Door wide open, come on in!

Today has been the first day of the Perthshire Open Studios event. People have been dropping in throughout the day, all interested in what we do here, my sewing, the chickens and just country life in general. The eggs that I had for sale sold very quickly! Everyone was fairly local and enjoying the opportunity to see lots of artists at work and have a nosy in their studios and workrooms. Many commented on the fact that they didn't know of all this rich talent within the area and that it was a great chance for them to find places to bring visitors and friends, so fingers crossed they all come back!

I spent yesterday having a bit of a blitz in the workroom and tidying up the shop. I've got some lovely new vintage finds for sale now, I'll show you pictures later in the week. The pictures show our new candles that I'm trialing. Gorgous reusable pots made by Diana up at Glenshee pottery, filled with Elderflower and Wild Nettle candle. I have to say I'm really rather please as the scent is just delicious.

Off to have supper and then sit in front of the fire and do a bit of sewing.

Enjoy your Saturday evening.

L xx

Product Focus

A part of the business that I really enjoy is working with other makers. I've come across some great folk over the last couple of years, especially since we've moved up here. I like being able to give other makers the opportunity to sell their work in the studio, and working with them to make products exclusively for us.

One lovely lady that I've met is Claire from Barony Crafts. She makes a fantastic (and huge) range of hand made soaps, tioletries and candles. We sell some of Claires soaps in the studio and they go down great with the customers, we've gone for the fairly natural scents like Red Poppy & Ginger, Elderflower & Nettle, Under the Gooseberry Bush and her organic range too. The great thing that sets Claires soap apart from others is that it doesn't go to mush in your hands and lasts more than a couple of washes! She also gave me one of her little hand poured soya wax candles to try, we had it burning in the back porch as that's where the dogs hang out and it certainly got rid of any doggy smells! She has just recently started up a blog about life as a soap maker, so pop over and say hello.

Claire and I are hoping to get together on a little candle and soap project for Christmas so watch this space!

Back to the Christmas samples, you'll maybe get a little peak tomorrow.

L x

Parti en France......

In my usual fashion, I was winging it by the seat of my pants last night and doing everything at the last minute. The order for the Interceltique Festival has now "gone to France...", being driven over there today by the lovely Philip. It's a bit of an exciting project, part funded by the Scottish Government and Visit Scotland, Philip and his team are representing Scotland at this huge festival, it attracts over 650,000 visitors over 10 days, so fingers crossed his collection of Scottish goods go down a treat.



I was really pleased with the collection that I came up with, the Harris Tweed was just divine to work with, so I'll have to get back on the phone to the weaver in Harris and get some more sent over I think. The fabrics and colours all sat really nicely together and I came up with a nice thistle design to applique onto the lavender pillows, quite contemporary and not too twee. I shall have to make some more for in the studio to sell seeing as we're getting into the "tourist season" up here, everyone that saw them loved them!



I was muttering away to myself about how I leave everything to the last minute and will I ever change while packaging up doorstops etc, Gregg reminded me that it was almost the last of the "big orders" to go out. Hopefully by the end of this month I'll be free to design and make whatever takes my fancy, but more on that another day.



Off to blitz my old workroom as we have a rather important visitor coming tomorrow and the house needs to be worthy of writing about, I have my doubts, as it really is a shack!

L x

Projects......

Time is flying by, it's July already and I've been in the studio for a whole month. The divide between work and home is so much better, Sundays are our day off now, and we love it! The house is just about back to normal, although there is still a rather large pile in my old work room to be sorted out.

I had a great excuse to get tidied up at the weekend, this lovely lady was coming to stay. We had such fun catching up with each other and also planning the first of our summer courses. Rach is coming to do a weekend course "Quick quilt in a weekend" on 19th & 20th July, as the title suggests, you'll go home with a gorgeous lap quilt after two days of expert tuition from this award winning lady!

Along with Rachel's courses we're also going to be doing "Beginners guide to Keeping Chickens" and a gardening course on "Herbaceous Gardening". The leaflets will be finished by the end of this week so if anyone is interested drop me a line at info@primrosehillinteriors.com

Another project that I am working on is really quite exciting. I have been asked by Visit Scotland to produce a collection of work for them to take to the Festival Interceltique in Lorient, Brittany. I don't really do tartan twee so this has been a bit of a challenge, plus there are only so many things that you can make at trade and still make a decent profit. So, my harris tweed stash has been raided and some sketching of thistles has been done.......

I've decided to go for an earthy-grassy-sea inspired pallete of colours, not my usual bright and breezy stuff, and I'm really enjoying the change. The deadline for the finished work is fairly soon, so I'm going to be burning the midnight oil I think, what's new eh!!!

The pictures are of the fabrics I'm using and of the progress I've made today.