where are the children?

A little hungover today after a lovely anniversary meal at La Bota in Crouch End last night. Still trying to unpack everything from the pop up shop too!

So I'm avoiding this by flicking through Living etc and Real Homes.....

Living etc has a featured house this month belonging to Sara Berman. On the floor plan it does show a playroom so I can only imagine she locks her kids in there in order to keep the rest of her house so 'stylish'.

I had an interesting conversation recently with a woman who works in child health and development and she said she is seeing more and more children from middle class families who are not allowed to be children as they live in these perfectly styled homes with no consderation to their needs.

She said many are not allowed to use paints or play with water toys in case the house gets dirty or heaven forbid the kids get anything on their clothes. The kids have their lives totally managed with 'play dates' and 'french lessons' but they never get time just to lounge about or to just play outside.

I find that really really sad.

In another conversation with a woman who used to work in primary schools I found out that many schools hardly teach art, sewing or music anymore. I strongly believe that everyone is creative in their own way and that in children this should be encouraged and supported.

Without creativity I think our society gets smothered and the world is a greyer place. Thank goodness for etsy and folksy so I know I'm not alone....

Ok rant over.....

My bedroom

Hello bedroom! I have some new pics on flickr including this one of my bedroom. I made lovely new bed cushions made from a vintage butterfly print and a paisley print vintage dress. My crochet blanket came from a charity shop and the lampshade is a Habitat sale purchase made from cork which is a material I really like.

The chest of drawers came from an antique shop in crouch end and is made of victorian pine. It's one of my favs. The fireplace is not orignal and is a horrible fake mahogany. I did read in living etc though that to disguise a not so nice fireplace the surround should be painted the same colour as the walls. As you can see we haven't tried this yet! The walls are a bit distressed looking as I stripped the hideous 80's wallpaper (green textured background with brown roman collums) about a week after we moved in as it was so so so bad!

The show and tell at broadway market last night was a bit of a fiasco due to staff not turning up so everyone waited hours and hours to be seen. I left after 3 1/2 hours as had to get the bus home! Better luck next time....

Carter's Steam Fair Today

No post last night as we were out gallavanting in Hoxton at lil sis's leaving do drinks which was a nice change for a friday night. I'd forgotten how many people go out for drinks after work on a friday.

Today we took the little lady to Priory Park in Crouch End to the Steam Fair. All the rides were lovely old fashioned affairs especially the fairground carousel. The little lady surprised us be being a bit of a speed freak! She loved the horse and also went on another ride with me that went really fast (I was a bit worried!) but she had a ball.

Tomorrow we have a yoga picnic on hampsted heath which I am hoping the weather holds for. I must also try and do a bit of sewing as I have some ideas for t shirts using some applique.

The Crouch End Project

Tonight was the shopping evening in Crouch End which was fun apart from the sudden downpours. We were a bit soaked. The Crouch End Project is a collective of independant retailers which was set up to promote local shops and the unique character of the area.

We nosed round the lovely Powder boutique and I almost succumbed to a Orla Kiely stripey top but I stopped myself as the purse strings around littlechook need to be tightened this month as I've had a few unexpected expenses like shipping my heat press off for repair.

We ended up munching some delicious food in Banners which is a real Crouch End institution and great for some people watching.

My etsy shop has been neglected this week so I am going to spend sometime on it this weekend and have decided to have a sale on the vintage fabric cushion covers as I want to begin to move my shop over to be dedicated to my print designs.

throwaway society

my poor husband hates my habit of finding furniture abandoned by the side of the road but I am always just amazed by what people throw out. My pet hate round Crouch End/Stroud Green/Harringay is seeing mattresses dumped outside houses. It just looks awful and I am sure they could be recycled in some way.

anyway, my current project is to put together a group of designers to sell their work through our very own pop up shop. Hopefully to be located in either seven dials/covent garden or carnaby street. I am in the process of contacting talented etsy sellers who I hope will be interested in my concept. I also found a few possible folk at Broadway Market but I am going to devote a seperate post to the delicious handbags once I find their business card!

Back to the furniture, my idea is to set out the shop like a house with a mix of original , vintage and second hand furniture possibly with a fifties or sixties theme hence the gathering of cast offs to dress my shop!

My best find so far will however end up in my bedroom after the shop. Isn't this just lovely! It was rescued from my street undercover of darkness (husband refused to be seen 'tatting' in daylight!)

My creative endeavours today involved a morning working the fabulous East London Print Studio using their open access time to put together some new screens. Hopefully Katherine will sleep ok tonight and I will get a chance to print up some fabrics and see how they have turned out.....

www.eastlondonprintmakers.co.uk