TOBYBOO

I was visited in the shop today by an interesting designer-maker called Tina Crawford. Under the name TOBYBOO she produces embroidered drawings, mostly architectural in nature. Here is The Sun pub - see how the charmingly free stitchery brings out the fine features of this familiar building allowing us to appreciate it anew.

Have a look at her website http://tobybooillustrated.weebly.com/

Here are some cushions Tina has made which have the nursery rhyme "Oranges and Lemons stitched upon them and the relevant London churches accurately described with lovely wobbly sewing-machined lines.

These bonkers Wizard of Oz characters are my favourite though ....

Look at the dear little faces!

Joan Osbaldeston

Foxes

Last night I heard the foxes call my name.

Twisting in my sheets,

I heard it clearly as if it were you out there,

calling up to me from the garden.

I jumped out of bed, hurried to the window.

The night sky, though punctured with stars, obscured everything.

That tree where we saw the pair of jays

was just a blur

and the roses were charcoal drawings

not the riotous shrubs that filled the room with scent all Summer.

Two dark shadows slipped under the fence, out of sight.

You weren’t there of course,

but the thought of your voice

stayed with me all night.

This poem by Joan Osbaldeston was the inspiration for this drawing of nocturnal fox activity.

Those of us who have been kept awake by the eerie wailings of our vulpine neighbours will identify. Our response would be less literary and might include a bucket of cold water and some sweary shouting.

(Not really - we love you foxes and will do some fancy drawings instead)

Time for Tea

Bathing beauties. In a teacup. On a tea towel.

Or perhaps on this simple clock. Made of screen printed birch ply and useful for letting you know when its time for tea, a bath, or a combination of the two.

Its our way of saying

JUST DO IT

However, if you agree that those dear little ladies are just begging to be sat upon you'll have to wait for us to create the cushions in order to fulfil this fantasy.

Unless of course you are resourceful enough to sew your own from two of the tea towels....

These were made by Laura Picarelli and featured on her blog http://mycaptainkirk.blogspot.com.

Clever gal.