inspired

Before I start I apologise, this is going to be a long post with a lot of images, but I've been caught by a bug, I'm in seventh heaven and totally inspired. Thanks to a very interesting talk on Sousanis, given by Olivia Dell in her lovely little shop in Nailsworth. Of course this is part of the Stroud Textile Festival and ties in with a lovely exhibition on at Newark Park. However I wouldn't have gone to the talk if it wasn't for hubby's aunt who invited me to join her. I'm always keen to find out more so I happily went along.

We sat around on straw stools, drinking Melissa tea and eating Bakalva and Turkish Delight as Olivia told us how she came to have such an amzaing collection before she started pulling the sousanis off the shelf, like a wily purveyor of Eastern goods (I'll give you special price!), flinging them in the air by the corners and letting the cloth fall to the floor for us to admire and scrutinise.
The word sousani comes from the Persian for needle and these amazing embroidered materials would originally have been wedding canopies, bedspreads, table cloths or prayer mats. Something to brighten up their homes amidst the colourless landscape in which they lived


The women of the family would painstakingly embroider the design, which would have been drawn by the 'wise woman' of the village. Members of the family would then be given a strip of the fabric and work it independently, perhaps taking it away from the village during the summer months, only to return with a finished piece to be added to the others. As a result the colours and patterns do not match perfectly, but this is embraced rather than posing as a problem and, I think, adds to the personal nature and provenance of each piece. Looking in detail at this work, and think about how much time it would take to do, made me realise my incompetencies - lack of skill and patience to say the least!



Then we digressed to Matisse, as some of the motifs were familiar to those found in his work. While I did go to the Matisse exhibition I don't remember much about it so now I really want to read the enormous Hilary Spurling Biography I've had for years (and it's only volume 1). Where I'm I meant to find the time to do that?

But for me the most eye catching element of the sousani was the backs! I've found a new passion I think and I'm going to have to have words with Sarah to see if I can persuade her to do a new collection just for me. The wonderful Russian cotton fabrics are beautiful. The lightness of the fabric, the lovely designs and the wonderful colours, I'm just so happy. So happy that I've had to order this amazing book . I just hope it comes quickly!

The better examples of the fabrics were actually in Olivia's supply of 'coats'. The outside would be richly coloured velvets or brightly coloured ikat silks. Inside the random use of colour and pattern is brilliant. Some times there are three or four different fabrics used for the inside of one coat, but your eye doesn't even notice it at first. And it really doesn't seem to matter whether they clash or tone with the outside.

I don't really know the history of these fabrics, I think they were made especially for the East Asian market but my google -ing has proved futile so far and I'm going to have to wait until my new book comes before I fully understand.


Meanwhile I shall just have to lust after these images. I was sorely tempted to by an Ottoman coat, I need something to replace my grubby terry-towelling dressing gown but couldn't quite justify spending £175 no matter how beautiful the Russian fabric inside is.


This red tulip design was gorgeous (Sarah take note), and it had deep purple version of the same design on other parts of the coat

And this butterfly/flower design is so pretty and the coat so lovely you could wear it either way round. The combination of the silk ikat and light Russian cotton made it incredibly comfortable and easy to wear. I flounced around in front of the mirror for quite a bit until baby screeched because she'd dropped her book and brought me back to reality.

I would just like to thank Olivia who very kindly let me photograph to my hearts content this morning.

easter breakfast

I know it seems a bit late to be talking about Easter but the truth is that we (as in hubby and I) are only just coming to the end of the children's egg supply. In fact Boy hasn't got a sweet tooth and is quite particular about his chocolate so he was given quite a few Easter themed marshmallows instead. I rather approved of the pastel coloured lambs and chicks and decided they'd adorn a hot chocolate pretty well. Then I decided this would make the perfect Easter breakfast for the children - just add boiled eggs and 'Dippys'!

malvern spring show

Today was a wet, cold and miserable day, but despite the weather conditions we've had a nice family day out at the Malvern Spring Show. We had a good look at the show gardens, but failed to get any decent photos of them due to the amount of fellow onlookers gurning in the background. For those of you watching this weeks Gardener's World our favourite Mark Eveleigh's Recovery and Wellbeing garden. A kind of small holding with amazing attention to detail, including stinging nettles behind the chicken shed!

However the RHS Floral Marquee provided plenty of photo opportunities. It protected us from the wet and wild conditions outside and deffinatley brightened up our day. I loved the colours these tropical looking green plants which caught my eye as I entered the tent.

Whilst there were many different species of flowers I homed in on the flowers I like, it was just great to see so many varieties, all in show condition. Peonies are one of my all time favourite flowers, the ones in our garden are just about to pop open and I can't wait to have some in the house.

The Clemetis were beautiful too. We have one climbing over our stable door and it has just started to flower. It's a fantastic cascade of flowers for a few weeks. We've never done anything to it and it just gets better each year.

We've also have loads of common Aqualegia in our garden, it spreads well, attracts the butterflies and looks good in a cottage garden bouquet but the selection on show was outstanding, and the flowers were so big.

One plant I've always liked but have never grown is Auriculas. I thought this display of them in simple terracottta pots was really striking. In fact I think that maybe I've never grown them because they look so good in pots, en masse and perhaps would be rather lost in our totally crammed and wild garden. But I'm still feeling that maybe I should have bought one!


My favourite stand was of the The Walled Gardens in Somerset. As the self sufficient, allotment culture seems to be so popular these days it was great to see so much delicious and attractive looking produce. Their display was well really well done, they had thought hard about the containers they used to show their plants in and the use of potatoes very original!



And finally, if not already uplifted by the huge array of plants and colours there was an enormous stand of Tulips which couldn't have failed to lift everyone's spirits. I adore tulips, from the simple red and yellow kind to the most exoctic of Parrot Tulips. A vase of tulips anywhere is enough to make my day fulfilled!

dorset cereals competition

those lovely people at dorset cereals who organise the little blog awards (you can vote for us on here if you feel inclined!) are doing a fab summer giveaway. A fantastic VW campervan with sunroof, fridge, cooker - all mod cons! who wouldn't want to win such a design icon?

enter here.

(though you can't win - i am having it!!)

dorset cereals sponsored giffords circus last tour so we love anyone who supports such a fab night out.

moo moo moo

ok i am stressing. after 2 nights of waking up at 3am and not being able to get back to sleep, i can admit that I am stressing.

as you can see from the pictures our cow hunt was really really really good last year.

what if nobody comes this year? and i have got to go on the radio tomorrow and I don't do public speaking, i have an awful tendency to foot in mouth, and people can't understand me because of my northern accent.

I am thinking, sticky ginger cake, sticky toffee date cake, chocolate cake, strawberry whipped cream and vanilla sponge, ottolenghi meringues, sophie dahl flourless chocolate cake, profiteroles...............can anyone think what i have missed?!!!!
do come along to the tea tent and say helllo (I, apparantly am the ' matronly woman in her fifties'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - grrrrrr)

teatime inspiration

i have a domestic challenge this week! myself and the good ladies of our village are on a baking binge for our annual 'cowhunt' . Last year we served about 400 teas to visitors to the beutiful village of Amberley in Gloucestershire. Anyway everyone loved the fact their tea came in a teapot and they had mismatched proper china to drink from and that the cakes were all scrummy and home made..........so now the pressure is on to make it even better. hence my search across the ether for some visual stimulation to get my cake baking brain in to gear!!!
i have to thank gathering spriggs, snippet and ink, martha (obviously), and all the beautiful things for providing such a feast of imagery.
there will be more about the cowhunt this week, but if you live locally and want to come, it is a lovely wander around our beautiful village on the edge of national trust common land. there is a pimms and beer (from the fab stroud brewery) and our lovely vintage teas. The idea is to spot the dressed up cows hidden in peoples gardens.

weekend reading - seagarden

While i was doing the links for yesterdays post on the vintage handmade fair I became totally transfixed by Christines blog - a mermaids tale. Christine is from the Seagarden shop in beautiful Porthscatho on the Roseland peninsular.

We are off to cornwall for a few days soon so I feel I will have to pay the shop a visit, especially as her stall is one of the highlights of the vintage handmade fair (Jo bought some beautiful jars of bits and bobs.)

Anyway I make no apologies for the number of visuals from Christines blog, as there were so many stunning images, i just couldn't decide what would give you a flavour and entice you over there for a read.

so as miss B would say I have gone 'billy bananas' and here is a feast for the eyes.

Christine sells these beautiful asymetric bead necklaces in the shop.

and these brooches. - you know my fondness for detail, so i love the fact that they are on an old postcard.

these are some of the tags that were attached to items for sale - aren't they beautiful.

anyway go and pay her a visit either in person ant the shop or in a virtual sense at the mermaids tale. you will be dreaming of the roseland peninsular within minutes.

vintage handmade

jane and the happy crow
today is the vintage handmade fair in chipping sodbury. it is very exciting to live down the road from such a delightful gathering (and shopping opportunity!) anyway there are loads of south west bloggers exhibiting and selling their wares and it is always lovely to meet people you read on a weekly basis face to face. So here are but a few, with a link to their blog. (you can find the entire exhibitor list here)

viv from hensteeth - who Jo met on a Julie Arkell course.

lovely lizzie aka the washerwoman

my facebook chum and someone of whom i have total house envy Donna Flower of the fabric of my life

the fair is organised by jayne of country cottage chic and michelle from cowboys and custard and they do a grand job!

hen from hen house

new this time and one of our old favourites is emma bond from the orchard studio, i can't wait to see what she is selling.

Emma is a talented garden designer and photographer.

Christine from the seagarden - i can't wait to visit her shop this year when i am in cornwall

and finally lovely michelle from cowboys and custard the other half of the organising team,