The Gentlewoman

I would like to begin this post by first dispensing with any beating about the bush. The Gentlewoman is - hands down - the most engaging magazine I have ever had the good fortune to read.

I purchased my first issue a few months ago and I have been frantically hunting down every single back issue ever published ever since.

Never have articles been so articulately written, the great and the good so beautifully shot (sans retoucher) nor the niceties of modern life so expertly handled.

Take the article titled That Piece! in the Spring and Summer 2013 issue, for example.

The attention to detail  - in what can only be described as the anatomy of a garment - appealed to the designer in me. I know firsthand what it feels like to have someone notice the near-obsessive thought that has gone into the minutiae of creating an item of clothing and I felt such vicarious gratitude that Charlie Porter had.

It was also within its pages that I discovered Jekka McVicar, Britain's foremost herb grower and unofficial adviser to the finest chefs in the land, no less. I am now mentally figuring out just how far Bristol is from where I live so that I can someday attend one of her rather tempting courses.

If you haven't already had the pleasure, I urge you to seek out a copy and make a gift of it to yourself. I have a sneaking suspicion that you will be just as enamoured of it as I am.

Oh, and if you happen to come across issues numbered 1,2,3 and 6, I shall be forever in your debt.

Interwoven

"As we work, we braid the strands together, just as our mothers and grandmothers have before us. Inspired by the past and created in the present, with the constant evolution of life, we weave together the elements, creating new patterns and new possibilities."

/Siphiwe Mngometulu/

It seems like an age since I last treated myself to an artist date in London so on Saturday I went to the rather intriguing Interwoven hosted by Habitat's design initiative, Platform, on the King's Road. A brilliant take on old meets new, it featured the work of five Central St. Martins graduates each of whom approached the ancient art of weaving in remarkably thought-provoking ways.

Nadia-Anne Ricketts' exploration of the relationship between sound and weaving led to the discovery of an arithmetic connection which enabled her to create fabrics into which digital music could be woven. Through her label BeatWovenTM, Ricketts - who very aptly describes herself as a textile composer - is able to transform any chosen piece of music from an intagible medium into an item of bespoke and tactile luxury.

/Image from nadia-anne.com/

Coralie Bonnet's embroidered wood pieces were equally unexpected yet infinitely charming. I was particularly taken with the desk below.

/Image from coraliebonnet.com/

Isn't it sweet? I imagine writing one's correspondence (or doing homework) on it would always be a pleasure.

Jane Harper took an urbanist approach to the theme, weaving metal yarn into forms reminiscent of the industrial buildings of her native Manchester.

Lucie Libotte's Splintering Crockery featured magnetic wallpaper which could be customised by moving individual pieces around. It is probably best described as part life-sized jigsaw, part art installation as illustrated in the video below.

"Splintering Crockery" from lucie libotte on Vimeo.

It was the story of Siphiwe Mngometulu and her family that really struck a chord, however.

Told through Philippa Thorne's The Song Of The Weaver, it charts the lives of three generations of women weavers in Siphiwe's family. Each had crafted a biographical basket using materials that represented their daily lives.

The baskets - from top to bottom - were woven by "Gogo" Christina Mngometulu, the matriarch of the family; Siphiwe and Bonakele Ngwenya, Siphiwe's daughter.

The women are part of Gone Rural, a social enterprise formed by Thorne in Swaziland. In the last 20 years, it has encouraged over 760 rural women to produce beautiful homeware fashioned from indigenous Lutindzi grass.

All the pieces in the exhibition are currently for sale and I desperately wanted to give Bonakele's basket  a home but I fear it will be sold before I manage to save up my pennies! Suffice to say, I shall be consoling myself with a little something from this vibrant selection.

P.S. Interwoven is open to the public until April the 28th. You can also find out more about Platform and their upcoming exhibitions here.

Spring At Forge 2

When it comes to hubs of richly diverse creativity and inspiration, I freely admit that London is second to none. That said, I do make a point of sniffing out similar places closer to home.

A few days ago, I spied an ad for the Spring At Forge 2 exhibition on the back of our village magazine and made a mental note of it. No sooner had I deposited my little girl at school yesterday morning, I was there 15 minutes before it opened, sitting nervously in the car park - camera in hand, going over my blogger spiel in my head.

Once inside, I was warmly greeted by Debbie McCullough and an array of superb British craftsmanship on display.   

/Enamel elephants reminescent of origami/

McCullough, herself a ceramic artist and one the founding partners of the gallery, very kindly let me take as many photos as I needed whilst we chatted about everything under the sun from the building's rich history to British manufacture.

/Penkridge Ceramics/

Forge 2 began its life as a working forge and is housed in a century old space. After its closure, McCullough and four other artists decided it would be the perfect haven in which to create away from the distractions of domesticity. One long hard slog later, it is now a wonderful testament to the rewards that vision and clarity of purpose can bring.

Everywhere I looked, there were charming little touches - from price tags made from jigsaw puzzle pieces to the plumbing used as wall hooks - a nod to the gallery's make-do-and-mend philosophy.

Now run by McCullough and Chris Wiggins - also an original partner and a textile designer - it has evolved into a platform for British artists and makers to showcase their work.

/Porcelain robins by Island Porcelain/

/Stuart Carey tableware/

Forge 2 also hosts brilliantly named Shop and Scoff events where visitors get to sample home-baked treats and learn a variety of skills taught in person by various visiting craftsmen and women.

An art therapy course for people affected by cancer (and in conjunction with Macmillan Cancer Support) is currently in the pipeline and I'm excited to see how that develops.

What a great way to keep the spirit of the old forge alive as the very centre of village life. I now have a few dates pencilled in and I cannot wait for my next visit.

Thank you so much, Debbie, for giving so generously of your time and for sharing your incredible story!

Fashion|Conscious: Maternity Daywear

It has been rather quiet on the Fashion|Conscious front for far too long and it didn't so much launch as discreetly slip in, unaccompanied by fanfare. With my changing shape, I think now is the perfect time to reinstate it and to explain what it entails.

Having gone through 30 days of Six Items Or Less, I created Fashion|Conscious for the express purpose of showcasing ethical brands and, hopefully, disabusing the notion that they are not as of-the-moment as their unethical counterparts. It will now be a regular feature on the blog and published once a month.

Let's begin with a revved up take on a comfy daywear classic, shall we?

I must confess that I am not really one for maternity wear. Staples from my existing wardrobe that adapt to my growing bump and remain useful once the baby arrives are so much more cost effective.

/Images: One. Antalya coin collar by Chanour at Free People; Two. P.O.P. classic stripe adult top by Polarn O. Pyret; Three. Belle jacket by Toast; Four. Bamboo leggings by Asquith London; Five: Tanner shoes (no longer available) by Dr. Martens/

The pieces above are not at all dissimilar to my usual pre-pregnancy daytime wardrobe. I feel distinctly underdressed without a statement necklace about my neck during the day and the one pictured is the latest addition to my collection.

I am exceedingly fond of stripes - a fondness I have inadvertently thrust upon my little girl - and they are liberally sprinkled throughout my wardrobe in various shapes, colours and sizes.

I lived in jeans well into the seventh month of my first pregnancy, going up a size towards the end. This time, however, I find that I cannot bear to have anything restrictive underneath my bump. Leggings with a generously broad waist (or tummy) band are a godsend and are just as stylish with a pair of metallic brogues or boots.

A blazer or jacket of the boyfriend variety saves the entire ensemble from looking too casual and serves the very practical purpose of adding a much needed extra layer of warmth. More importantly, I still look and feel like me - give or take a few extra midriff inches!

I'm curious. Which items in your wardrobe make you feel quintessentially you? What did you feel your absolute best in when you were pregnant?

Home|School

Regular readers of this blog know by now just how much I love learning new skills. The fact that online courses are increasingly de rigueur, has made it all too easy for me to feed my favourite habit.

So far, I have taken e-courses in blogging, photography, map making and - a few days ago - I signed up for HTML & CSS From Scratch In 30 Days on Skillshare.

It's the sort of thing I never dreamed I would attempt to learn in 30 days but the thought of being knowledgeable enough to redesign my blog and tinker with it to my heart's content was just too exhilarating to pass up. The course is suited for beginners and, best of all, access to the online class and its resources is unlimited.

I have already bought some recommended reading, downloaded the software I shall be working with and I'm raring to go.

Can you believe it? In just a month, you could turn up and find 106 resplendent in its Sunday best.

If you do nothing else this month, have a peek at the other courses on offer at Skillshare. I defy you not to find something that takes your fancy!