wemakeLondon...a roving report...

your intrepid Milkwood Times roving reporters (ed in Chief AnnieB, cub reporters Ms Reva and Ms Bester) braved the depths of central London last weekend to bring you this exclusive report on London's finest craft fair, the one and only WeMakeLondon...our main aim was to meet the infamous Angharad and check out her lovely wares...we found her in a pleasant corner, penned in by beautiful bags and purses and had a first hand report that the fair was fun. Helen certainly looked joyful as she sat on her perch next to Ms Clothcat (lovely felted items) and surrounded by her handmade goodies. Her purses were almost too pretty (ooh, they are gorgeous, and they are for sale on etsy too) for my slovenly lifestyle (shame that...) but I did score this wonderful tissue holder...


...now complete with inaugural Cath Kidston polkadot tissues...we'll degenerate to lidl multi-packs shortly, as soon as this initial flurry of good taste and throwing caution to the wind with regard to paying almost a pound for a couple of sheafs of paper that you will wipe children's snot with wears off. It won't be long.

After that it was one sort of crafting wonderfulness after another until I thought my head would explode.

The Milkwood team's faves were, in absolutely no order at all:

Cub Reporters Choices
1. Buttons by creamrose
ooooh, we spent a lot of time on this stall, and re-awarded our favourite button award many times over. In the end we made some choices and walked away with two sets, but I know we will be back for more.
They will be perfect for the many baby kimono cardigans that will be gracing my needles for Autumn 08. The Creamrose team were simply delightful and acted as though they weren't put out in the slightest by the cub reporters tactile approach to the sport of craft-fairing. Thank God!
2. creatures by siansburys
we didn't take any of these home (had we not just had a birthday and lots of cub reporter spoiling I am pretty sure defences would have been lower and we'd have snagged at least a brace) but have our beady little eyes on them for the future - they were fab
3. sock critters by millimoomi
the cubs invested heavily at the shrine to sock critterdom that was millimoomi, walking out with not one but two tiny sock rabbits. These are currently taking pride of place in the cub reporter's staff room, although the pink one has hidden and refused to come out for the photo [ed's note - photo now lost also...will be included at later date if photographer not sacked for negligence] - the choice of this pink one struck me as strange, as usually my girls profess to hate pink, but Ms Bester let her love of sock bunnyness overcome her hatred of the colour, as it was the only one left once her more senior colleague had snaffled the yellow...

Ed In Chief's Choices
1. Angharad, obviously. Such beautiful work, such gorgeous fabrics, such an eye for detail and colour. I loved them, and cherish my tissue holder and the opportunities it may yield for an all round fresher faced reporting staff. Do Not Hold Breath. I May Never Use A Polkadot Tissue. They Are Too Cute.
2. I second the cubs' choices above. Those are damn fine reporters.
3. I fell head over heels and totally in love with...wait for it...some knickers. Not just any knickers you understand, ooooh no. These are Greygoat's handmade silky ones. Oh my word they are gorgeous. And she does matching camis too I hear. I have updated my Christmas wishlist already...scratched out all the teflon coated bakeware previously inscribed (well, the oven doesn't work anyway so who needs them, frankly) and replaced with these. In unscratchable ink. Roll on December...

after all that hard work the reporting team repaired to the nearest pizza express and had some damn fine pizza, swiftly followed by a trip to the British Museum and much hilarity in the Egyptian rooms ("there's a dead one" "Ooooooooh, there's another dead one" "Mummy, Mummy, there's a Mummy, Mummy" and my favourite of all, when faced with a Mummy case with a beard painted on the external representative figure "Is that one a Daddy?")

(note: it is past midnight on Thursday night/Friday morning and I have been seeking a moment to write this post since Sunday night...is it any wonder I am on an average of one post a week...)

(note 2: Thank You all so much for the birthday wishes for Ms Reva. You rock!)