Tuesday 26 March 2013

Enjoying the Selvedge Spring Fair

People & Places by Hippystitch
What an exciting time it was at the Selvedge Spring Fair! I had a very early start on Friday travelling down by train to London.  

I managed to get everything in a couple of suitcases and even managed to negotiate the tube and the local buses to arrive in time to set up my space and be open for business at 11am.   

Marea Mermaid Brooch by Hippystitch



Liberty Necklaces by Hippystitch











Selvedge Spring Fair




 
Friday was very busy all day with just a short break before the evening reception kicked off with glasses of fizz and (more) goody bags for the visitors.  Family and friends joined the throng to say hello.  It was all very jolly.



Selvedge Spring Fair


Saturday brought horrendous weather - snow, hail and wind so we say thank you to all those brave souls who turned out to join us and made the day a success.  


Hand Made Food at Selvedge Spring Fair








There were delicious morsels to sustain us over both days and fab coffee.








Altogether it was great fun & I met lots of interesting people.  I can't name them all but do take a look at these folk:

Becky Adams
http://www.beckyadams.co.uk/
Hen's Teeth Art
www.hensteethart.blogspot.com
Jess Quinn
http://www.etsy.com/shop/JessQuinnSmallArt
Sam Pickard
http://www.sampickard.co.uk/
Rob Ryan
http://www.misterrob.co.uk/ 
Clare Beaton
http://www.clarebeaton.com/



I also had some great help - so thank you very much to...


To check out all the exhibitors:
http://www.selvedge-drygoods.org/pages/exhibitions/exhibitors.aspx 
 

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Getting Ready for the Selvedge Spring Fair


I've had such an exciting time recently getting ready for the Selvedge Spring Fair.  And here are a few photos marking the journey...
People & Places Rings

Part of the fun has been getting my new People & Places range ready - brooches and rings with little people set against vintage map backgrounds.


People & Places Map Bags










Each ring or brooch has its own map bag and I have finally managed to finish making all the map bags.  Hurrah!

The Spring Fair will be its first outing and I hope both the rings & brooches will be popular.


Fabric necklaces
There will of course be some Hippystitch favourites like the fabric necklaces - look at all those luscious Liberty prints.

Flower button bracelets










And flower button bracelets in a range of fab colours.



Resin button brooches




There are also some colourful resin button brooches and some hairclips for those with unruly locks.


Button hairclips











Mermaids & Divas are also to be found and for those who like all things sparkly - some pretty flower brooches.


Magical Mermaid brooch
Sparkly flower brooches

















Oswald the Monster Egg Cosy

If your thoughts are turning to Easter and are egg related - how about a Monster Egg cosy.  A limited number will be available.  Take a look at Oswald here - isn't he a splendid fellow!


Hippystitch bags







I've also changed my packaging so there's been some work to do on that too. 


 




There'll be more besides so if this appeals to you and you can make it then do come along to stall C17 and say hello ...

http://www.selvedge-drygoods.org/pages/exhibitions/venue-information.aspx

Wednesday 13 March 2013

New York High Line


For those of you who haven't heard about it (e.g. me until recently) the New York High Line is a linear park on the west side of Manhattan, built on a disused elevated freight line. (Think of all the UK disused railways that are now footpaths - but raised up)

It's fab - has a walkway, seating, artworks and in warmer weather, refreshments, numerous access points together with lifts & facilities.  The whole thing is a pleasant stroll at about a mile.  We walked the full length getting on at West 30th Street between 10th & 11th Avenues down to Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District.  It was opened in two phases.  The first in 2009 and the second in 2011 moving northwards.  The final section consists of the railyards between 30th and 34th Streets and is privately owned.  But the Friends of the High Line hope it will eventually be transformed into a continuous public open space.

El Anatsui - Broken Bridge ll (part)
Even in winter it is a great place to be and the artworks en route are interesting.  These are some of my snaps with info where I have it (and not necessarily in order!)  Some of the advertising is quite amusing too!

Ghanaian artist El Anatsui uses recycled pressed tin and mirrors to create wave-like patterns and folds evoking traditional West African tapestry weaving but at the same time reflecting the High Line.  I really liked the texture of this piece and the contrasting surfaces of the tin and the mirrors.

Below is a colourful display of posters featuring You and Me by Allen Ruppersberg.  The printed word is typical of his work.  (Saw an exhibition of his at the DCA in Dundee some years ago - lots of colourful posters presenting an homage to Allen Ginsberg's "Howl".  The DCA is another place well worth a visit)
Allen Ruppersberg - You & Me


Spencer Finch - The River That Flows Both Ways (part)
I took some photos of this before I realised it was an artwork.  This is Spencer Finch's The River That Flows Both Ways.  It is a glass installation based on a 700 minute journey on the Hudson river.  Finch took a photo every minute and the colour of each pane of glass is taken from a single pixel in each photo.  They are then arranged chronologically in the existing mullions (perhaps that's why I didn't realise) - looks good though!



Alessandro Pessoli - Lilliput: Old Singer With Blossoms



Alessandro Pessoli's figure, 9 feet tall, stands amongst the vegetation - cool knitted hat!

 









And I have to take my hat off to Manhattan Mini Storage for their amusing adverts!


For more info about the High Line

For more info about the DCA in Dundee

Wednesday 6 March 2013

More Embroidered Jumpers

An over zealous title I'm afraid.  Really it should be "More Embroidered Jumper" but that sounds a bit funny.  Anyway this is just to let you know I've completed another jumper - this time with BOOM on the back.  And the jumper was green to start with!  I did wonder, when I was embroidering it, whether the black would run into the green in the wash.  But I didn't let that stop me.  And guess what - it did! 

However a couple of packets of Colour Run Remover and a couple of days later and the runs have gone.  The jumper is now yellow - a happy coincidence because I had wanted to use a yellow jumper in the first place - just couldn't find a suitable one.   So hurray for Colour Run Remover! But on a cautious note - you do have to be a bit careful when you use it.

If you like the scarf teamed with the jumper this is by York based textile artist Karen Mabon.  She does lots of great scarves which you can find at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/redbricknorth