Blackberrying

My friend Chris reckons she picked 60lbs of blackberries about a month ago. With her haul she has made blackberry wine, blackberry jam and put by a lot in the freezer for winter pies and crumbles. Yesterday this (pictured) was our sum total. But they will mix in nicely with all the windfall apples my neighbour has given me. Note to self: when picking blackberries it is not a good idea to wear a skirt. Arms and legs get ripped to pieces on brambles if you don't cover them up!!

Decorating for workshops

I'm painting the kitchen white. When I moved nearly 3 years ago I loved the kitchen for its sheer space and high ceiling. But someone had painted one of the walls dark blue. The worktops are the same colour. Units and worktops need replacing but that will have to be next year. I like all shades of white apart from yellow whites and the whole house apart from the wall above is painted in 'Barley White' - a yellow white. So while Dulux brilliant white is on special offer at Focus I'll try to transform as much as possible.
I want to hold workshops in the kitchen. Especially in the run up to Christmas. It's so nice to give something you've made yourself to the people you love. I'll let you know when the kitchen is ready for action!

Today in Tricot Too's windows

Design/Notebooks

In 1997 I started jotting down ideas and sketching designs in notebooks. When I sorted out my books yesterday I was amazed to discover that I now have 54 filled notebooks - a whole shelf full. Into my notebook goes appealing photos from magazines, lists of orders, records of jewellery 'recipes', crochet techniques, To Do lists and plans for the future. I like a hard back book best from Seawhites. Spiral bound books tend to fall apart. A hard back book can have things glued to the cover as well as to the inside pages.

Virgin A|tlantic visit

Apolgies that this isn't about making but it's interesting! Finding out about visiting the USA took us to 'The Base'. Here cabin crew train on mock up planes that as potential users we were allowed to sample. The one above was used for filming a scene from the latest Daniel Craig Bond movie. Part bar part luxury seats that convert into sleeping pods it was seriously comfortable. And economy class wasn't too bad either!

Trees grow inside the building's foyer.

Milk jugs in the Base's cafe. The chairs (see top pic) were examples of good design too. A memorable visit.

Back in time

When I was a girl my family lived in a converted stables called 'Dobbins'. Yesterday we tried to find it again. This sign is all that remains.

This now brackish looking water used to be a beautiful pond to the back of us. Our neighbours owned the pond and bred exotic ducks there for zoos. Now the area is home to a Tesco express and all the houses around are new builds. When I was 12 it was mostly farmland and the roads around were unmade up rough tracks. There used to be a well to the front of us. Somewhere, under the tarmac of the Tesco Express car park I guess it's still there.

This week in Tricot Too's window

Goodies for Tricot

I'm off to Tricot now with these freshly-made pieces. Hope they like them!

Glowing colours. Velvet and felt cuffs and another brooch.

Cowdray Park Farm Shop

If you're ever near to Midhurst I recommend a visit to this spanking new beautifully presented farm shop on the Cowdray estate.
The luxurious foodstuffs, expensively packaged would make super gifts. Nice books and stationery too. The only thing lacking is nice handmade gifts. Now I wonder why I said that...!

Making flowers

Felt season

With all the dark colours in fashion at the moment glowing felt feels like the right material for accessories. Although it's labour intensive I enjoy the felt making process. I'm making brooches and soft warm cuffs which can be worn over knitwear. Necklaces and bracelets are nearly ready. Then I'll be focussing on handbags.

Favourite clothes

Do you like my choices from Tricot Too's autumn/winter clothes? I just worked my last 'holiday relief' shift there and feel a bit sad, but hopefully they'll need me again soon.

A Special Exhibition

The remarkable thing about this exhibition is that in spite of having no selection proceedure all the work is of a high standard. Anyone who lives in or near Petersfield is welcome to join PACS. Paintings and craft are well displayed and the large hall looks inviting and impressive. Professional artists work sits alongside amateur efforts but the whole effect is pleasingly eclectic and inclusive. Unfortunately taking photographs is forbidden otherwise I could show you some of the beautiful pieces on display. But of course you could visit for yourself. It closes on Saturday afternoon 3.00pm. For more information on PACS see their website.

Sarah Young's Dolls

On Arundel Gallery trail at the weekend I discovered Sarah Young's dolls. Sarah is an illustrator and the dolls show little details which make each in its wood box a completely individual character. Just beautifully done. See more at www.sarahyoung.co.uk

The Girls in the Exhibition

Meet (l - r) Lily, Priscilla, Mabel, Elsie and Doris. These girls will be exhibited at Petersfield Festival Hall as part of PACS (Petersfield's Artists) annual exhibition from August 29th to September 5th. I just took them to the town hall where they suffered the indignities of the handing in proceedure. Sticky labels were stuck to their bottoms to identify them. I mean - I ask you - was there no other way? They were quite put out. Doris is particularly incensed and just wants to get out of there as quickly as possible. Let's hope she's the first one to be sold.

Why are nice events so expensive?

I just received an invitation to sell at the Oxford Christmas Market. I'd love to do this one. It's at Oxford Castle, a gorgeous setting, in December. But it costs £1,300 for a stand.
When will event organisers realise that the vast majority of designer makers whose original, one off products the public want to buy at Christmas just can't afford stand prices like that?
Big companies whose products are familiar to everyone because they're in lots of shops will be there. But the public want to find quirky little one off bits of Christmas magic that their friends won't have seen before. Handmade arty pieces with the 'Wow!' factor that make the perfect gift. Those are what I look for at a Christmas market.
Perhaps one day in the distant future event organisers will realise that designer makers with lovely different pieces should be cherished. They are the attraction. People visit the big shows in the hope of finding them. Perhaps one day show organisers will pay designer makers to take a stand at their show ... what do you think?

Tricot Too Today

All these clothes are in Tricot Too's sale. I've only two more days to work here - Tuesday and the following Tuesday September 1st. And I am going to miss it. Relaxed atmosphere, lovely customers, easy-to-wear clothes and quirky gifts. Go visit.

Can we have some clothes please?

A sea of dolls

Ten new dolls are breaking the waves. Don't they look as if they're taking part in some cross-Channel swimathon? So far they've only got their socks on. And I haven't yet sewed in the ends of those...Very slow progress. I'm finding that with working for someone else most days I'm squeezing in doll making at night. I took a job at Cabbage White, starting last week. It's a lovely shop selling things for the home in Midhurst. And I'm continuing to enjoy odd days of working at Tricot Too in Petersfield, which sells clothes.
Four of these dolls are for a new gallery and six will be exhibited at Petersfield Artists annual show at the Festival Hall which runs from 29th August until 5th September.

Fanciful by Joanne Tinker

This beautiful piece if made of recycled clear carrier bags and coloured foils from chocolates. See more of Joanne's recycled pieces at www.joannetinker.co.uk

Plarn anyone?

Plarn - plastic yarn cut from carrier bags - is in the Sunday Times this week. John-Paul Flintoff writes 'How to Fix the World with a Crochet Hook'. He argues that we can all make a difference and he visits schools demonstrating how plarn from just one carrier bag can encircle a whole school hall filled with children. And with a crochet hook it can be made into ...

This is my problem with plarn. What can you use it for that looks attractive? J-P Flintoff offers a bowl and uses it to stuff a toy octopus made from the legs of discarded tights. But plarn tends to be white with little bits of orange and blue (Sainsburys)or ditto with green (Waitrose) white red and blue (Tesco). Maybe if just the coloured plarn was used for crocheting and all the white for stuffing?

How about a competition to see who can make plarn look the most beautiful?

ps. J-P Flintoff who also makes his own clothes (though not from plarn) has written a book 'Through the Eye of a Needle' published by Permanent Publications.

Working Here!

A reason I haven't blogged lately is that I'm working here during August as holiday relief. The other reason is that I have also taken a permanent job in another shop. But more of that later. I am also making up orders and writing down ideas for Christmas decorations.
I will try to blog more often now I'm getting used to the new routine.