Image: Milk & Honey Photography.

Lisa Tilse is a designer, crafter and blogger extraordinaire. She started the red thread after the birth of her daughter Roxy, initially creating and selling art for children, and it has now evolved into a home for Lisa's very cute sewing kits (available in shops around Australia and New Zealand and also through her online store). The name 'the red thread' refers to an ancient Chinese believe about an invisible thread which connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. 

If you're of a crafty bent, you'll know her blog the red thread, where she shares tutorials for projects from crochet bowls to paper wreaths. You might also have seen her ceramic, linen and leather vessels created especially for our recent Hand Made Market. As if all this wasn't enough, she has recently launched Scout Magazine, a digital publication which she describes as full of 'wonderful things to make, bake and give'. We're so grateful she found time to share her week in pictures with us...



I work from home as a designer, maker, crafter and blogger, so my verandah is a little escape during the day. We live in an apartment on the top floor of an 1880's manor, and our verandah is wide and sunny and perfect for lunch or a 15 minute recharge. During the warmer months we eat our meals at the table on the verandah, and on sunny winter weekends we often take snuggly blankets out there and read.



There's beauty all around and I love to find it in random and obscure places. This photo is a section of a garage wall I spotted as I was walking through Bondi. It could easily be fine art! I'm endlessly inspired by colours, textures and patterns I see every day, often in the most unexpected places.



I like to start my work day with a Jasmine Green Tea. I always use a beautiful tea pot like this one that I bought in Stockholm last year. This has become a bit of a morning ritual for me - after the school drop off it's a little pause and a chance to breathe before getting into work mode. I'm fortunate that I love what I do and there is a lot of variety in my days.



Experimenting with different materials and textures brings me a lot of joy. I recently contributed some ceramic and textile vessels to the Temple & Webster Artisan Handmade Market, and I've been busy making pieces to fill orders. I've been working with lush chunky merino wool, divine raw edged linen, leather and ceramics and I'm looking forward to being able to experiment more making one-off vessels.



My daughter Roxy has just turned ten, and she's found a passion for the guitar. I took this photo the day we bought the guitar - she was so excited. I have a personal rule not to show Roxy's face on Instagram or social media until she's old enough to make an informed decision about it herself. I enjoy the creative challenge of photographing her with this self-imposed restriction.



The Balmoral Boat House is a favourite place to meet with friends for a quick weekday catch up. Everything has been so beautifully selected to create the perfect style and ambience.



I'm a bit of a neat freak and a perfectionist, so this photo says a lot about me and my home... I hate visual clutter, and I style everything!



I recently learnt how to tapestry weave and I'm more than a little addicted. It's time consuming, but so satisfying. I've been enjoying working tone on tone and creating interest with texture. I love to learn new crafts and techniques and I want to do everything... I never met a craft that I didn't like!



This week I had a friend and her daughter over to do a shoot for an Easter craft tutorial on my blog. Despite my friend's reservations about her little poppet being able to 'perform' she was perfect, and so adorable. I'm lucky our apartment has big windows and lots of lovely natural light. I shoot everything for my blog and tutorials in my 'home studio' aka my living room. You can't go wrong with natural light, white walls and a reflector board!



This week I bought the indoor plant du jour: a Fiddle Leaf Fig. Rather than buying a lovely pot for it I've kept it in the plastic pot from the nursery and made a fabric bucket for it to sit in. I have a large stash of fabric, so I raided it to find fabrics in this lovely soft colour palette to make the patchwork bucket. After stiffening the fabric the finishing touch was to scrunch it up a bit, and voilà - a unique and inexpensive makeover.



On Sunday mornings Roxy often asks for pancakes with lemon and sugar for a treat. After a lazy breakfast we head out for a walk down by the water or a bike ride. We're lucky to live in the inner suburbs and to be close to the harbour and some lovely bike paths.

Like what you see? Visit Lisa's website the red thread, the red thread blog, or follow her via Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram @theredthread. You can find out more about Scout Magazine here.