Meet Dot

 A few blog posts ago I gave you a little glimpse into the world of Coulter and Coulter and showed you the process we go through to print our fabrics.  I entirely forgot to mention the other part of our business. 

 All our lovely hand printed fabrics are transformed in to beautiful items using Dot my trusty sewing machine.  I would be lost with out her.  I do have a study to sew in, but seem to end up on the kitchen table most of the time.  The light is so much better in there, at least that's what I tell Peter.  The reality is that there is so much fabric and chaos surrounding me when I am sewing that I need a very large table to contain it all.

Can I ask a favour please

Coulter and Coulter's online presence for the last year has been via this Blog, with shops on Felt and Etsy.  But now we feel the time is right to have our own on line shop.  I would really appreciate it if you would drop by and take a look at our own website, for me.  I would love to here your feedback, what do you think?  Does it all look homely and cosy?  Is it easy to find what you are looking for?  Don't worry we won't be leaving our blog behind, we will still be posting here  at least once a week.  

Thank you.

Branching Out

Coulter and Coulter are branching out a little bit.  You can now buy some of our lovely stuff in Coco and Co, Heretaunga St, Hastings.  So if you are passing by pop in, they have lots and lots of other nice things just waiting for you to take them home.

My Grannie's Bone China Tea Service

This is my granny, my Mum's Mum.  I think this photograph was taken at Christmas 1989, a year before she died.  About this time she gave me her beautiful bone china tea set.  It is a wonderful art deco design and I love it.  The makers are a firm called J H Cope and Sons.  Usually it lives up on this dark shelf.

Previously I have not had any occasions to use Grannie's china, it just seemed too delicate.  There is no way I would let any of the boys in this house near it.  But now I have the perfect excuse to get it down and layout the dining table.   All to take pictures of the tablecloths and napkins I have been making recently.  Nothing sets off the pictures better.  I wonder what Granny would think of it all.  I am sure she would approve of the fact that her china is being used and photographs of it are being viewed all over the world.  She lived in an age before the internet.  Its amazing to think that within such a few years it has become such a large part of our everyday life.  She would have loved it all, especially Facebook, she would have had a field day.

In the best traditions of British Comedy

Oh dear, printing was going so well today.... until the cat obviously thought I was not paying her enough attention and leaped up onto the bench where I was mixing inks.  She landed with one foot in the red and one foot in the blue, then ran off all over the house with me chasing her screaming, "No".  The kids just stood around killing themselves laughing watching the show.  Thankfully there was only one small casualty, a little blue footprint right on the edge of some organic cotton that had been laid out to dry.   The rest of the footprints were easily cleaned, thankfully we have wooden floors in our house.  Though I do suspect I will be finding footprints in strange places for quite a few weeks.

Brrrrrrr

Yesterday's Craft and Design Market was so cold  I was tempted to wrap up in one of my cosy blankets.   I think next time I might be tempted to move out from under cover and into the sunlight.  I am sure it will be much, much warmer.  Roll on spring time.