PLY-me!

Oxfordshire flexes its muscles in contemporary utilitarian beauty c/o Josh at This Way Up studios. 

Printer and fine-artist, he applies his craft to craft, cheery illustration to paper and furniture at a comfortable price-point. "Hoorah" for this plywood furniture will suit Skandi-modernist and art-chic homes alike. 

Road-tested by our young family, we find robust and pretty are dovetailed here.

Mayday!

...and this is why we should keep a little of everyday iconic designs in a drawer. 

A lovely car-booter had gathered some beauteous teatowels from her grandmother and these are my wares. 50p each and a world of cushion/framing/plate-drying possibilities. A yellow enamel omlette pan completes my kitchenalia finds for today, now for more summer sun and a glass of pink.

...a bit moorish

So patchwork quilting, in the Women's Institute prize-winning sense, is not something I have as yet tackled. You might say my work is more relaxed, oft abandoning geometric precision for artistic appeal...and a little pace. It may be that my recent motherhood is drawing-out a little patience, for tonight I have begun (drumroll nay fanfare) a cushion cover. Do not mock ye readers, my knitting progressed no further than squares for two decades due to this speed-freak affliction and look at me now, a scarf!

I was struck by the beauty of just the plan and so I share, this is phase 1 of Diamond Journeys. 
Pretty and satisfying.

Soft Touch

I have been a textile maker since I was taught cross-stitch by my matriarchs in church...not Sunday school- more surreptitiously in the evening services with knotted work being passed along the row to be rescued. My passion continues and new projects excite my senses and occupy may nimble fingers whilst watching some home-selling or Master chef type telly-watching. As such, it may be surprising that after hmphteen years that I only learnt to crochet this year. It was a precious time when my mum visited where she taught me as her college friend had taught her. My fear of reading patterns no barrier as my mum translated as only she can, and ta da- crocheted circles are now a collection of much complemented coasters.

The Mollie Makes was Issue 15, writer
Suzanne Jackson of Dirtylush.etsy.com

Inspired by the magazine Mollie Makes, a publication that caters to the hallowed middle-ground between professional makers and hobby-makers, and does so challengingly, inspiringly and well, I made some crocheted bangles. These are a happy accessory for a jewellery-loving mama, with a littl'un learning to walk there is a lot of potential head-banging to be done by chunky wooden bangles. These are bright and...soft (not traditional sales speak but i'm sure it is striking a chord with some of you).

Moving forward, metallic blue (so nineties) crochet hook in hand and nervous energy after a job interview surging through my limbs, I set to work on the mark 1 crochet necklace, where my denim neon palette my by exercised and adorned. See below.