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Stitched napkins make great party favours as they’re quick to stitch up and can be customised for any event – whether you’re creating Jubilee souvenirs or birthday party keepsakes. For this design I’ve chosen to stitch a simple crown design, along with ’2012′ to commemorate the summer’s events.

Remember to use an embroidery hoop to keep your napkin taut and secure whilst stitching the needlework design – it’ll ensure a neat finish and will make the motif easier to work. This project is made up from simple squares of cotton, so is a great way to use up any remnants of curtain fabric that you may have left over! Here I have used Laura Ashley’s Gingham Check Cotton Fabric in Scarlet.

Step one: Decide how big you want your napkins to be, and add 4cm to both the width and the length measurements, for seam allowances. Cut a piece of gingham cotton to that size – work along the gingham design to ensure straight edges. Fold a 1cm double hem along each edge, and pin into place. Sew into place with a straight machine stitch to secure each edge, then press to fix the stitches.

Step two: Using a water soluble or vanishing ink pen, draw out the design you’d like to embroider to one corner of the napkin. Make sure to leave enough space around the design that it can be secured into an embroidery hoop.

Step three: Place the napkin into an embroidery hoop, making sure the design is as central as possible. Prepare an embroidery needle with a length of thread – I used all six strands for this design to make sure it’d show up on the gingham background – and work the design using whatever stitches you like. I worked the entirety of my motif in backstitch. Remove from the hoop, and press once more to set the stitches into place. If you like, add jewels or sequins to the top of the crown for extra sparkle…

Sophie at Sew Magazine

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www.sewmag.co.uk

Welcome back to another Laura Ashley Creative Open Workshop! If you missed our Autumn guest post- we invite local crafters to our studios in Birmingham for a relaxed afternoon of making wonderful items out of the latest array of Laura Ashley fabrics (whilst enjoying a friendly cuppa and a homemade cake of course!)

A striking piece of fabric has the ability to transform the simplest items into absolute masterpieces to treasure. A basic make up bag will bring out a bold pattern in the framing of its shape, whereas a wrap-around skirt will give it room for a balanced impact. Off set against plain cottons will often accentuate colour and pattern, which is why we love to mix & match our fabrics for craft projects at the studio.

Laura Ashley’s latest fabrics range includes floral outbursts, bold multicoloured polka dots as well as gentle pastel geometric. Needless to say excitement hit the studio when we were asked to work with such a vibrant range of fabrics.

Our usual classes feature a specific project everyone will learn to make in an afternoon or evening, with enough room for everyone to give it their own personal feel. But in order to show off all the fabulous new Laura Ashley fabrics we gave people the opportunity to each work on something different during the session, with projects ranging from decorative birds to a sun hat and pair of shoes!

Decorative bird made from Larissa Floral Linen/Cotton Fabric

Our absolute favourite is the Wallace Dual Purpose Fabric, without a doubt! This linen fabric is particularly suitable for making curtains, upholstery and soft furnishings.

The popular Wallace Dual Purpose Fabric Natural/Multi

Designer-maker Madeline Norris, who creates her own handmade range under the name Meeni (www.meeni.co.uk), chose to make a beautiful ruffled cushion cover.

Madeline says:
“I chose the LA fabric because I liked the bold, slightly retro design, also the mix of colours in the fabric. I do like making cushion covers and this was an opportunity for me to experiment with a new design. Because of the bold design of the LA fabric I felt this shouldn’t be mixed with another pattern. However, I did want to add some detail and that’s why I added the ruffles and ties in complementary plain fabrics.”

We found the Wallace linen so versatile that we even transformed it into a new pair of espadrilles, by designer-maker Gosia Weber (www.gosiaweberhandmade.co.uk). Gosia is known in the West Midlands for her bright coloured leather handbags, but felt up for a challenge so repurposed a pair of old shoes. The end result being a bright uplifting pair of espadrilles for the summer! She has lined the shoes with Serpentine Jacquard Viscose/Silk Fabric Sapphire and is echoed in the navy blue ribbon straps…

(You can join Gosia at our studio on Wednesday 6 June to make your own bespoke fabric espadrilles if you fancy having a go yourself!  Click here for more details)

To demonstrate the fabric works equally well on a small scale I decided to make one of my chainlink necklaces using the Wallace and Serpentine fabrics. I am a bit of an accessories addict and love to match my jewellery to each outfit. Making fabric jewellery is absolutely perfect! I made my necklace to match a sculptural skirt I made with the Wallace linen… which also looks pretty fabulous in combination with Gosia’s espadrilles!

Give sharp curves, such as in these chain links, a smoother finish by cutting the fabrics on the bias. They have then been stitched into place by hand to interlink them all. The fabrics stand out especially against the oversized silver chain.

All finished project photos were shot by our in house photographer Erin Power. As well as a photographer, Erin is also an avid knitter. She also made the large Tote (Wallace/Serpentine fabrics).  It is imperative to have a large project bag for an assortment of knitting needles and plenty of skeins of wool! The bright organic shaped dots are accentuated by adding a bag base in the navy blue Serpentine fabric.

Wallace Dual Purpose Fabric Natural/Multi  and Serpentine Jacquard Viscose/Silk Fabric

We asked photographer Melanie Martin (www.melaniemartinphotography.co.uk) to join us for the afternoon and take pictures of us all crafting along. She even shot a little video to give an impression of how lovely the afternoon was.

See you next season!

Francine Schokker
Owner
Creative Open Workshops

Have you made anything out of Laura Ashley fabric? If so we would love to see your results! Send us a picture to social.media@lauraashley.com

As soon as we laid eyes on the inspirational pages of Sarah Moore’s book Homemade Gifts Vintage Style we knew she was a prime new candidate for completing our Wallpaper Challenge – inspiring our readers to think outside the box about what you can create with wallpaper (other than the obvious!). Sarah describes herself as a ‘self-confessed vintage-addict and mother of three’. She is also co-author of the delectable Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits…

Her beautiful book covers everything from making homemade jams + jellies, guest soaps and plate hangers to fabric diaries and layered cake stands…

When she isn’t dedicating herself to her publications she is crafting away, making and selling vintage inspired pieces at local fetes, fairs and Christmas markets. Oh and did we mention we want to be her?

Over to Sarah…

I am not sure that wallpaper should be called wallpaper any more. People are lacquering it to their floors, folding it into envelopes, wrapping up soaps with it and simply loving the instant style success that comes with it. And even some of those using it to cover walls are mixing, matching and patch‑working it across their spaces without a plumb line in site.

My real passion is for all things vintage and there are some fabulous old-fashioned papers that turn up from time to time. Over four million rolls of paper were sold in it’s heyday during the twenties as mass produced wallpaper and advances in printing methods put prices within reach of homeowners everywhere.

This years lovely new offerings from Laura Ashley fit easily with the old fashioned papers in my collection. And the day samples arrived from Laura Ashley HQ for the projects, an old friend turned up at my door with a box of early Laura Ashley samples found in their loft. Times and designs have changed, but they still sit beautifully together.

A pair of old cutlery trays from a thrift shop, bought for fifty pence each, looked in need of a make-over and are just the right size to achieve pleasing results in no time. New wooden trays like these are available from all sorts of places, but if you are using second hand ones, give them a good wash in warm soapy water and let them dry before you begin.

Paint them carefully in a couple of coats of acrylic paint and allow to dry. These ones use the great Old Rose paint, which looks just the colour of calamine lotion…

Then measure the areas that you want to cover with wallpaper and cut out the panels from your favourite part of the paper. Use a thin layer of PVA glue to stick down the pieces and press them into place, smoothing out any creases.  When they have dried, paint over the whole of the paper area in more PVA glue to add a little layer of protection to the paper. It will turn clear when it dries.

Polish up your cutlery so everything looks neat and tidy. Use your tray to store your cutlery or save it for summer to take just the right number of knives and forks into the garden for barbecues and outdoor eating…

Sarah’s new cutlery tray featuring our Serpentine and Elveden Cranberry wallpaper

Then, after you have leaned back in your deck chair and admired your handiwork you can ponder on what to do with the rest of the rolls.

To view Sarah’s wonderfully inspiring blog view here

Our Home Accessories Buyer Sarah recently noticed that all the pretty cards she was sending to friends and family had something aesthetically in common – they were all letterpress designs. Stumbling across a course at Turnbull Grey Studio (Craft central) posted up on her Facebook feed, she signed up to producing her very own letterpress creations.

Sarah has a friend’s wedding coming up in the Summer…

“I like to do personalised wedding gifts (usually pieces of art) so wanted to create something for her – I may tweak the colours and amend the bird as that was all that was available on the day but it is a great starting point to scan into my mac and work on.”

Concerned she may get in the class and be struck with a case of ‘creative block’, she decided to create this adorable collage of ideas before to help inspire her.

“It was lots of fun creating interesting wall art, postcards and greetings cards.  I had never done it before but coming from a printing background (my degree was textile and fashion design) I kind of knew what to expect. It was great being covered in ink again!

I spent the afternoon mixing colours, learning the different techniques and processes, choosing interesting type faces from the rows and rows of letter blocks which all resulted in creating original and interesting designs.”

Sarah’s teacher bought his first letterpress (one of the small ones) many years ago and built them up from there. He bought the drawers of typefaces on eBay in one big purchase!

“I thoroughly enjoyed being hands on again and I would recommend it to anyone who has a love for typography and of course the fantastic art of Letterpress!”

TurnbullGrey Letterpress offer 3 hour workshops, 3 people per session, £60 per person.

Do you love typography as much as us? Why not explore with letters and type in your own interiors. Here is our pick of the best…

1. Porcelain Teacup Home Vase

2. Home Sweet Home Sign

3. Mirrored Sleep Sign

4. Blue Cream Home Blocks

5. Home Hut Decorative Blocks

Hello and welcome again to my floral master class.

Spring has finally sprung, and so I want to show you how easy it is to make a gorgeous low flower arrangement with an array of colorful spring flowers.

My favorite flowers have always been roses. I love that they are such old fashioned, luxurious flowers which are beautifully scented and I adore the way in which they slowly fade. Available throughout the whole year, I think they are the perfect bloom to add fullness and opulence to an arrangement, as well as colour, which is why I have opted to use the hot pink Cherry O roses; they are so rich and have a fabulous velvety texture. They are also the perfect flower to work with for those who are inexperienced in flower arranging.

For this arrangement, I’ve also chosen other exquisite spring flowers such as sweetpeas, clematis, anemones, lilac lilac and guelder roses. Sweetpeas and lilac lilac are the perfect blooms to give your arrangement a wonderful aroma, while the guelder roses will help to add texture. However, when it comes to creating a flower arrangement, the choice of colour and combination is up to you, it is all about personal preference. And with so many gorgeous spring flowers around at this time of the year you can have lots of fun creating a stunning arrangement to be proud of.

Step One: To create a short stemmed flower arrangement the Laura Ashley Optic Glass Footed Bowl is the ideal vase to use to fashion a stunning floral display and adorn your home. Choose seasonal flowers and foliage that will complement each other but at the same time make a striking statement.

Any seasonal flowers will work however for this arrangement I have mixed flowers that will not only look gorgeous together but that will add texture and scent to the arrangement such as guelder roses and lilac lilac…

… sweetpeas, clematis, and anemones as well as hydrangea leaves…

…And Cherry O Roses are the perfect spring combination to give a fresh and vibrant style to your arrangement.

Step Two: Before you start make sure you have a good pair of sharp florist scissors, a block of oasis and florist pot tape.

Step Three: To guarantee that the flowers last longer soak the block of oasis in a container of water, until the whole of the block is submerged. Leave for several minutes to allow maximum absorption and then remove.

Step Four: Place the soaked block of oasis in the centre of the vase making sure that the top of the oasis is higher than the rim of the container.

Step Five: Once the block is central secure it in place with a strip of florist pot tape. Try to make the tape as thin as possible by folding the middle section of the tape so that the strip becomes narrower. This will make sure that you have the maximum amount of surface area of the oasis to place your flowers into. Stick the tape under the lip of the vase – don’t worry that it can be seen as once the flowers have been added this will be hidden.

Step Six: Add water to the vase once the oasis is secure so that it won’t dry out and the flowers last longer. If you are using a clear vase then it is a good idea to line the vase with some sort of foliage. Hydrangea leaves are perfect for filling the vase as they are large leaves and will fill the space quickly and effectively. Alternatively ivy can work just as well.

Step Seven: Make sure that the hydrangea leaves are placed in the water and all around the edge of the vase, until you can’t see the oasis when looking sideways through the vase. Using foliage in this way will hide the stems and the oasis, as well as adding a stylish element to your arrangement.

Step Eight: Start with the flowers that also have some kind of foliage on such as the clematis, as this will help create your initial shape and provide you with some guidance of where the other flowers should be placed.

Step Nine: Gently place the clematis into the soaked oasis and position them so that they cover every angle of the block.

Step Ten: If you want to add a bit more green to your arrangement feel free to cut off sections of the leaves from the stems of the flowers and add to the oasis.

Step Eleven: Randomly but evenly place the clematis all over the exposed oasis.

Step Twelve: Remember to cut the stems diagonally to help the flowers draw in the water; this will help keep the arrangement fresher for longer.

Step Thirteen: Add the lilac lilac sporadically and don’t over think where to position the flowers. The best compositions are those that have a natural feel to them, so precision is not important.

Step Fourteen: Once the smaller flowers, such as the lilac lilac and clematis has been added start adding the slightly bolder flowers like the anemones.

Step Fifteen: The anemones and the roses with their large heads will help fill any gaps that you have and make the arrangement look fuller.

Step Sixteen: Cut your roses to almost the height of the oasis, (remembering to cut diagonally) and again look for any gaps in your arrangement and use the roses to fill them.

Step Seventeen: Add the guelder roses to help break up the colours in your arrangement s, as well as adding texture.

Step Eighteen: Once you have added the guelder roses you shouldn’t be able to see any of the oasis and you should have your basic dome shape to the arrangement.

Step Nineteen: Flowers such as sweetpea are ideal at giving the arrangement another dimension as you can place these in randomly and they will give some height to the otherwise dome shaped floral display.

Step Twenty: Again, cut these stems diagonally and cut them to whatever length you desire, depending how much you want them to protrude from the arrangement. Mix up the colours of the sweetpeas so that it gives it a much more natural feel.

Step Twenty One:  Add sporadically until you are happy with the end result.

Step Twenty Two: Finally, stand back and enjoy the final results – a stunningly colourful floral display, which is ideal for decorating your dining table this spring or adorning your coffee table.

To shop the Optic Glass Footed Bowl (as featured) shop here

To visit the ‘Wild At Heart’ website click here

For those who have had their head in the culinary clouds for the last few years, a cake pop (in it’s most basic form) is a sphere of condensed cake sponge, covered in icing and secured on a stick (like a lolly only with cake). The cake pop is the original brainchild of blogger baker Bakerella, and strong novelty contender to our beloved cup cake- the beauty is we don’t even need to get our fingers sticky to devour these yummies!

Partial to a cake pop (or two) our crafty friends at The Make Lounge (regular contributors to the ‘make and do’ section on our blog) invited us to one of their many workshops in Islington for a cake pop class. Accompanied by wedding blogger Festival Brides (seeking hen do inspiration for her big day) we were excited to see what was in store and hoping we had good ‘pop potential’.

Welcomed into the relaxed and cheery environment by Jennifer (owner and crafter extraordinaire) the class kicked off with a very informal cuppa and biccie whilst being introduced to the rest of the group, including pairs of friends, mother and daughter and a budding baker  – lovely mix of all ages!

Much like a Blue Peter demonstration (“this is what we made earlier”) the pops had already been baked for us and covered in a white base layer of icing- all ready for us to start decorating- the fun bit! Before getting started our teacher runs through how to make the pops from scratch (for when we wish to make them at home). Any sort of sponge will do apparently (chocolate, madeira etc) – you can even buy the cake first if you want a short cut!

Cake pops ‘before shot’- ready to be decorated!

First of our decorating endeavors was the ‘butterfly cake pop’. Before decorating each pop we’d gather round the cake pop expert to watch a small demonstration. The art of dunking the pops in to the butter cream icing and gently tapping off the excess was a little more skillful than we thought but a few more pops in and we had mastered the art of even icing coverage without dripping down the stick. Before the icing dries (can’t dally around with these) we adorned our first pops with stamped out butterflies and a sprinkle of edible glitter! Oh so pretty!

Next up was a sprinkly number (half covered in colourful hundreds + thousands) and a very sophisticated ‘arty’ looking pop which involved drizzling the coloured butter icing to create a swirly affect.

Gaining more confidence at every stage we then moved on to more ambitious cake pops including our ‘apple pop’, ‘sheep pop’, and our favourite the ‘pig pop’.

The ‘pig pop’ was surprisingly a lot easier than it looked: molding a little flat oval shape out of pink sugar icing and pricking it twice with a cocktail stick for the snout, cutting triangles with a scalpel knife for the ears and rolling a teeny weeny curly worm for the tail. Last touch were a pair of black button eyes- we found the smaller the eyes the cuter the pig!

For our last pop we had the chance to ‘free style’ coming up with our own inventive ideas! My favourite was one of the girl’s Elmo pop (Sesame Street) and a little yellow chick. Once dried we wrapped our pops in cellophane and ribbon and headed over to their fab shop to stock up on cake pop supplies and browse all the other wonderful culinary and crafty things.

The Make Lounge also offers a wide range of other make + do classes from book binding to embroidery and dress-making. Next on our hit list is Soap Making – how wonderful it would be to offer guests some beautifully handmade soap!

The cake pop class at The Make Lounge is £49 per person and the class is a 2.5 hours. To book or to browse all the other crafty classes they have on offer click here.

If The Make Lounge in Islington is a little too far for you to travel take a look at our Make + Do section here for some DIY craft inspiration. You can also buy Laura Ashley fabric by the metre instore or online here

Back when we launched the Laura Ashley blog in November we invited baker extraordinaire Ally Bradley (Chief Baking Officer of Kiss Me Cake) to share one of her top secret berry cup cake recipes. As we count down the days to Valentines, we’ve invited Ally back to help win over our Valentine with her irresistible red velvet cupcake recipe…

Ingredients (makes 12 large cups)

• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (Nice Sea Salt is best)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (ideally Green&Blacks)
• 56ml Rouge food colouring or (113 ml) beetroot juice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (Organic butter is best)
• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar (Organic)
• 2 eggs, at room temperature (Organic eggs are a must!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (vanilla from vanilla Pod)
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

The blogging craft scene is exploding and we’ve been feeling all inspired by the creative ways in which crafters not only use wallpaper to decorate their walls but how it is emerging as a paper for all sorts of wonderful and striking home features. Have you got some left over wallpaper from recently decorating the home? Or got your eye on one of our wallpaper prints but want to use it in a more intricate way? Super talented craft writer and blogger Clare Kelly of blog Pass the Pattern gets us thinking outside the box with our first installment of ‘The Wallpaper Challenge’…

The latest range of Laura Ashley wallpaper features some beautiful designs, so when I was asked to explore some creative ways to use it (other than the obvious of course) I was very keen to give it a go.

I chose three designs to work with: country garden-esque Martha Hollyhock, perfectly pearlescent Serpentine and beautifully bold Serena, all very different but all gorgeous.

It’s a Wrap

Patterned wallpaper looks great when used as wrapping paper, just cut what you need off the roll and use double-sided tape to secure. Here I wrapped some plain soaps and then finished them off with some recycled ribbon. I’d first seen the idea for little guest soap packages in the book Homemade Gifts Vintage Style and here is my take on it – it doesn’t take long to do and is a cute little touch for any overnight guests.

Framed and Fabulous

Taking an ornate frame and painting it a gothic black, I then chose a section of Martha Hollyhock and trimmed it to fit in the frame. If you live in rented accommodation and want to update your walls without upsetting your landlord, this is a great alternative. Choose the biggest frame you can and use wallpaper with a bold print. This design works well as it has the look of a watercolour painting.

Light Up

The downside of the beginning of the year is the lack of daylight hours but if you’ve got a lovely lamp, you will be more inclined to see it as an opportunity to switch it on and snuggle up with a good book. Updating an unloved lampshade is easy if you use a striking print like Serena. Perfect on the bedside table or even in the lounge.

Clare is a freelance writer and photographer and author of Pass the Pattern

Ray Stitch is quickly attracting the attention of North London’s craft scene as their favourite one-stop sewing shop. Laden with floor to ceiling reels of luxury fabrics, a riot of buttons and lashings of opulent ribbons/trims we found ourselves immediately transported from the bustle of Essex Road. Round it off with their fresh coffee and sticky pastry offering and we have our new Islington afternoon hang out.

We were particularly drawn to the wall of dress-making patterns, charming range of sewing books and the indulgent store design. Downstairs they also have a weekly line up of sewing classes ranging from beginners to intermediate. Children (9 and over) can also learn the ropes with classes teaching the basic techniques of machine sewing, applique and embroidery- running just after school 4.15pm-6.15pm.  Nurture their budding creativity whilst giving you some extra time to prepare their tea!

The Ray Stitch website had been in fruition for over two years when owner and self confessed ‘maker of all things’ Rachel Hart decided to open it’s door just four months ago (testament to its popularity online perhaps). Already earning inches in House & Garden and Elle Decoration (the latter neatly displayed by the cash desk along its solid oak work counter) Rachel has created in her own words a destination that offers everything in one place in the way of “an old-style haberdashery or DIY or art shop” does but in a beautifully stylish way.

To visit the Ray Stitch website click here 

Did you know that Laura Ashley also sell drape fabric (make pieces for your home) by the metre? Simply pop into one of our stores or browse online here 

Laura Ashley fabrics: Gisele Floral Linen/Cotton Fabric Geranium, Cavendish Stripe Linen Fabric in Dove Grey, Coco Viscose/ Silk Fabric Duck Egg

Since getting back after the Christmas break and chatting to the head office clan about their new year’s plans, we felt inspired to write a blog post on how we are beating the January blues and turning over a new leaf. Doing the inter-department rounds, we just had to share our good intentions for a very positive 2012!

PAUL, SENIOR PRESS OFFICER: Learn how to read music

“Rather than vowing to give something up (and depriving myself of life’s little joys) I’ve decided to take up a new activity. I used to play a musical instrument when I was younger but gave up in my teens, so I’m going to perfect my music reading skills and learn to play a new instrument – I’ve got my heart set on the Cello.”

HEATHER, E-COMMERCE CO-ORDINATOR: Shop on eBay

“I have been doing all my January sale bargain hunting on eBay this year and have managed to get some great things including a vintage floral Laura Ashley skirt which I am wearing today…”.

Psst.. you can also get some really great furniture bargains on the Official Laura Ashley eBay store

SONIA, WOVEN’S BUYER: A closet overhaul

“I had a mass wardrobe clear out before I started my job here and gave lots of clothes to charity.  I have vowed to wear a different outfit to work everyday for as long as I possibly can (January at least!!) rather than having so much shoved to the back of the cupboard and forgetting what I even own!”

NICK, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Zumba classes

“I have recently taken up Zumba classes and I am completely won over. Zumba is a Latin dance inspired workout (created by Beto Perez – a Columbian dancer) and is all about having fun! If like me you prefer classes to the gym give it a go. I do my class up in North London with Zumba teacher Andrea Dann”.

We were intrigued to hear more so looked Andrea up:

Laura Ashley: What are the benefits of Zumba?

Andrea: Zumba is good for the health (as is any exercise) for the obvious- burning calories. It is also great for overall fitness i.e. if there are squats and lunges hidden in the dance routine. Health benefits vary in Zumba sessions depending on the teacher’s style and background. You can lose body fat and a feeling of well being is achieved during and after the class. Muscle tone also improves and the brain gets a work out from learning new moves!

Laura Ashley: What are your top Zumba tips?

Andrea:

-Find a teacher that suits your needs, we vary a lot. Some come from a dance background and some from a fitness background. This will greatly affect the type of class you will experience.

-Try to attend at least 3 sessions a week to really see results. But remember Zumba is not magic so a sensible diet will also help. Zumba is based on interval training: this means there is a break between each track, this means the heart rate gets high and then has a chance to come down only to be brought back up again, this means you will burn body fat for up to 24 hours after class, so give it your all during the track!

-Don’t take it too seriously – the dance steps are just a way of getting you to move. If you find it hard to follow just move to the music and enjoy it. It’s important to feel comfortable in the group so chat to the teacher and the group- it’s a great way of making new friends with the same goal as you.

CLAIRE, CREATIVE CO-ORDINATOR: Upholstery Classes

“I have wanted to learn a practical restoration skill for ages and having bought a chair in the staff sale (which was an old chair bought as a design idea and is crying out for some tlc) I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to learn…But still has been sitting at home for around 6 months. When the Creative team mentioned doing a course one lunch time I was all over the idea. We are thinking about doing this class at ‘Barnett Upholsteries‘…

Students at work- Barnett Upholsteries

Students at work- Barnett Upholsteries

I love our spring fabric ‘Wallace’ so expect to see my newly renovated chair covered in this fun and wildly colourful pattern”.

Shop the Wallace fabric here 

KATE, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Aunty Time

“Spending time with my little niece (Anna- 15 months old) over Christmas and seeing how much she had grown motivated me to put in some more ‘aunty time’ so I don’t miss out on all the fun bits (she’ll be walking before I know it). I can’t wait until she hits 2 years old and I can buy her lots of adorable outfits from the Laura Ashley Girls range. This season’s Stripe Trim Floral Tankini and Swimsuit has got her name all over it.”

ALISON: WOVEN’S ASSISTANT DESIGNER: Drawing classes

“I am going to be more creative outside of work this year and attend a drawing class, they are running classes on Friday evening at the National Portrait Gallery for free that I will definitely be attending. It’s part of their ‘Late Shift’ programme – an artist-led drop in class with all materials provided! Can’t wait!”

Drawing classes at the National Portrait Gallery Late Shift © National Portrait Gallery.

Drawing classes at the National Portrait Gallery Late Shift © National Portrait Gallery.

FAYE, GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER: Get Smart

“This year I’ll be challenging the misconceptions of the graphic designer ‘casual/laid back’ look by upping my smart attire for the office. This will be smart with a design twist of course. I’ll be teaming up my signature whimsical print blouses with an easy-throw-on blazer. I already have my eyes on our new Black Jersey Blazer (with polka dot lining- I adore the detail) and the Stripe Jersey Belted Dress for days when I’m off to meet friends in the evening.”

How will you be turning over a new leaf for 2012? Comment below or tweet us at @LauraAshley__