Flower power

July 20, 2008

Florals are back, proclaim the catwalk shows for autumn and winter 2008. As far as I’m concerned though they’ve never been out. My childhood bedroom was papered in a groovy sixties’ daisy print, and as teenagers my friends and I wafted around in sprigged Laura Ashley smocks with Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark side of the moon’ as the soundtrack.
I always have a dose of florals around the house: a fabulous flowery plastic cloth that looks good for teatime or faded floral print cushions to go with striped ticking on a sofa. You could take a tip from the society decorator Nancy Lancaster who let her chintzes weather in the sun and rain. Not so practical in the average back garden me thinks. I’d rather hunt for authentically aged florals in a secondhand shop. Oxfam might yield somebody’s cast-off Sanderson slip covers, or a pair of curtains,in a classic Colefax and Fowler motif.
Some of my favourite prints are Liberty tana lawns. They’re expensive but I think it’s worth splashing out on a few beautiful things. As a student I worked at Liberty and stockpiled remnants that we were allowed to buy on discount. I’ve used them over the years to make pillowcases, dresses for dolls, or scarves for the beach. The Hille chair below, another junk shop find, has been given a revamp with just one and half metres of Liberty print. See how to make this really simple slip-on cover in my book Sew Easy.

It may be early June but damp pavements and low skies don’t bode well for this week’s planned pool excursions. Never mind, I shall pretend that its like a hot morning in Spain and make toasted bread rubbed with garlic, oil and fresh tomato(scoop out and use the insides only). I use a really good nutty extra virgin olive oil which I keep in a little metal jug with a thin spout, a basic kitchen staple from any Spanish hardware shop.
Photo by Vanessa Courtier.