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Monday 25 July 2011

Bendy man for toddler play

My little one needed a little bendy figure that could drive his cars, ride horses and the like and while I had a creative friend staying last week we made some cute little dolls. They started out as simple wire framed things but soon, as often happens with us, became quite involved little guys, felted, painted and clothed. Here are some photos.





First we used white Milliput to make heads, hands and feet with flat soles, these we left to dry whilst we went to Hackney City Farm for some play. Then we made little wire frame stick men out of pipe cleaners and wrapped them with strips of carded wool from the seaweed eating sheep in North Ronaldsay, that I collected in Orkney (that I still haven't done anything with!). Then we felted them by rubbing them with washing liquid and hot water until the body was firm and made little outfits out of scraps of linen fabric. I had a tiny scrap of beautiful Japanese silk left that I used to make a hat which really made him characterful. A nice little project to use up the ends of other projects.

I'm so loving "World Textiles" the latest issue of Hand/Eye magazine. It just makes me want to up sticks and go on my own around the world textiles journey...

Saturday 9 July 2011

Broadway Market Saturdays from 9th July onwards and upwards

We had a really good first day selling our handmade children's clothes and gifts at Hackney's Broadway Market yesterday. So we'll be there every saturday for the foreseeable future and it's inspiring to talk to customers and get feedback. Here's our stall. The dolls are made by the lovely girls at Dalston Dolls, who I did the Steiner doll making workshop with.

Monthly carboot loot

I'm really pleased with this months carboot haul. Every month we go to the Chiswick carboot sale and I hunt down fabric off-cuts, tablecloths, linen and anything I can repurpose into my wares. I already blogged about my super special hemp grain sack, here are the other bits and pieces. Some have already become little toddler pantaloons and smocked hats.


I love the label on this piece of gingham from Chung Nam Weaving Factory in Hong Kong. I wonder how old it is? It's already half stitched into one of my smocked summer hats.

Friday 8 July 2011

Darned hemp grain sack

Last weekend was our monthly carboot hunt in Chiswick, and I found this beautiful antique hemp grain sack for a steal. It's French and has been darned and mended so many times that it is starting to resemble a patchwork or the the Japanese boro textiles that I drool over at Sri Threads. It's pieces like these that you just want to frame, it is so exquisite. 









By the way, I have been loving listening to these incredible postcasts by Maiwa called Voices on Cloth. I'm day dreaming whilst sewing up a storm for my market stall in the school yard at Broadway Market tomorrow.
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