Our beautiful new linen 'Granny Smith'

We are so thrilled to bring you our beautiful Autumn collection which includes a new linen we have named ‘Granny Smith’. Designed by Poppy and Honesty, ‘Granny Smith’ is the perfect shade of warm green just like the apple. The classic check sits against a neutral background giving the fabric a nostalgic country style. Apples are everywhere at this time of year from crumbles to windfalls and toffee apples on the 5th November. We think that this fabric will bring, warmth, charm and texture to your home.

Not only is our linen beautiful but it is also very sustainable choice for bedding. As the flax is grown in the fertile soils of Northern Europe, it requires very little water and virtually no fertilizers or pesticides. Flax as a crop retains a huge amount of C02 (3,7 tonnes per hectare) and every part of the plant is used for making linen as well as linseed oil, food for livestock and soap. Linen is a very absorbent fabric requiring very little dye for colouring and is completely biodegradable.

Linen Bedding Set inn Granny Smith. Valance in Granny Smith. Storage bag and bolster in Granny Smith.

There are so many ways to style our beautiful linen bedding in Granny Smith. We would recommend combining it with Liberty fabric pieces including pillowcases and duvet covers in Theresa Green, Ciara Metallic and Ciara Pale Green. However as shown in some of the images, our gorgeous green checked linen looks perfect all by itself. Similarly, your dining table will look stunning dressed from head to toe in our gorgeous green check, at the same time, you could add some napkins in ‘Florence’ or ‘Rose Gingham’ for contrast.

We hope you enjoy Poppy and Honesty’s Autumn Collection. Dee Campling and Ness have created some magical images that will hopefully inspire you to create little areas of delight in your home.

Sending virtual hot chocolate on these cooler evenings

Sophie x

Large Linen Tablecloth in Granny Smith. Matching napkins in Granny Smith and Rose Gingham,

Make hay while the sun shines

The official date of the Autumn Equinox is Sunday 22nd September. Therefore we have 30 more official days of summer to go ! I know we have to deal with all the back to school stuff and it will possibly rain but there are a few things that we can do to maximise the longer, lighter days.

1. Eat ice lollies in the garden. My nostalgic ‘go to’ from the newsagent freezer is the Tongue Twister.

2. Go for a walk past 4pm and listen to the birds chirruping their little hearts out as they start to make their winter homes.

3. Plan a memorable picnic.

4. Go for a low tide beach comb. The sea is as warm as it ever will be and there is often a treasure trove of scallops, jelly fish and funky sea weed strewn along the shore.

5. Pick blackberries and make a crumble if there are any left by the time you get home.

6. Continue to delight in affogatos and iced coffee.

7. Grab a bunch of dahlia’s from your farm shop.

8. Go for an after work swim in the river or sea.

9. Get a pedicure. Even when your feet are stuffed back into socks, you’ll know that they’re pretty.

Make hay while the sun shines as before we know it we will be plunged into dark afternoons and wearing wellies. What are your favourite nostalgic summer activities and how will you embrace them before full crumble/stew season commences?

Sophie

Tablecloth and Napkins in Seaside Stripe Linen.

Photo ; Charlotte Jacklin

Bring back the postcard

Alongside letter writing, we have seen the steady decline of the postcard over the years. These days we prefer to send a lovely filtered photo of our destination and ping it around the world for all to see within seconds via Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook etc. Unsurprisingly Britain’s oldest postcard publisher. J Salmon shut its 140-year-old operations in 2021 due to declining sales. Such as shame since these little sun cream smudged notes hold so much significance and remind us of people that we love.

When my best friend died ten years ago, I was clung to tangible things that made me feel connected to her. These included a small stash of birthday cards and I was very sad when our text messages perished alongside my old phone. If you have experience cleaning out the home of an elderly relative, you can piece parts of their together through letters and postcards with their dates and stamps. Even a few words scribbled on the back of an overexposed sunset, form part of a paper trail and a legacy.

Over the years I have tried and failed to write postcards. This is a particularly excellent rainy day activity or something to do with children when waiting for a meal. The tricky part of completing this task is having a pen, buying stamps and finding a post box. I would suggest getting the stamps, novelty pen and postcards on the same day. There is usually a post box at the airport and it really doesn’t matter if you get home before the card arrives.

It makes me a bit upset to think that all my memories, photo’s and correspondence are stored in the cloud and probably being used to suggest weight loss programs, cruises and funeral plans amongst other things. This year, I am going to attempt to write, because there’s nothing like that dog eared postcard that constantly falls off the fridge and reminds you of someone.

Sophie x

Tablecloth in Wimbledon Linen

Hot Cross Fun

Even though they have been winking at us in Tescos since January 1st, we are officially in hot cross bun territory, Ready for a bun fight? I am a hot cross bun diva…. they needs to be sticky, spicy, pufty and round with dried fruit ONLY. Hybrids such as choc chips, saffron and cheddar are a hard NO in this house.

Having such high hot cross bun standards, I have been experimenting with recipes and have found that this particular one from the Orange Bakery ticks all the boxes. I have made a few tweaks (such as using a spoon for applying the crosses because I can’t be bothered to mess around with a piping bag).

ingredients:

• 500g bread flour

• 100g caster sugar

• 1x heaped tsp of salt

• 2x sachets of yeast (14 grams)

• 2x tsp of cinnamon

• Zest of an orange.

• 1x egg

• 60g of unsalted butter

• 250ml of milk

• 200g of sultanas

Cross ingredients:

• 100g of flour

• 120ml of water

Glaze ingredients:

• 50g of marmalade

• 50ml of milk

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200° C

2. Melt 60g of butter in a pan or in the microwave. Leave to cool.

3. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and crack your egg into it. Then add the cooled butter and room temperature milk. Next, either knead the mixture by hand for 7 minutes or use the beater attachment on a mixer to knead the mixture for 4 minutes. Once the bun mixture is smooth and slightly stretchy put it back in the bowl, place a damp tea towel or cling film over the top and leave in a warm place for 1 hour to prove.

4. Whilst your mixture is proving place 200g of sultanas and the cinnamon a mixing bowl. Pour over enough hot water from your kettle to cover all of the sultanas. Soak for 10 mins - 1 hour until the sultanas have soaked up some of the liquid.

5. Once ready, pour the sultanas into a sieve to drain all the remaining liquid out.

6. Your bun dough should have risen a small amount by now, knock it back by punching it down and add the sultanas. You can either incorporate the sultanas by kneading them in, using the dough hook on your mixer or just diving in with your hands (Kitty's personal favourite!). Once the sultanas are fully mixed into the dough, cover it again with a damp tea towel or cling film and place in a cosy warm area. Prove for 1 - 2 hours.

7. The dough should bounce back when prodded after the it's been proved. Tip the bun dough onto a floured surface and cut into 12 balls (roughly 100g each). Line a baking tray with baking parchment, place each ball quite close together, cover again with either a damp tea towel or cling film and prove one final time for 40-60 mins.

8. Stir 100g of flour and 120ml of water together in a pot until smooth. Using a knife of a teaspoon, spread the mixture over the buns to make a cross.

9. Place the buns in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

10. Once the buns are out and have cooled, place the marmalade and milk in a saucepan and heat until the mixture is combined.

11. With a brush, glaze each bun with the marmalade and milk mixture.

These buns make the whole house smell gorgeous and are well worth the effort. Thanks to Kitty Tait and her wonderful book Breadsong for the inspiration.

Happy Easter from Poppy and Honesty

Sophie x

Tablecloth and Napkins in Penzance Linen

Some books I have enjoyed in January

Hooray we got through January and little signs of spring are emerging everywhere. I thought I would share with you some of the books that I have particularly enjoyed reading. Short days are long nights offer the perfect opportunity to dive into a story, particularly if the setting is less muddy and provides a more interesting narrative to your current reality!

That Bone Setter Woman by Frances Quinn

This is literally a cracking historical novel about a girl who is desperate to become a bonesetter in Georgian London. Bonesetters were a form of early chiropractor who would set broken or dislocated bones. The characters are great and I particularly liked the feisty main protagonist Durie and her challenge to pursue what was considered to be a male only occupation. The way that Durie takes on the ranks of snotty London doctors is excellent.

Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout

I have to ration books written by Elizabeth Strout because i love her writing so much. She captures the human experience with such immaculate detail and perception. This particular book tells the story of Lucy, who flees New York during the pandemic to live on the coast in Maine. She ‘bubble’s up’ with her ex-husband William and the story looks in detail at the practices that became habit during the pandemic (which in hindsight seem utterly ridiculous and unimaginable). The narrative also follows the characters as they respond to the Black Lives Matter protests and the storming of the Capitol in 2021. This is a great book.

Breadsong by Kitty and Al Tait

This is a brilliant book about baking bread and recovery. Not only is it full of excellent recipes but it tells Kitty’s inspiring story. Aged 14, Kitty suffers from the most debilitating mental breakdown, with the help of her wonderful Dad Al, she slowly develops an interest in baking bread and starts to heal. Taking small steps, Kitty and her family establish a bakery in their local village, We have really enjoyed trying out the recipes which are brilliant (Miracle Dough, Foccacia, Bagels and Chelsea Buns) and learning about this courageous young women and her amazing family.

The Daiai Lama’s Cat by David Michie

I have only just started listening to this audio book but I have to tell you about it because it is a GIFT. Each chapter of the audio book looks at the teachings of Buddhism through the eyes of HOH (His Holiness’ Cat). As such, what would otherwise be quite a heavy subject becomes fun and more digestible. With buckets of self deprecating humour, the cat applies Buddhist teachings to her own experiences of over eating, jealousy, flirting and fur balls as well as giving us fascinating insights into life at the Dalai Lama’s residence.

Please tell me what you are reading so we can fill February with fun and interesting books. Enjoy the daffodils and listen out for the woodpecker.

Love

Sophie x

Selection of cushions and quilts from Poppy and Honesty. Handmade in Cornwall.

Ruffle Cushion in Liberty Fabric Capel.

Big Top Cushion in Green

Small Scallop Quilt in Liberty Fabric ‘Poppy and Daisy’

Small Scallop Quilt in Liberty Fabrc ‘Annabella’

Shop Early and Shop Small

According to everywhere, Christmas is on. As someone who won’t put up the tree until mid December and is likely to punch a box of mince pies if Maria Carey sings in the supermarket before next month, the prospect of Christmas shopping seems very premature. However if you are planning to support small independent brands it is important to get ahead with gathering your Christmas haul.

Small shops like Poppy and Honesty don’t have the capacity to stock all of their products as many of these are handmade to order. We offer such a huge range of sizes, that we ask our customers to allow 2-3 weeks for bedding sets and quilts to be handmade. Other small retailers will need longer lead times as they will possibly need to source materials to make your beautiful orders

The joy of shopping from small businesses is that there is no big guy in a shiny office taking a handsome cut from profits. Therefore your hard earned cash is more likely to be reflected in the quality of the product and will find its way more easily into the pockets of makers and small business owners. Think of it this way, your Christmas pounds could be paying for someone’s ballet lessons, school holiday, electric bill or even turkey!

I am absolutely no expert in economics but including shopping from small brands when you are gathering your Christmas loot seems like a pretty good idea. Over the next few weeks, I will be creating some mini directories of my favourite small businesses. If you have any suggestions, it would be lovely if you could add them to the comments below.

Happy November

Sophie

Quilt in Liberty Fabric ‘Ciara’

Duvet Cover in Liberty fabric ‘Poppy Forest’

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.

Things you can do for someone feeling sad.

The best thing we can do to mark World Mental Health Day is to look after each other even more carefully. It's not easy to know what to say or do for someone who is experiencing a mental shit storm, but staying schtum and keeping our distance can leave folk feeling more isolated and crazy. After my second child I had crippling depression, anxiety and a stint at a MBU (Mother Baby Unit). Obviously, everyone is different but here are some suggestions to help you support someone who needs a friend.

Just be there

You don't need to offer up advice or conspicuously try and cheer your pal up  Pointing out all the jolly marvellous things in their lives may well make them feel even worse as sufferers of depression frequently feel guilty or inadequate for not being able to 'see' the good stuff. Instead try and accept that this is shit for your friend. Look them in the eye, tell them that you are there for them and that you will get through this together. 

Good Food

There is nothing wrong with polishing off packets of biscuits and drinking all the wine, however good nutrition is an important part of recovery. I used to forget to eat ( very hard to believe these days).  Bringing over good home cooked food or going out for a meal will help your friend feel better. Comfort food is comforting.  

Get out

I am not suggesting that you plan a schedule of activities in the manner of Heidi Hi.  However follow your friends lead, if she suggests going to the park, go. Other activities you may like to suggest include a feel good movie, a cuppa in a nice cafe or a rummage in a cool shop. Your friend may feel anxious about crowds or groups of people, therefore gentle activities that ease isolation are best. 

Do nice things

A mental health nurse once told me that one way of reversing the cycle of depression is simply to do nice things.  Therefore it may be helpful if you could do some of the boring chores that will enable your friend to do things that she/ he enjoyed before they felt so bad. Offer to take out the bins, do some laundry or tidy up. Jobs can seem very overwhelming to someone feeling unwell. 

Nature and Exercise

Both of the above have been known to ease depression and anxiety but it can be difficult to get motivated and easier to stay home and feel sad. Breathe some fresh air together and suggest a walk or bike ride. Being outside and around nature can be very calming to a shouty mind. 

Check In

You don't have to commit hours of time to supporting your friend. Short regular bursts of contact will make them feel supported and loved. Remember that you aren't their doctor or counsellor and point them in the right direction for professional help.

It's all gone a bit Dr. Phil here but mental health illnesses are horrible, stigmatising and debilitating.  It's amazing how a small kind gesture can make a difference and I really feel that little cups of tea and outings with my girl gang helped me to recover.

I had better sign off now before I get too cheesy and start quoting the lyrics to Heal the World. 

Love

Sophie xox

Poppy and Honesty are proud to be partners with Lobella Loves, a beautifully curated website that makes a donation to maternal mental health charities with every purchase made. Head on over to their pretty pages.