The Cloth House, Soho

I took some time out last week, to trip into London, to look at pretty things. I popped into Anthropologie, walked every square meter of Liberty, and wandered down to Soho.

Suddenly I was transported back in time nearly 20 years. Back to when I used to work just off Oxford Circus in the Fashion Industry. I often used to head to Soho in my lunch hour, to meet up with a boyfriend, to buy Silver for making jewellery, to buy fabrics from the numerous fabric shops down Berwick Street - sometimes for me, and also for the five Wedding dresses I made for close friends over the years. 

Today I was heading to Berwick Street to the Cloth House, which you can find at two different locations on the Street. Berwick Street hadn't changed much. The bustling market was still there, and I smiled as I remembered the tales of the sausage shop boy who used to swap the shop's sausages for spuds with the market traders - so he could have sausage and mash for his tea. Naughty!

The Cloth House was an utter feast for me. Haberdashery heaven. Shelves of ribbon, stacks of lace. Buttons old and new. Every variety of denim, more linen than I could dream of, cotton voiles, velvets, and some hand blocked Indian fabrics that smelled of Rajasthan and transported me back there in an instant. I could happily while away a long time in here. I just wish I had the meterage in my head, for the projects that I have in mind. Still a good excuse to go back soon.

I had meant to tell them I was coming, and ask them if I could take some snaps for the blog, but somehow I had forgotten to get in touch. Happily, I asked one of the shop girls, and she very kindly let me take some pictures. I just wish I was a better photographer!

Setting Stones

Oh my goodness what a busy day. I have set four large aquamarines, a big elongated oval moonstone, and eight of these little 4mm stones. 

I bought a selection of gems in gorgeous colours, thinking they could sit well together. Mostly I bought smooth round cabochon cut gems, but I also bought some rose cut faceted ones, which now I have set, I love.

Gems include: rainbow moonstone, green amethyst, prehnite, sky blue topaz, green and gold labradorite, milky aquamarine, blue / aqua labradorite, Swiss blue topaz.

These are work in progress, unfinished, in poor light - but I was genuinely excited by them today. It reminded me why I make jewellery. I got a real buzz, from beavering away in my studio, using nature's pretty stones, to make some very pretty jewellery. They mix and match beautifully, and I would wear them all if I had made them in a size that fitted me!

I'll post some more pictures when they are finished.

x

English Breakfast

Remember those silver plated egg cups I bought? With the help of an old linen tray cloth, they have had new life breathed into them as gorgeous little pincushions. I for one will not be using anything else now! They were joined by a little silver plated Christening cup, and a tiny candlestick - which works really well as you can stash pins quickly in the bottom as you take them out and start sewing.

This blog must be really rather confusing for people who have come here for contemporary Silver Jewellery... I seem to have gone off on a temporary tangent! xx

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

Bitten by the Vintage bug

Look at these treasures. Plans afoot. Been busy taking photographs today, while my boys lounged in their hammocks and read their books. Apologies for lack of jewellery!