Flower farm fun with dress designer Katya Wildman

It’s Friday. The week’s wedding flowers have all been collected. The flower farm is bursting still with flowers. And through the gates appears a car delivering that dynamo of creativity, dress designer Katya Wildman all the way from the far reaches of the other side of London town. I first came across Katya when she was recommended to me by Justine Picardie when I asked my Instagram followers for ideas. I needed a dress for a ball, and Justine, author, fashion historian, and sometime editor of Harpers, said that Katya would be just the person. And she was! Not only did I discover in her north London studio above her warehouse a person who loves nothing more than to put woman who aren’t necessarily always comfortable in a dress - sometimes to do with size, sometimes to do with occupation, sometimes both - but I made a friend with a woman so focused on what she does for a living, so brilliant at finding new inspiration, and so much fun to spend time with. It’s a great combination: curiosity plus a fantastic sense of humour equals great larks. So welcome here to an afternoon of larks here at Common Farm while Katya and I look at flowers with a view to collaborating on a fabric design. Who knows where this idea will end up, but if you ever get a chance to spend an afternoon just thinking about possibilities with someone this energetic, then just say YES! Enjoy! x This video is sponsored by Soilsmiths, whose composts and soil treatments we use here on the farm. Find out more at soilsmiths.co.uk. If you'd like to learn more about working with seasonal flowers, I run workshops and demos at Common Farm Flowers in Somerset and online throughout the year, from growing and harvesting to floristry and design. Find upcoming dates and book your place at commonfarmflowers.com. And if you want to go deeper - seasonal flower diaries, growing notes, small business advice, live Q&As often with amazing guests, floristry guidance, and early access to workshop places - come and join the Common Farm Flowers Club on Substack. The link is below. I'd love to have you there. https://georgienewbery.substack.com/ #fabricdesign #textiledesign #surfacepatterndesign #floraldesign #floralpattern #handmadewithlove #slowliving #floralinspo #behindthescenes #creativecollaboration #makerlife #artisan