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

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

Bring the sunshine into your home

Even though it feels like there are at least 10 weeks in January, the days are getting longer and nature is on the move. I can’t resist big bunches of daffodils with their cheerful trumpets heralding the start of a new season. If like me, you are impatient for spring, we have lots of beautiful fabrics here at Poppy and Honesty in mood enhancing colours of bright yellow and orange.

In colour therapy, yellow is believed to bring happiness and freedom. Used in large doses, bright yellow might be considered overwhelming but adding a cushion, a bedding set or tablecloth in our zesty linen ‘Penzance’ might just give you a little va va voom ! Mix your bedding up with some pillowcases in Felicite and Capel and bring in the joy.

Ruffle Sheet in Penzance Linen. Tablecloth in Penzance. Bedding Set in Penzance. Lumbar cushion in Penzance. Photo Credits ; Goodrest Studios and Dee Campling,

We do have a limited number of tablecloths and napkins in our Marmalade Linen. Off-set against a pale blue background this jumbo check is full of cheer and Vitamin C. Please be quick, as our Marmalade Linens are in hot demand.

Photo : Dee Campling

Tablecloth in Marmalade