These are our favourite things ( for this week! )

We are painting and making and staring at our stuff in Liberty with amazement. I pretended to be a customer to get the staff lowdown.... and then re-arranged the cushions.... I think that's ok...

I love these colours and textures. My hands are covered in paint the colour of clouds, ink and this pot. I have to say there is nothing nicer than an Ercol rocker painted white.

I'm thinking about eiderdowns, and more importantly, why i didn't think about them before.... 

 I'm thinking about the picture of this woman as she is on my inspiration board. Texture and pattern but 'clean'. Yes - I can do that.

And lastly, I'm thinking about this room, because, well - just look at it.

Back to painting........ it's lucky I come from the flat shoe, not that interested in a manicure tribe.

 

Freedom

Freedom - such a luxury that perhaps we take for granted. There are those that truly aren't free. But there are also many of us who have our freedom constricted in other ways. Free to leave your desk in your office, free to decide when you'll have your lunch, free to decide where and how you'll live. I'm working on my project for Breakspear's and these thoughts are prevalent.

I believe that as human beings, our individual need is to be ourselves, free to think, play, dream, realize our talents and skills and ultimately free to shake off the rules of the outside world.

Doesn't this all start with home?

Thought for the week

I thought about this quote just now, whilst laptop on my knees, dog pressed against me, and some silence after a day and a night of visiting friends.

Lovely thought isn't it?

Fabric love

Sometimes my fabric arrives in parcels like the above - cotton bag, hand-sewn closed with a red thread and the stamps sewn on too. I could not believe it the first time one of these arrived - talk about emotional! I love the fact that the fabric I use comes from all around the world - Japan, India, France, Eastern Europe, The States, Africa - well just about anywhere where creating beautiful fabric is still important. Even though they come from different cultures, they meld together beautifully.

I personally select every single piece of cloth, and I won't ever give that up, because the joy I have when packages like the above arrive is priceless. Slowly, slowly, I am finding out about these peoples lives, their families, what the weather is doing and what festivals they are celebrating. Little gifts arrive sometimes - a fragment of lace, a tiny piece of special kimono, or a fair bit of African dirt....... It's just so fantastic.

So I guess 'bespoke', one-off (or maybe two-off at a push) is where we stay. I think that will suit us just fine.

Sunday's class

Was terrific!

I love teaching - which is odd, as I am a tested and confirmed introvert. But the notion of helping people make something that means a great deal to them is vital to me. It doesn't have to be a quilt. But that's where I discovered the power of creating heirlooms. The original idea of quilting was to make something firstly that was practical, then personal, and most of all precious. I get frustrated by high street blandness, enthralled by hand-turned wooden bowls, disappointed by 'pretend' hand-made, but rather emotional about hand-thrown Welsh pots. 

My Poppa was a toy-maker. He died when I was five but I remember very clearly standing next to him at his work-bench making the wheels for the wooden trucks and tractors he made. My mother is the most phenomenal textile artist - I cant believe what she makes - and mostly for other people.

So, if my own small way I can get people to make something with love, for someone they love, then happy am I.

I have one last class before lying down for August (not really lying down, but it's sounds like what I should be doing). Come and join us.

As a last note - unbelievably Jane Brocket came to my class. It really was quite unbelievable. She wrote a lovely piece on it today. I'm thrilled she came, and it just confirms that creating Havens is really as important as I think it should be.

Simple pleasures on a dull day

Not every day can be a 'great' day. Not every day can be creative, designery, loveliness. Today was quite dull, but necessary. And that's ok in life. Just not every day please....

About five minutes ago Lily flung her bear down, tossed the blue ball on the sofa and settled down to chew her 'fag'. Watching her for those 60 seconds or so made my day. Sometimes that's all it takes and all you need.

I'd say 'hoorah' if I had the impetus. 

Lovely things coming soon

Revived, restored and carefully curated vintage pieces coming to our store soon.

We love Ercol rockers, little Georgian tables, milking stools, Bentwood anything, African baskets, Victorian display cabinets, 60's pottery, French industrial, shoe lasts and ladders.

Do you like them too?

R

Things that are pretty lovely....

A random selection of things that are just really inspiring at the moment.

Canvas. From the people (well the husband of) that brought us Ochre... quite a lot more affordable, still with the same integrity and just beautifully selected, useful things for your home.

Resist Indigo dyed vintage linen from here. I shouldn't share this....

Charleston Grey from Farrow & Ball. Some of our revived furniture is being painted in this. Really, really, really lovely. It doesn't look like poo, or sand I promise. In fact I staring at a small georgian table drying right now and it just looks luminous and, yes, lovely.

Yes, I'm sure everyone has heard of it, but I've been carrying etcetera etc around for weeks in my bag because of one! image. I won't crack the spine to scan it....

You can get it from here or here.

A room (and the rest of the house) I should be getting my hands on smartish to turn into a haven.

That should do it!

Taking time to smell the flowers...

On Monday morning at around 6am, I wrote my list of things to do this week, and then had a little freak out... As satisfying as it is to tick things off your list, lists can also have a way of stripping a little joy and spontaneity out of the week. My last corporate job used to start and end the week with everyone's list of things to achieve/not achieved - uugghhh. My mind used to wander during these sessions (note I was the boss), and would think about my garden, or what a good idea it would be to bake that cake for my neighbour, or that I think I will paint the garden table green etc etc.

My point is, although we have to get through that list, just make sure that whatever is on your list is important and most critically, leave a little time/head space for loveliness. 

Can you imagine the ideas you could have, the places you'll go and the people you might meet?

PS: The image above is from the Wintergardens in Auckand. My mother and I decided at the last minute to fling ourselves over there. It was an absolute sea of chrysanthemums - thousands and thousands. Lucky we did, because a week later when I went back - yes, that's right - they were gone.........

I've laboured my point enough!

Lovely Liberty

Excited of course, but nervous too. Lovely Liberty are going to be stocking our homewares - as soon as my merry band finish the order.... 4th floor (my favourite - if you take out Dries van Noten on the 1st..)

My mother is very proud, and I must admit I can't quite believe it.

Happiness at home is...

All (read most) of the books back on the shelves, in completely random order. Otherwise, how will you be surprised and delighted when you discover a book you haven't read for awhile.

A freshly waxed table - £30 table, priceless dinners. It's feet look like Lily's paws - not sure what significance this has but we love it. It's not the big table as that is still in storage but we can stretch to eight - rounded corners is the secret!

 

Ed's chair, with an old/new cushion cover. His anthology from the novel he is writing - um good - um yes. Tin Tin dusted and watching the traffic and a 'dud' lampshade that surprisingly fits in our flat perfectly and on our 70's Spanish lamp. I didn't make it a dud on purpose I promise.....

A few more snipped hydrangeas in the loveliest Scottish vase my dear friend Suz gave me for my birthday this year.

It's sunny, I have a glass of prosecco, Lily is freshly bathed and Ed is reading. It really doesn't take much does it?

Happiness at home indeed.

Have a really lovely and special weekend.

Thanks Red Magazine

My cushions and quilts went to Morocco without me - bummer. Delightfully they ended up in this months Red magazine.

How lovely.