Pitfield London

 

On Pitfield Street, in the Old Street area of London, is a beautiful place...

...a quirky emporium and café selling cakes, vintage, retro, designer homeware and eclectic finds!

Wallpaper or scrapwood? I love this paper by Piet Hein Eek

Oversized designer cushions and designer lamp shades....

part of the first exhibition of 2013 with Designersblock in the gallery...including appliances made from reclaimed wood by sculptor Camilla Barnard

The front of the shop is a sea of flowers

My special purchase - an old fashioned shovel!

When you've finished browsing...there's a beautiful café to enjoy too!

No 16 The Downs, Altrincham

Altrincham is a market town in Manchester. The market has one of the best haberdashery stalls I've been to, boasting buttons that rival even those found in my beloved Peter Jones & Liberty!

However, the reason I visited the town was to check out a venue that has had a lot of recent publicity; No 16, above Traders Outlet on The Downs.It's home to vintage, art and craft traders. 

Recently launched, the stalls are still a little thin on the ground, but as word is getting out, new traders are apparently signing up each week. Another old floral plate for my collection!

The stalls that are there already though are friendly and full of fairly priced bitsies from antique homeware to vintage dresses just like the ones worn on Madmen!

I especially liked a stall called Paraphernalia" run by a lovely, chatty and enthusiastic lady who makes your shopping experience all that bit nicer! I purchased some more old lace!

"Grandmas Attic" sold beautiful curios, vintage dresses and hand-knitted pieces following 1950's patterns. I love my miniature laced up shoe from there!

 By Christmas, with more traders, this should be a perfect place to source individual and original vintage gifts! 

Top Drawer London 2012

Top Drawer London is currently taking place at Olympia and showcases new product launches and gift designs for the coming seasons. Just for fun, based on what I saw, I've put together, what seems to be the top 10 trends for the coming months!

ONE1 Animal prints are getting stronger!
With lots of foxes, owls, birds and dog themed homeware and gifts, including the lovely sausage dog fabric and prints by RawXclusive

TWO2 Typographic prints and items with quotes, proverbs and witty sayings!
Blazoned across everything from tea towels to mugs. I liked this print by Karin Akesson  



THREE3 Travel and London iconic images!
Have not gone away, but I did notice a bigger presence of boat inspired prints



FOUR4 Bright colours made a splash everywhere!
Maybe to brighten up the winter days!

FIVE5 Silicon!
Including notebooks fashioned in the shape of bright coloured lego by Mark's Tokyo Edge

SIX6 Old fashioned sewing machines and retro typewriters!
I loved Poppy Treffry's new sewing machine tea towels.

SEVEN7 Japanese flair and style!
Including Washi tape. Ribbon was competing for space with the tape!

EIGHT8 Felt!
On corsages, mni moomin purses and this gorgeous cushion by Sandy A Powell



NINE9 Old cassettes from the 80's!
From tape measures to Allstart casstte lampshades!

TEN10 Scrabble!
This trend seems to be getting stronger with place mats and coasters!

The next Top Drawer London will take place 15-16 January at Earls Court.

 

West Ealing Craft Market!

I'm really happy that the community group West Ealing Neighbours has set up a monthly arts and crafts market selling  local hand-made goods from mismatching rose scented teacup candles to elephant cushions!

The market is currently only held once a month, but hopefully in the future as it becomes an established part of Ealing, with more local support and interest from crafters, it will increase in size and be held more frequently.

Local crafter, Sarah Olive Edwards, behind my favourite stall "I am Square"

 

 

 

Another local market to visit; "Foxy's Food and craft Market" in old Hanwell

Gorgeous! And it's next to Ealing Farmers Market, so you can source some local produce too!

Wonderful Wood Street Market, Walthamstow!

I've read a lot about this newly opened market, so was excited to be finally visiting today! Located in an old cinema close to Walthamstow village, it has a lovely vibe and is well worth a trip!

The market has over 50 stalls selling all sorts; handmade and vintage clothing, second hand furniture, vinyl, arts and crafts...

...unique curios and lighting accessories, whether on printed t-shirts or old lampshades.

I loved the antiques and collectables. I bought this Edwardian hymn book shelf for bedtime reading!

This stall was overflowing with retro goodies

"The Old Box"; full of collectable bric-a-brac and fine jewellery run by a lovely, Maria Tyler

A whole corridor wasa devoted to vinyls

Although the market is open daily, some stalls shut during the week. There is a late night opening on the first Thursday night of every month, but stall holders open later that day, so avoid Thursday mornings. I would recommend visiting on a Saturday when most of the stalls are open.

Zurich highlights!

Confiserie Sprüngli

Paper shoes and shirts in the Louis Vuitton shop window

Bally mirrored shoe silhouette window display

A colourful sculpture near Lake Zurich

07.00 start for The Ironman

Giant duty-free Nutella jars!

morning coffee at Sprüngli

My favourite chair

Confectionery moulds

Freight containers forming the Freitag store mini skyscraper

Just a dress I loved in a the window of a shut shop