Spring Update...

I haven't blogged at all this year, or in fact since way before Christmas, so I'll try and cram in all that I can.

It's a lovely light evening. I've been unwell recently and so taking up my previously successful 'self preservation' technique of coming upstairs early. Not intending to sleep straight away, but as the bedroom is north facing, we get the evening sun from the west which fills the room with a yellow glow. The house is empty over the Easter school holidays so I am making this most of this luxury. I've not been allowed tea or coffee for the past few weeks and today, I have much enjoyed the process of making a pot of tea again, as much as drinking it. So beside me is a large mug of rose tea, and a bar of Galaxy Caramel...

Firstly, a new candle collection was launched in February,as part of the new Country Folk Tale Collection which will include fabrics, ceramics, stationery and home fragrance. I have spent months designing pattern, putting together whimsical design boards of woodland flora and fauna, old English botanical prints and colour samples to piece together a folk-inspired collection, which I hope will tell a story.

The candles collection is made up of four 'Hedgerow' scents. I loved trialling these, and blending so many of our much loved wild flower scents. It really does take you back to childhood memories in the countryside, and making perfumes with posies of gathered flowers and water!

We had some photography done, and were featured in Deco Mag too.

The four fabulous scents are Foxglove & Lemon Balm, Wild Plum & Gorse Flower, Elderflower & Wild Mint, and Blackcurrant & Yarrow. You can buy them here, with FREE postage this week..

Also this week, I've been on Pinterest, pinning all sorts of wonderful images. I did actually join last year, but never quite got the hang of it, but gave it another go, and now have around 15 boards with a mix of Delphi Burling products, style, and 'Britishness'! You can follow us here

So, back to the new fabrics... I wanted to re-invent a few of the existing fabrics, and simplify the designs with more neutral pallets, as well as adding completely new designs. The two themes for these, are 'Country Folk Tale, which will be simple repeats, muted pastels and will coordinate with the candle collection. The second theme is 'Whitefield', which is our Edwardian home, and an absolute delight for Edwardian, 1920's-1950's block work and old wallpapers. I saved some of these to work on. To recreate and bring back to life...

Here are some of the raw repeats I've been working on. They are still very much work in progress.

This Easter weekend will be a rather busy one. We'll be in Romania next week where I plan on finding some more inspiration for the designs and exploring the beautiful castles and citadels. I have aimed big for the gardens this year with a rather adventurous amount of seedlings to transplant before I go!

So for now, have a wonderful Easter break, and I shall write again next week before I go.

Leanne xx

The Excitement Of The Relaunch......

New Fabrics...... A Preview.

Over five weeks have passed since I last posted. Apologies.... I was planning on posting a few simple sewing tutorials, but a rather busy schedule has left me with really not much time for anything but designing, planning and sewing for the relaunch.

The fabrics swatches arrived back this week, and I am delighted. In fact, more than delighted, I am quietly buzzing with excitement and eager to begin transforming them into beautiful homeware and accessories. 

Our first collection (I am saying 'Our' as I now have a small team on board), was designed to reflect the underdogs of British Institution. No Union flags, images of London, large floral sprays; but what we recognise instantly as quintessentially British, and loved by us, and what will in time, become a part of our heritage. 

So I have named the collection 'Home And Country'. And in it you will find pretty vintage houseboats adorned with Roses, Cornish folk hearts, simple landscapes of our beautiful wind farms, a new, fresh take on the classic British favourites; houndstooth, paisley, and damask, recreated in muted country shades... To celebrate the British gala days, a hand-tied spray of British wildflowers.... 

All printed here in the UK on beautiful linens...

Here's a few snaps of the collection.  

The design boards...

The fabrics....

 

I hope you will love them as much as we do. We would love some feedback so please do leave a comment!

L xx

Back On Track With An Inspirational Month.....

 

The Importance of the Simple Things....

Well It's been quite a year so far. I knew it would be a busy 2013, and following on from an earlier post about best intentions and resolutions, I made a colourful 'Always In View' list of the important things that I really wanted to do each day. These weren't work targets and chores but  gentle reminders of small daily to-do's that may seem small and even a bit of a luxury when you're flying about the place, trying to get things done, but actually, these are the things that keep you going...

A quiet coffee in the garden while enjoying the view..

Reading a short poem (I always find this perks me up. I can recommend Now We Are Sixty)

Picking up a craft project for 10 minutes. At the moment, mine is a crochet blanket...

A browse and chat on Instagram or Twitter, and catching up with my daily blog fixes....

A hug. Anything. Anyone. Dog, cat, baby etc...



These little things, I now make sure I do.

I'm a great fan of the Self-Help book, and I'm currently reading a time management book called Do It Tomorrow. I wanted to say a little bit about this, as it gets a little deeper than just simply telling you how to organise your pile of invoices better.

I was thrilled at the fact that, you don't necessarily need to overhaul your life to manage it better. It's all about the way you feel about a task, and having a positive attitude and approach to each day, and what you want to achieve. Brain training, in a sense. If you spend too long in a certain mindset; negativity, procrastination etc, it becomes you.
Yes, it's hard to motivate yourself some mornings with the weather we've been having, but ask yourself, is it really THAT bad? Or just mundane? And if just that, then what can I do to make the mundane more enjoyable? I've always called this the 'Pretty Stationery Effect'.

So I always start the day without the radio, social media, or TV. Just some quiet time, gathering my thoughts for the day ahead, reminding myself what's important, and how lucky I am to be doing what I do. And then I sit and write a list.

I do love a list...

If you're a big fan of the To-Do list, my lovely friend Sapphire of Saffyloves has created a beautiful free download on her facebook page for you to print and use! Just 'like' her page and if you have the time, have a browse of her wonderfully pretty services...

Get it here

Also recently, the wonderful Hayley, known to some as Mrs Scoops, has created a new lifestyle blog with her Friend Shaneen, aptly named Breathe Happiness. Hayley herself, is such an inspiring person, and has so much positivity to give others.
Her blog, Instagram, and twitter feeds, always brighten my day, and Shaneen's photography is fresh, bright and really encapsulates, well, happiness!

It was only a matter of time before she started a blog like this, as this is just her in a nutshell.
An infectiously happy nutshell!
There are posts about everything from getting eyeliner right, features on creative businesses to eye-opening, but simplified pieces on the big philosophicals like 'What is Success?'  

They also provide a social media and photography service. Is there anything they don't know?

It's a daily read I would not be without now. Stylish, informative and full of smiles! Another one of my little daily fixes that keep me going!

Breathe in a bit of happiness HERE

 

 

New Candles And Re-branding The Institutions Collection...

Last month I thought, while I'm waiting for the new fabrics I'd set my mind to giving the existing candle range a new look, and reworking some of the scents. They are only very subtle changes, but I am so pleased with the results. I've enjoyed getting back to the designing part of the business, so much so that I spent an entire day working on some new candles, which I had planned for a while.

All perfumers have favourite scents and quite often Lavender, Jasmine and fresh citrus top notes like Bergamot and Lime are top of the list.
So I've created two new scents. The candles have a rather Victorian apothecary look about them, which I love. I've called them Perfumers' Favourites -  Citrus Grove, and Lavender and Jasmine.

I shall keep them hidden for now until the website re-launches, but here's the new packaging for the Institutions Collection!

 

Trialling scents....

 

 

 

'Hyndland Velvet', one of our best-sellers...

And finally, happy Spring!


It's been a cold one this year, so I've not been sowing any seeds, and the greenhouse is still in tatters from last year. So, instead, as I revealed in my last post, I've been learning to crochet. I'm still very much a beginner and only know a few stitches, but the unintentional increasing and decreasing has stopped, the tension is better, and I've made progress on both the blankets I started.

The first, was with pretty Debbie Bliss Cotton DK, in three pretty shades of Pink, Aqua and Mustard...

 

 



 

 

The second blanket, which is also just rows of double crochet on a 7mm hook, is with Sirdar Juicy Bamboo Cotton, in the most subtle sorbet colours, like Banana, Watermelon, and Grape...

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also 'made' a little Easter twig tree this year with sprigs of budding Elder, Snowberry, and Hornbeam, and decorated it with pretty painted wooden decorations. The 'Egg' vase is just a little more than a fat quarter of pretty fabric, gathered over an oval glass vase, then tucked in at the top and tied with a ribbon!

 



 

 

 

 

 

One last little example on the pretty stationery/prettying up your day concept. Examples are great, especially if they are metaphorical and literal...

 

I love olives. I haven't always loved olives, I thought they were horrid looking things, that I wouldn't touch, let alone eat. But this is what I like to do with a jar of olives. I will leave you to figure out the metaphorical meaning...

 

 

 

 



 

 

 Thanks for reading!

 

L xx