I Love Paris

Who wouldn't?

Visited with my husband last week, and had a lovely time. We have both returned confirmed francophiles, and want to live our lives like parisiennes from now on. Paris seems so civilised, one can sit in cafes and watch the world go by, even walking through the streets is a joy because the buildings are so magnificent. The Tuileries Gardens were beautiful, little cafes under the trees and people drawing the statues, or just strolling through the gardens, looking elegant and summery. French women are so stylish and look so coordinated, it puts one to shame to think how lazy we can be in the UK (I speak for myself of course, though I do try). I love the attention to detail in almost all things, the food is made from excellent ingredients, the coffee is always good, and people say Bonjour, women's shoes match there outfits and the mean are groomed and cool looking. Fantastique!

Selvedge Inspiration

As you know I love Selvedge magazine and though it is expensive it is a fabulous resource for a fabric and textile addict like me. There is a brilliant article this month on Paper Artist Isabelle Borchgrave, whose dresses and shoes are wonderful. It boggles the mind to see how she makes paper so fluid and creates such amazing things. They have an incredible delicacy to them.

Inspiration

Embroidered card found in Oxfam



Lovely dolls by Jess Brown, seen in Selvedge magazine...

Crafy Goodness

I have a massive stash of Rowan Kidsilk Haze, which is possibly the most gorgeous yarn ever! I made it my mission to crochet a beret from all the colours over the Christmas Holidays and I pretty much succeeded. This is not all of them, as I have 15 balls in different colours.



Also over Christmas a new stash of fabric arrived. I have used some, but still have plans for the rest.



Went trawling the local thrift shops today and found a treasure. A box of embroidery threads, in loads of colours that will be perfect for my pinafores. I was told by the lady in the shop that they belonged to a friend of hers who died. She loved to sew, and I am glad that I can make use of them. I thank that lady wherever she may be and am glad to give her treasures a home.

Brazilian Illustrators

These fabulous artists came to me via a tiny paragraph in World of Interiors and I love their work.

Bruno Kurro


and Eduardo Recife

World of Interiors.....

The glossy magazine that is World of Interiors is like a naughty secret, like another type of glossy mag that one hides away guiltily. I cannot afford any of the things in WOI, it is not about people who live like I do, they are in a league of their own where one can contemplate curtain fabrics that are over £100 per meter, and french antiques are mixed with paintings by de Kooning and persian rugs.

I am though an addict, I have been taking this magazine for years and I have whole shelves dedicated to these volumes because I cannot throw any of them out. I love the pictures of chairs and the colours and the articles about strange and wonderful craftspeople or eccentric artists who have decorated their whole house with pictures of shells or something.

It is an inspiration for drawings, patterns, colour schemes and my own home in it's own modest way. So here are some of the lovely things that have caught my eye in recent months.

Sewing and crochet

I have a mega stash of new Rowan Kidsilk haze wools at the moment so am steadily making one beret in each colour. This wool is so amazingly soft and cobwebby. I have also been making some tops from the Kaffe Fasset Shot cottons I have.