We’ve added a haberdashery section to our Todmorden Antiques Centre pitch this week. It’s not quite big enough to call it a haberdashery ‘department’ as yet – like those fabulous places of yesteryear that used to take up the whole floor of a department store… but out of small acorns giant oak trees grow! So you never know where this will lead.
Not that we’ve got any intentions of cornering the world market in sewing accessories. We just wanted a small area where we can display and sell the lovely vintage fabrics that we pick up from time to time. In addition to these fabrics, we’re also going to add other related items such as tools, threads, bobbins, work boxes and so on. Also, mannequins and shop display pieces.
If you’re ever in the area, please pop in. You’ll find our pitch – including the haberdashery section – along with hundreds of other items being sold by various dealers housed in the same building.
We bought this gorgeous little sewing/work box last week.
We often come across this type of concertina box at markets & auctions, but this one had that little bit of extra quality. It dates from the 1950s and has a lovely, rich colour. It’s cute & compact, but there are lots of compartments for small tools, threads & pins. It has little splayed feet and there’s a nicely turned wooden handle and knobs to top & sides. A real sweetie!!
We must have had dozens of vintage sewing boxes in stock over the years and this one has to be one of our favourites. Here’s a little montage of some of the others.
…the warm cosy glow of her beautiful, nature-inspired shades…
…the designs hand cut from paper and then laminated.
Phew… time for a pit stop… a sit down with a glass of wine!!
First-time exhibitor Ken Eardley made the long drive up from Brighton where he has his studio.
His range of striking pottery with stylised trees, flowers & leaves was a real show stopper.
Functional and beautiful – always a winning combination.
No doubt his work will be starring in lots of interiors magazines in the future!
The natural landscape strongly inspires & influences the work of enameller Janine Partington.
Trees, flowers, seed heads, birds and animals.
She produces enamel panels, small sculptures and jewellery.
We’d love to stroll through a magical forest of her making.
Kent-based Maxine Sutton plays with imagery of familiar everyday domestic objects and the natural world.
Incorporating them into embroidered and printed textiles to produce a range of interior products.
There were lots of eye-catching items on her stand.
We’ve got a standard lamp that would happily accommodate one of her large shades… and we just loved the coffee pot/cafetiere cosies with their Scandinavian feel.
The work of Sarra Kate is bright and effervescent – just like Sarra Kate herself!
Her stand called out to us from a long way away.
She starts her pieces by making colourful collages which are then laser printed onto textiles and paper…
…which go into making wall hangings, cushions and cards.
We admired her stand last year, filled with its mediæval-inspired slipware pottery.
This year we just had to take a few of her pieces home!
We’ve concentrated on featuring homes and interiors products, but there was also lots & lots of fantastic fashion & jewellery – and if we featured any more this post would turn into a novel!
All the makers will be packing up and making their way home as we write this… so be sure to put the fair in your diary for next year!
There are almost 150 stands featuring the work of top class designer-makers from as far afield as Cornwall, Bristol, Argyll, London… with a strong representation from Greater Manchester and the North West. There was a huge turnout of visitors – many bagging themselves some fabulous early Christmas presents (for friends, family & themselves!).
We couldn’t blog about absolutely all the craftspeople there, so here’s a bit about some of the ones who especially caught our eye…
We were both really taken by these delicate and tactile hand-thrown porcelain vessels from Belfast-based Derek Wilson Ceramics. His display was the epitome of pared back, understated loveliness!
Adelle has a soft spot for colourful & playful jewellery like these felt pieces from Lynsey Walters…
…and a well-known penchant for vintage and vintage inspired handbags & purses!
These ones above are from Monica Boxley who, as well as using original vintage fabrics, makes beautiful handmade leather handbags inspired by a 1950s one belonging to her mother. It’s named the Marianne in homage.
As we’re on the subject of bags & purses, here are some lovely natural linen examples below from Teresa Green who makes an array of goods using textiles that she designs & hand prints.
If you’re a regular reader of our blog posts, you’ll know that we love pottery. The timeless slipware made by Hannah McAndrew is just the kind of thing that gets us excited.
Her pieces would sit equally comfortably in both an ultra modern pad as well as well as an antique furnished country cottage.
There’s another Hannah exhibiting who’s work we’ve known & loved for a very long time. She’s Hannah Nunn, a lighting designer based a 10-minute drive away from us in Hebden Bridge.
If you’re ever in the area, her shop Radiance is in Hebden town centre. If not, she also sells online.
Ruth Green Design had a lovely display of eye-catching silk screen prints.
In addition to screen prints she has a lovely selection of linocuts and oil on paper works available on her website.
Tricia Needham is another screen printer whose work caught our attention. She makes these tea cosies as well as cushions, bags, scarves and ties (seen adorning the neck of Jon Snow no less!).
One stand that was getting a lot of attention from visitors on the night was Ingrid Wagner‘s…
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