Summer : Our pick of the best things to see and do in summer 2024
Summer in the UK is taking it’s time this year but the longest day is just around the corner and summer holidays are looming so in spite of the sun being on strike I have gone ahead and written my annual run down of nice things to see, do and make over the coming (potentially) warmer months.
An elder flower on my unfinished garden path
Eat & Drink
Elderflower cordial; For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may know that this year I moved to a new house with a garden. It is the first garden of my adult life, and it is safe to say I am obsessed with it. In between laying the brick path and wondering when the flowers will bloom, I have also been showered with elderflowers from my neighbour’s tree. Sadly too tall for me to reach but a timely reminder that the parks are currently filled with blooming elder trees perfect for making your own cordial. Best picked early in the morning, ensure all of the flowers are pure white and have just bloomed, or you may have some slightly funky-tasting nectar.
Warm tomato and green bean salad (for when it’s too cold for a real salad). This one is my invention after a fridge rummage but I love it so much I’ve made it three times in one week. (Serves one)
Chop a handful of tomatoes and marinade with olive oil, salt and a cap of red wine vinegar - leave for at least 10 mins
Boil half a pack of green beans
(Optional for meat eaters) fry a small amount of soft chorizo until crisp
When the beans are cook take them straight from the pan and drop them into the tomatoes, stir and season with more salt and vinegar if needed.
Sprinkle the chorizo on top and serve with a grain of your choice and some rocket.
3. Malteaser chocolate cake for all the summer birthdays, I recently made this cake for a kids birthday party, it is the perfect amount of chocolate for children (and adults) and the icing really tastes like blended malteasers. Excellent for all those summer birthdays!
4. Vermouth & Soda, the drink of summer, as seen at the excellent Cafe Cecilia.
5. Finally, for the coolest ice cream this summer, head to the Ice Cream Project by Anya Hindmarch; with flavours ranging from baked beans to jaffa cake, you can be as adventurous as you dare!
A fabric wrapped Barbican
Out and about
The Barbican has been wrapped in pink cloth and it is a joyful thing to behold, grab a picnic, sit by the water and marvel at the new pink view. On until 18th August - free
Tate Britain - has an exhibition of British female artists, tracking their process from overlooked hobbyists to trailblazers.
The Festival of Making - if you’re free on the 6th & 7th July then take a trip to Blackburn for the wonderful festival of making. A true celebration of art and manufacturing, featuring headline commissions from Margo Selby and free workshops all weekend.
Yinka Shonibare at The Serpentine, one of the first artists to ever introduce me to textiles as an art form, this is a must see (and it’s free!)
Screen printing workshops at the studio
Get creative
This summer I have three workshops lined up in the new studio, tickets can be booked via the links below and with each workshop between 2.5 - 3 hours it is the perfect way to kickstart a new creative pursuit this summer.
For those of you handy with a sewing machine, one of my favourite dress pattern companies Roberts Wood has just released a new design and I think it is fast becoming my new favourite, perfect for using up fabric scraps this patchwork design has infitine possibilities. A little patience is required with the pattern cutting but the end results are stunning.
If in doubt head to the sea (with a quilt if possible!)