Table in the Sun

November 2024. Table in the Sun. 

This week is a little interview from Lucy aka Table in the Sun. She looks amazing in her Crofter jumper and she talks here about work and mothering three children. She makes and sells these wonderful stripey tablecloths and napkins, has collaborated with some cool brands and has good gift tips. I think her tablecloths are a great gift idea - no one doesn’t like a stripe. The red one is also good for a Christmas Day lunch.

What do you do and why did you start doing it?

I make tablecloths, runners, napkins and tea towels, all in stripes with contrasting coloured edging in my favourite colour combinations. Before this I worked at Conde Nast and then a concierge company but I was made redundant during Covid and wanted to work around the children.

How do you do this with THREE Children? Do you have a nanny? How do you get through 6 week summer hols?

We’ve just moved to Sussex but when we were in London we had a wonderful girl called Alice helping each Monday, a big long day so that was my dedicated lady in the attic sewing day. When I had back to back fairs Alice stepped in for some extra shifts and my husband has been such a support too during the busy times, I don't think I cooked an evening meal for us for a couple of months when I took on more than I could chew in terms of pop ups/fairs. 

We migrate to Devon and Cornwall in the summer holidays where the grandparents are so the extra support is helpful and it's the best place to be with small children in the summer. I also have been lucky to have some great friends with similar age children as well as "new mum friends" and it's just essential to be in their company and share the chaos! Work wise, it's not always easy as you think you'll lose business but I have put a banner on my website the last couple of Augusts saying that I won't be back at my sewing machine until school is back, I recently heard the saying “be where your feet are” and that certainly helps me over the summer holidays. 

What are three family meals you cook regularly that we can all copy?

A New Year’s resolution most years is to get better at this. The ones that we all enjoy at weekends are fajitas, jacket potatoes with various toppings, roast chicken, spaghetti carbonara/bolognese. When I'm not on autopilot I use Deliciously Ella recipes. One is a sweet potato, black bean and spinach stew. A friend of mine has a great website Miriam Cooper (miriam-cooper.com).

My eldest who is 7 has recently found a love of cooking, his Godfather gave him a brilliant book The Silver Spoon for Children and his enthusiasm is rather infectious. 

How do you feel about aging? 

Agh the white hairs are coming thick and fast...mostly spotted at traffic lights pulling them out as the light in the car is scarily good. I haven’t been on it with a skin care regime but recently popped some retinol into my Sainsbury's order so hope that will help. I recently turned 40 and whilst I am noticing the hair and the lines I do feel positive and grateful about where life is, being in the new decade and what's ahead.  

Gift guide top tip (non junk/useful/could give it to a range of people)?

Aside from tablecloths and jumpers obviously, embroidery by Bear & Joan. Melissa embroiders anything on anything. She gave me the prettiest cushion for my birthday with my children's names embroidered on, it's so special and I've given most of my friends/teachers her gorgeous lavender bags with personalised embroidery. My very clever friend Jo (@jocorlettpaintsanddraws)  illustrates houses as well as personalised maps, they're beautiful, I don't know how she manages to work in such tiny detail.

I was recently given a membership to Charleston by my parents which I'm very excited about. A membership/subscription is always a winner. I don't think you can have enough interiors coffee table books, I'm looking forward to Elizabeth Metcalfe's English Interiors, which I'm sure will provide much inspiration for our very lovely but very at the moment graige home.  

Style. What do you wear and has this changed after motherhood?

I think it's probably changed more so since I've been at home with work, I probably hoped to channel an Ally McBeal/Carrie Bradshaw when I worked in an office but now it's definitely more about whether something has pockets, is good for dog walking and ushering children. Lots of gingham, cords/long dresses and knits....a bit of a landgirl look. 

What do you really care about? Imagine me starting to rant about polyester school uniform. What would be your rant?

I'm not a big fan of technology, I remember my friend showing me her fancy new iPhone in the noughties complete with map and I proudly brought out my much loved A-Z of London. I don't love how reliant we are on technology and how I barely remember more than 2 phone numbers. I'm very excited to have a landline and want to bring back the phone call. I find it terrifying that my children will have their teenage years with the presence of social media and the various negatives that can bring. I think we are however more aware of how addictive and damaging it can be. That said, I do love the maps now and social media can be a fantastic tool for bringing people together and supporting each other. 

My Instagram account has connected me with some brilliant creative people, some of whom I've worked with. I have been struck by how supportive people have been and it's such a great pool for inspiration and ideas. I do think however that nothing quite beats real life connections. In June I hosted a "summer soiree" at my house and got together about 15 people who work on their own doing something creative.  To make the event extra special some friends stepped in -  amazing stripey invitations by @lovefromlexi and calligraphy and flowers by (@lucycrosthwaitestudio). It went really well and I'd love to do something similar again.  It was a real tonic for those who came - working on your own you don't often get this after work drink commaradory occasion and it was really good for the soul. Everyone who came is so talented in their field but doubts can creep in about your ability and the guests loved having sounding boards of people who work in a similar way.....I really love hosting and bringing people together, I think that's probably why I landed on making tablecloths, it's my ultimate happy place sitting around kitchen/garden table, adorned in stripes of course, long into the afternoon/evening.  

Which was the hardest transition 0-1 child, 1-2, 2-3?

I think 0-1 was pretty tough, it was a shock and I'm not sure you can be prepared for what's to come, especially the sleep deprevation, our oldest had terrible reflux as a baby so it wasn't an easy start. I would also say however that whoever said number 3 just slots in is lying! It's gorgeous seeing them all become a gang though for quite a while it was "the older two" and "the baby" and now they're one big gaggle, along with the dog, we're outnumbered! 

Where is home?

We've recently moved to East Sussex between Lewes and the Ashdown Forest, it feels like we're on holiday, I love seeing so much sky!

One thing you wish you had done differently (I wish I’d had the confidence to start my own work sooner)?

The first year of table in the sun I was very worried about turnaround time and very worried about complaints and angry people asking for refunds, I think a bit of "imposter syndrome" and not having the confidence in what I was doing. I have had amazing support, one of my first enquiries when my website launched was from Collagerie asking to borrow a cloth and napkins for a Valentine's shoot Lucinda Chambers was doing. This will always be my highlight, I have admired Lucinda since Conde Nast days and just love Collagerie, Lucinda has been so kind and supportive. I think that certainly helped my confidence. 

What’s your hobby? (my real love has always been horses but I don’t have time for it now, I hope to resurrect it one day.)

I haven't done any acting for years but I do love it and I was part of a theatre group in Ealing called Questors, it was such a fantastic community, I did an acting course there after work a couple of evenings a week and every Saturday so it was a real big fixture for a number of years.

How can people work with you?

I would love to collaborate with more brands and provide cloths etc. for events and shoots. I made some yellow cloths with blue edging for a lunch to celebrate the launch of sustainable dungaree brand My Nice Pair and the 5 year birthday or Tess Newall's beautiful hand painted Pierrott Chairs. I love collaborating with Melissa of Bear & Joan who has embroidered many a napkin/tea towel. We worked together at Curator & Maker last year and had to create a collection to fit the theme The Darling Buds of May, it was such a joy to work together. I have an exciting collaboration coming up with Petit Panier. 

How do you feel about your jumper? Do you love it?!

Love it! I know I am going to be living in it! We have experienced an array of weather this week and it's been perfect, I've braved the rain and the wind and it goes very well alongside my landgirl ginghams and dresses. I really love it, the colours are spot on, it's beautifully made, love the shape, so warm and I know I’ll have it for many years to come. I bought The Circus jumper for my oldest a year or so ago and it really is his favourite too, he's at the age where I can't really pick his clothes out for him anymore but I'm always chuffed when he chooses his Lily Gray.