I was having a conversation with somebody recently about the different techniques we use in sewing clothes. So I began to make a list. I'm not talking about the basics like laying out a pattern, cutting, simple darts. They are important for sure, but I'm more...
This is an ongoing post, and I'll update it as I go The 2026 wardrobe contest organised by Sewing Pattern Review is the perfect opportunity for me to use up my (huge) stash and also to sew a new wardrobe after big weight loss over the last 12 months. I also need to...
..through the medium of Vintage Sewing Patterns. I discovered this classic deep in my stash recently. Apparently I was a size 12 back when I was 18 years old and sewed this the last time. I loved this pattern, especially the jacket which was so cool. I made it from a...
Infographic from this blog: now on my fridge http://blog.rjzaworski.com/2011/12/illustrated-guide-to-sourdough/
I’ve been shopping for plants at Farmer Gracy for the great garden redesign of 2025.
These arrived today and are now potted up, parked in the greenhouse and doing their thing while I get the borders ready.
Photos and descriptions from the Farmer Gracy website
One Phlomis ‘Bronze Flamingo’
Drought-tolerant and happy in poorer soils, it thrives in sun-drenched spots and requires little maintenance beyond the occasional tidy-up. Even when the flowering season is over, its seed heads provide sculptural interest through autumn and winter.
This perennial is also a magnet for pollinators, ensuring bees and butterflies flock to its blooms throughout summer.
Gauria Lindheimeri
Also known as Lindheimer’s beeblossom, it produces whirling blooms loved by bees and butterflies, on stems that can range from 40cm-1.2m in height.
The main flower blast is in early summer, but you can expect further flushes to keep recurring well into autumn.
Grow Gaura lindheimeri (or Oenothera lindheimeri) in a free-draining soil, in a sunny, sheltered spot, and it will keep coming back, year after year.
Geranium ‘Samobor’
A tough perennial that grows happily in various conditions—shade, sun, dry, damp, clay, sandy soil—but it flowers its socks off through late spring and early summer, attracting pollinators with its dusky display of dark purple, nectar-rich flowers. With minimal effort, you’ll be treated to an elegant show of blooms on upright stems which wave in the breeze every year.
Dahlia Cafe au Lait
Creamy pinkish coffee coloured dahlia with huge flower heads.
One I’ve lost in the past – let’s see if this one lasts a bit longer
I’ve also planted up three Eremerus Cleopatra, a lovely soft orange, and three Erysimum ‘Winter Sorbet’, all from Sarah Raven
I was having a conversation with somebody recently about the different techniques we use in sewing clothes. So I began to make a list. I'm not talking about the basics like laying out a pattern, cutting, simple darts. They are important for sure, but I'm more...
This is an ongoing post, and I'll update it as I go The 2026 wardrobe contest organised by Sewing Pattern Review is the perfect opportunity for me to use up my (huge) stash and also to sew a new wardrobe after big weight loss over the last 12 months. I also need to...
..through the medium of Vintage Sewing Patterns. I discovered this classic deep in my stash recently. Apparently I was a size 12 back when I was 18 years old and sewed this the last time. I loved this pattern, especially the jacket which was so cool. I made it from a...
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