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!

Wool and thread

The final designer I'm featuring from the Dulwich Artists' Open House event is Sally Nencini, whose products (and house) I completely fell in love with. Her knitted toys, blankets and cushions in 100% lambswool feature graphical patterns and distinctive London-inspired repeats of buses, taxis and soldiers. Her 'Draw' bags with integrated crayon holders are pure genius!

Besides the knitted collection, Sally also collaborates with her husband Peter to create the most beautiful upholstered furniture in linear embroidered patterns. I love this description from her website: "Each of Sally's bespoke upholstered pieces is a unique response to the vintage chair and its character; the story of its use and its user".

Top image taken from Sally's blog. Other posts on the Artist's Open House here and here.

Recycled and reclaimed

The second artist I want to feature from the Dulwich Artists' Open House event is LeilaBadblood, aka Leila McMillan, who creates new products from recycled, reclaimed and salvaged materials. She uses printed fabrics, tea towels, embroidered linens and napkins to create all kinds of things - I love the baby booties, wash bags and the quirky detailing on shirts. I also spotted some great vintage card pin brooches made from kids game pieces.

See my first post from the Artists' Open House here.

Skip Sisters

On Sunday I had a little wander around the streets of SE22 for the Dulwich Artists' Open House, where artists, designers and creatives open either their studios or a room in their home to show, and often sell, their work. I came across some really inspiring and creative people, and will share three of my favourites.

First up are the Skip Sisters; a group of five women who salvage and rescue objects from landfill and use them as raw materials to create new products. I particularly liked the quirky cake stands, the use of old tennis rackets to display jewellery, and the hooks made with toy blocks or old packaging.

Embroidered panel

Such a beautiful charity shop find! A hand-embroidered Peruvian (?) panel with the most exquisite colour and decoration.I have no idea what to do with it but it fits the width of L's cot perfectly.

Hybrid rug

I love this rug, made from sections of crochet square blankets, lace tablecloths and embroidery. A beautiful hybrid of shapes stitched together.

Image from at-swim-two-birds.

The Wallpaper Dress

The Wallpaper Dress is a collaborative project between Melanie, creator of blog makeitdigital and author of Digital Textile Design, and Sarah, creator of blog postcardsfrombattersea and a textiles trend researcher.

The project explores themes of customisation and emotional attachment, where a found pattern is transformed into a treasured and unique garment using local resources and skills. The journey has enabled Sarah to be part of the entire process from the initial discovery of the print, to the reworking and printing, making, and finally styling in a photo shoot that brings the original and modern interpretation together.

The print originated as a sample piece of hand block-printed wallpaper that was found by Sarah at her local vintage fair in Battersea. Melanie scanned the sample and put the design into repeat using Photoshop, which she then digitally printed onto cloth at Chelsea College of Art, where she is a senior lecturer. The original texture of the block print was maintained by using organic linen that gave a slightly faded and textural surface quality.

Sarah and Melanie chose a dress pattern that was in keeping with the character of the print and worked with Lynn, a local dressmaker based in Herne Hill, to create a custom-made dress for Sarah. As a way of merging analogue and digital techniques, Melanie hand-embroidered over some of the motifs to create subtle placement details that explored themes of slow textiles and of a hybrid digital craft.

The entire process took place in an area of 4.5 miles in South London.

Quilts inspiration

Definitely much more exciting than it sounds! Some of my favourites from the new Quilts 1700 - 2010 exhibition at the V&A. Lots of inspiration for shapes as well as colour and pattern mixes and I loved the one made from tiny squares of silk ribbons. I managed to go to the press preview which was pretty civilised, I'm sure it's going to be a bit of a push and a shove now it's completely sold out! See my first attempt of a patchwork quilt in my earlier post here.