Arty, attention-grabbing accessories

Last week’s unusually warm and sunny weather had me skipping out all over the place to arty events, hence the lack of blog posts. One of the more glamorous was a party at Sketch in Mayfair, to celebrate Shingai Shoniwa (of the Noisettes) and hatmaker Katherine Elizabeths’ new millinery collaboration.

One of the biggest hat trends is customization. Hats are being embellished with all sorts of curiosities and turned into works of wearable art. It’s fun to create your own millinery masterpiece too – in fact, Katherine Elizabeth holds hat parties and day-long millinery classes, at Craft Central in Clerkenwell. The next one is this Saturday 22nd.

Now the weather’s taken a wintry turn though, I feel more like hibernating. Forget going out to fashion tribe gatherings, all I want to do is sit in front of the television and cozy up to something soporific, like the X-Factor, with a nice mug of cocoa (Ha! That must account for the curious spelling in my latest post at The Dabbler…)

This morning it was actually cold enough to contemplate wearing gloves - which by the way, also seem to be getting an arty makeover this season. I’ve been waiting for ages to try out the luxuriously embroidered new gloves by eccentric Englishman Mark H at ShopCurious. Mark’s oddly extravagant OR WOT! designs are a small but valiant contribution towards saving niche handicrafts of the British manufacturing industry… Now I’ll raise a cup of cocoa to that.

Will you?

Weaving life's rich tapestry

Have you noticed how old fashioned handicrafts like needlepoint and lacemaking are coming back into vogue lately? I’ve spotted embroidery, crochet and patchwork everywhere from art galleries and craft fairs to niche boutiques and trend-setting chain stores.

Another curious trend is that tapestry is becoming rather popular, not just for wall-hangings, but also as fabric to cover furniture and cushions.






















The practice of weaving is said to be meditative as well as enjoyable, perhaps that’s why it’s become fashionable again recently? However, traditional weaving is not so much ‘make do and mend’ as DIY manufacture. There’s a real art to creating your own textiles – and don't even bank on saving money in the process…

Nevertheless, one way of cutting your coat to suit your cloth (sorry) is to purchase a second-hand loom. And, if you’re tempted to master this rustic craft, we may have just the thing at ShopCurious – a Glimakra Ideal weaving loom, which we’re selling for less than half the current market price.






















If you’re already skilled at producing your own unique, homespun creations (like Edward Taylor, whose handiwork can be seen above right), this could be a curiously useful purchase - or even an investment towards your future in sustainable design. If not, you can find some lovely vintage tapestries at specialist galleries, or antiques fairs (see above left).

By the way, any weavers reading this post are invited to share their work by adding a link in the comments below.

Will you?

Flowers, fashion and photography

This is not the Chelsea Flower Show, but the new flower inspired exhibition by seven world class photographers at the Diemar/Noble Gallery in London is well worth a visit.

There’s no doubt that flowery decoration is currently in vogue. However, dismiss from your mind the rails of frilled and floaty floral dresses currently filling our chain stores, and distinguished purely by their prosaic Polyester prettiness.

Aside from their innate beauty, flowers are often awarded allegorical significance by curious minded creative types, and are subject to all manner of intriguing artistic interpretations - as in the fascinating works on display in this show:





Photographer Lisa Creagh wanted to combine the handmade elements of detailed and painstakingly constructed handicrafts (like needlework, lace making, quilting and crochet) with the digital possibilities of twenty first century photographic software.




She sought not only to capture the moment, but to also reflect the ‘rich and elaborate patterns of decorative arts… associated with the seasons and cycles of birth and death’ in her ‘Instant Garden’ collection. One of her digitally stylized photographs (above) is based on the design of a floral Persian carpet, with softly lit flower petals, reminiscent of those in Dutch Still Life paintings.

Neeta Madahar photographed her friends alongside plants whose flowers have women’s names, such as Poppy, Orchid and Primrose. Photographs in her Flora collection are styled in the fashion of vintage Hollywood glamour images, with a little bit of a modern twist.













The sitters for the photos suggested the emotions they wished to convey through their portraits. However, a theme central to all is the rejection of conventional fashion models: the photos are a comment on the requirement for women to live up to fantasy ideals of the female form.



This curiously evocative composition (right) by Dora Maar reminds me of Audrey Hepburn, who was often photographed together with flowers. However, the unique oversized 1930s print on show at Diemar/Noble Photography is of Assia, Maar’s favourite model.

Maar herself, admired in the art world for her avant garde and surrealist imagery, is actually most famous for being the sitter, muse and partner of Pablo Picasso and, of course, ‘The Weeping Woman’.











28 Day Flower Diary by Kate Owens is a series of digital bouquets that mirror Victorian floral arrangements, which were used to express unspoken feelings. Owens wished to make visible the physical, sexual and emotional effects of the menstrual cycle. She wanted to contrast the uncontrollable forces of female nature with attempts to repress emotional urges through occupations such as floristry which, in the past, were seen as a way of keeping women occupied and out of trouble.




My, how times have changed! Nevertheless, expressing a love of all things floral is something that’s probably been a constant through the ages.

Anyway, if you’re a flower fancier, you should definitely check out the Italian garden inspired hand painted bangles that are newly available at ShopCurious – and do pop into the gallery to see these fabulous photos, and many more too.

Will you?

Quilts and curiously sunny patchwork purses

My visit to the new Quilts exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum was infinitely more rewarding than anticipated. This show is as much a feast for the mind as it is a visual delight - and a must for all lovers of textiles and fashion.








The quilts on display depict the ‘hidden histories and untold stories’ of fabrics, families and creative endeavour over several centuries. Quilts are often symbolic of rites of passage - births, deaths and marriages – and the antique cot quilts in this exhibition are among the most exquisite.





There’s plenty of emotion attached to quilts, but over the centuries, the type of feelings associated with the art of patchwork seem to have changed significantly. Quilts are popularly regarded as precious items, generating ‘memories of warmth, comfort and security’ – and are often handed down as heirlooms from generation to generation.






From Victorian times, however, handicrafts like patchwork were used as a means of promoting social improvement. The Temperance Movement even adopted the pastime as a displacement activity for military personnel and those who might otherwise be lured by the temptations of gambling and alcohol.





Later examples include quilts made on prison ships, in prison of war camps, military hospitals and even at HMP Wandsworth – whose magnificent quilt is a sort of tragicomic send up of life in jail.

More recent works seem even farther removed from the cosy connotations of vintage pieces, focusing on human mortality and suffering, as well as the plight of women (traditionally those involved with the craft of quilting). Exhibits include Grayson Perry’s vivid, foetus-littered Right to Life quilt – a commentary on the anti-abortion debate in 1990s America (see right).




There are some common threads (excuse the pun) throughout the exhibition; the recycling of used fabrics, for instance – including old pyjamas, and even black-out curtains after the Second World War. And some recurring themes - like geography, nature and the passing of time.

Patriotism is also the subject of many pieces, with royalty, crests and messages of loyalty to the home country featuring widely. One of the quilts, dating from the early 19th century, has a splendid depiction of George III reviewing his troops in Hyde Park, part of which can be seen left (click on to enlarge and look out for the strange sun and moon motifs).






I’m curious to know more about the rather oddly located suns and moons, placed towards the centre of this quilt. They remind me of the sunshine patches on the quirky new handmade purses at ShopCurious.






Most of the quilts on display are so detailed, one could spend days admiring the craftsmanship and investigating the individual meaning of each masterpiece on show. Award yourself the luxury of at least a couple of hours to indulge your imagination and senses at this wonderful exhibition...

Will you?

Curiously cosy quilts

I’ve missed you - what with London Fashion Week, plus a zillion and one other things going on, I haven’t had a chance to write many posts lately. Mind you, the weather’s been so appallingly cold, wet and windy here that most of us would probably have preferred to stay indoors, keeping warm. I just checked the weather forecast for London and... guess what:

Wednesday - heavy rain showers
Thursday - heavy rain
Friday - heavy rain (and 26 mph south westerly winds)
Saturday - heavy rain showers
Sunday - heavy rain






I suggest you find something to do around the home rather than venturing anywhere outside. Handicrafts are very popular at the moment: you could pass the time with a spot of crochet, try your hand at basket weaving, or perhaps a little quilt-making takes your fancy? With the quilt exhibition coming up at the V&A shortly, anything and everything patchwork is all the rage.











In fact, we’ve got some fabulous designer patchwork quilts by Cassandra Ellis at ShopCurious. Handmade, using vintage fabrics (including finest quality silks), lined and backed with Fair Trade cotton, each one of these beautifully sewn and totally unique pieces is a timeless work of art. You might like to invest in one as an heirloom for your family to appreciate in years to come, or simply for you to enjoy snuggling up in.










Quilts are great, even on the dullest of days – not only do they add a welcome splash of colour to your décor, but they’re also curiously inviting and especially cosy at this time of year.

Are you?