No sooner had I said out loud that I wanted to run a centre of excellence for natural fabric dyeing, a studio come shop come workshop space, than I found one, rented it and within a week found myself decorating and moving in!

It's timely really because if I spill dye down our cream painted kitchen cupboards again I'll probably find myself divorced! Things have got so busy lately that there are dye pans all over our garden decking and drain pipes stacked by the dining table. We won't talk about the indigo drops on our wooden work top because I don't think anyone's noticed them yet.

So, perfect that I should walk into Carr Farm Garden Centre to visit Christine at Voirrey Embroidery and happen to notice an empty unit. The Courtyard at Carr Farm is really quaint with lots of little sandstone cottages and outbuildings that are currently being renovated. I had a quick word with the boss, had a minor panic attack and rush of...