It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to grow and blissfully fragrant in the summer months. 
They were my mum’s favourite flower, so growing them now feels like a precious connection. Especially when I pick some and arrange them in her beautiful old blue and gold jug just as she used to do with the sweet peas my dad grew for her every year.
There are some really handy tips for growing success from founder of The Real Flower Company Rosebie Morton over on the blog (link in bio). Rosebie has a whole farm dedicated to sweet peas near Chichester so she knows a thing or two about the subject!
Main thing I’ve picked up from her is to allow lots of depth for root growth at this stage and to make my own supportive wigwams from twiggy branches when the plants are really starting to go for it and need a bit of direction. This photo is making me yearn slightly.
I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying out tiny living for a feature I was writing - this was taken on our way to indulge in a spot of forest bathing. To be totally honest, we were both a little sceptical beforehand. But we were only saying the other day how taken aback we both were by the amazing effect it had. I’m working on some new ideas around the subject - will keep you posted. X
I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole site - which has meant lots of photo editing and reorganising so much content. What’s been lovely (despite the claw hand from so much keyboard work!) is revisiting work and becoming engrossed all over again. I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been (re) loving - with links in the bio to the old site for now, but not for long…! X
This  image is from a feature about preserving garden roses. I’m going to give this a really good go this year, now I have a better idea what I’m doing. I know there’s nothing quite like a fragrant fresh rose in Summer but there’s a fragile beauty to dried and preserved flowers that I also love, don’t you?
Snowdrops 🌱🤍 . . . . . . #capturequiet #ins Snowdrops 🌱🤍 
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#capturequiet #instabritain #natureandnourish #thewildernesstonic #cornersofmyworld
Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flower Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flowers Forever to be won! My bio has the link to enter as well as to get a peek inside. Beautifully photographed by Laura Edwards, I really enjoyed escaping into the pages and making plans for my own garden - hope you do too! X
To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Cla To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits has to be the perfect post Christmas craft project 😊 
If you fancy getting your needles out to make this adorable pair, the link to buy Claire’s pattern is in my bio. Happy knitting! X
Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists for a wonderful wreath making workshop yesterday. Such a special and creative space to spend time. I loved making my wreath - I went for a mixture of greenery arranged quite randomly with red waxed fresh apples, dried hydrangea, dried flowers, poppy and nigella seed heads and a winter white velvet bow. 
There were so many wonderful ingredients to choose from we were really spoiled for choice. 
Sarah’s new studio is such a beautiful, creative space. Think fragrant botanical candles flickering everywhere, mulled wine and apple juice simmering on the stove and containers full of fragrant festive greenery, waxed fruit, dried flowers and oranges, pine cones, lichen covered branches and even tiny gold wax-dipped fresh crab apples. 
Thank you for being so patient with my lengthy ribbon choice deliberations Sarah - and for bagging up a second choice option (dusky pink) to take home! X.  #wreathmaking #wreath #wreathsofinstagram #sustainablewreaths #wreathdecor #christmaswreath #velvetribbon #christmasdecor #festiveflowers
I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - s I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - she came up with the genius idea of embroidering on tulle using nature as her thread - and the results are sublime - like this Autumn colours beauty from her latest book.
I’m delighted that Olga is offering a fantastic prize bundle to my readers. For a chance to win one of her beautiful new dried flower embroidery kits (in collaboration with @driedandfloral ) as well as a signed copy of her wonderful new book(published by @quadrillebooks , pop over to my blog (link in my bio). It’s easy to enter so why don’t you give yourself a chance of winning this very lovely prize? Good luck! 
#driedflowers #driedflowerembroidery #olgaprinku #embroideryhoop #flowerembroidery #competitiontime #signedbooks #embroideryart #flowersontulle #autumn #autumncolours #hoopart #allthingsbotanical #instacraft
This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofp This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofpines and is from her beautiful new book Little Stories of Your Life. 
It’s packed with inspiration and practical ideas to help you become a visual story teller. Because, as Laura says, it’s the little moments that make up the fabric of all of our lives - and those moments are worth capturing and sharing with others.
We have three signed copies of the book to give away - just click the link in my bio to find out more. There’s a peek inside and a lovely film by @xantheb to enjoy too! X 
#littlemoments #littlestoriesbook #alifeofwords #lostinwords #competition #booksarelife #mindfulphotography #bookstagram #booksmakemehappy #booksconnectus #igreads #whatareyoureading #signedbooks
Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has sh Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has shared her wonderfully creative ideas for visibly mending well-loved clothing in need of repair and a little TLC.
She had me at ‘sometimes I like to use giant sequins…’ 
Hope you like Lisa’s ideas as much as I do. The link to head over to my blog and get all her step by steps is in my bio x
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FELTING · February 7, 2023

Best wool for felting: essential guide to all types

Best wool for felting expert guide to all the types

Our most popular posts over the years include: How to make felt slippers, Make a felted flower snowdrop and Needle Felting Robin tutorial. It’s a long time now since first dipping a toe into the wonderful world of felting, but that content remains really popular and each week, one or two readers will ask me about sourcing the best type of wool for the felting process. I’m not entirely sure why it hasn’t occurred to me before to write a post about exactly that, but it has now (finally!). So here’s my guide to the best wool for felting (whether that’s needle felting or hot water felting).

You won’t be surprised to hear that I will focus mainly on different types of wool produced in Britain. (*I know how many of you are from other parts of the world, so I’ll also include some finds from Canada and the United States – scroll to the info section at the end of this post to see them listed).

I’ll take a look at the best breed of sheep, the different fibres and wool type best suited to the felting process – both needle felting and wet felting.

Different types of wool for felting

Firstly let’s take a look at the different types of wool used for felting:

The cheapest (but also most time-consuming) option is to start with raw fleece which you will need to wash and then remove any curly locks. These can be useful for other felting projects where you might want locks of hair (eg for a pony mane).

You can buy scoured wool (which has been washed once and still has some locks attached, so it’s not ideal for felting projects without work either.

Core wool

core wool for needle felting

Felted Sky on Etsy is a great source of core wool for needle felting (particularly if you’re in the US). The image above is for the 2lb option but you can also just buy an ounce.

This is the wool you’d generally use to make the insides or base layers of felting projects and the basic idea is that it helps save your best wool for the top layer. It tends to be cheaper, less attractive looking wool that should to shape quickly and easily. The important thing to consider when choosing the right wool for this is how quick and easy to shape the core wool you choose is.

Best core wool for felting

At the end of the day the answer to this question boils down to personal preferences but I have a few favourites to share with you here.

If you have a local wool shop it’s a good idea to start there, but you can also buy everything you might need to get felting from an online craft store, marketplace (such as Etsy) and independent producers/sellers.

First off, Sandy at Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts is a GREAT resource for all things needle felt-related.

Sandy’s Core wool is a mix from British sheep breeds and is available from her online shop. Coarser wool in texture, it felts easily into shape. This wool has gone through a normal washing process but small amounts of vegetable matter may be present. If this bothers you, you can remove vegetable matter (eg grass seeds and burrs) from raw wool by using the wool carding technique (more details on that later).

As it’s a coarser wool generally used for stuffing, and therefore won’t be seen, carding is unlikely to be necessary for core wool.

core wool heidi feathers on etsy ethically sourced and cruelty free natural carded fleece sliver

Other sources for core wool

Heidi Feathers on Etsy is another great resource for all things felting. Heidi Feathers core wool is a best seller on Etsy for good reason with a natural off-white colour and is wonderfully easy and quick to work with. Made from the finest soft Corridale sliver with criss-crossed fibres, it has been combed into a roving (a long and narrow bundle of fibre). Ethically sourced and available in Small or Medium. Buy on Etsy here:

Another great resource for finding different wools for felting is Sue’s Country Creations. Wingham Wool in Yorkshire sells core wool that is is a carded mix of washed fleece wool specially selected for being easy to work with and an ideal choice for felting. The fibres are chosen for offering good loft and recovery, so ideal for creating soft and bouncy shape.

Crafty Jam is also worth knowing about as they offer ethically sourced wool (from British breeds as much as possible) as well as useful kits. Their core wool is a coarse wool, described as being free of vegetable matter, so a good choice if you’d prefer this and don’t fancy carding it yourself!

The Outside Dyers is another favourite of mine, offering a wonderful range of naturally dyed British wools for felting. Their British Felting Core Wool is available in three natural colours: cream, grey and brown.

Carded wool

As touched on earlier, carded wool is fleece that has been brushed using wire brushes to remove debris, dirt and vegetable matter. Carded wool makes an ideal base for needle felting projects, with Roving or Tops wool used to create the top details.

If you fancy carding your own wool, it’s a relatively easy, if somewhat time-consuming process. You can buy the carding brushes easily (Heidi Feathers sells a popular pair of hand carding brushes: or single carding ‘flicker’ brush.

wool carders carding brushes by heidi feathers on etsy

As well as saving you money in the long run (uncarded fleece is cheaper than carded wool) carding your own wool also gives you the option to create your own mixtures by carding different colours together.

If you’re serious about the idea of carding your own wool, you need to know about the Classic Carder range. Beautifully handmade in the rolling hills of Shropshire using only high quality solid ash wood, the range spans single brushes right up to jumbo drum carder machines.

Carded Batt and Carded Sliver

Carded wool can be bought in what’s known as a carded batt (which is a large, folded up flat piece of carded wool.) It’s ideal for 2D and 3D needle felting as it felts super fast.

Alternatively you can buy carded wool slivers which are small pieces cut from a carded batt. This is particularly useful if you’re starting out with needle felting or don’t need to buy a lot of a particular colour or type of wool (eg for small details).

Dorset Wool sells a beautiful selection of organic naturally hand-dyed carded fibre from their own blade shorn high welfare flock of Portland sheep and homegrown organic plant dyes. 

Blended batts

There’s real artistry in blending shades to make blended batts for felting and a joy to create yourself. There’s also plenty of inspiration out there of ready blended batts just waiting for you to create with.

blended wool batt shades of mountain landscape inspired by The Lord of The Rings and hand blended by Marie Reddings Arts on Etsy

Marie Redding is a great source of ideas and this Visions of Mountains blend (also available as handspun yarn) is inspired by forests, wild landscape and The Lord of The Rings. Marie is committed to using only trusted sources of cruelty free wool. Her raw fibres (this does not include dyed merino) locks and raw fleeces are all sourced from the UK (apart from silk) and from trusted farmers. She guarantees high welfare standards and the very best quality fleeces.

Wool roving or tops

So what’s the difference between Batts and Roving? Well, batts (or batting, or fleece) and roving have both been pulled through carding machines which comb and align the fibres to some degree. But with batting, the wool comes off the machine in thin sheets which are layered to form thicker fluffy sheets.

This results in a textured wool where the fibres are no longer aligned, which means it felts up very quickly.

Roving, on the other hand, is processed one step further and pulled off the machine in ropes where the fibres are mostly aligned. Though the fibres are more aligned, this form of wool still retains the wool’s natural crimp, making it another excellent choice for needle felting.

This is fleece that has been carded further and has been combed in one direction. So It’s harder to work with for felting and best used for adding detail (eg fleece coats/manes for sheep, ponies, animals) rather than for making the base of your felting projects. Great for 2D and 3D felting, surface colouring and wet felting.

Blended roving

This is something you can either do yourself by blending different rovings to create a mix, but there are also lots of ready blended options to buy to make life easier.

Fellview Fibres in the Lake District offers a colourful collection of fibres inspired by the local landscape.

Hawthorne Handmade sells a fab blended roving pack of wool from British breeds. Each bundle contains 5 natural shades of British wool roving (approximately 100g in total).

british breeds wool roving bundle for needle felting

– Each bundle comes in a clear box so you can easily find the colour you need and the box is made from 80% waste material and is fully recyclable.

This bundle contains approximately 20g each of:
Blue Faced Leicester (brown)
Shetland (white)
Shetland (moorit brown)
Herdwick (light grey)
Welsh (black)

buy roving bundle on etsy

Different breeds of sheep

Choosing the type of wool to use can be as much about the breed of sheep the fleece came from as it is finding the best quality wool. Each breed offers different colours and characteristics.

Shetland

Shetland wool is incredibly soft and versatile and ideal for home spinning. It is great for hand spinning and felting. 

This gradient wool batt bundle by Fellview Fibres in the Lake District combines two natural Shetland wools and five hand-dyed Shetland wool in shades of purple.

shetland wool batts gradient bundle purple and natural for felting
BUY NOW

Liberty Bell Felts offers a mix of pure natural undyed wool tops. Usefully, all the wools are pulled, not cut, to keep staple length.

Albany Wool keep a small flock of Shetland sheep just outside Dunfermline, Fife. All their wool is processed by hand from their own flock, and other local high welfare flocks. The wool is washed using environmentally friendly soap, air dried, picked then carded on a small drum carder into fluffy batts for spinning, felting or for any other woolly uses!

Buy Albany Shetland Wool on Etsy.

For naturally dyed shetland wool, The Occasional Purl, based in Wales, is a great place to know about. There’s a beautiful range of naturally dyed batts to choose from, including reds, greens, blues and purples.

Also check out Highland Colours. Their naturally dyed Shetland wool roving is available in a beautiful selection of colours including yellows, oranges, pinks, greens, blues and browns. Love this oak leaf dyed natural wool roving:

oak leaf naturally dyed natural wool roving for felting

And just feast your eyes on the delicious coral colour achieved by dying natural wool roving with madder root.

coral wool roving naturally dyed with madder root perfect for wet and needle felting
buy madder dyed wool roving on etsy

Jacob

The Jacob is an ancient breed with a fleece that is open, soft and light with little grease (lanolin). Staple length is generally 3-5 inches and may be up to 7 inches. The wool is medium grade (Bradford count 46-54).

Gillian Gladrag sells a range of beautiful rare breed British wool and fibre, including Grey Jacob top roving.

Manx Loaghtan

Manx Loaghtan is a small, primitive sheep, one of the rare breeds of sheep on the watch list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Originating from the prehistoric short-tailed breeds of sheep found in isolated parts of North West Europe, other breeds in this same group are Soay, Hebridean, Shetland, Boreray and North Ronaldsay.

The Makerss is a great resource for all things felting and also sells Manx Loaghtan natural wool tops

There’s a wide range of different felting fibres from different sheep (including woo from South Africa, Australia, South America and New Zealand. They also offer a free ‘find a fibre’ service. Describe what you are hoping to make and they will recommend the best batts, tops and/or curls that will work for your project.

Wychwood Spinner on Etsy (see photo below) is another special resource based in The Cotwolds and offering a curated collection of wool fleeces and other fibres sourced from local breeders and their own small flock, including a washed Max Loaghtan fleece.

british breeds best wool for felting

Romney

The Romney sheep has the highest quality of fleece on any native British breed of sheep. Their fleece is heavy, semi lustrous and strong and they produce a high yield. The fibre has a well-defined crimp and the staples are long and usually oval or round as is typical with a stronger wool. Romney Marsh Wools is a great resource and sells washed and carded topped fleece which is definitely a contender as best wool for felting.

romney marsh wools is a wonderful source of pure british romney wool from washed and carded topped fleece to raw fleece as well as whole fleeces all from their own sustainable flock of sheep

Romney Marsh Wools use traditional skills (Romney sheep have been in the family for at least six generations or more) and are committed to sustainability. This video gives great insight behind the scenes and into why this wool is so highly prized.

Merino wool

Prized because it’s a fine soft and light wool, there are some ethical issues around the production of merino wool. Merino sheep have wrinkly skin, which means more surface area for wool, but also more flies in hot weather. This often leads to the horribly cruel practice of mulesing. Ethical merino wool does exist, but sourcing it means doing your homework.

Heidi Feathers sells a fantastic choice of merino felting wool, all sourced from non-mulesed flocks.

best wool for felting: Merino wool roving carded fleece for felting (both needle felting and wet felting) in natural cream off white colour soft and with a slight sheen

This beautiful Merino wool roving is from Grey Fox Felting in New York and is perfect for wet felting. It’s ethically sourced and mulesing free. This merino wool is 21.5 microns with a staple length of 2.75 inches. Merino wool is a beautiful material to work with and is known for its softness and gentle sheen. 

Blue Faced Leicester

Prized for being a soft wool and also strong, Blue Faced Leicester is another great choice for felting. Blue Faced Leicester wool is fine and dense with a good lustre and is long.
The Blue Faced Leicester fleece is highly prized for its likeness to mohair and is perfect for felting.

Liberty Bell Felts is a good source for undyed Blue Faced Leicester wool top roving:

Wingham Wool currently have Super grade select White Bluefaced Leicester combed wool top for sale. It has a soft semi-lustrous wool, very popular with hand spinners and felt makers.

Herdwick

Herdwick sheep are a beautiful hardy breed with wonderful thick fleeces. The lambs are born black, & over time their fleeces change colour into dark to light grey wool. Being a coarse wool, Herdwick fleece is a great choice for felting.

herdwick sheep

The Felted Herdwick is a great resource for finding felting wool from their own sheep (pictured above) as well as some great felting kits. My favourite is this Herdwick Sheep bauble kit.

herdwick sheep felting kit
buy herdwick sheep felting kit

The Felted Herdwick also sell a Herdwick core wool bundle which is Herdwick hogg (lamb) wool washed and carded into batts. As this is lamb wool it is softer than ewe wool and is a beautiful chocolate brown with grey hues running through it. It is a shorter fibre so is perfect for needle felting as it felts quickly. This wool is from their own flock of Herdwick sheep (above).

Swaledale

swaledale ethically produced cruelty free carded wool for felting

The fineness is approx. 35-45 microns and staple length, 100-200mm. Swaledale wool has excellent resilience and hard wearing properties and the natural grey can be dyed with very nice results. Great for wet felting and needle felting.

The Fibre Hut sells a nice all natural grey swaledale combed wool top from the Yorkshire Dales. As does Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts

Corriedale

Corriedale sheep are a cross between Lincoln and Merino sheep giving the wool a natural thick feel yet retaining the soft nature of merino. It therefore lends itself perfectly for 3D projects, needle felting & wet felting.

Buy Corriedale Rovings from Crafty Jam Company on Etsy.

British breed felting wool bundle for felting

As I mentioned earlier, Hawthorne Handmade is a great resource for all things felting related. They sell a brilliant box of undyed British felting wool in 5 beautiful natural animal colours, including Manx Loaghtan (brown), Blue Faced Leicester (oatmeal),Blue Faced Leicester (white),Jacob (dark grey),Swaledale (light grey)

John Lewis sells nice bundles of felting wool – including this natural combination:

best wool for felting - my guide to natural, ethical and cruelty free fleece, rovings, tops and batts including british rare breeds, kits and plant dyed options

Worthy of mention too is Shiv Textiles who sells yarn and fibre bundles curated from deadstock yarn and rescued from British mills. Boxes vary and some yarns are more suited to weaving or tapestry than felting, but definitely worth knowing about.

Love these yarn and fleece rainbow bundles rescued as deadstock from british mills sustainable and perfect for needle felting, weaving and other craft textiles projects from Shiv Textiles on Etsy
BUY NOW

A few kits you might like

If you’re new to felting, starter kits can be a great way to find you way into this craft. There are so many to choose from, so I’ve picked out just a couple to share with you.

This kit by Sue’s Country Creations is a bestseller for good reason.

needle felting beginners kit

Felts by Philippa is a great channel for felting tutorials and tips/help. This video about how to use starter kits is a fantastic introduction to the craft.

Grey Fox Felting has a wonderful selection of felting kits including this cute Red Fox beginner’s felting kit:

fox felting kit for beginners
BUY NOW
cotton tail bunny rabbit needle felt tutorial by PS Felting on Etsy as a PDF download with detail step by steps to make your own DIY just like it
BUY NOW

How adorable is this Cottontail Bunny Tutorial by Paige Snow of PSFelting? It’s available to buy as a detailed PDF tutorial with lots of images and help. Paige also sells wool palette collections inspired by different animals including the Cottontail Bunny.

Baby Hedgehog Kit

baby hedgehog felting kit beginners

How about this cute baby hedgehog beginner’s needle felting kit by Bergin and Bath? Inside the kit is everything you need including ethically sourced and cruelty-free English top and merino wool fibres.

BUY NOW

Hummingbird kit by The Makerss

hummingbird needle felting kit for beginners by The Makerss

How cute this this Hummingbird felting kit by The Makerss?

Information

This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our blog posts are independent and in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set. 

Here’s a round-up of my favourite sources for finding the best wool for felting:

Dorset Wool provides sustainable, eco-friendly fibre and yarn from British rare breed sheep, using home-grown plant dyes.

The Felt Box offers a wide range of ethically sourced and sustainable needle felting products.

Thomas Wood & Wool based in Wales and offering handmade and plant dyed products made from wood and wool

Hawthorn Handmade

Romney Marsh Wool

Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts

Heidi Feathers

Crafty Jam Company

Marie Redding Arts

The Outside Dyers

Fellview Fibress

Albany Wool

Highland Colours

The Makerss

Wychwood Spinner

Liberty Bell Felts

Yorkshire Wools

Fibre Hut

Shiv Textiles

Bergin & Bath

Suppliers in the US, Canada & Australia

As mentioned at the start of this post, I know how many of my lovely readers live beyond the British shores, so I wanted to include some of the sources I’ve found as I’ve been researching this post. Do let me know if you have a special source that you think I should include!

Divinity Fibers Canada

Grey Fox Felting USA

The Knotty Bird USA

Bear Creek Felting USA

Felted Sky USA

PS Felting USA

Thread Collective Australia

First Edition Fibres & Yarns Australia

Wool and Joy Australia

You might also like

Needle felting books: my top 15 best for beginners

How to make felt slippers

A pin to share to Pinterest

best wool for felting

If you’ve enjoyed this post, it would be great if you could share this pin to one of your Pinterest boards. Thank you! x

In: FELTING

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I'm so glad you're here. I'm Laura - national women's magazine editor and journalist now sharing my passion for sustainable and creative living here. Hope you find something to enjoy and inspire! X

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It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to grow and blissfully fragrant in the summer months. 
They were my mum’s favourite flower, so growing them now feels like a precious connection. Especially when I pick some and arrange them in her beautiful old blue and gold jug just as she used to do with the sweet peas my dad grew for her every year.
There are some really handy tips for growing success from founder of The Real Flower Company Rosebie Morton over on the blog (link in bio). Rosebie has a whole farm dedicated to sweet peas near Chichester so she knows a thing or two about the subject!
Main thing I’ve picked up from her is to allow lots of depth for root growth at this stage and to make my own supportive wigwams from twiggy branches when the plants are really starting to go for it and need a bit of direction. This photo is making me yearn slightly.
I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying out tiny living for a feature I was writing - this was taken on our way to indulge in a spot of forest bathing. To be totally honest, we were both a little sceptical beforehand. But we were only saying the other day how taken aback we both were by the amazing effect it had. I’m working on some new ideas around the subject - will keep you posted. X
I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole site - which has meant lots of photo editing and reorganising so much content. What’s been lovely (despite the claw hand from so much keyboard work!) is revisiting work and becoming engrossed all over again. I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been (re) loving - with links in the bio to the old site for now, but not for long…! X
This  image is from a feature about preserving garden roses. I’m going to give this a really good go this year, now I have a better idea what I’m doing. I know there’s nothing quite like a fragrant fresh rose in Summer but there’s a fragile beauty to dried and preserved flowers that I also love, don’t you?
Snowdrops 🌱🤍 . . . . . . #capturequiet #ins Snowdrops 🌱🤍 
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#capturequiet #instabritain #natureandnourish #thewildernesstonic #cornersofmyworld
Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flower Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flowers Forever to be won! My bio has the link to enter as well as to get a peek inside. Beautifully photographed by Laura Edwards, I really enjoyed escaping into the pages and making plans for my own garden - hope you do too! X
To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Cla To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits has to be the perfect post Christmas craft project 😊 
If you fancy getting your needles out to make this adorable pair, the link to buy Claire’s pattern is in my bio. Happy knitting! X
Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists for a wonderful wreath making workshop yesterday. Such a special and creative space to spend time. I loved making my wreath - I went for a mixture of greenery arranged quite randomly with red waxed fresh apples, dried hydrangea, dried flowers, poppy and nigella seed heads and a winter white velvet bow. 
There were so many wonderful ingredients to choose from we were really spoiled for choice. 
Sarah’s new studio is such a beautiful, creative space. Think fragrant botanical candles flickering everywhere, mulled wine and apple juice simmering on the stove and containers full of fragrant festive greenery, waxed fruit, dried flowers and oranges, pine cones, lichen covered branches and even tiny gold wax-dipped fresh crab apples. 
Thank you for being so patient with my lengthy ribbon choice deliberations Sarah - and for bagging up a second choice option (dusky pink) to take home! X.  #wreathmaking #wreath #wreathsofinstagram #sustainablewreaths #wreathdecor #christmaswreath #velvetribbon #christmasdecor #festiveflowers
I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - s I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - she came up with the genius idea of embroidering on tulle using nature as her thread - and the results are sublime - like this Autumn colours beauty from her latest book.
I’m delighted that Olga is offering a fantastic prize bundle to my readers. For a chance to win one of her beautiful new dried flower embroidery kits (in collaboration with @driedandfloral ) as well as a signed copy of her wonderful new book(published by @quadrillebooks , pop over to my blog (link in my bio). It’s easy to enter so why don’t you give yourself a chance of winning this very lovely prize? Good luck! 
#driedflowers #driedflowerembroidery #olgaprinku #embroideryhoop #flowerembroidery #competitiontime #signedbooks #embroideryart #flowersontulle #autumn #autumncolours #hoopart #allthingsbotanical #instacraft
This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofp This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofpines and is from her beautiful new book Little Stories of Your Life. 
It’s packed with inspiration and practical ideas to help you become a visual story teller. Because, as Laura says, it’s the little moments that make up the fabric of all of our lives - and those moments are worth capturing and sharing with others.
We have three signed copies of the book to give away - just click the link in my bio to find out more. There’s a peek inside and a lovely film by @xantheb to enjoy too! X 
#littlemoments #littlestoriesbook #alifeofwords #lostinwords #competition #booksarelife #mindfulphotography #bookstagram #booksmakemehappy #booksconnectus #igreads #whatareyoureading #signedbooks
Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has sh Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has shared her wonderfully creative ideas for visibly mending well-loved clothing in need of repair and a little TLC.
She had me at ‘sometimes I like to use giant sequins…’ 
Hope you like Lisa’s ideas as much as I do. The link to head over to my blog and get all her step by steps is in my bio x
Thank you @therealflowerco for these heavenly swee Thank you @therealflowerco for these heavenly sweet peas - the perfect way to celebrate #britishflowersweek 
I just wish I could share the blissful fragrance with you too 💕🌸
#locallygrownflowers #flowersofinstagram #supportlocal #britishflowersweek2021 #britishseasonalflowers #flowersfromthefarm #sweetpeas
This heavenly knitted lamb is by Claire Garland ak This heavenly knitted lamb is by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits and just one of the creative spring projects you might enjoy immersing yourself in right now. To discover other inspirational ideas and to get all the info you need - including this free pattern by Claire - click the link in my bio. Hope you find something that brings you a little seasonal joy x
Thanks to Erin at @floretflower for sending me a s Thanks to Erin at @floretflower for sending me a surprise signed copy of her dreamy new book Discovering Dahlias - and another signed copy to share with one of you. 
To enjoy a peek inside - and for a chance to win - click the link in my bio. 
The truly beautiful photographs (including this one) are all by Erin’s husband Chris Benzakein #discoveringdahlias #floretflowerfarm #dahliasofinstagram #flowersgivemepower #giveawayuk
Thanks to @sarahravenperchhill for sharing a beaut Thanks to @sarahravenperchhill for sharing a beautifully simple way to arrange snowdrops and other early spring flowers over on the blog (link is in my bio). I’ve already made my own simple flower grid using foraged twigs and it works brilliantly! 
As well as sharing her simple step by steps, there’s also a video tutorial where Sarah shares more inspiring ideas for creating with early spring flowers. The beautiful photographs are by @jonathanbuckleyphotography - hope you enjoy! X
Last call to enter our Pippa Greenwood Grow Your O Last call to enter our Pippa Greenwood Grow Your Own gift bundle competition!
My favourite #gardenersquestiontime panellist @pippa.greenwood offers a range of totally brilliant Grow Your Own gift bundles - which include garden-ready veg plants sent out at the right time for planting, email growing advice, tips and recipes from Pippa herself as well as signed copies of The Gardener’s Year. It’s the perfect gift for anyone interested in growing their own fresh produce - and comes with the best expert advice!
We have two Pippa Greenwood GYO gift bundles to be won - the link to enter the competition, and to find out more is in my bio - Good luck!
Last call for anyone who’d like to enter our Cla Last call for anyone who’d like to enter our Claire Garland Christmas Mouse knitting pattern competition. The link to enter is the top one in my bio. Good luck!
If you’re finding the world a somewhat shouty an If you’re finding the world a somewhat shouty and overwhelming place right now, you might like to get behind Sarah Corbett @craftivists new project - she’s crowdfunding to create the final part of her Craftivism trilogy: the Craftivist Collective Handbook. It will be a beautiful hardback with 20 gentle protest Craftivist projects and tools to help readers become positive and effective change makers. Because slow and gentle can be more effective in the long run than fast and loud. I am 100% behind Sarah’s project and have no doubt that those of us in the crafty, creative community have plenty to contribute when it comes to making a better, fairer world. 
Stitching a powerful message can be  more effective than shouting it at someone who’s not listening to you. If you’d like to get involved or find out more, follow the top link in my bio.
Thanks to @botanical_tales for sharing beautiful d Thanks to @botanical_tales for sharing beautiful dried flower wreath ideas over on the blog - link in bio. I love this dried mini wreath as natural gift wrapping decoration (you can buy ready-made too) - all the links are in the post.
Thanks too to Kirsten @henthorn_farm_flowers for sharing her step by steps for creating a stunning giant foraged dried flower wreath as well as her beautiful simple wreath in silvery winter whites. 
I’m increasingly obsessed with the idea of growing my own flowers for drying and creating lovely things with them. Watch this space for more dried flower inspiration coming soon... X
One of the joyful things about this time of year f One of the joyful things about this time of year for me is making plans for next spring and summer in my flower cutting garden. After two years of growing cut flowers, I’m ready for some fresh ideas and to raise my game a little more. I would like to fill some gaps in shape and colour and to extend the flowering season in particular. I’d also like to start drying and preserving my flowers... so I am thrilled that Kirsten of @henthorn_farm_flowers has shared a beautiful glimpse into her seasonal and sustainable flowery world as well as lots of fantastic expert tips and ideas over on the blog - the link is in my bio. I hope you find some inspiration too. Kirsten lives in a very beautiful part of the world - the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. It’s an area very close to my heart as I grew up not far away. Loved spending a little virtual time there again, thanks to Kirsten - and I am yearning to go back in person one day soon and breathe it all in again.
To be honest, I’m still clinging on to the last To be honest, I’m still clinging on to the last moments of Summer. I do always eventually embrace Autumn but, this year in particular, I’m wanting to hold on for as long as possible to the quiet bliss of the last few months. 
I do really worry about what lies ahead for us all, but spending time outdoors, connecting, really up close, to what’s going on in the garden definitely helps. I still have roses, sweet peas, snapdragons, zinnias, asters and LOTS of dahlias blooming so there are always jars and jugs of flowers on every available surface. Rose geranium leaves have been a revelation for adding a fragrant green frilliness - and now I’m full of love for abelia. 
This beautiful photo is by @gandgorgeousflowers and captures the between-seasons beauty in the flower garden right now. I am inspired to create something similar as I have many of the same colours. 
I do realise that it’s silly (and utterly pointless 😂) to resist Autumn as it’s actually one of the most beautiful times of year. As soon as the leaves really turn, and everywhere starts to smell like Autumn, I’m sure I’ll be fully on board. 
With that in mind, I’ve shared lots of inspiring Autumn Flowers ideas over on the blog (link in my bio) from some of my favourite flower creatives including @gandgorgeousflowers @simplybyarrangement @therealflowerco @wildbunchflowers @floribundaroseflorists @thesussexflowerschool @electricdaisyflowerfarm 

Hope you enjoy - and find a little bit of creative inspiration too. X

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