Poppy and Honesty's Little Gift Guide

Meaningful gifts are hard to choose. Thinking about a present that will give joy to one person may end up in the charity box of another recipient. I particularly enjoy giving experiences but these can be sometimes be hard to organize. Here in our little Poppy and Honesty studio, we have some gorgeous things that when given some thought, might just be the perfect little handmade treasure for your loved ones this Christmas.

Ruffle Pouch in Seaside Stripe.

The Ruffle Pouch

These beautiful pouches are handmade from linen and lined with a contrasting floral Liberty fabric. We have finished the pouches with a small frill and added a brass zip. As someone who is always rummaging around in a big bag, I think these pouches are supremely useful. Instead of emptying the contents of your bag onto the car boot to find your car keys, you simply pull out your pouch which contains the essentials and not the dog-poo bags, snack wrappers or something worse.

You can add little things to the pouch like a favourite chocolate bar or a nice lippy. I plan to print out some photos from the year and put them inside with a few little treats for a couple of friends. The ruffle pouches are a generous size, so they are practical enough to fit a small tablet, book, kindle, wallet and other things too.

The Pillowcase

Bedding is extremely personal. Some people want their bedrooms to be neutral sanctuaries with natural colours and textures, whereas others want bold pattern and more drama. We have such a wide variety of pillowcases which you can easily mix and match. For a very neutral colour scheme, our linen pillowcases in Florence will add warmth and texture with their pretty terracotta and olive stripe. For more maximalist friends, they might enjoy a couple of bright pillowcases in Liberty fabrics ‘Betsy Pink’ and ‘Thorpe Green’. Finally for your more traditional recipients you cannot go wrong with delicate floral pillowcases in Liberty fabrics ‘Poppy and Daisy’ Blue or ‘Felicite’. Please note that all our pillowcases are available to purchase individually or as a pair of two.

From top to bottom:

Pillowcase in Liberty fabric ‘Capel’, ‘Wiltshire’ and Marmalade Linen.

The Cushion

Everyone loves a new cushion. Whether it’s for a lonely armchair or to compliment an existing collection on the sofa. Think about your recipient and their favourite colours. Lots of people have a dark blue sofa which would suit our Ciara cushion perfectly. Our velvet cushion in Capel will look wonderful on an armchair of similar Autumnal tones (orange, green, rust). In many homes you will find grey neutral furniture, throw in a cushion in Thorpe with a stripy trim to add some seasonal joy. Remember, cushions do not have permanent homes and often need to be thrown around until they find just the right spot.

Velvet Ruffle Cushion ‘Capel’

Please remember to shop from small, independent brands this Black Friday Weekend and have fun choosing some special, well thought out presents.

Love

Sophie x

Motherhood doesnt make you a super hero - being a magnificent woman does

Mothers’ Day is fast approaching and whilst this is a happy, stress-free event for me, I understand that it can be very difficult and problematic for other women. Mothers’ Day must be excruciating for those who have experienced loss or were unable to have children; or for women grieving their own mothers or poorly parented childhoods. However, for women who have chosen to be child free, Mothers’ Day must feel like a rather exclusive party to which they weren’t invited.

Despite the fact that in this day and age women achieve the most incredible things, reproduction is still frequently considered to be the most life changing and rewarding event in a woman’s life. Whilst I adore being a mother and holding those little precious bundles in my arms was indeed life changing and amazing, I think it’s naive and almost verging on arrogant to consider this experience the ‘pinnacle of life’ for every woman. There is no one-way route for happiness and fufillment, just look at Dolly Parton and Oprah (two amongst many fabulous, child-free women).

There is a widely felt assumption that motherhood generates more empathy, compassion and ultimately makes you more evolved as a human being. In light of the number of cases of neglected and abused children, this notion is frankly absurd (Remember Rose West?). Conversely, this prevailing generalization suggests that child- free women have less empathy. I have to say that the fabulous women I know, who have chosen not to have children, are just as insightful and fully briefed on life, as those who know that pain of staying up all night with a teething infant. It was once suggested that Teresa May was less qualified to act as Prime Minister as she had chosen not to have children. I’m not entirely sure how wrangling toddlers makes you any better prepared to negociate a flailing Brexit Deal but I might be wrong there!!

Motherhood can often be exclusive. I have heard of so many cases where mothers have dropped their child- free friends because ‘they don’t understand.’ This is a mistake; for they can bring news on the outside world and a fresh perspective on your potty training woes. (I have to confess a tiny part of me was selfishly disappointed when my long term child-free friend announced her pregnancy: who would provide that great big dose of reality and potty free discussion?) The thing is, motherhood can be divisive and it’s hard to smash the patriachy when there is so much infighting; so let’s just agree that all women are different and equally magnificent.

To the Mothers; I wish you a Happy Mothers Day. (I, for one will be milking it for all it’s worth). To my child-free pals, thanks for all your support, I bloody love you. And for the love of God, can we all leave Jennifer Aniston alone, she’s not having a baby and allegedly she’s cool with that!

Sophie xxxx

Bedding in Liberty Print ‘Wild Flowers’

Planning prettiness : Poppy and Honesty Spring/ Summer 2020.

My imposter syndrome runs far too deep to describe myself as a designer. In my mind, this title refers to the couturiers of high fashion and creators of amphibious cars (yes they exist) and hover boards (it wont be long). I find pretty fabrics and put them together to make them look even prettier.

When I begin to plan a new collection, I think about it in the same way as interior design : How do I want it to feel? For our winter collection, I wanted to create the feeling of being warm, cosy and cocooning and I hoped to achieve this by using rich earthy colours and textures such as crumpled linen and velvet. In contrast, I wanted our latest collection to feel easy- breezy, fun and fresh by using stripes, florals and ginghams, like a candy coloured pick and mix.

Bedding in Suzy Stripe

Suzy Stripe

Suzy Stripe reminded me of the seaside and as a Cornish based business we just had to include it into our collection : it’s pastel stripes are reminiscent of beach huts, deck chairs and sticks of rock. Suzy Stripe has a classic vintage feel which combines perfectly with our floral prints. Lumbar cushions, pillowcases, bedding sets and fitted sheets are all available in Suzy Stripe.

Penzance

Distinguished by it’s checkered pattern, gingham conjures up memories of summer school uniforms, Dorothy from Oz and classic table cloths. With its timeless charm, I though ‘Penzance’ would sit well amongst the nostalgic Liberty of London floral prints in our collection. The vibrant mustard and white check is fresh, fun and full of sunshine. Pillowcases and fitted sheets are currently available in Penzance.

Pillowcases in Penzance, Suzy Stripe, Capel and Felicite

Felicite

The delicate rose trail pattern was designed for Liberty of London in 1933. ‘Felicite’ is part of the Liberty Classics Collection in 1979 which included re- worked and re-coloured interpretations of Liberty’s most iconic prints. With its tones of peach, orange and lemon, this particular version of Felicite felt perfect for our summer collection. Pillowcases, bedding sets and fitted sheets are currently available in Liberty of London Tana Lawn cotton ‘Felicite.’

Betsy in Pink

Also part of the Liberty Classic’s Collection,’ Betsy’is a well known icon from the Liberty of London archive. This beautiful re-worked and re-coloured print was launched in 2019 in a soft pallet of rose pinks and sage green. As it is available in a linen base, we felt it would be the perfect print for our day bed mattresses. Bedding sets, pillowcases and fitted sheets are also available in Liberty of London Tana Lawn Cotton ‘Betsy’ in pink.

Duvet cover in Betsy Pink and Capel Mustard (coming soon).

As I work alone for much of the time, I am always so very grateful for your feedback. I find it incredibly difficult to be thinking a season ahead, at this time of year I want to wrap myself in sheepskins, drink cocoa and cover the house in fairy lights. Whenever spring decides to make an appearance, Poppy and Honesty is ready and waiting with an array of stripy, gingham and floral gorgeousness.

Sophie xx

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.

Meet The Maker - Eddie and Bee

As part of March Meet The Maker month, Poppy and Honesty is celebrating some of our favourite crafty businesses.  We can testify that all the makers (movers and shakers) featured here, have excellent products and come highly recommended. These blog post give you a little window into the livelihoods of small business owners. Frequently they are mothers working at kitchen tables, snatching a moment to make something beautiful and some much needed dosh. Small businesses frequently offer women the opportunity to work flexibly at home as other professional doors are sadly closed to them after having a family. Although your goodies may not arrive at the click of your Amazon prime fingers, small businesses offer a much more personal service, a better product and you will in fact get more bang for your buck. 

Today we meet  Jo, the life force behind Eddie and Bee, a beautiful handmade children's clothes company based near Winchester.  Eddie and Bee is also part of the Lobella Loves platform, a website that makes donations to mental health charities with every purchase made. 

T

Eddie and Bee Cotton Organic Leggings in Enchanted Unicorns

Growing up I always knew what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a fashion designer and I wanted to train at Central Saint Martins, because that’s where John Galliano and Hussein Chalayan studied. So I did. I studied women's wear fashion design and then went on to work a design and production assistant. 

Eddie and Bee Embroidered Frieda Dress

The reality of being a designer was very different to the 3 years of creativity I experienced when training ( and I fell in love and followed my now husband to the south coast) so I left London to become an Early years teacher.

What sets our clothes apart are the carefully selected unique prints and high quality natural fabrics and simple design.I make sure that all of our leggings are made from organic cotton jersey and use low impact dyes. All of our other fabrics are sourced from a high quality producer of Japanese printed fabric and are printed in small volumes which adds to the rarity and uniqueness of the fabric and helps to distinguish our clothing from mass market, high volume competitor. 

I know I speak for makers everywhere when I say that every time you guys place an order , we have a little flutter and a new spring in our step.

Thank you

Sophie xxx

Fairy Tale

Talented stylist Selena Mitchell from Iggy Mint London created a beautiful fairy tale photo shoot for Poppy and Honesty. The photographs include our bespoke quilt in Liberty of London classic print 'Betsy' with the softest washed linen and a pom pom trim. We hope you enjoy this dreamy series of fairytale images. 

Handmade Liberty Print Moon : Just Acorn

Handmade Lamb : Just Acorn

Canopy : Sebra Interior Furniture : Habitat Cuddly Hippo Jelly Cat  Handmade dolls and Liberty Print Moon  : Just Acorn Bespoke quilt and cushion : Poppy and Honesty

Photography and Styling : Iggy Mint London

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. 

BESPOKEY DOKEY

Here at Poppy and Honesty HQ we love to work on your weird and wonderful bespoke orders. Much of our current range has actually been inspired by your requests, it seems that our customers have impeccable style and taste. Sometimes you guys just want something we already have in a bigger, smaller, canine or dolly version.. At other times you'd like a current design in a different fabric.  We will hunt through the Liberty of London archives and all 4 corners of the world for a swatch and send this to you to help with your decisions and conundrums. 

Sometimes our customers come to us with the starting point of a paint colour, an antique or style. In consultation with you we will source fabrics and develop a design in order to create a piece that is completely unique and fit for your purpose. It is always fantastic to watch ideas unfold and sometimes we end up going full circle and working on something completely different. Projects have included window seat cushions, bean bags and curtains amongst lots of others.

We charge very little commission on bespoke orders because we don't have the capacity to hold a huge range of beautiful products and also we love them. Frequently our bespoke orders are for a particularly special occasion. A very dear project we worked on was a nursery set, for a Mum who had been waiting years for a child and had finally adopted a little girl. Another project that springs to mind was a hand-stitched personalised quilt, commissioned by grandchildren for their Granny 's 90th birthday. It is such a treat for us to be a tiny part of these moments. 

If you would like something special please indulge your inner diva and get in touch here. Our record number of email exchanges for a bespoke project is 121 ! I dare you to beat it. 

Sophie xxxx

*Please place bespoke orders before November 25th to guarantee Christmas delivery. 

*For more information on bespoke orders check out our page. 

Hand Stitched Liberty Print Quilt in pink Betsy and ivory linen.

Beautifully crafted item-love it! Sophie went out of her way to do a custom order. Connie, August 2017

Have Kids Will Travel

Halfway through the school hols is not the ideal time to write a blog on traveling with kids. However some of you may be fortunate enough to swoop up good deals outside of the holidays and it's always nice to hear that wanderlust doesn't have to stop after procreation. With family on opposite sides of the globe, we have traveled on 9 long haul flights to and from Australia with our little nippers.  A bit battered but still here to tell the tale, I thought we'd give you a little insight into these bonkers adventures.

Plane travel is the least civilized way to travel with kids. After being confined to a germ box for numerous hours you may end up hating your children, partner and questioning all your life choices. When children are old enough to be plugged into games and movies, plane travel is so much easier. However you'll have to be an expert in fixing gadgets that have been pressed and frozen three million times. I'll put a list of survival tips below, but most importantly if you are traveling alone, you must tell the airline staff as they can provide amazing support.  After 16 flight hours of breastfeeding/baby passed out at the boob bar, a sympathetic stewardess took my little one for a walk. This potentially saved me from a complete public meltdown or throwing myself out of the plane. The lovely staff will look after your kids when you need the loo and bring your food out at a different time so you can feed the nippers first and don't have to negotiate towers of trays on your lap.

Our family enjoys traveling on boats and trains. We can all move around and the journey is most definitely part of the adventure. Boats often have very questionable cabaret/clown acts which are always entertaining. Some even have cinemas and designated kids play areas. There is always the danger of a rough crossing. but the bonus of many travel sickness remedies is that they may make your child sleep all the way ! On trains, the buffet carriage is a highlight as is the fantastic treats trolley. Board games can be spread out and dare devils will enjoy crossing the wobbly bits between carriages.

We've always felt that the benefits of exploring new places and seeing loved ones far outweighs the challenges of family travel, even if we are hissing at each other and the kids learn some more bad words along the way.

Bon Voyage

Sophie xxxx

Top Tips for Long Flights with Small People

1. Loo always just before boarding.

2. Games/Toys that won't end up immediately under seat (stickers, etch-a-sketch things with pens attached)

3. Change of top for yourself if you are feeding a baby on your lap.

4. Buy large kids headphones that will fit the tv jack. Also be prepared to bolster them up on cushions so that they can see the screen.

5. Millions of snacks.

6. Valium .......

Obviously the best kind of travel is in Morris Minor with Liberty print cushions and a dashing gentleman

Mud and Sparkle- Port Eliot Festival 2017

Rain most certainly did not stop play at Port Eliot Festival, however those still standing on Sunday night deserved a medal for epic British spirit or at the very least a laminated certificate. At first we were all soooo cool, tipsy and glittery that it was fun to dance in the rain but then the biblical storms started and some of us stayed and some of us ran to Premier Inn which felt like a 5 star holiday resort in Barbados by comparison. 

We thought that folk would stick with their mega Sipsmith bloody Marys rather than brave the swamp to the Workshop Barns, but no, you came and we had a great time at our Liberty Print Workshops. The Grown ups made fabulous sequinned Liberty Print Corsages which glistened against the mud and the kiddos made regal feather headdresses adorned with jewels, liberty prints and beads. Everyone was fantastic, confirming that you can't keep a crafty minx down and  blinging accessories are part of an essential Quagmire survival kit. 

Poppy and Honesty were in such great company at Port Eliot.  Some of our highlights included modern calligraphy with A'Laise,  poetry from Lachlan Murray Young, food from the epic Bhangra  Bus and music from Son of Dave and Sister Cookie. We're already thinking about the gorgeous things we want to make with you next year and will let you know when the first wave of tickets are on sale. 

Yours with damp feathers and sparkly sequins,

Sophie xxxxx

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