It’s a Stick-Up

Lovely to see Tinsmiths’ Poetry Festival Posters appearing all around the town. One of the kind shopkeepers commented “Its like being in the wild west” – well, we are in the West but wild days are rather sparse. Thanks to all who have stuck them up so far; if anyone with a boringly bare wall would like to have one, please let us know. Incidentally, wallpaper paste directly onto the poster and then on to the wall, giving the poster a layer of paste over the top works brilliantly and will withstand the elements for as long as you like – we can’t bear to part with the poster poems from last festival – they still look good a year on.

Thanks to:  Ledbury Books and Maps, Tilley Printers, Tailorbird Boutique, The Talbot, The Feathers, Ledbury Library, Ice Bytes Cafe, Rare Books, Hanley Organics aka Hawcutts Funeral Directors, Isaac Linens, Fieldhouse Opticians, Ledbury Hardware, Bishop of Hereford Bluecoat School and The Elms.

Simple Pattern Pieces

When Kate isn’t greeting and helping Tinsmiths’ customers, she is sewing and, equally to our advantage, advising her colleagues on dressmaking techniques.

Below: the new Dress Shirt pattern from Merchant and Mills made up by Kate Hickson in Marl (a new 100% pre-washed and pre-shrunk irish linen) with the natural stripe working well vertically and horizontally. An easy design in card pattern pieces that can be used over and again and shared around.  Really comfortable design – cool for the warm(?) summer weather.

dress shirt in marl

photo: Clare de la Torre, tailor’s dummy and environ courtesy of  Tailorbird, Ledbury.

Yan Tyan Tethera

Shepherds of old counted their sheep using Yan (1), Tyan (2) and Tethera (3) – an ancient counting method. Today, to my mind, what counts is that Yan Tyan Tethera use fantastic, single or duel breed yarns to make lovely hand-knitted, made to measure ganseys, delicate “tea dance” lace knits and heavy- weight woollens.  See these and other lovely handmade things at the Teme Valley Farmer’s Market near Worcester, this Sunday (and every second Sunday of the month) or take a preview on their new website – yantyantethera.co.uk

This is the genuine article  – hand-knits that last until the sheep come home.

Manx Welsh Twist Childs Gansey