Well, my homeware sale Chez Beccy was a great success! 

It was great to show off all my products in situ, and fabulous to meet local customers. 

Here are some photos I took on the day. It was a bit windy so the bunting was really flying!

I hung the aprons in the hall on the coat hooks...

My new wicker chair with cushions...

Only 2 days to go until my Pop Up shop opens in my home in Bampton, please come and visit. 

I'm right in the centre of the village. I've been making lots of preparations, the blackboard is out, even the front door has been painted!

And tomorrow I set up! I can't wait to display all my gorgeous country cottage style homewares for you too see. All made from beautiful quality fabrics for my discerning customers. Lots of lovely presents ideas for Friends, Sisters, Mums, Aunties...or just a little something for you. 

Why not treat yourself!

I have been making these lovely zip purses which are now available in my shop. They can be used as a coin purse, or great for cosmetics, make-up, jewellery and other bits and bobs!

Approximately W16 x H12.5cm, they have the same pattern fabric on both sides, a cotton lining and a zip to keep your belongings secure.

My new personalised place settings! 

Order your place tags from my online shop here. Below you can see how easy it is to create your own pretty individual place settings.

Collect together some pretty leaves and flowers. Here I have used bay leaves and gypsophila, I also added in some rosemary.

You will also need some string, small wooden pegs and the napkin.

Wrap the string around the napkin at least twice before tying a knot first then a bow. Place two if the bay leave underneath the string and put a small sprig of gypsophila on top. Finally peg the name place card to the string just by the bow.

In this image I also added a small sprig of rosemary.

New Year, New Photos

Last year for me was a year of making, this year I think it's going to be the year of photography!

I felt I needed to give my etsy shop a bit of attention. It's has always taken rather a back seat, up until now I've always prioritised doing events and fairs.

 I thought I'd begin by looking at the photographs I had. I really didn't like my napkin photographs, these were the weakest images I had out of all my product shots. The table that I had used as a background had looked very orange and even after I had edited the photos I wasn't happy with them. I did some research and looked for images in magazines and on the internet for inspiration.

I have some lovely wooden crates that I use to display my products when I do an event, so I thought I'd try using those. I also wanted to try and take overhead shots but I don't have the right sort of tripod, but I thought I'd see what I could do. I have found using natural light is the best, so I need to  use a slow shutter speed, hence I use a tripod.

So here are the results of the first photo shoot! I just used some rosemary from the garden and natural string to add interest to the image.

Then these are from the second photo shoot. Then I thought of adding a simple sprig of gypsophila to the place setting.

Then I tried adding a couple of bay leaves behind a small sprig of gypsophila. See the images in my etsy shop here

I think my napkins work really well when they are mixed and matched together, especially the china blue range. So I also photograph a couple of combinations.

At the start of the New Year, it's time to get back to normal and try to be healthy too. For me the best way of doing this is not going on a diet, that's just never going to happen. I like eating too much for that! So instead I try to up my intake of fruit and vegetables. Breakfast is also an easy meal to over look, so starting the day with my Raspberry Bircher Muesli makes me feel really good.  Here's the recipe, it's very easy and quick to make.

Beccy's Raspberry Bircher Muesli

Inspired by an article in the Country Living Magazine called 14 Overnight Mason Jar Breakfasts,

I created this Bircher Muesli with all of my favourite things!

Ingredients

1/2 cup porridge oats

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup natural yoghurt

1/4 cup milk

1/2 an apple -grated

1 1/2 tbsp runny honey

2tbsp chopped almonds

1tbsp pumpkin seeds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation method

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together thoroughly. Cover the bowl with cling 

film. Leave in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours. Remove from the fridge, stir and

eat as it is or with extra fruit, honey and nuts on top.

Enjoy!

A few months ago I decided to take the plunge and take a stand at the 

Christmas Country Living Fair London 9th-13th November. I have always been rather daunted by the scale of the show and wondered how on earth I could possible make enough stock to do a show like this.

So for the first time I am getting some help making my stock. This is a big development for me. Scary and exciting all at the same time!

Last week the samples arrived for my Christmas Aprons and Tea Towels  

I'm still making all the napkins myself. 

Also available are Christmas Cafetiere Cosy's! 

Come and visit my stand

It will be lovely to see you!

Great fun at the weekend doing a photo shoot with my sister modelling

all my aprons in the new linen union fabric. Now all

available in my etsy shop. Why not pop over and have a look!

I'm really please to announce that my fabrics are now all printed in the UK, meaning I can proudly say my products are all 100% British, designed and made in England.

The fabric is lovely linen union with a natural colour as a base, which is digital printed using reactive dyes, giving a lovely finish and feel to all my products.

I've started to update my etsy shop with my beautiful new products, so all my tea towels are now available for purchase. I'm planning a photo shoot in the next couple of weeks so I will be updating my aprons images too, swiftly followed my blue and white cushions too. To give you a taster here are my tea towel images.

Burford Green Range

 China Blue Range

Christmas is not that far away now, believe it or not. Lots of making has been going on in preparation. I'm thinking a Christmas Cafetiere Cosy will look great in my new Christmas fabric. Have plenty now this has arrived today!

I'm booked in at the following Christmas Fairs this year.

20th November Chandlings School Oxford 1.30pm-5pm

21tst November St Helen & St Katharine Abingdon 10am-2pm

22ndt St Gabrielle Newbury 10.30am-3.00pm

27th Wychwood School Oxfordshire 3.30pm-6pm

28th Cranford House school Moulsford 1-3.30pm

'Tell your Story' 

Thanks Patricia from The Design Trust and Make It In Design for the Building a Branding video series.

I was talking to a customer at a recent craft fair about how I have just changed to a UK fabric printers

now I'm ordering bigger quantities of fabric and someone else stopped to listen. 

I realised this was exactly what Patricia from the Design Trust as talking about when she was saying 
Tell your Story'. My customers are actually interested to hear what goes on behind the scenes,

so this is what I will endeavour to do from now on.

So as you have probably gathered I now get my fabrics printed in the UK, so its a completely British brand. Designed, printed and made here.

I also received my first batch of proper printed care labels from Woven Labels. Another exciting
step for Chez Beccy. 

Sewing in my first care label!

I am very excited to announce that some Chez Beccy products are now available on the

 Country Living General Store

Why not take a peek!

Had a great time this weekend doing a photo shoot with my sister. 

It makes such a difference seeing my aprons being modelled. I really please with the results.

A big thank you to Anne-marie Sullivan!

Launching my new Children's Apron.
This delightful apron will keep your child's clothes clean and protected while they create delicious treats for you in the kitchen! Suitable for older children aged approx 7-11 years old in blue and white, with polka dots or stripes. Made from 55% linen 45% cotton and digitally printed with water-based inks, so friendly on the environment. A great look for budding young bakers! 

Check them out on my new look website ChezBeccy.folksy.com.

Blue & White Polka Dot Children's Apron.

Blue & White Striped Children's Apron.