Sept. 5, 2026

A whole month has gone by without a newsletter, mostly because I’ve been away for much of it. Now summer is drawing to a close and September still feels like the start of a new year. There’s something about this time that brings fresh energy, new ideas and the urge to plan exciting projects.

I’ve come back with plenty on the go—and even more in the pipeline.

While I was in France, I had access to a sewing machine, so I packed a selection of fabrics and thread with me to begin experimenting with dressmaking. Costume design is something I’ve wanted to explore for a while, and I managed to discover a beautiful fabric shop nearby that gave me plenty of inspiration.

My first project is... a mermaid costume.

Don’t ask me why mermaid—the idea just stuck and itt felt like a fun place to start.

Rather than following a pattern, I'm trying to draft the design myself. It's really helping me understand how dresses are actually constructed: how to shape a fitted bodice, create a flowing skirt, and make everything work together. There was plenty of trial and error, but I actually think that's the best way to learn.

If I'm going to take this on as a new craft, then I need a dress form. One of those dummies that you try the clothing on and fit it to the body. I've finally ordered one, and I'm convinced it's going to unlock a whole new range of projects once it arrives.

The mermaid dress itself is now finished, and since returning home I've started adding the embellishments that will really bring the mermaid idea to life. The bodice is gradually being covered with beads, sequins and shells, and I'm incredibly excited to see how it develops. I've never really done embroidery before with beads and sequins, so it feels like a new craft.

I had more fabric waiting for me, so I've started work on a second dress. My current approach is to take dresses I already own and love wearing, study what makes them fit so well, and then recreate those shapes in different fabrics.

This one follows a similar silhouette to the mermaid dress, but uses a much lighter chiffon fabric. It doesn't have a particular theme yet, but I'm hoping the styling will evolve as the dress does.

The knitting update is a little less dramatic—I’m still working on the same jumper!

Progress has definitely been slow, but I've now finished the body and the neckline. All that's left are the sleeves, so the finish line is in sight. I'm going to pick up the pace and have it ready before the weather turns cold.

As always, I'm already thinking about the next knitting project.

This time I want to return to hand-spun yarn. I recently bought some beautiful brown-grey Bluefaced Leicester fleece, which I'm planning to combine with wool from the family sheep(s). The idea is to spin a fine yarn for a cardigan, hopefully featuring a few sheep motifs knitted into the design.

I've also been on a bit of a craft-tool spending spree. I treated myself to a wooden ball winder and a matching yarn swift, which work together to wind beautiful centre-pull balls of yarn. The contraptions are too pretty to hide away, so now I'm planning a set of floating shelves for the craft room to display them properly. Designing those shelves has become yet another project for the list. I'll probably end up with a room of funny objects and contraptions like Dumbledore's office... the dream.

I've already wound my first ball of hand-spun yarn. There's something incredibly satisfying about watching a neat centre-pull ball come together.

I'm sure I've done plenty of other crafting over the past month, but I've already forgotten half of it.

The field and allotment have been fairly quiet while I've been away. As autumn approaches, the focus naturally shifts. I'm hoping to sow some salad crops for winter, and once the colder weather arrives there'll be plenty of pruning to do, along with replacing the young trees that sadly didn't make it through the summer.

So that's where things stand as we head into a new season.

I'm hoping to get back into the rhythm of writing these every week again (fingers crossed). Here's to a fresh start, plenty of creative experiments, and whatever projects autumn decides to bring.

Happy September, everyone.

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