Why sewing matters

We predict Father Christmas will be bringing a record number of sewing machines this year. If sewing is on your to-do list for 2014, be inspired by the beautiful fabrics and oh-so-simple patterns from Merchant and Mills. Enjoy this mini-film of their work by weareshuffle. Click here to view You can read the interview with seamstress Carolyn Denham in our Christmas holiday issue (no 18 - on sale now).

Here's a taste of what she has to say on the subject of sewing:

'What really gets Carolyn worked up is how little regarded sewing is as a craft. She believes that because women do it is seen as domestic, like housework. “Seamstresses were never looked up to like tailors, who were mainly men. But all 'haute couture' means is high sewing, there's no difference in terms of craftsmanship in these professions.” And don't even get her started when it comes to revered woodworking skills such as joinery and carpentry and cabinetmaking. “Think how much more difficult sewing is – wood stays still, while material wobbles, frays and slips but because everyone – every woman did it at home it was devalued.” Where cabinetmakers and blokes generally have got it right is that they are more happy to spend money on kit while women tend to be naturally thrifty. There's a certain pleasure in that but it is a false economy. My motto would always be, buy one and buy well.'

Wonderful walnuts

Plant now and spend future Christmases feasting on homegrown walnuts

Did you know a mature walnut tree can produce 50kg of walnuts a year? Plant a grafted tree now and within a few years (yes it does take a while but all good things are worth waiting for, right?) you'll be harvesting your own Christmas crop of these lovely little fellows.  Another inspired idea from The Simple Things expert gardener, Christopher Raeburn. Read more in Issue 18 out now..

Win £100 of Joy vouchers!

TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY and British fashion and lifestyle company Joy is helping to spread seasonal cheer by offering one lucky winner the chance to snag a £100 voucher - the perfect excuse for a shopping spree before Christmas! To enter, all you have to do is Like the Joy Facebook page here http://goo.gl/1tpojs

Win! Up to £500 to spend on clothes in White Stuff (closed 17 January 2014)

White Stuff

Revamp your winter wardrobe for 2014 for free!

White Stuff are giving you the chance to win one of three cash prizes so you can treat yourself to a (guilt-free!) new wardrobe for 2014. White Stuff believe in being different, making a difference and making the world a little happier - their 'happiness in every stitch' mantra is in everything they do. The new collection includes fabulous prints (designed in-house), cosy knits and figure-flattering dresses. You'll spot hidden details on every White Stuff piece, from friendship bracelets on labels to secret prints inside a cuff or collar. Enter our competition to win one of four cash prizes to spend in White Stuff and you could soon be on a shopping spree. The winner will receive £500, second prize is £250 and two Runners Up will each receive £125. To enter click here www.futurecomps.co.uk/whitestuff. Closing date 17th January 2014.

Christmas holiday issue - taster

Think of this as our present to you - a whole extra issue of The Simple Things to savour over the holiday period. We're seeing in the new year with old friends, looking the cat's meow in a flapper dress and finding ways to get through all that Stilton. Here's the cover to look out for - subscribers will find issue 18 on their doormats from this weekend. Those who haven't yet signed up can get it at newsagents and supermarkets from 6 December. Happy Holidays! Let us know what you think of the cover at our Facebook page

Get a pack of fresh coffee for £1!

Fresh coffee delivered to your door

LOVE COFFEE? Now's your chance to try Pact Coffee, a new London start-up which delivers fresh coffee to order the following day. The Simple Things have teamed up with Pact to give readers a bag of delicious fresh coffee for only £1 including free P&P (usual price £6.95). Pact source their coffee from some of the finest farmers in the world, hand-roast it in London and deliver next-day to ensure maximum freshness.

Simply visit www.pactcoffee.com and enter the code SIMPLETHINGS250 to claim your 250g bag for £1. All orders placed before 1pm are shipped the same day so you could be sipping outstanding coffee by this time tomorrow.

Pact is run by a group of friends on a mission to make sure customers never run out of great quality coffee again. Their carefully selected coffees are all roasted in small batches to ensure the very optimum quality, and sold no later than 7 days after roasting when they are at their best.

If customers like their beans ground, the Pact team will grind them minutes before they are sent, then seal in a special valve bag which keeps coffee fresher for longer. They also make sure to grind it to suit the coffee machine customers use at home (fine for espresso, coarse for cafetiere and everything in between).

There is no commitment or trickery, cancel anytime. Future bags are £6.95 with free P&P. For full terms and conditions go to www.pactcoffee.com/terms

Stoke the woodburner revival

How to keep warm, cosy and on the right side of your neighbours.

COMBINED WITH YOUR favourite people, your softest PJs, a pot of tea and some crumpets, a real fire is the perfect antidote to a grey winter afternoon. If there’s no woodburning stove in your home right now, we’re willing to bet there’s one on your Christmas wishlist. And not just because they’re fashionable – a woodburner heats not just your sitting room, after all, but if you opt for a boiler model, it’ll take care of your hot water, radiators and underfloor heating too. What’s more, it uses planet-loving fuel, and there’s nothing quite like wood-gathering to sate your hunter-gatherer fantasies. And whether your tastes are ‘country farmhouse’ or ‘modern minimalist’ there’s a wealth of styles to choose from – as well as something for pretty much every budget. Many manufacturers, such as Exeter-based woodburner designers, makers and sellers Stovax, are also incorporating technically advanced features and increasingly innovative functions like Cleanburn and Airwash, which, respectively, save fuel and keep your glass nice and clear.

Here’s what to do before the first twig ignites.

1. Check with your local authority to see whether you live in a Smoke Control Area – if you do, it will restrict the type of appliance and fuel you can have.

2. Get the stove installed by a HETAS*-approved fitter – it must conform to strict building regulations, and the smoke can’t just go up the chimney as it is.

3. Find a local, sustainable, reliable fuel source (try www.bigbarn.co.uk/logpile/indexen.php).

* HETAS is the official body recognised by the Government to approve solid fuel domestic heating appliances, fuels and services. 

Mistletoe auctions. Who knew?

mistletoe

It is a truth universally acknowledged, mistletoe livens up the Christmas festivities!

Its pretty colour and distinctive shape looks gorgeous in homemade garlands and wreaths, and let’s be honest, who among us doesn’t like to loiter under a bunch of mistletoe every now and again? The only downside is that it can be expensive. Luckily there are special mistletoe auctions that take place during December in Tenbury Wells in Shropshire, which means you can buy it at wholesale prices.

Taking place on 3rd and 10th there are also themed events and activities that take place, so it’s a great day out too!

If you can’t get to Tenbury Wells, visit online stores like The English Mistletoe Shop, Kiss Me Mistletoe and Intermistletoe to bag your berry gorgeous supplies!

Munich Christmas markets

Brass bands, twinkling lights and Glühwein… Will Taylor seeks out the best Christmas markets in Munich.

FAVOURITE PLACE TO STAY Cortiina Hotel, Ledererstraße 8, 80331 If you’re looking for a stylish, friendly place to base yourself in the heart of the city then this is the hotel for you. A fine example of refined design, the Cortiina offers unmatched access to the city’s creative scene thanks to its well-connected owners, food connoisseur Rudi Kull and architect Albert Weinzierl, who have a great relationship with the surrounding community.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS Chinesischer Turm Perfect for the magical Christmas experience at a festive market deep inside the famous English Garden.

Kripperlmarkt Stop by these stalls to find ornate cribs and other nativity accessories.

Marienplatz Here you’ll find an abundance of market stalls selling decorations.

Sendlinger Tor Perfect for craft lovers, this market sells a host of homemade pieces.

Stephansplatz The gay ‘Pink Christmas’ market is the city’s most vibrant, with a healthy dose of glühwein and live music performances.

Viktualienmarkt This year-round market gets a festive makeover in December.

FAVOURITE PLACES TO EAT Cafe Fräulein, Frauenstraße 11, 80469 As you walk down the street you can’t miss the charming yellow and white striped awning of this café, which is ideal for brunch and allows diners to choose different breads, jams and condiments from a vintage trolley. Cafe Fräulein is small, quaint, with incredibly friendly owners, and very popular with local residents.

Schrannenhalle, Viktualienmarkt 15, 80331 Not technically a restaurant but more a stylish market hall that has a variety of culinary offerings from the Alpine region with little eateries mixed in amongst the stalls. Centrally located, this is the perfect spot to pick up foodie pieces to take home or enjoy a quick, light lunch.

Theresa, Theresienstraße 29, 80333 Distinctly urban, this Munich hotspot is popular with the city’s stylish crowd. Light and airy by day, cosy and atmospheric by night, the restaurant offers a menu of rich meat and fresh fish dishes. Arrive early so you can enjoy a cocktail in the waiting area.

FAVOURITE STORES Abovo, Rumfordstraße 8, 80469

Butlers, Theatinerstraße 14, 80333

Delikatessen, Reichenbachstraße 24, 80469

Koton, Barer Straße 38, 80333

Ladoug, Müllerstraße 30, 80469

Sinneswahn, Hohenzollernstraße 37, 80801

Thiersch 15, Thierschstraße 15, 80538

1260 Grad, Sedanstraße 27, 81667

The Simple Things’ Marketplace editor Will is a freelance interiors journalist and colour addict who has channelled his love for colourful interiors into his blog, Bright.Bazaar. His first interior design book will be published next spring.

Read the full feature in issue 17 of The Simple Things.

White Stuff: Made for Change

WHITE STUFF is a fashion company that believes in making a difference and puts ‘happiness in every stitch’ of what it does.

You might think you’ve seen these prints somewhere before. Maybe on that top you love or that dress you wear everywhere? That’s because the White Stuff ‘Made for Change’ bags use up spare fabric from the same rolls used to make their signature clothing range. And that’s not all. Every Made for Change bag raises money for an educational scholarship scheme, supporting workers’ children in India.

Grace is one of the students on the scholarship; watch how the initiative has helped her.

Although schooling in India is free, workers at the factory in Bangalore can spend a high proportion of what they earn on transport to school and supplies. The White Stuff Foundation works with ID Care (their supplier’s charity) to fund scholarships for children from the poorest families. So far more than 330 children have benefited from the scheme.

All of this wonderful stuff from a bit of excess fabric! The bags will be in shops and online at www.whitestuff.com from November; the perfect time for stocking fillers! For a recommended donation of just £3.50 each, you could even use them instead of wrapping paper to make your other pressies look pretty. Don’t you just love it when simple things make sense?

Read more about this and other projects at www.whitestuff.com.

Letters to a beekeeper…

This is a love story about bees and flowers; about a beekeeper and a gardener; about all of us, and the natural world we love. Follow urban beekeeper Steve Benbow and gardener Alys Fowler as they explore each other's world.

JOIN THEM AS they swap tips for gardening, growing and helping out useful insects, whether they are bees or butterflies, predators or prey, pollinator or pest. The pair have now sucessfully crowdfunded their project on Unbound.

Steve Benbow is an urban beekeeper and founder of The London Honey Company.

Read our interview with Steve Benbow in issue 17 of The Simple Things.

Inspiring over-60s wanted for Channel 4 project

Are you a 60-plus female, with her own style and a lifetime's supply of wisdom? Do you have an inspiring friend or relative you would like to nominate – with their permission!

TV production company Wall to Wall are looking to hear from intelligent, fun, outspoken women from all over the country to find the UK’s No.1 senior role model, for an exciting new Channel 4 project.

This warm and insightful series will feature the very best of Britain’s inspiring older women who refuse to be counted out. These extraordinary women are living later life with gusto and panache and will challenge society’s perception of beauty and old age.

Please email* Wall to Wall for more information, mentioning you saw it on The Simple Things blog: getintouch@walltowall.co.uk

or call: 020 3301 8497/ (mob) 07736 472407 

* Data will be kept securely and we will not pass your information on to any third parties who are not involved in the production without your consent.

Remembrance Sunday

Help support The Royal British Legion this Remembrance Sunday, 10th November 2013. 100% of their profits go to help British Armed Forces and their families.

  Did you know that The Royal British Legion has a dedicated online shop called The Poppy Shop? All the items above and lots more, including iPhone covers, wristbands and Christmas cards, are available online via the shop.

Etsy Christmas table

Want to make your own christmas table a little more creative this year? Seek out handcrafted products from Etsy and let your imagination fly.

Christmas Table curated by The Simple Things

Online marketplace Etsy asked us to be one of the first UK partners to curate our finds through Etsy Pages. Click on any of the images above and it will take you straight to The Simple Things Christmas Table Page, packed with inspiring ideas for a festive top table.

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Liz Earle: The Simple Things interview

Sharon O’Connell meets beauty entrepreneur Liz Earle.

Beauty entrepreneur Liz Earle is her own poster girl – projecting an inner glow and revealing her secrets of living well.

Like most of us, Liz’s passion for natural beauty products began as a child. “The earliest memory I have of an interest in that world was making rose water from flowers in the garden,” the dewy-skinned 50-year-old entrepreneur reveals. “My father was an admiral and away at sea a lot, so when he was home, he would always head for the garden. That was his R&R, to reconnect with the land. He would grow a lot of fruit and vegetables; everything had to be practical for him – he would only grow what you could eat or use. On my 13th birthday, my grandmother gave me my first ever hard-back book, which was a copy of Vogue Body and Beauty by Bronwen Meredith – a real classic. It was full of pictures of incredibly glamorous women. That book had a lot of recipes for things like yoghurt and cucumber face packs, which I used to make.”

Later, as a beauty writer, she learned more about wellbeing; “I interviewed naturopaths and nutritionists and – a light-bulb moment – they began to talk about how important it was to look after what you eat, and how what goes on inside the body affects it externally. So I started to read a lot about essential fatty acids, I started taking evening primrose oil, I went dairy-free for a while… and it began to make a big difference to my skin. I was very excited about this and wanted to write more than I could in the magazine world, so I moved very quickly from writing magazine copy to writing books.”

Now as the founder of her botanicals based and responsibly sourced skincare range, the product she's most proud of is her Cleanse & Polish product. “I felt faint on seeing it ranked as a modern beauty icon – alongside Chanel No. 5 and Elnett hairspray – in Vogue’s millennium issue.

Unsurprisingly, Liz is emphatic about the need to regularly both cleanse (“the cornerstone of good skincare”) and moisturise, but is refreshingly non-dogmatic on dietary matters. “I eat chocolate,” she admits, “but I try to eat mostly dark, organic chocolate. I drink red wine… In my youth I was a teetotal, vegan macrobiotic and I think I was very antisocial. It was quite hard to go out. I felt very healthy, but I feel very healthy now and in my older years, I’ve learned that it’s about balance.

“For me,” she adds, with refreshing pragmatism, “good skincare was always about creating healthy, glowing skin – and then moving on to enjoy the rest of your life.”

www.lizearlewellbeing.com Liz's new venture is translating 25 years of knowledge and experience into good advice on eating well, looking good and feeling great.

Read the full interview in issue 17 of The Simple Things.

Wordless Wednesday

Inntravel the Slow Holiday people.

Win! A River Cottage Cookery Course of your choice (closed)

River Cottage cookery course

Brush up on your culinary skills with a River Cottage Cookery course

THERE ARE A GREAT selection of  cookery courses on offer this winter at the River Cottage farm, from Wild Food to Game Cookery. Enter our competition by answering one simple question and you'll soon be impressing your guests with a feast to remember.  Enter here.

*Competition winner must book and participate on a course before 14th February 2014. See the River Cottage online cookery course calendar for more information.

See River Cottage Head Chef, Gillon Meller's delicious recipes featured regularly in The Simple Things magazine. Issue 17 on sale now.

Win! Breakfast for six months (closed 13 December 2013)

Dorset Cereals

Enter our competition today to win one of 10 Dorset Cereal breakfast sets including a full set of crockery, copy of The Breakfast Book and the entire range of porridges, granolas and mueslis…

WHEN IT COMES TO PORRIDGE there’s definitely a right way and a wrong way to make it, and at Dorset Cereals they like to do things right. Using proper jumbo oats and creamy barley to create a delicious, chunky porridge, they add nothing but real ingredients, such as honey, raspberries, pumpkin seeds and crumbled gingerbread – it’s how fantastic porridge should be.

And, as such, they’re pretty proud of their new porridge range. Dorset Cereals has teamed up with The Simple Things to give away not only the porridges, but all of their granolas and mueslis, and a copy of their new recipe collection The Breakfast Book – an homage to the greatest meal of the day. With their gloriously crunchy granolas, including the old favourite Honey & Pecan, the decadent Chocolate & Macadamia, the new Berry granola and the wonderfully simple Oat granola, along with their whole range of mueslis, breakfasts will never be the same again.

Ten lucky winners will each receive a set of Dorset Cereals crockery (two mugs and two bowls), a copy of The Breakfast Book and the entire new porridge range, granola range and mueslis (21 different packs).

To find out more about the Dorset Cereals range, and to win other lovely things, head to their website, www.dorsetcereals.co.uk.

How to enter

Enter online by 13th December 2013 for a chance to win one of ten Dorset Cereals breakfast sets worth £100.

Get some bangers and bread in for British Sausage Week

Celebrate British Sausage Week (4-10th November) by whipping up this traditional pork sausage sarnie recipe from TV chef, Simon Rimmer. Breakfast perfection...

FANCY PASTRIES AND ELABORATE MUESLIS are all very well, but sometimes all you want is a good-quality, tasty sausage between two doorsteps of freshly baked white bread. So follow the lead of chef, restaurateur and British Sausage week ambassador Simon Rimmer and celebrate the beloved British banger. The British Sausage week campaign, now in its 17th year, will take place from 4-10th November 2013 – and includes new recipes and a competition to find the greatest sausages in the land. As for the humble sarnie? Choose the best banger your butcher has to offer, add fried onions and dollops of mustard and ketchup, and you’re in breakfast heaven.

TRADITIONAL PORK SAUSAGE SARNIE

SERVES 2

4 lean pork sausages

10ml wholegrain mustard

4 large slices of bread or 2 bread buns

For the relish:

1 tsp oil

1 onion

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1. Preheat the grill or barbecue and cook the pork sausages for 10-12 mins, turning once.

2. One minute before the end of cooking time spread wholegrain mustard over the bread or buns and lightly toast.

3. Meanwhile, make the relish. In a small saucepan heat oil and fry the onion, thinly sliced, for 3-4 mins or until soft. Add tomato ketchup and wholegrain mustard. Heat through.

4. Make two sandwiches, topping the sausages with the relish.

During the year to July 2013, the nation consumed 188,270 tonnes of sausages at home. That’s a lot of sarnies... Find this and more facts at www.lovepork.co.uk/pork-products-cuts/sausages/sausage-week.

Find this and lots of other tempting recipes in Issue 16 of The Simple Things magazine. To buy or subscribe visit http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/TSTW1B/

Top 5 ways with pumpkins

Don't waste your Halloween pumpkins! More than just a scary face, these big and beautiful winter squashes can be cooked in all sorts of ways for a delicious supper.

5 ways with pumpkin

1. Pumpkin Pilaf Heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan with lid. Add 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp each of cumin, fennel and black onion seeds, and cook for 3 mins. Add 400g basmati rice, cook for 2 mins. Add 400g diced pumpkin and 800ml chicken stock, bring to boil, then simmer. Cook without stirring for 10 mins until liquid is absorbed, turn off heat, stand for 5 mins.

2. Broccoli, pumpkin & pine nut tart Mix 700g sliced pumpkin, 1 sliced red onion, 2 sprigs thyme and 2 tbsp olive oil in a roasting tin. Roast for 15 mins at 200°C. Add 200g Tenderstem broccoli (in 4cm pieces) and garlic to tin, mix and roast for 5 mins. Roll out puff pastry, place on baking tray. Place cooked mixture on top, sprinkle with pine nuts and dot with crème fraîche. Bake for 20 mins.

3. Shallot, red pepper and pumpkin soup Place 4 quartered, deseeded red peppers skin side up on a baking sheet and roast at 200°C for 25 mins, until the skins char. Cool, peel off skins, reserve flesh. In a pan melt 30g butter with 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add 6 shallots, 750g diced pumpkin and 1 red chilli, season, then sweat vegetables for 5-10 mins. Add 4 garlic cloves, sprig of thyme, 1.2l veg stock and simmer for 15 mins. Add red peppers and simmer for 5 mins. Blend.

4. Pennoni regati, butternut squash and pumpkin seeds Peel and dice a small squash. Season and sauté for 5 mins in 1 tbsp olive oil. Peel and add 20 small shallots. Cook and drain 300g pasta. Toast 50g pumpkin seeds. Mix a quarter of the cooked squash with 1 chilli and 6 tbsp water. Cook until it just starts to break down. Add a knob of butter, sprig of chopped rosemary and remaining squash and shallots. Mix in pasta. Add Parmesan to serve.

5. Baked pumpkin with a rosemary, chilli and orange topping Roast 12 shallots in olive oil and butter at 200°C for 15 mins. Add 1kg diced pumpkin, roast another 15 mins. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil with 3 cloves of garlic. Add 1 red chilli, 1 tbsp rosemary, 2 tbsp parsley and zest of 1 orange, stirring. Add 120g breadcrumbs, cook for 1 min. Spread breadcrumb mix over the squash and shallots mixture and return to the oven at 180°C for 30 mins.

Courtesy of www.ukshallot.com, www.loveradish.co.uk and www.tenderstem.co.uk.