After a very dry and sunny April we are finally getting our April showers. On Thursday it bucketed down and it left the garden and beyond the most wonderful lush green. Yes, I'm British and I enjoy talking about the weather.

Here is a little sneak peek at the collection I've been working on in collaboration with the marvelous Jo Waterhouse, what a talented lady! I'm so excited to complete this collection and show you all, it feels like I'm finally making stuff I really feel proud of... More to follow my lovelies. You can see stuff as it happens here of course.

Today I am mostly wrapping up warm, listening to the hum of the heater and the voices on the radio, sewing custom Liberty dresses, washing fabric and hanging it to dry, drinking too much coffee and wishing it wasn't so cloudy so I could take photos that weren't all grainy and blurry.

Lists like this always remind me of this for some reason.

Some pictures of my studio from recent weeks. Now the clocks have changed and the evenings are dark it is rather tricky to get any natural light.

I hope everyone is having a lovely week and it enjoying this wintery weather, rain rain rain (oh and super dooper wind apparently). I'm looking forward to Halloween and bonfire night - mainly standing around in front of big fires and drinking watery hot chocolate out of polystyrene cups trying to warm your hands and toes.

Some corners of my new studio. It still needs some work, but I couldn't help moving in already. I loved my old space but when making clothes you need some room to spread out when cutting and pressing and now I have a nice area of floor space where I can sit in front of my blow heater and work away all winter.

I'm really pleased with the results. It looks all romantic, doesn't it? I'm not sure if the colour would hold up against washing so it might not be the best for clothing. I'm learning more and more about natural dyes and printing my own fabric and am so excited to be using some of it in the collection I'm working on.

A little bit of what I've been up to in the studio lately. Another special Liberty print Macaroon dress, this one's a real sweetheart.

I love packing up orders, I've always been pretty geeky about wrapping presents and it's nice to get something special in the post. I've been rummaging through old Country Living mags and pulling out all the pictures of blossom and flowers to make into thank you cards.

These half finished blue dresses are a little peek into what I'm working on too. I am trying to create a bunch of one off dresses in various sizes to add to my shop. Just picking up some fabric and sewing it into something unique always feels so satisfying - and also helps me get through my rather ridiculous collection of fabric. So anyway, hopefully a few of these lil' numbers will be up in the shop over the next few weeks.

I hope everyone's having a lovely start to the summer, it's amazing how the year is just long enough for every season to be such a wonderful surprise. These long days are my absolute fav.

A little snippet of the next collection I'm working on, autumn/winter 2013. These are some very early sketches and ideas. I've had the ideas brewing for this collection for at least a year, so it's really great to finally start putting pen to paper/scissor to fabric. I've started playing around with fabric too. I'm in love with this very soft airplane cotton. To check out more of the inspiration look here.

It seems a little mad but I'm currently working on three collections. Also, trying to market Only A Sunny Smile and keep on track of orders.

Hope everyone's had a relaxing weekend, we're still waiting for the sun here. I thought he had his hat on last weekend but now it is nothing but grey skies. Forecast for sunny intervals tomorrow though, hurray!

 Hello lovelies!

Here are some pictures of my SS13 sketch book. I always have a bit of a funny relationship with my sketch book, I hated doing sketch books as part of my work in school & college & I think this put me off for a long time. I always have my note book with me but it ends up just full of lists & calculations. When I was in London a few weeks ago I decided to buy a nice simple A4 book in which I could really concentrate on my Spring Summer collection & I've loved having something to sketch in. I am also trying to practice my fashion illustration & get a 'style'. I'm by no means there yet, but practice makes perfect. I've really missed drawing, & I'm so happy to start it up again.

Also, we rearranged our bedroom so now we have the desk in the window, so no excuse not to sit & draw in this lovely spot.

Above: Freshly dyed organic cotton to make into dresses & Liberty fabrics / Drafting my patterns onto thick card / 'Research' looking through beautiful magazines that I bought in London & getting together contact details - I'm not much of a PR woman but I can try / My new beautiful woven labels that I am so looking forward to sewing into dresses, it feels all grown up & professional like.

We got back from London on Monday & it's been pretty damn busy getting things in order for my Spring Summer collection since then. It's so good to be back in the countryside, the sun has been shining & there is a real feeling of spring in the air, so I'm feeling so happy to be sewing & everything is slowly & steadily coming together.

I hope everyone is having a lovely February so far & is feeling a little Spring in their step! Don't forget if you wanna keep up with my day to day workings check out my Instagram - also the hashtag #iknowss13 or #isabelknowlesss13