January is typically the month for setting intentions and making plans.It is the month for a to-do list. But rather than a never ending guilt list of things not done, a good list should be something helpful rather than something that keeps you awake at night. Here are some ideas for creating the best to-do lists.Definitely, the first step in making a better to-do list is deciding where to keep it. If you are a paper person then choose a notebook that is sturdy and/ or portable. Have many different lists and categorise them. This helps with focusing on one…
Category: History & Making
TIME TO GET WRAPPING
Elevate your gifting this season and wrap up something lovely in one of our beautiful tea towels. Click HERE for a ‘how to’ reel. Choose your wrap from our collection of joyful tea towels This Christmas we have been trying out new ways to wrap our presents. We have heard a lot about the Japanese wrapping and tying method of furoshiki and wanted to have a go. A furoshiki wrapping cloth is a single rectangular or square piece of fabric (in our case a tea towel). The wrap was originally referred to as tsutsumi and has gone through several transformations over the…
In conversation with Mims Heritage – the making of Wool Bunnies
Flora Mims of Mims Heritage is one of my oldest friends; we met on the first day of term of Norwich Art School and then went on to study Textiles at Goldsmiths College, London together. Here is a little window into her bunny making process with image captions taken from conversations with Flora. Each part is cut and sewn by hand then filled with sheepswool, lavender and rice. The bunnies are made using a beautiful brushed 100% wool fabric. Cutting the bunnies out of felt. The magic of drawing out a flat shape in order to create a three dimensional…
Geometric Paper Christmas Decorations
Having spotted Mince Pies for sale in the supermarket this week, I decided it was officially not too early to start making Christmas decorations. I had a folder of small ‘scraps’ of gift wrap left over from last Christmas…you know, the pieces that seem to accumulate as they’re not quite large enough to wrap a present with, but are too big to throw away. With the spirit of ‘waste not want not’ in mind, I had a look online for some paper decoration tutorials and found some printable templates which looked perfect! I decided to make an evening of it…
Sardine Tin Diorama
Type the word ‘diorama’ into Google images, and prepare to be amazed! A few weeks ago, I did exactly that and then proceeded to scroll through the resulting images with a dropped-jaw. There are some absolutely incredible miniature ‘worlds’ out there, made by some very talented and imaginative people. Inspired by all of the amazing dioramas I had seen online, I got out my paints and spent the afternoon immersed in paper-craft. You could make your diorama in any type of container….a match-box, a car-sweet tin, or a small shoe box for example. But, in line with the launch of…
Nasturtium Seedlings
Thornback & Peel Nasturtiums blog
Homemade brunch Recipe
Thornback & Peel brunch recipe
Hanging Egg-shell Vases
Thornback & Peel Easter craft inspiration – Hanging egg-shell vases
A Handy Guide to Handkerchiefs
Our characterful handkerchiefs are not just for Christmas. Take a look at our handy guide to the hanky, and why we think it is an essential accessory to have up your sleeve… Show Me Your Love The handkerchief’s popularity soared in the 1700s. Sweetly scented and highly decorated, men and women exchanged the little squares as tokens of love and friendship. In the absence of emojis, 19th century ladies used handkerchiefs to signal their amorous intentions. Handkerchief flirting comprised a complicated series of semaphore that included: Drawing it across the cheek—I love you. Drawing it across the eyes—I am sorry. Drawing it across the forehead—Look, we are watched. Drawing it through the…
Poached Pears With Chocolate Sauce & Salted Caramel Nuts
Enjoy the best that autumn has to offer with this deliciously simple recipe for spiced poached pears topped with salted caramel nuts and chocolate sauce. Pear-fection Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that ‘there are only 10 minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat’. There’s no doubt that certain varieties seem to go from rock hard to mush in a matter of moments, so for this blog I decided to cook them. Variety Show Poaching pears softens their flesh to perfection and enhances their delicate flavour. But you do need to choose a suitable pear to cook with. Firmer varieties like Bosc, Anjou and…









