativity and fun to an otherwise sleepy town. My preference would be to avoid the crowds and visit Falmouth out of season. Here are some of my top recommendations,

Eating

Stones Bakery : The towns finest bread and pastries. Carb-load in their cosy cafe until 4pm.

Espressini : The all day breakfast menu is always creative and the coffee is superb.

Nude Canteen : For healthy poke bowls and not-too-naughty cakes head to Nude Canteen up on the Moor.

The Star and Garter : This pub has a gorgeous view over the harbour and serves food that is sourced locally for lunch and dinner. One of our favourites,

Shopping

Love and Honor : Beautifully curated homewares shop with treats from Amuse La Bouche and Casa Cubista. Marie Clare also pours her own candles and there are often beautiful bunches of flowers for sale outside.

Willow and Stone : If you are looking for a gift for a tricky person, this is the best place to go. They also have a fantastic range of front door furniture and their Christmas window always rivals those on Regents Street.

Bosuns Locket : This outdoorsy sailing shop for ruggedy types, offers high quality goods and I love their Scandinavian jumpers and backpacks.

Things to Do

The Poly : Our independent Arts Centre hosts local artists and regularly shows films and bands. The Poly Shop offers a gorgeous selection of handmade treasures by local artists.

The Cornish Bank : This vibrant venue is the place for fun in the evenings. As well as pop up food vendors, they host a range of bands and stand up artists.

Morgans : Art and Design gallery in a beautifully restored Georgian building. Stunning selection of contemporary art and ceramics from local craftspeople.

Obviously the best thing to do in Falmouth is walk along our beautiful harbour and discover the pretty coves. Please come and visit our Cornish town and say hello to us at our Sail Loft.

Sophie xx

From top to bottom.

Ruffle Cushion in Florence, Ruffle Cushion in Liberty Fabric Wiltshire and Ruffle Cushion in Granny Smith.

Dog Person : My love affair with a rogue spaniel

I wasn’t always a dog person. My eyes would inwardly roll when folks would swoon over their new doggie friends, sometimes even referring to themselves as the pooch’s Mama and Papa. Don’t get me wrong I liked dogs, but I couldn’t understand how and why they made their owners gush with babbling baby talk and impose their boring doggy requirements of walking, pooping and training on the already strained lives of busy families. Then in trotted Dotty, the naughtiest spaniel in the world and I completely changed my mind.

My Mum recently asked me why I liked the dog so much, to which I responded '‘because she’s so nice”. There is no rudeness, door slamming, passive aggression or tantrums; just a waggy tail and a willingness to please. She makes me get out and enjoy beautiful parts of the Cornish coast, providing much needed breathing space in the middle of my busy day. A GP and a psychiatrist have both independently told me that they wish that they could prescribe ‘dog’ to their patients. Not only do they impose routine and exercise on their owners but provide company to those amongst us who feel afraid and alone. I have to say that I have never felt lonely with the silky spaniel at my feet and those big doe eyed stares are the perfect antidote to stroppy teenagers and tax returns..

Of course doggy ownership is not without its challenges. The puppy phase nearly killed us and bad Dotty was sent off to boot camp/Borstal for 4 weeks intensive ‘correction’ (she only just graduated!). She destroyed the builders shoes, dug a hole in the sofa and would run away for hours, living it up chasing cats and raiding bins. Honestly there were so many times when I thought to myself that she would have to go.

Dotty has now given up being a badass, although she’s still partial to a sock and enjoys stealing sandwiches from toddlers as pastime. I am glad we persevered and can’t ever see myself without a canine friend for company; I guess that makes me a dog person after all.

Sophie xxx

PS. I really enjoyed ‘Everyone died so I got a dog’ by Emily Dean and ‘Lost Dog’ by Kate Spicer. In both of these brilliant memoirs ‘the dog’ is the steady, grounding and important element of the authors lives.

Spaniel (currently not for sale) Cushions in Liberty of London print Betsy and Capel.

Our Gatsby Inspired Photo Shoot

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” 
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

We all know there 'aint no party like a Gatsby party and this was the inspiration behind Poppy and Honesty's latest photoshoot. Our summer collection is all about sumptuous velvets and decadent tropical prints. Comfortable oversized cushions are finished with silk piping and tassels, the perfect spot for flappers, bounders and scoundrels to enjoy a glass of fizz. The hedonism of the roaring 1920's with its flawed characters and fast cars was the perfect setting for our luscious and over the top range of home accessories.

"I never care what I do, so I always have a good time. When I was here last I tore my gown on a chair, and he asked me my name and address – inside of a week I got a package from Croirier's with a new evening gown in it." Lucille in F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby.

Extra Large Cushion in Liberty Print Palm Paradise with pink piping and grey velvet. Extra Large Cushion in Rifle Paper 'Monstera' with pink piping and green velvet. 

Velvet and Tropical Print Cushions available now. Grey Velvet Strawberry Thief Quilt available September

Reversible ottoman in green and pink velvet piped in Liberty Print 'Palm Paradise"

Small cushion in Liberty Print Palm Paradise with green velvet and pink tassel.

We would like to thank Potager Garden for the use of their stunning greenhouse. Please do check out this wonderful cafe and setting on your next trip to Cornwall. Beautiful images taken by Laura Bailey Photography. We are very  grateful to Willow and Stone and Ludgate House Antiques for the loan of precious pieces to use as props in our photo shoot.

What are you reading this summer ?

I am an emphatic reader. In fact I would go so far as to say that I am not happy unless there is a good book by my bed. Fiction is a wonderful escape and respite from reality and getting stuck into someone else's story gives me new perspective on my own. Matt Haig puts it perfectly in his latest book Notes On Nervous Planet.

Reading isn't important because it helps you get a job. It's important because it gives you room to exist beyond the reality you're given. How minds connect. Dreams. Empathy. Understanding. Escape. 

Summer books often imply suncream stained Jackie Collins' novels. Whilst I am very partial to a little Rupert Campbell Black, these are my top 5 reads for the sunshine. Take with Mr Whippy and icy cold beers. 

Velvet and tropical print cushions available here. 

Bonjour Tristesse by Francois Sagan. When I read this I felt like I was having a long languid siesta in the South of France.  Totally French and absolutely immoral, you'll feel the scorch at the heart of this story.  

Heartburn by Norah Ephron. Protagonist Rachel feels like your best friend and who better to take on holiday?  She's wonderfully witty and acerbic, you'll have a great time together. 

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald.  Scandal and wild summer parties doing the Charleston in Jay Gatsby's mansion? Yes please.  Make mine a Long Island Ice Tea. 

Instructions For A Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell. The tension amongst this dysfunctional family will make you feel so much better about your travelling group. It's also a lovely tangled tale of family relationships.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. An excellent travelling companion. David Sedaris will charm your socks off with his outrageously funny stories of family and living in France. 

I'm sure that you have got many books that I could add to my list. I'd love to know your suggestions. 

Love

Sophie xx

Velvet and tropical print cushions available here. 

Hello Spring Summer 2018

Hello blog-cats, I am sorry its been so long ! We've been so busy developing Poppy and Honesty that I have neglected you like a bad boyfriend. It's been a bonkers few months that has seen the construction of our new studio and expansion of the team to included marvellous Carol and Karen. The studio (glorified shed) is a fantastic 6 steps commute from my front door and whilst its not to proper designer spec, its a darn site better than working at the kitchen table. Also, your orders are far less likely to get dropped into the butter. It's hard to be professional when sharing workspaces with kids, a mad dog and a diy enthusiast. I confess to once including a piece of lego in a  customer's order.

We are now a fabulous team of 4 local crafts people based in Cornwall. Everyone works flexibly in their own time and space to bring our beautiful products to life. We have just launched our Spring Summer Collection 2018 which brings together some delightful prints from Liberty of London to create magical unisex bedding and homewares for children.

Bedding in Liberty Print 'Doe A Deer'

'Doe A Deer' is one of this season's heroes from Liberty's 'Alpine Symphony' collection. We fell in love with the gentle cartoon style illustrations and the secret scenes of animals in the woods. Reminiscent of early cartoons such as 'Bambi,' we think your little people will adore finding all the wonderful characters including rustling hedgehogs and pretty bluebirds riding deer.

Bedding in Liberty Print "Sky High'

Sky High' is another favourite of ours from the our new season. Part of Liberty of London's ' Pocket Full of Memories' collection, it is beautifully illustrated with early inventions of flight. The print reminded us immediately of Atticus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang bang with his wonderful car. 'Sky High' features so much detail including shooting stars, a random pair of binoculars and exploding rockets, perfect for little explorers.  Furthermore, the colour pallet is really gorgeous and includes a strong mustard yellow, which is so popular with contemporary interior design. 

We hope that you enjoy our Spring/ Summer 2018 collection. It has been an absolute pleasure to work on. As I've ranted and rambled on in previous blog posts, I do tire of children's design being specifically 'girly or boyish ' in a very homogenous unicorn or tractor way. We understand that not all your girls want flowers and not all your boys want trains. Hopefully this gorgeous Liberty print interiors collection will be just the ticket.

Thankyou all so much for your support. We'd love to hear your feedback.

Sophie xx

Check out the full collection here. 

Festivalling with the little moppets

Not been to a festival since your free and single days in the 90's? Neither had I. Let me tell you, taking the kids is a whole different ball game. I'm no Edith Bowman, but I have talked to my family festy friends and we've come up with some tips....

The Tent

Back in the day, you were all too pissed to get the tent up, so you slept underneath the ground sheet and it was surprisingly comfortable. We are terrible campers but the only camp craft you need at a festival is to be able to put the tent up. To avoid divorce proceedings, attempt this at home first and put it up immediately on arrival at the festival. As everyone has bought the same tent on sale at Halfords, it's a good idea to put a up a flag or something bright so you can find your tent again and the kids don't get too lost.

Food

Unlike Reading in the 90's when you lived off fags, booze and the occasional Ginsters pasty, you are going to need some real food this time around. Many of the family festivals have fancy schmancy food outlets (Fortnums at Port Eliot this year). Buying the kids aged-venison and gruyure waffles may feel like setting fire to your hard earned cash. As most festy meals cost around £8, we recommend packing a cool bag of rice cakes, peanut butter, muesli bars or whatever will keep your kids going, without having to partake in any camp craft cooking.

Sleep

The main flaw in family festivals is that the party doesn't stop until the wee hours and yet the kids are still up with the sun. Tip from the mama ravers, ear plugs for you so that you can get some kip, eye masks for the kids (put these on them after they have gone to sleep) and all the coffee in the entire world.

Planning

There's a lot of stuff for the precious moppets to do at family festivals. Some of it is free and some of it you have to pay for. To avoid meltdowns and being totally skint, look at the program with the kids beforehand and agree on a couple of things a day. You may need to book into workshops in advance.

Tired Little Leggies

It's often a long way between the different stages at festivals. Little leggies may benefit from a good robust buggy or a cart that can be rented from most festivals. You will inevitably end up carrying them at some point as well as lugging around the buggy/cart.

Other things you may want to bring along are loads of baby wipes (festival shower), head torches and ear defenders (even though our children make more noise than a death metal band).

Poppy and Honesty are going to be at Port Eliot Festival this year running workshops for big and little people. Please come and say hello and make yourself some Liberty Print Headgear.

Best tip of all, have tonnes of fun ..

Love

Sophie xxx

Liberty Print Cushions from £22