
Vintage dressmaking fabrics from Donna Flower, sold by the half-metre. They'd be ideal for flowergirls' dresses. Pictures: Donna Flower.

Vintage dressmaking fabrics from Donna Flower, sold by the half-metre. They'd be ideal for flowergirls' dresses. Pictures: Donna Flower.


Daisy Garnett's book, Cooking Lessons, is my one of my favourite food memoirs, about her discovery of a passion for cooking while on a journey by boat from New York to London. I'm also quite addicted to her chic listings site A Little Bird, full of stylish finds and reviews. So it's really no surprise I think her office is rather lovely, too. I think that colour green is perfect. Pictures: Simon Brown for the Daily Mail.

These Indian wool shawls - herringbone wool with embroidery - are beautiful. From the amazing The Cloth Shop on Portobello Road. Picture: The Cloth Shop.


This pretty, very summery white dress, with sleeves, is half price at Lollys Laundry. Picture: Lollys Laundry.
This heavy ceramic pear from Sydney's Jennifer Jones would look really beautiful on a mantlepiece, or as a paperweight on a desk. Picture: Have You Met Miss Jones.


I am in love with this painting of two mice by Julia Burns - and it's only £28.50, complete with mount. Naturally, I like her paintings of pigs, too. Picture: Red Hen Originals.
Sweet Caroline clogs from Sweden - very colourful and very comfortable, apparently. These Fireflys are £106. Picture: Sweet Caroline.

Beautiful bedroom fabrics from Sweden's Chhatwal & Jonsson. I love the mix of tie-dye and paisley, and want to copy it. Pictures via: Stromgatan4. 
Two favourites from the new Vanessa Bruno collection for La Redoute. Quite pricey for a catalogue (the top is £49, the jumper £85) - the quality better be top notch. Pictures: La Redoute.
Dorset pottery Hinchcliffe and Barber make lovely hand-painted spongewear and have just opened a small online shop. This large water jug would be perfect on a summer lunch table in the garden, or as a vase for a huge bunch of sweatpeas. It's £45. Picture: Hinchcliffe and Barber.

Archie bought me the most beautiful opal earrings from the Japanese jewellery designer Akiko Kawayanagi for my birthday. They're not actually the ones pictured here - they're even nicer. All her jewellery is delicate but quite rough-hewn-looking, which I love. Really precious, but the kind of thing you want to wear every day - and indeed I have. Pictures: Mykonos. 



French ethical label Les Racines du Ciel make very simple, very beautiful clothes - t-shirts, dresses and jeans - that are designed to be worn for years and years and not date. All the fabrics are either organic or recycled, and everything is made with a minimum impact. Pictures: Les Racines du Ciel.
Willow Corbett-Winder makes lovely, simple notebooks, address books, visitors' books and diaries covered in fabrics - stripes, florals, Indian hand-blocked and paisley. She'll make them to order if there's a particular print and shape you like. Pictures: Willow Rose Boutique. 
Christina Martini used to design for Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga, but now she runs this beautiful new sandal company in Athens. She does 31 different styles based on traditional designs (my favourites are the Myrtis and Electra), all of which you can buy online. Pictures: Ancient Greek Sandals.

Quite subtly pretty hand-embroidered napkins from Sibona. I really love the gooseberries. Pictures: Sibona. 
Keller, a label designed by Kelly Clark in Brooklyn, joins the list of labels to lust after. Kelly says her clothes are designed to "slip on, love, and wear unbothered." I like that very much. Her only European stockist is The Moon and Mars in Edinburgh, but I think they only sell her shoes. Found via Primoeza. Pictures: Keller.

The great British company Falcon Enamelware - makers of sturdy white-with-blue-trim pots and things for kitchens since 1920 - have revitalised their brand and range and, honestly, I would like one of everything. And their website's lovely, too. Thanks to Beatrice for the tip off. Pictures: Falcon Enamelware.

If I were about to head off on holiday, I'd be tempted by the summery things - kaftans, sunhats and dresses for the beach - from Sophie Paget's company, Beach Candy. Everything is designed and made - hand-woven, hand-printed, hand-dyed etc - in India, where Sophie lives. Pictures: Beach Candy.


Tim Bowen's collection of antique Welsh spongeware is the kind of thing I really swoon over. I'll never have too many bowls. I'd love to visit Tim and his wife Betsan's gallery near Carmarthen - full of these lovely ceramics and what looks like a really amazing collection of oak country furniture, Welsh paintings and folk art. Pictures: Tim Bowen Antiques.