Confessions of a Hand Model

The day has arrived - The Art of Quilting is on the shelves (and on your TV if you've happened to see the adverts). As this is my first foray into the world of partworks - in a working capacity anyway, obviously I collected all the issues needed to make the skeletal glow-in-the-dark dinosaur when I was little - I was pretty excited to see the quilting mag in print.

At least twice a month I descend upon a photography studio in Brixton to complete the step-by-step instructions to make the quilt and various other weekly projects starring my hands no less. So, as the novice /accidental hand model, here are my confessions.

1. I bite my nails (and the skin around them). Yes it's a big confession and a problem - a v.bad, gross habit, a nervous/anxiety thing that I've done since I can remember. Potentially career suicide for a hand model.
2. To combat my urges to sabotage my hands I use vaseline hand and nail cream and Leighton Denny slick tips nail oil. The latter is expensive buuut it smells nice (tastes horrible) and it's good for my cuticles too.
3. Occasional free manicures. I'd never had one before starting this job but I would definitely recommend it. Unfortunately I get booked in as a 'men's manicure' which basically means I get everything a 'women's manicure' entails aside from having my nails painted - why the spa place has to keep calling it that to me I don't know.
4. I continue to eat as usual. Unlike almost all other types of models (leg, body, face) I don't need to starve myself, crash diet or deny myself all those tasty things that affect my size (although I probably should for non-work reasons) as I don't gain weight in my hands! Big bonus!
5. Hand cramp is painful. It's rare but sometimes I have to keep my hands in awkward positions for longer than is humanly comfortable whilst the shot in question is viewed, discussed and eventually approved.
6. Ugly hand shapes do exist. I've come to realise that holding scissors as you would in normal everyday life makes for a very unattractive hand shape which is not acceptable for print - cue unnatural scissor holding that's less claw-like and more elegant although completely unrealistic.
7. My hands will visit countries which I have yet to see! As the magazine will be available across Europe (possibly Russia, Australia and New Zealand) my hands will be pretty well travelled - bizarre eh!?

Hello 2012!

So here it is, 2012 and the first hopeful list of the new year (I've decided to not entitle it 'resolutions' as  it sounds waaay more intimidating than 'to do'). 

1. Make (and finish at least) one craft project a month. I've got a quite a few ideas lined-up using fabric, paper, painting, drawing and some will require my excellent sewing machine! Things to come: (fingers crossed) cushion, curtain for the living room, I've got quite a lot of fabric scraps left over from xmas for some more bunting, perhaps I'll try my hand at dress making...

2. Ah exercise, my old foe. 2011 has definitely been a year of great contentment (that's how my dad refers to my shape) so some (a lot of) running is in order!
3. As my savings from last year have all been spent (moving = expensive) it's time to start again. Putting some dollar away for a rainy day is just good practice so it makes the list. I'm mostly just thinking about how I can spend the savings in 2012...a desk, new sofa, a holiday...
Other things to consider for the new year: bake more (attempt to make pie), draw more (try screen printing and design a t-shirt), make lots of use of Brockwell Park, have another fabulous year with friends, family and my lovely beardy boyfriend.

Making & Baking - the xmas installment

Because it came in a v.large box and was therefore difficult to hide and because I was standing in the hallway when it was heaved carried up the stairs and therefore saw it straight off (and because this Christmas I intended to make presents rather than buy them), Mitch gave me my xmas present early. I am now the proud owner of my very own sewing machine and I love it! Hats off to Mitch, although it was two weeks early the christmassy present effect was still the same, it was such a good surprise and the perfect gift.

What with Christmas fast approaching, the quilt has been put on hold. In it's place I've been busy making presents, namely cushions, and so far so good. Of course, this being me I'm making a mental note of all the sewing and craft projects I could do once the cushions are complete and the festive season comes to a close, I don't think Mitch could've known what he's instigated (or what our flat will look like...)! I've been given the means to make my own clothes (I shall definitely be attempting this) as well as all the cushions and bunting I could possibly want - absolute joy. 

Feeling like a domestic goddess (although, I'm yet to make anything) I decided to do some baking: bread and biscuits. I'd never made bread before but Lorraine Pascale provided an incredibly simple recipe to start me off. The ham, cheese and chive loaf turned out pretty well. As for the spiced biscuits, it's an age old, simple recipe that I've been making (and assisting to make/ice) since I was very small. They've become some what of a Christmas tradition and my first Brixton batch of them turned out just as I remember them. I can't take credit for the icing though, that was down to Mitch. Nothing says 'season's greetings' quite like a dinosaur shaped biscuit :)

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Interval Ice cream & the Long Commute

As well as a couple of trips to the pictures - The Rum Diary (v.funny, catch on dvd), 50/50 (laugh out loud jokes from Seth Rogan but bring your tissues, I cried alot), My Week with Marilyn (amusing in places but also quite sad, it's an interesting glimpse into Monroe's fragility, Michelle Williams is excellent) - I recently went to the theatre to see The Lady Killers. Verdict: you should most definitely see it too, whether you've seen the original 1955 film (or the bizarre 'remake' by the Cohen Brothers) or not, it's a brilliant version to be enjoyed in it's own right. Graham Linehan (Father Ted, IT Crowd) is the man behind the adapted script and additional hilarious situations created for the stage production. The witty dialogue is expertly delivered by an excellent cast, most notably (I reckon) Ben Miller and Stephen Wright as Louis and Harry respectively. Lastly, the revolving set is superb, from Mrs Wilberforce's subsiding house to the inspired depiction of the heist half way through the first half (I won't say more than that). And, although it's available at most theatres, the ice cream at the interval is always appreciated and makes a nice change from popcorn.

Stage show line up compared the original film cast below.

What is (if there is one) the plus side of an hour or so commute? Answer: I get to read a lot. (It is the only  good thing about the journey). I've rattled through a mixed bag of books including the 3rd part of Stephen King's The Dark Tower Series (now I've started it must be finished), Iain Banks' The Wasp Factory (a v.disturbing, isolating story with a good twist), Norwegian Wood by Murakami (it's interesting and despite the fact that I disliked all the characters, it's pretty morbid and the ending - if that's what you call it - was v.odd, it's made me want to read another of his), a collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman (most were surprisingly grim but the story that has stuck in my head was in the introduction, a creepy short about a wedding gift which I ordinarily would have missed as I rarely read book intros) and most recently Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. I've read a few of her books and what I've found is that opening one you haven't read before is like speaking to a good friend you've been out of touch with. It's familiar in a sense but also exciting because there's lots of new things to catch-up on, and most importantly you know that whatever they're going to say will be interesting. 

Oryx and Crake is a brilliantly, compelling book. The reader is plunged into a dystopian future where mankind has been wiped from the planet by a virus created by a possibly mad, possibly genius man (probably both) named Crake. The only human standing left standing and forced to survive on the post-apocalyptic Earth is Snowman, formally known as Jimmy. So, yes, it's science fiction and hence ticks several of my boxes. It's set in an 'end of the world as we know it' time but there are plenty of flashbacks (courtesy of Jimmy as he pieces the story together) to the world before human extinction but even that time is quite unlike our own, or rather an exaggeration of it, where we might end up if we're not careful. Atwood is a bloody awesome writer not just because of her imagination but her ability to put it all on the page in such a way that her stories linger with me a long time after I've read the last line. Talking of last lines I'm sure you can imagine my disappointment when I finished Oryx and Crake (as with all good novels), I mean this was the book that got me through a lovely district line journey where the train randomly stopped and the driver announced that he lost traction and wasn't sure why, how or when we would be moving again. My response had been to thumb the unread pages of the novel and calculate that we'd have to be stuck for at least an hour before I ran out of book to read (after which I probably would start to panic). Alas, I actually finished it the next day a third of the way through my commute but the good news is I've more Atwood in the pipeline...

market places, market faces

We're well into the Christmas lead-up and for the first time ever the presents situation is in hand! But I'm not here to boast, in fact this will begin as a mournful post, a 'this time last year' jaunt down memory lane...

This time last year it was all gluwein and bratwurst, novelty mugs and plenty of snow. I massively enjoyed myself on two trips to Germany last winter only two weeks apart. Little did I know that my Christmas Markt over-indulgence of 2010 would not be repeated in 2011, at least not authentically or to even a 10th of the scale. However, people with no money to go Germany to experience the real Christmas Markets cannot be picky. Hello Winter Wonderland Hyde Park! I went a couple of years ago and I'm pretty sure it's doubled in size - there's plenty of food, drink, terrifying-looking-fairground-rides for those sausage-filled thrill-seekers and even some more authentic looking German craft stands. Of course it's no where near as good as what I saw in Cologne, Dusseldorf or Hagen (where are the gluwein mugs Hyde Park? Where are the cute little Christmas themed mugs for me to drink my four-quid gluwein - huh huh?! And why is it almost double the price is a plastic cup?). I got my bratwurst though and even managed to ask for it in convincing German (so convincingly that the sausage seller tried to make conversation with me in German at which point I said thanks and walked off - smooth)!

chocolate ginger heart from Hagen Christmas Markt

Also on my market radar of recent is the one to be found at Greenwich, tucked away in the centre of a square of shops. Although it's not Christmas specific (it's on all year round) there are minced pies and mulled wine and the individual stalls exude a festive spirit. It's very craft friendly and a number of the stalls ('tis the season) have lots of little Christmassy gifts from tree decorations to cracker prizes, stocking fillers to the stockings themselves! We got chatting to a lovely lady (and her husband) who was selling quilts (surprise surprise) in all sizes and colours including some seasonal stuff too. Aside from the from the stalls themselves the neighbouring shops that look out onto the market square are worth a visit too.

Sandie from Eni-Meni Patchwork

Brixton village plays host to a number of varied events including music. At the beginning of the month my friends' band Silvers performed in between the awnings and shop shutters to mark the release of their new EP Parades which you can listen to here (it's very good): http://silversmusic.com/ 

They have also just made a Christmas song in conjunction with Greggs (yes, the steak bake people!) to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity, watch the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64jp6H_tHug&sns=tw

Staying within the Brixton area, last weekend saw many talented crafty people gathering in The Dog Star pub to set up mini stalls and sell their pretty creations from jewellery and hats to screen prints, home-ware and clothing, all courtesy of The Crafty Fox. It was incredibly tempting to buy a number of things (Storm in a Teacup for numerous pretty things, Love Lexi for v.cool bunting, Key Lime Pie for awesome t-shirts and Lucie Ellen for cute wooden accessories), however I restrained myself and only purchased three items that were Christmas present (for others) related.

Awesome screen printed wrapping paper from Frinton Press, v.cool cufflinks from House of Ismay and some extra large pretty pins from Zeena. 

And finally, I took a trip to an altogether different market in London's east end, Walthamstow - young Mitch's local market. He said a lot of it had changed (less stalls, the loss of a computer shop he used to go to) but thankfully one thing had not disappeared, our main reason for riding the length of the Victoria line, Manze's - the old pie and mash shop - home of very tasty pie indeed. It's been there on Walthamstow high street since 1927 with what feels like (in a good nostalgic way) all the original decor, tiles and wooden benches, even the brass cash register.

Earl Grey (& some DIY) at the Artist's House

My work takes me to some interesting places - Quilt festivals, knitting shows, sewing conventions - but the latest escapade was on an altogether smaller scale.

I attended an artist's open house back in October to see the work of/interview Jennifer, a textile artist and quilter. Her latest collection is all about recycling old fabrics and she uses anything from old clothes to clothware, mattress ticking to vintage sewing bits and buttons.

She had quite a few people looking around and so, with the crux of the interview done, I left her to mingle with her guests only to return one v.rainy day (recently) to get some images for the feature. Just her, me, earl grey tea and her fabulous quilts (there might also have been a couple of chocolate biscuits). After the tea, the real work began - choosing which quilts to photograph, where to hang them (the conservatory full of natural light was chosen) and how to hang them. The latter point soon became the issue. Numerous nails had been hammered into the brick wall of the artist's conservatory but no two were level so that we could hang the quilts without them being wonky. Jennifer was supporting a broken arm (and is also older than my mum but younger than my nana) so it fell to me to bash in some more nails.

It was one of those surreal moments when I took an outside look at the situation I found myself in. There I was half way up a ladder, in an almost stranger's house, hammering a nail into the painted white wall of her conservatory whilst the rain battered down on the glass ceiling. It just goes to show, you never know where your day will take you.

It turns out I'm pretty rubbish at hammering, just when I thought the nail was going into the wall it flew out, narrowly missing the artist. At which point I asked whether she had an existing pictures we could use, thankfully she had and good quality ones too. After another cup of the earl grey and some chat I went on my way with a selection of high res images suitable to print AND a little present from Jennifer, an essential piece of sewing equipment (because sticking needles and pins in clothes and pillows - whatever's closest generally - is just bad practice)...

And, for anyone who's curious, below is one of Jennifer's quilts that I was trying to photograph. It uses, vintage sewing paraphernalia (button cards and the like), old clothes (even a lady's glove!) as well as one of Jennifer's favourite processes - screen printing - which was also employed to make my little pin cushion.