Cobo Alice dolls

We've just returned from a little family holiday in Guernsey with outdoorsy glows and full bellies. Lots of country walks, ice-cream, beach fun and quirky small-village crafts/traditions = lots to blog about!

These cute little handmade dolls, found in the Folk and Costume Museum, originated in the 1870s and were named "Cobo Alice". The body is made from unbleached calico and the head from a stretched vest or stocking, which was then all filled with a fine sawdust filling. The puckered nose and eyebrows were sewn and then the head and hands were dipped in pink primer paint. Then the hair was picked out and painted and the dolls were dressed in bits of old dress materials. For more info on how the dolls were made, click here.

Fox cushion

A recent craft project I set myself - I had seen a pattern for a patchwork quilt with a fox head in the centre, and used this design to create an appliqued patchwork panel that I stitched onto a plain cream cushion cover. I used a Liberty floral print alongside a plain blue cotton, with grey felt eye and nose details. L was very pleased with it!

Floor play

Texture, pattern, shape overlay. Accidental compositions.

Olympic torch

....came past our house this morning! I made L a little Olympic-themed top for the occasion, using some ribbon and gold foiled-leather.

Vintage homewares

My final post from Alexandra Nurseries (see other posts here and here) shows a few images from the shop/cafe which was just amazing! Vintage kitchen and garden products are beautifully merchandised alongside the odd ceramic jug, old puzzle and card games, gardening and nature books, tins, wooden toys, single china tea cups....and everything is for sale. The homemade cakes also look magical under huge decorative glass domes, alongside pitchers of water in cast-iron trays.

Knitted picnic

The only type of picnic we can have at the moment (rain, rain, go away). All the dolls, teddies and toys come out to eat at "Lily's Cafe".....on the menu are knitted cupcakes, ice-creams, pizza, fish & chips, pie, fried egg, cheese sandwich, donuts, and lots of fruit - all lovingly hand-knitted by Lily's amazing Nanna. From this, this and this book.

Garden fonts

Some more pics from Alexandra Nurseries - focusing on interesting fonts and typefaces I saw. Painted, drawn, chalk-written, block-printed, etched and scribbled on wood, card, slate, blackboard, metal and paper. Not forgetting the playing-card toilet sign!

See my first post here.

Well-styled plants

My favourite new (local) place to visit is the recently opened Alexandra Nurseries in Penge, South-East London - an independent garden centre, cafe and vintage homeware shop. The nursery is run by two professional gardeners, who have restored an old caretaker's office and maintenance workshop that had stood empty since 1970, and created the most beautiful and visually-enticing space as an alternative to big commercial garden centres;  focusing on British grown plants, handmade planters and garden accessories, and selling work by independent craftspeople alongside vintage home and garden ware.

I love the use of old garden and agricultural equipment, tools, furniture and kitchen paraphernalia as quirky plant holders, shelves, and notice boards. There were plants in teapots, climbing up church pews, growing in old storage boxes and recycled tyre planters, sitting on old mangles and brightly-painted stepladders, inside cast iron oven trays, and peeping out of old-fashioned lawnmowers and typewriters (final picture taken from the website).

I have two more posts from Alexandra Nurseries to show you soon, so please come back and see!