Sorry, time really seems to have just disappeared! I keep meaning to find a spare twenty minutes or so to write a blog post after I've tidied the house, fed the children, made soap (and more soap and more soap and more soap), replied to work emails, printed off packaging and orders, done the washing, walked to the post office to post those orders, take/fetch kids to/from nursery, school, playdates, activities... but really, there isn't much time at all. I have the best intentions, promise.

At the weekends we've been doing loads of markets and taking part in events, and have been running circles around ourselves in an attempt to keep on top of the house renovations, while attempting to post regularly on social media for work (which requires photographs, of course, that need to be taken on a camera and then offloaded, resized, re-uploaded to the right place, shared, responded to, sigh.) - it's a never-ending list.

I've decided to embrace the chaos and just go with it. It might take us up and down, but the destination is the same whether you stress about it or not. That sounds very zen, but I had to go through a not-very-zen place to get there. And so, ohm.



I've received the millionth email asking me whether I'd release a stitch guide and information series for my life is beautiful embroidery pattern and instead of apologetically refusing, I've decided to do it. So, I'll be slow and inconsistent, but in the coming months I'll take you through the full embroidery pattern including colours, thread lengths and requirements, and a description of each stitch that I used to make up this embroidery. At the end of it, I'll give the final finished hoop away in a giveaway.

It always amazes me how much reach that little pattern has: it's gone completely global. I get emails at least once a week asking questions about it, I get thank you notes daily, it's been on the cover of a magazine, and it's all over pinterest (which is weird when you're searching, believe me). I love it. I love that there's a mad and wonderful network of embroiderers out there and you all get me and you love the stuff I draw. I daresay we might do a few more of those this year.

So, please be patient with me. I really do have the best intentions and I promise to be better at being online. Pinky swear. Thank you for sticking with me and keeping in touch even though I've been a little radio silent.

It's snowing today, we have had about six inches in our little corner of England so it's wonderfully cold outside and cosy and snug inside. It also means that after-school runarounds have been cancelled, which is how I managed to find those elusive few minutes that I've daydreamed about for so long. I'm going to order some yarn online, and maybe even get a head start on supper prep. I'd rather be popping out for a pottery class or painting daffodils in the conservatory, but I can hear the baby waking up and the washing machine is beeping at me ...