wherever I lay my hat

Blog switch

2009-09-10T06:46:00.001-07:00

As I'm embarking on my Make Your Way Around Britain trip in just a couple of weeks time, I thought it might be sensible to start a blog dedicated to the trip itself. So I've decided to switch blogs from now until the end of October, as I doubt I'll have time to do both justice. SO PLEASE STAY WITH ME AND JOIN ME ON MY TRIP! I'll be making ends meet by "making stuff" rifling through markets, visiting charity shops, meeting makers and visiting quirky places and projects along the way. It's all going to be about Make Do And Mend - and you can just click HERE to see what I'm up to. Please come along for the ride!

Creature comforts

2009-08-12T01:52:00.001-07:00

I know the world doesn't need more cat pictures - but the world gets given lots of things it doesn't need but can add to its overall level of happiness. This cat pops in sometimes from next door, and every time he does, it cheers me up. Hope he cheers you up today if you need it.

Make Your Way Around Britain

2009-08-07T09:36:00.001-07:00

Ok - I'm getting itchy feet. It's time to hit the road Jack, and that's just what I plan to do in October, when I'm going to try and travel the length of the country by making stuff. Hats, bags, belts, lavender bags - I'm going to turn my hand to everything in order to literally make my way around the UK. The plan is to visit areas of the UK with a rich textile history or a quirky craft and then to try and create a series of objects linked to the area to actually sell - so it might be suspenders inspired by Nottingham's lace heritage or customised berets based on Luton's hating history. I'll be hoping to make some money each time I set up shop, to enable me to move onto the next place. I'll be concentrating on textiles, but if I find other intersting bits and bobs along the route I might incorporate those into my designs too, and I'm not ruling out baking a few biscuits either! The question is - how should I travel? Over the last few months, I've been checking out the options - campervans, cars, different prices, different countries, different looks. So now I'm putting it up for the vote. What do you think of this motor?

Berlin fleamarket

2009-07-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

You guessed it - another city another fleamarket....this one a mix of old and new, food and fun, a hippy, dippy, happening vibe that feels uniquely Berlin. I highly recommend it for chilling out and people watching. In terms of bargains, I bought a rose spattered tablecloth for 2 euros and after a spot of bartering, a little Eiffel Tower for another 2 euros. That's right - when in Germany, take home a bit of France...so new European! There's great food on offer, from coconut milk served straight from the shell, to freshly-made Turkish spinach/cheese wraps and German beers, there are so many flavours to enjoy. Savour it all and mooch away the day. Musicians stroll up, tune up and draw the crowds. There are tightrope trippers and hippy collectives, pop-up picnics and dancing dandies. Check out Berlin's alternative artscene by reading this excellent article in The Guardian/Observer. Lots of options off the beaten track.

TITFERS AND TRANSLATION IN BERLIN

2009-07-18T14:11:00.001-07:00

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome! Last weekend - The Mobile Millinery went abroad for the first time. Am stopped at airport security on the way to Germany as my box of buttons sets off the metal detector. I'm told to wait as my rucksack is unpacked. Feel like drugs smuggler, but in fact am only a bead mule. Am released from interrogation by really rather friendly lady who relaxes into a smile once she sees my stash. With the help of my fabulous facilitator and friend Katharina, who speaks maybe six languages fluently, we put on the event at The Bilderbuch Cafe in West Berlin - and it's a triumph! Ten interesting women, all of whom speak excellent English(unlike my non-existent German) join us for the afternoon - and I lose myself in another world for a while. A couple of my clients sport fabulous 40's hair-do's, another, a 40's style dress that she's sewn herself from a vintage pattern. They all love the retro techniques I show them for designing their own little headpieces, and the results are great. I thoroughly enjoy my Berlin millinery moment - and hope very much to come back soon. There's such an exciting feeling in this city. It's the sense of history, creativity and forward thinking that perhaps sets it apart. A bit like New York, there's a buzz in the air. It rubs off like the "shining from shook foil" as Gerard Manley-Hopkins would say.

I beg your pardon....

2009-06-28T13:58:00.001-07:00

On a beautiful summer's day there are few places I'd rather be than The Rose Garden in Greenwich Park, London. The names of the blooms alone are enough to inspire a thousand different poems, stories or pieces of music. The colours combined with the perfume make me want to twirl around and shout out loud! I breathe them all in and close my eyes. I really hope that beauty can sink into your Soul....I inhale and I make wishes. I often think about which of these roses I'd have in my Wedding Bouquet (yes, SHE who despises such tradition!). I'm amazed how it changes from visit to visit - will it be the vanilla white ICECREAM or the heady scent of ROSEMARY HARKNESS? Today Rosemary wins me over - a plethora of blossoms spilling over with pink, apricot and lemon yellow. I'd marry in an instant for that!

GLAMPING!

2009-06-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Haven't camped since girl guides - not a great experience. Soaking tents, grumpy teens, hard ground, and ants. However, for some reason I've recently been tempted into giving it another go. I found this fantastic Cath Kidston tent on Ebay for £40, and somehow the flowers persuaded me out to play! I realised pretty quickly though that I'm a fair weather camper- if I'd felt the slightest speck of an approaching shower I'd have done a runner! As it was, the sun shone all day - and that feeling of waking up, unzipping the door(?) and filling your lungs with fresh air is unbeatable. You do of course get roused from slumber pretty early when you're in the great outdoors...even my freebie Virgin eye-mask couldn't stop the dawn from prodding me in the back at a very unsociable hour. Ouch! But still it was worth it. Oh - and next time - I'll remember to bring a torch. Maybe camping without light isn't very sensible. Now my next big decision is whether to buy a potty; vintage china or practical plastic...which shall it be? Suggestions on a postcard please....

The politics of clean clothes

2009-05-30T03:04:00.000-07:00

You see, I don't have a washing machine, never have done. It's always seemed a bit eccentric to others, a bit odd. But that perception changed for me when I discovered that most New Yorkers don't have a washer either. Suddenly, I didn't feel so strange any more - overnight I joined the ranks of my cool cousins across the pond who visit the laundromat once a week to get a service wash. Their take-out attitude to dirty clothes seems a sensible one. It means more employment and less water wastage. You free-up space in your already cramped apartment leaving more room for the necessities of life like more shoes and hats. There's no dripping clothing cascading over your rusting radiators, and you have a smile on your face as you're not dealing with dreary damp undies. Join the club! Bring the laundromat back to London!

Mothers Day in New York

2009-05-30T03:02:00.000-07:00

Puppy love from New York - kiss

2009-05-30T02:59:00.000-07:00

Anthropologie

2009-05-30T02:52:00.000-07:00

The Anthropologie store near the Rockerfeller centre in New York is just packed full of inspiration. Can't afford the clothes, but the interior and window displays are full of ideas you use in your home. Check out these flowers made of recycled plastic bottles, then sprayed different colours. Eco-chic!

The Diner

2009-05-30T02:35:00.000-07:00

First morning in New York: blueberry pancakes, crispy bacon, a side of maple syrup and topped-up coffee. Heaven!

Sex and the City

2009-05-30T01:58:00.001-07:00

I was contemplating going on the "Sex and the City" tour in New York, as I'm a massive fan of the show, but by the time my week in the Big Apple was nearly up, I realised I'd done most of it anyway! The brownstones where Carrie sits contemplating life, MePa where Samantha lives and loves in the shadow of the former meat packing warehouses, the cute and taste-tastic Magnolia Bakery - cupcake heaven, Bleecker Street and associated Marc Jacobs boutiques (disappointingly the great second-hand biography bookshop on the corner is apparantly being turned into YET ANOTHER MJ store - think about it Marc - wouldn't it be a more exciting retail concept to keep the bookshop somehow?) So I didn't have to fork out $40 after all - and could tuck into another cupcake guilt free...Carrie would approve!

The Beauty Bar

2009-05-30T01:38:00.000-07:00

I have been a little remiss with my blog since returning from New York. Life is what happens when you should be busy writing about it! But I do want to share one of my New York finds. By the way, I LOVED New York. A real buzz in the air, a can-do attitude, a feeling that success is guaranteed if you work hard, entrepreneurship, creativity. Exploring the Lower East Side late one evening, lots of small shops and bars doing good business. One girl sewing at her counter, refashioning clothes, chatting and laughing with customers at 10pm. A cigar lounge with a circle of chaps in armchairs passing a pleasant hour in a fug of smoke. A Victorian Gothic bar lit by candles, and open to the street packed with young lively customers discussing their day. Greek food, health food, Chinese food, French food - every option within a few paces. One place I especially liked was The Beauty Bar.

It's a converted 1950's Beauty Parlour, offering martini & manicure for $10. Just great fun and fantastic cocktails. I'd really suggest you go!

Finding one's style

2009-05-03T08:57:00.001-07:00

You know when you feel like you've hit upon something? Well, that's how it is with this hairstyle, which I managed to do myself, after having visited the amazing Nina's Hair Parlour at Alfie's Antiques Market in Marylebone. Ok - I know this is nowhere near their standard, but it's a nod to my 1940's Nina hair-do, complete with full-on Victory Rolls(see Swishing Success entry below). I make no apologies for singing the praises of Nina's - visiting makes me feel a million dollars! As I'm off to New York next week, I wanted to carry that million-dollar magic with me. So this is my quick-fix interpretation of "40's meets new millenium". It definitely works for me - I hope it works for New York! I'm looking forward to my martini and manicure at The Beauty Bar....and to reporting back from NYC!

Deptford - the new Paris?

2009-04-18T01:34:00.001-07:00

Can you tell which is which? Read about Deptford being the new Paris on the BBC. Just click here!

2009-04-15T09:06:00.001-07:00

The £1 wardrobe

2009-04-15T08:48:00.001-07:00

Dressed for £1

OK, I'm going to share a major fashion secret with you. I have spent no more than £1 on each item of clothing I've bought since the New Year. It's partly due to the fact that I'm broke, but more than that, it's down to a fantastic discovery I've made at Deptford Market, which is in my opinion, a fashionistas fantasy. There's a stall near the Catholic Church on the High Street, owned by a very friendly guy. Running past on my way to the post office one Saturday, I was sidetracked by his sign advertising dresses for £1. At first I thought they might be the usual cheap and cheerful frocks you sometimes find in these markets, imports of poor quality and uninteresting design. But these were different. I call them "granny dresses" - the sort of thing your Granny or indeed your Mum might have worn back in the '70's and '80's. Often high on polyester percentage, the fabric content fades into insignificance when you check-out the style, and the fit. All the dresses came from a warehouse in central London which closed down a few months back, and the stall holder bought the lot. Truckloads he informs me. He's desperate to get rid of them, and boy, am I even more desperate to take them off his hands. Hunt through the rails and you'll find clashing colours, vintage style and pots of possibility. A belt here, bright tights there, and you've got yourself a one-off. Each week there's something new. Mind the sizes - they're a bit hit and miss, but try on, or take a chance. At £1 you're not going to argue. I find that for me, a 12ish, the 38 seems to fit well. There's something about this old-fashioned cut that fits my figure perfectly. I'm told dealers are heading to Deptford and buying dozens of these frocks - then selling them on for a mark up of 900%!! Get down there. You heard it here first - the £1 wardrobe is a thing of beauty!

Swishing Success

2009-03-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yippee! Forties fashion found its home at the Greenwich Frock Exchange on Saturday. Lots of hat-trying on, and swapping of redundant clothes for exciting new looks. Simple. Fun. Fab. x

Swish Swish

2009-03-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Come and join me at a retro-tastic SWISHING swap-party - Saturday 21st March at the Greenwich Community Centre - opposite Royal Teas on Royal Hill in Greenwich, London. Bring along three good outfits and a fiver, and you'll gain entry to Spring's hottest swap. You can grab yourself some stylish new looks, get free tips on what to wear, and try on my latest hat designs. All this whilst checking out vintage goodies, feasting on cup-cakes and chatting with the girls. See clothes transformed by local lady, Inkeri.

It's like a grown-ups dressing up box. See you there I hope!

Beanie workshop success

2009-02-24T10:47:00.001-08:00

We all had a great time at London's Fashion and Textile Museum on Valentine's day at my winter warmer beanie workshop. It was a really international crowd, with three women from Berlin and one from Barcelona. It's so good to be running a fashion workshop that's all about recycling - and that's what we were doing, creating pull-on woolly hats from old jumpers and then trimming them with all sorts of different things. Sabrina, who's invited me to do a workshop in beautiful Barcelona created this bohemian baby...isn't she a star? I'm hopefully holding a fascinator workshop at the museum in the Spring. E-mail me if you're interested. Just click on the website to find the address - it'd be great to see you there!

The perfect skirt

2009-02-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

Today I found it - the perfect skirt. I happened upon it as I was going somewhere else, thinking about other things, in a rush. I was doing a workshop, and had to go to the post office early, to pick up a couple of packages. In one of the parcels were cans of gold and silver spray. I knew I needed to collect them before driving off to conduct the workshop somewhere outside of London. So I got up early, and headed down to Deptford in South East London to collect my booty. Being a Saturday morning, the stall holders were setting up, and some were already in full swing as I made my way down the high street, hurrying so as to get back home in time to pack my car, to drive the road, to reach the place, to greet the girls to deliver the workshop that Jack built. I knew I mustn't be waylaid, as I invariably am as I go through markets, so I was unusually single-minded. UNTIL that is, I reached the Catholic church. Oustide, a notice caught my eye - dresses for £1. Now I don't know if you're anything like me, but at times like these, a price like that is not to be ignored. So I started rifling throuh the rails. That familiar excitement started inside - you know, that slight thrill when you just know you've chanced upon something special. The dresses were what I call "old-lady lovelies" - crimplene, nylon, man-made in gaudy seventies colours - in other words, the sort of frocks that I LOVE! Each came with its original tag - seemingly as good as new. "But how could this be?" I asked myself biblically. I chatted to the guy who owned the stall and he told me the story - how the stuff had all come from a big warehouse in London which had been owned by a company that had gone out of business. All the stock was from the seventies and eighties, and although a little grubby from having been neglected, had never been worn. What a goldmine! The guy bought the entire lot - seven or eight lorry-loads and was selling everything for £1 a piece at Deptford market. He didn't want any more cash than that he said, but the youngsters were buying the outfits ten at a time. I could see why - although the fabric might make you sweat and zings with static, the cut and colour is just perfect. I bought three dresses and a two piece suit, of which my skirt is the better half. It's a sort of brown and cream tweed crimplene and fits like a glove - skimming in the right places, and enhancing in others. I am in love, and yet it was a completely chance encounter. I have spent many months searching for the perfect skirt - in London, Paris and Rome. But in spite of looking determinedly in trendy markets, designer boutiques and second-hand stores, it's completely evaded me - until now. I wasn't looking and I didn't expect to find it, but in the end it happened so easily and was just what I needed. Is the perfect skirt a little like love?

Snowy scenes from London

2009-02-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

The worst(or best - depending on your situation!)snow for nearly 20 years in London, and grown-ups and children alike were enjoying their surprise day off. Make-shift sledges were being constructed from anything and everything, flattened cardboard boxes, pieces of wood, tin trays, and(with great ingenuity) the backs of old office chairs! It was so nice to see smiling faces everywhere - there's something wonderful about seeing people having good old-fashioned fun together. No computer necessary.

London's snowmen!

2009-02-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

Gimcrack

2009-01-31T10:03:00.000-08:00

You may not be a student of Middle English, but if you were, you might be familiar with the term "gimcrack". Formerly a noun, "gibecrake" denoted some kind of inlaid work in wood, later a fanciful notion or mechanical contrivance, hence a knickknack. Now the word has come to mean a cheap or showy object. Why the language lesson? Well it's all because a new vintage shop called Gimcrack has opened in Deptford - and it's full of the quirky, quaint and kitsch. If you're looking for something unusual to make your place look personal, or you're after a great gift, this is the place to go. AND - the prices are good. The owners are set designers by trade, so they've got a great eye - it's the place Deptford's been missing. Pop in and see them! It's open on market days - Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday - 21 Tanners Hill.

Guess where I am.....? Nice place innit!

2009-01-31T09:19:00.001-08:00

Facing up to it....

2009-01-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

Ok I admit it, I've been hunkering down trying to avoid the fact that a New Year has started. I find it easier to go into hiding for a while, but with Mr Obama so resolutely and admirably taking up the challenge of the new today, I think the least I can do is pick myself up, dust myself down, and get cracking. So as Barak casts a bright light in our direction...let me talk about light too. Over New Year, I met a friend, who's lucky enough to have recently acquired a beach hut in Scotland moments from the shore. It's the sort of romantic retreat where you can escape from the fray for a few nights and really forget modern day life. It's easy enough to do that, because there really aren't many vestiges of modern day life in the hut. There's no electricity, cooking is done on a little gas ring cooker, there's a fold-down table, a log-burning central fire-place, and two benches/beds. The loo is outside, and you have to empty it. Washing is not to be encouraged especially in the winter, as you have to bring your own water, heat it, and then rub yourself down with a flannel. But in spite of these drawbacks, when I visited the place with her, I was just in heaven! What FUN you could have there! One thing that really caught my imagination, was the oil-lamps that she uses when the sun dips below the sea(pretty early in January in Scotland!). She's found some beautiful old oil lamps, with lovely glass shades..and apparantly the oil lasts for hours. You can still buy the original wicks in old-fashioned iron-mongers shops, of which there are thankfully, still a few around. When I went to have a look, I was thrilled to find that you can not only buy the wicks, but you can still purchase oil lamps new. So if you find you can't pay the electricity bill this month..may I make a suggestion? Cut yourself off, cast a bright light, and purchase an oil lamp. They look so pretty, they're practical, cheap, and retro.....what's not to love!

Fleamarket Finds

2008-12-29T10:04:00.000-08:00

Looking for some new gear to start the year? Forget the High Street sales and head to the flea market instead. It's so much more fun, and your chosen treasure will last a lifetime. Unsure of how to bag a bargain? Watch my one-stop guide to closing the deal - this time at the Barras Market in Glasgow.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-24T02:17:00.001-08:00

Dear readers - I wish you all a very happy, peaceful Christmas. May we all try and share the best we have to offer and enrich one another's lives with kindness, friendship, beauty and joy. Let's hope 2009 is a year of promise and creation.

Each time I go to Paris....

2008-12-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

I love it more and more!

Sneak preview of Spring Summer 2009 Collection

2008-12-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY FIFTH BIRTHDAY

2008-12-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

I write features for a fabulous magazine called SELVEDGE which is as far from the fusty world of old-style arts and crafts magazines as it's possible to get. Editor Polly Leonard started SELVEDGE five years ago, after a rather racy knitting feature for the in-house Embroiderers' Guild publication got her fired from her job. It was Polly's chance to start the magazine that she'd always wanted to read - a publication that weaves together the worlds of textiles, fashion, design and interiors and creates something fresh. It's more like a book than a magazine, with captivating photos and illustrations that keep you flicking through your back-issues long after you've filed your latest copy neatly on the shelf. When I first visited the Selvedge "office" I was amazed to find the staff sitting cosily around Polly's large dining room table, every inch of space crammed with computers, contributors' copy, and cups of coffee! Polly is the true woman at the helm - the magazine is self-funded and manages to hook both the experts in the field, as well as aspirational makers and dreamers. Each issue sells 25,000 copies - not bad for a bi-monthly niche publication. It's now celebrating it's fifth birthday - long may it continue to inspire and delight. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SELVEDGE!

CREDIT CRUNCH TIPS

2008-12-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

OK - I've resisted so far - but now I'm adding my tips to all those others. Here are my top 10 for beating the credit crunch. Please feel free to send in your own!

JOIN THE LOCAL LIBRARY - no more paying for expensive books - they can usually order the title that you want if it's not on the shelves.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS GIFTS - this year I'm making candles in teacups, which will also come in useful when the lights go out!

SWAP HOLIDAYS - two months ago I swapped Italian language lessons in Rome for working as a gardener. Bargain holiday, new skill. Result.

POM POMS - cheap and cheerful way to brighten up your woollies.

ROAST CHICKEN - obviously not for vegetarians. Buy your chicken when the prices are reduced, roast it in the oven with a few herbs, potatoes, carrots and parsnips and it'll do for about 2 or 3 meals.

VEGGIE OPTION - onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pumkin - salt, pepper, splash of oil - roast for 40 mins, eat with yoghurt and corriander. Tasty and under £2.

TAP WATER - we are lucky to have it. Let's drink it.

HOT WATER BOTTLES - Cosy and cheap - especially if you make a cover out of an old jumper! A purring cat can also help keep you warm and comforted.

MAGAZINE EXCHANGES - swap Vogue for Elle Deco, or Grazia for Living Etc. All the glossiness less expense.

GROW YOUR HAIR - make like Rapunzel and just let it go - no more expensive haircuts!

Back Home Again.....

2008-11-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

Well I'm back home again in London. It feels strange being here after all my interesting experiences in Italy. It's nice and cosy sleeping in my own bed once more, and especially having my own pillow again! What is it that makes other pillows SOO uncomfortable! But even the pillow and my own little flat aren't making up for Roma quite yet. Anyway, I've been inspired to try a new version of the T-shirt Turban and the Jumper Hat for 2009. What do you think? I'm wearing mine all the time and it's getting lots of comments!

More Markets!

2008-11-15T13:14:00.001-08:00

Come on...you wouldn't expect me to come to Lucca and not check out the market scene now would you?! Every third Saturday of the month (FORTUNA!) there is a collectors' market in Lucca...and it's stuffed full of goodies. This is the place to go for large scale pieces, lighting, linen, and jewellery. I managed to nab some 50's plastic earrings (which I've started collecting) for 10 euros...ok, not cheap I know, but they are pretty unique. Prices are a little touristy here...but to be able to hunt for bargains in the sunshine on the 15th November, AND have a glass of wine in a charming terrace afterwards, now that's when I feel LUCKY.

Food and Friendship

2008-11-15T13:10:00.001-08:00

Don't forget the vino!

Many Hands Make Light Work

2008-11-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

Rum Baba in 6 steps..no not RUMBA!

2008-11-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

Gianluca also has visiting cooks joining him from time to time, and I was lucky enough to be at his school when Marisa came up from Naples to teach two days of Neapolitan cuisine. She was a joy - singing "O Sole Mio" and taking over the kitchen like a ten-pin bowler! Here is her authentic Neapolitan Rum Baba...my God, it tasted good!!

A tip for lone travellers...and all foodies of course!

2008-11-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

It's sometimes tricky knowing how to spend your time if you're travelling on your own, and after finishing gardening duties in Rome I wasn't quite sure what to do, as I still had some days free. So I decided to follow my instincts and e-mailed the address of a cookery school I'd seen recommended in The Guardian a couple of years ago to see if by any SLIM chance I might be able to go and cook for a few days near Lucca, a beautiful town in Tuscany that I've visited before. And so, as sometimes happens when you follow your gut, I found myself travelling North on a train to Lucca, booked in at the last moment to have some foodie fun. I was welcomed in the pouring rain by the smiling Irene - who held out a welcome umbrella. It wasn't long before I met chef Gianluca Pardini, who runs the grand-sounding International Academy of Italian Cusine in Lucca . But in spite of the grand name, I immediately felt at home here - everything was done to make this last-minute guest feel comfortable. Gianluca is a chef with an international reputation, and over the years, he has built up strong links with Japan where he once worked. Thus, my cooking classmates were from Japan and Korea, and a more charming bunch of people I couldn't imagine meeting. And so began my exploration of Italian food - lessons in Italian, translated into Japanese! A truly international, stimulating experience....but on top of this...the food the food the food!! With Gianluca's help and guidance we cooked a three course lunch, and a meal for the evening. He made it all seem do-able, and such fun too. He's a great teacher - warm, enthusiastic, ...and his passion for his native food really rubs off on you.

I love this flying dalmation

2008-11-12T13:38:00.001-08:00

FESTA - ROMA!

Talking of specialist shops..

2008-11-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

How about this mobile garlic seller in Napels? Maybe I can get some ideas for the Mobile Millinery here?

Roman barbers

2008-11-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

I love a place where you can still buy an honest-to-goodness knitted or crocheted bed-jacket...you know, the sort of satin-trimmed thing you wear(or could wear) when you're propped up in bed reading! Rome is such place. There are lots of outlets specialising in nightwear. You can still go into a Roman shop today and confidently buy a matching set of nightie, dressing gown, bed-jacket and slippers...tissue-wrapped of course. No-one will think you've stepped out of another era. You can do this in the UK too I know, but only in very posh places. In Rome, this type of boutique is still on every high street. I had a crocheted bed-jacket when I was little, pale blue with a pom-pom draw-string at the neck, like a little cape. I find it strangely reassuring to know that bed-jackets are still out there. Maybe that's how men feel about traditional barbers shops...like this one I spotted down the road from the place I've been staying on Via Nomentana. Isn't it beautiful? I almost wish I had a moustache to trim!

MY ROMAN GUARDIAN ANGEL...

2008-11-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

Surely God has got bigger things on his mind?

2008-11-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

It's a serious business visiting St Peter's in Rome these days. To get in you have to follow a maze-like route through numerous barriers...a test of faith perhaps? Then you have to go through airport-style security. I can just about understand the need for this sort of vigilance in this day and age...although?....anyway, that's a subject for someone else. However, the obsession with what people are wearing seems in contrast, ridiculously outdated. DO WE REALLY CARE IF SOMEONE'S GOT BARE SHOULDERS OR IS SHOWING OFF IN A SHORT SKIRT? MORE TO THE POINT - DOES GOD? Honestly, you'd think we'd have moved on from this pointless policing. Get over it. I'm writing this in pink and I'm wearing shorts. OK?

St Peter's Square Rome

2008-11-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

The Vatican

2008-11-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

Rome's wireless internet

2008-11-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

Here I am blogging in Piazza Navona! Of course it's typical that I only discovered Rome had got itself WI-FI on my last day living in the city. Various tourist hotspots have it, and it means that in fine weather you can happily chat, blog and e-mail to your friends all over the world. Of course you can also do it when the weather isn't so wonderful(as I'm demonstrating here!) I only discovered that Rome had this facility when I was up at the Villa Borghese and saw a signpost pointing me in the direction of the WI-FI area. The blurb is available at www.romawireless.com. It says you are entitled to one free hour per day, and that there is a password to log on. However, when I tried in Piazza Navona, no password was required. Either the rules have changed or I was surfing on someone elses space. I love the fact that you can log-on in these places. I did get some funny looks though. Some people thought I was a kind of techno-tramp and ran a mile when I asked them to take my photo. One kind person obliged though.

Villa Borghese pleasure gardens

2008-11-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

This isn't usually a political blog but...

2008-11-10T06:53:00.001-08:00

YEEEEEESSSSSS! I think my Italian friends here in Rome might like a slice of the same cake....

Naples

2008-11-10T06:16:00.001-08:00

Napoli is a city that confuses and bemuses. It took me several false starts before I finally got my bearings. It can be grubby, grimy and get-on-down-dirty, or opulent, gem-like and full of immense beauty depending on your mood. I saw breath-taking palazzos like the 18th century Spinelli Palace hidden behind noisy, cramped streets where shopkeepers peddled their wares in bawdy fashion much as they would have done in Roman times. Washing flapped above my head like a pirate's flag, and I'd dive into churches to seek relief from the craziness outside. There were jewel box chapels, the walls covered in frescos, and kitsch shrines of gaudy plastic flowers to Our Lady. What a city!

For a better rummage in Rome...

2008-11-10T05:55:00.000-08:00

I discovered a much better alternative to the famous Porta Portese fleamarket in Rome(see earlier entry). It's this market on Piazza Flamino, near the Piazza del Popolo. It's open every Sunday, and as the name suggests - "Rigattieri Per Hobby" - it's largely made up of people wanting to sell things that are just cluttering up the place, or for those looking for a fun hobby and a bit of socialising. It's great of course if some Italian Countess decides to empty her attic! When I went I discoverd this gorgeous 50's umberella for 35 euros, 50's sunglass for 10 euros and a pair of art-deco wall lights for 30 euros(in fact I decided to buy them as a momento of Rome). WHY DIDN'T I BUY THE UMBRELLA TOO???? I KNOOOOOW!!!!! I'm asking myself that too! Of course what you find depends on the day - but as we all know - that's just the luck of the draw. Definitely to be visited if you like a rummage and you're in Rome.

Take three ties...

2008-11-07T02:25:00.000-08:00

I can't escape from hats..! They spring into my mind when I least expect it. This is of course what happened when I went to the Porta Portese flea-market in Rome last Sunday morning. It was heaving with people, and I had been warned to hold on tight to my purse as apparantly there are alot of pickpockets. As flea-markets go, I have to say this isn't one of the best. Yes, it's huge, but also a bit disappointing, as two thirds of the stalls offer new and fairly cheap goods. There are though a number of people selling second-hand clothes...not vintage, but the sort things you'd get in charity shops in the UK. But these sorts of goods are much cheaper at Porta Portese. You can pick up jumpers, dresses and the like for a couple of euros an item, and ties and scarves for one euro each. It's great if you want to recycle the stuff into other things. There are a few hit and miss vintage stalls. I found one woman selling a collection of fabulous 50's glasses - but they were pretty expensive - at between thirty and fifty euros a pair. This woman also had a big box of old hats, and I found one which I liked the look of for a mere three euros. So you do have to hunt around. The ties I bought aren't featured here, but my friend Meche on seeing my ties presented me with three of her own knitted ones, as if to say, OK MJ - get recycling. This is what I came up with.

CIAO to the real men of Rome

2008-11-04T04:31:00.000-08:00

The bar around the corner from the language school here in Rome, is one of the most friendly places I've ever had the pleasure to eat at. A warm smile, fantastic coffee, a chat about football(in Italian of course), and the best panini I've had in Rome. There's a king of a burger that I've eaten here on the recommendation of the lovely guys in the photo. It's called una saleiccia di maiale and is basically a fantastically succulent pork sausage which is pressed with a fork into a type of pattie and served with lettuce and mustard. It's so tasty. Much better than a McDonalds. Grazie amici... you've become my local, and that's quite something for an English girl to admit!

Speaking of Italian men....

2008-11-04T04:18:00.000-08:00

I visited the Stadio dei Marmi on the recommendation of the Wallpaper guide to Rome. It suggests seeing it as an interesting contrast to the rich, wonderful Renaissance Art that surrounds you here. Mussolini had the stadium built as a monument to fascism. Sixty marble statues of men with perfectly toned and honed bodies surround the racetrack. Each statue represents an area of Italy. They were supposed to inspire the Italian youth to attain their physical peak, and also of course to symbolise what Mussoline saw as the power and potential of his fascist state. Whilst the message is chilling, the statues themselves are quite a sight! There's a real 1930's feel to them, forerunners of the Armani ads of today.

And this is the gardener's beautiful companion...

2008-11-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

This cat comes to visit me most days as I sweep up leaves or water the flowers(not that I've had to do much watering lately, Rome has been very wet these last few days). Isn't he handsome? He's just(and I'm sure it's a he)such an ITALIAN cat - he knows that he's beautiful, and irresistible, and that you'll just want to reach out and stroke him. He probably still lives with his Mother too like most Italian men. I thought if I kissed him, he might turn into a Prince....but it didn't happen!

This is my garden.......

2008-11-04T03:58:00.000-08:00

Well of course it belongs to the Torre Del Babele language school in Rome where I'm studying. But being able to exchange labour in the garden for language lessons in the school was the reason I came here. It's a good philosophy isn't it, swapping skills? It feels right somehow....gardening for Italian lessons, hats for vegetables, cakes for massage....can we not do this more often?

Tucked away treats

2008-10-29T05:13:00.000-07:00

I've discovered some wonderful little shops in Rome. The first as you can see is a specialist glove shop. It's run by an elderly lady just down from Piazza Venezia. The gloves are all hand made and the selection of styles and colours is amazing. A little note in the window says that gloves can be sent all over the world, and you don't have to pay until you receive them. Now that's what I call service. The second shop I spotted was one that sells upholstery trimmings, some definitely from the 60's and 70's - the sort that you can never really find in modern shops - fabulous for bags and belts. I might be tempted!

Holy Undies

2008-10-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

Rome of course is the centre of the Catholic Church - but I didn't realise it houses the equivalent of M&S undies for clerics. Do priests really need special pants?And if you need a holy hat, well Rome is obviously the place to go shopping. Take a peek at this place! Credit-cards at the ready guys!

TURBANS ACROSS FRONTIERS

2008-10-28T05:41:00.001-07:00

I am living in an unusual flat in a rather upmarket bit of Rome. Leila is the rather glamorous lady who's flat I am staying in - she is maybe in her early 70's, and has a three legged cat. She also had an elderly cat(18) who sadly had reached the end, and I arrived in Rome just in time to stroke its little head before it was despatched from this world. It's not exactly what I was expecting my first memory of Rome to be...but life as we know...is strange. To try and cheer Leila up (as I was lacking in Italian vocabulary I was showing her some photos of various things on my laptop to take her mind off things) I started talking about my hats, and her eyes lit up! "You made all these?" she asked. I was proud to say that yes I had made them and we started to talk about millinery in an Italian/English medley that was half understanding and half guess-work. Leila told me she had been searching for a turban as she liked something a litle glamorous yet practical for her "bad hair days"(I'm not sure how you say that in Italian - anyone know?) but try as she might, she just couldn't find these hats any where in Italy any more. As luck would have it I had a picture of my T-shirt turban on my lap-top and her eyes lit-up! "Bella bella," she said,"comme se fai?" I told her in my halting Italian how I had made it and suggested that she too could have a go, and she enthusiastically hunted out an old beach dress made of jersey fabric. Meche, who is her Peruvian home-help, was then instructed in the art of turban making...and this was the result: I'm telling you - hats have a way of breaking down barriers!

ROME - THE ETERNAL CITY

2008-10-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

Rome is such an overwhelming place that it's daunting to even begin to write about it...you are walking upon layers of such rich history that you can't take it in. So I am veering off the usual path and am simply going to describe some of the things that have caught my eye. But first of all I need to tell you about hats across boundaries - TURBANS - TO BE PRECISE

Wherever I lay my hat - that's in Rome

2008-10-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

So sorry not to have updated for some time - but I decided to get off the merry-go-round in the UK for a while and have headed to Rome to study Italian for a month. It all happened one evening after a couple of glasses of red wine and a bit of fantasy google-searching for dream homes, dream escapes, dream jobs - you know, the usual unobtainable! After putting in random words like, hats, Italy, language, gardens, art, jobs - up popped a language school in Rome that was offering free lessons in Italiano, to someone who was prepared to work in the garden for a couple of hours a day. Well it seemed like such a co-incidence to actually find SOMETHING that I sent off an e-mail . The weeks went my and I forgot about it, until I received a phone-call asking me if I was able to start on Oct 10th and stay for a month. I thought about it briefly and said..."well ok then...why not." And now...I am here! This is the view from my bedroom window...Camera Con Vista!......(it's evening by the way!)

And here's one of the hats from my new collection!

2008-09-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Autumn/Winter 2008/09

The Most Amazing Hair!

2008-09-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

If you want a fantastic fix of feel-good vintage, and can't afford to spend alot - please follow my advice and head to "Nina's Vintage and Retro Hair" in North London. It's just fantastic. I went in with a vague request for "victory rolls" and came away feeling like a 1940's starlet! Honestly, I have never had so many flattering comments as I had after visiting Nina's. Nina wasn't there but her assistant was charming and stylish - and 'got' what I wanted straight away. It was the most relaxing, fun and satisfying hairdressing experience I've ever had! The hair salon is based in the warren-like Alfie's Antique Market, and after my appointment at Nina's, I really enjoyed exploring all the antique and vintage stalls jammed full of desirable goodies. Much inspiration! I even treated myself to lunch in the roof-top coffee shop. In the evening I went to see the stage version of "Brief Encounter" at the Haymarket Theatre, which you absolutely MUST go and experience - and my new hair-do won me some much needed morale-boosting compliments.

By the way - I slept with my hair intact - and it was good to go for a second day. That's what I call value for money!

THANKYOU NINA !!!!

MOBILE MILLINERY AT THE FASHION MUSEUM

2008-07-03T02:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the Little Black Hat workshop at the Fashion and Textile museum in Bermondsey on Saturday. As ever, I was thrilled to see the great little hats that everyone made in only three hours. We had a cute burlesque number in black and red, and lots of people enjoyed learning the petersham pleating technique which, once mastered, is a really lovely way to trim hats or clothes(look at the 'deco inspired hat' on my blog to see the technique) Well done everyone!

A model display

2008-07-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

If you find an old dress-maker's dummy - try using it as a pinboard - it makes a great display and mood board.

£15 chair - why spend more?

2008-07-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

Too beautiful to throw rubbish in....

2008-07-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

How can you throw waste-paper into Paris? Worcestershire ware bin for £15 at Brighton market

Bargains to beat the credit crunch

2008-07-02T06:16:00.000-07:00

As the credit-crunch bites - it's good to know that my passion for searching markets and second-hand shops is paying off! I thought you'd like to see some of my latest bargains - and help you recognise that you can still furnish your flat/house on a shoe-string. Take these two tables for instance - £2 each from Greenwich Market - and don't you think the kitsch '70's food illustrations are a scream?!

I simply have to spread the word..

2008-07-02T03:43:00.001-07:00

About a fantastic woman I met at the opening of the Train Cafe in Deptford. Tara is Paris-based and as well as working in PR, runs her own Vintage Clothing company - Ooh La La Vintage. She sources unique one-off pieces from her Paris perch, but also runs a design/making service which reproduces vintage clothes in modern fabrics. Such a great idea. Tara has recently started organising fabulous weekends in the French capital where over cocktails you can dress-up in her vintage collection whilst she offers style advice(you can buy if you want to as well). You can take a tour round the sights in a Vintage Citroen, and she'll even show you some of her secret sourcing addresses. I can't think of ANYTHING more fun!!! Find out more at http://www.oohlalavintage.com

And of course....

2008-07-02T03:39:00.000-07:00

that led to a deco-inspired hat....!

My Fantasy Bathroom

2008-07-02T03:29:00.000-07:00

A recent visit from Katharina, my friend from Berlin saw both of us heading for a picnic and a stroll around Eltham Palace. The gardens are delightful, and a tour around the Art Deco house provides lots of inspiration. I was on the point of running myself a hot bath, and ringing the bell for the butler to bring me up a gin and tonic to sip whilst I prepared for dinner.....!

TRAIN CAFE DEPTFORD

2008-07-02T03:13:00.000-07:00

I was recently at the opening of a new cafe in Deptford. It's a converted train carriage and ties in to all those childhood memories of wanting to create a home somewhere unusual. My fantasy childhood homes included tree-houses, train carriages, gypsy caravans, little isolated cottages, tents - nothing remarkable about that - lots of children I'm sure have the same yearning to have a place of their own. But the Train Cafe ties in the adult reality with the childhood desire - and that's to be applauded. They've done a great job - giving the carriage a makeover to create a great space for coffee, eats and hopefully in the future, workshops.

Back home - the washing tree

2008-05-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Drinks before dinner

2008-05-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Dorothy's view of Alghero

2008-05-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

My Aunt's Holiday Survival Pack...

2008-05-28T07:55:00.001-07:00

A bottle of brandy, a double pack of bacon, a Melton Mowbray pork pie, a big jar of mayonnaise, one pack digestive biscuits, a tub of butter, a pepper mill full of pepper, lo-salt, oatcakes, tea-bags, tin of powdered mustard, powdered milk, and six small bottles of tonic. Pack all in suitcase for consumption in Italy!

Sun sea my Auntie and me

2008-05-10T04:05:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to Sardegna with my fabulous(and wonderfully eccentric) Auntie Kate. She is the best octagenerian - with vivid red hair and ideas to match. She has music in her blood and crazy ideas in her head. Many of her ideas become reality which is something I really admire about her. Who else would up-sticks at her age and work with Crisis at Christmas for a week, taking a taxi from the Midlands to London packed full of musical instruments, as she doesn't have a car. We are also being joined for the week by her old school-friend Dorothy - an ex nurse with a gentle artistic talent which expresses itself in detailed drawings and pictures. I'll tell you all about our trip when I get home....it's sure to be full of tales!

YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST GO AND SEE...

2008-05-10T02:58:00.000-07:00

The Tim Walker photography exhibition at The Design Museum in London. You are lost in a magical world for a couple of hours. I went to see the exhibition with a friend the other day and we were just amazed....I've always loved Tim Walker's work, but being something of a fashion-novice I didn't realise all those shoots I'd loved were his. The pictures have a fairy-tale like quality coupled with a faded elegance that is simply lovely. Click here to see more of his work. What do you think - are you as transported as me?!

PUPPINI SISTERS - MILLINERY MODELS

2008-05-07T01:23:00.000-07:00

One of the fun things about making hats is that you get to work with stars of the stage and screen. Two Christmas's ago I made some headpieces for the fabulous Puppini Sisters. Their quirky Andrews Sisters style has really captured the imagination of their fans. They're a crazy mix of Julie Andrews and Deeta Von Teese! I'm sure you'll know what I mean! Click here to see them in their sparkly headgear meeting a familiar VIP!

LITTLE BLACK HAT WORKSHOP

2008-05-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

Come to the Little Black Hat workshop I'll be running at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in Bermondsey London on Sat 28th June. I'm running it in conjunction with a Little Black Dress exhibition that's going to be on at the museum from June 19th. Come along and make yourself something fantastic! It would be great to see you there.

JUST LOOK AT WHAT I FOUND IN FRANCE....

2008-05-04T09:56:00.001-07:00

I think you'll agree that these 50's magazines are just beautiful. I came across them in an big warehouse about an hour and a half from Lyon. I was staying with a friend who'd told be about this place packed full of possibilities. What really struck me was that everything had meant something to someone at some point. These magazines were amongst many that had been lovingly collected by a French 'maman' who'd kept them perhaps for their usefulness, but more than likely, simply because she thought they were lovely to look at. Each one is a delight. Perhaps the passage of time makes us appreciate the design more. Are today's front covers really so stunning? I'm not so sure. What do you think?

TAKE OFF YOUR HAT AND TAKE TEA!

2008-05-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

I'm always happy to lay down my hat here. YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS in Hither Green is so quirky. It's inspiring, relaxing, and the tea and cakes are great. It's more than just just a fabulous coffee shop though, it'a boutique florist and gallery. You'll just have to go and have a look!

THE MILLINER'S TALE

2008-05-04T04:25:00.000-07:00

This photograph of Vita Sackville-West, one of the Bloomsbury group is what first inspired me to start making hats.

One day I picked up a poster for a theatre production based on Vita’s life. There she was – looking mysteriously out at me and wearing the most beautiful hat. It was a brimmed cloche, very much echoing the style of the 1930’s, and I decided that’s how I wanted to look.

So I bought some fabric, got out my scissors, borrowed somebody’s sewing machine, and somehow managed to make a hat that was, if not exactly like Vita’s, then a passable approximation.

I wore it all the time – feeling every bit as though I was somehow sharing in the bohemian lifestyle that Vita must have had - although in retrospect, my life was a lot less colourful than hers! But the late-night conversations about God, the existence of good and evil and the meaning of life, were enough to make me feel that I too shared the artistic sensibilities of the writers and painters that I so much admired.

The hat was much talked about wherever I went. In the coffee shops and lecture theatres of my Alma Mater it became something of a focal point. It was part of my identity, and from then on, I incorporated hats into my every-day look.

MARY JANE MILLINERY

2008-05-03T06:27:00.001-07:00

HATS...........

2008-05-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my creations.......do you like them? I hope so!

LET'S TALK ABOUT HATS

2008-05-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

Part of what I do for a living is to make hats. It is I suppose rather an old-fashioned thing to do - but I prefer to think of it as a new fashion, or to be more precise, re-fashioning. I often re-fashion things that I find in flea-markets to make my hats. You come across such beautiful things. I'm a big fan of markets, jumble sales, brocantes, garage-sales, clothing exchanges, e-bay, street-finds....the possibilities are endless. You are guaranteed to find at least something unusual that will excite you, and that will have a story attached to it.

RAINY DAYS

2008-03-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Rainy days are fabulous - where you're in the mood. There's nothing better than sitting here in the cosy cinema cafe bar with "be-me-ab-a-dah-do" music in the air, and the rain falling darkly outside. Someone's talking about spaghetti hoops, I'm thinking about whether you can blog in heaven. Wouldn't be great if there was a Godspot as well as a Blogspot - just to be able to log on and say what you're thinking. Communicating directly between here and there with nothing in between except air.

Anyway - enough of this. Let me introduce myself. I live in London, for the time being. I've lived in other places too, but I'll tell you about that another time. My part of London is called Deptford. It's a bit rough and ready, but also still has a vibrancy that's missing in places which have been over-developed and "gentrified" as they call it here.

I can still go down to Deptford market and buy a big bag of cashew nuts or a bowl of oranges for £1. Stalls sell clothes of dubious origin, but you can find the odd bargain if you search hard enough. There's banter, bonhomie, and bolshiness. It's MULTICULTURAL - a word that's not much in favour these days, but MULTICULTURAL is something I love. If you continue down the street, you'll pass a great stand that sells Brazilian food, a stall selling mini deodrants..(great for popping in your bag to take to work), a rug man, who's rugs wouldn't look out of place in a penthouse appartment, and a guy who'll sell you a great pair of party shoes AND puts a piece of cardboard on the ground as your trying them on, so your feet don't get dirty.

When you've had enough of the market, pop into The Bear Cafe for a great salad, and reasonable coffee....(I say reasonable because once I told them it didn't taste right and I got short shrift)...but generally its pretty good. On certain days there's a flea-market, not quite Clingancourt, but hey, it's closer. I once got a great pink coat for a fiver that looked very expensive after dry-cleaning.