I Used...

the WOODCUTTER by LUKE HAMMAN

I used to love swinging an axe  chopping wood pretending that I lived in the country, when in reality the only patch of greenery within reach was London Fields.

Many moons later and now ensconced in rural Sussex axe wielding is low on my agenda.

Instead, we are thinking about hosting a selection of workshops here at FOLK HQ.

Over the years we have met many talented people passionate about their craft, so we thought why not share this knowledge.

So following on from last years full day forage cook and eat classes with Sarah Watson of Wild Feast we are planning to introduce half day seasonal forages along side our full days.
These half day classes will be based around a simple ingredient..

 Nettle Pesto, Wild Greens, Wild flower conserves and cordials, Rosehip syrup and elixir ,
Botanical Liquor Infusions all sorts of goodies from natures abundant larder.

We will also be staging a FOOLS FEAST WILD SUPPER on April fools day.

Menu and Invite to follow.

Full Moon Over East Sussex

To find out more about Sarah go to Wildfeast
To find out more about FOLK at home classes and workshops go to Folk at Home 

The Colour of Pomegranates

We FOlK have found a new collaborator in photographer Selina Chen who we hope may help us to get some structure into our otherwise carthartic attempts to have a web site.

"So " She said " what is your theme for spring summer ? "

"Colour " we say

" and "

"Errr - paint ..."

Silence

" Well have a think, do a mood board and get back to me " says she

All I can think of is The Colour of Pomegranates

Image from Google images source Unknown

Which reminds us of a film by Russian director Sergei Parajanov featuring wild men and peacocks

    Still from The Colour of Pomegranates by Sergei Parajanov courtesy Google images

                                                             Wild Man

     Image from Google images source Unknown

                                                           Peacocks

We are also rather drawn to Stained Glass windows these by Edward Jospeph (Eddy) Nuttgens and his friend and pupil Charles Blakemann in St Etheldredas Church EC1 www.stetheldreda.com

Dragged on a hurdle to Tyburn.

West  Window image by DT Gibbins of Church Photography.

 Tyburn Tree 

West Window image by DT Gibbens church photography

So in our minds eye we see Rosie slippers and candles,  artists smocks and potters aprons, wooden spoons and hand thrown pottery, linen shift dresses and old darned work wear,large linen tote bags and...

New web site coming soon .

In the meantime,we still have some sale items and a good supply of candles online.

www.folkathomestore.com 

                                                    

Winter Sale Now On

Autumn Mists

The grounds at Slebech Park

Earlier this year and after a rather drunken evening,we found ourselves decamped to Slebech Park Restaurant and Rooms, Wales.

Sitting on the shores of the Dau Gleddau Estuary the estate forms part of one of Europe's largest natural harbours.

Swathed in mist and full of spooky ruins it was once home to the most powerful monastic foundation in Wales, The Knights Templar...

In fact knights killed fighting on foreign fields had their hearts cut out,pickled and re-buried in earthenware pots on dog island...

Dog Island 

Whoa seriously spooky....

I think I need to revive myself with a glass of vermouth.

Back in the 21st century ....almost....

We are working hard finalising things for the Winter Fayre at Great Dixter where we FOLK will be hosting a pop up cafe in the Medieval Barn.. Pickled heart, bread and chutney any one....

Image from @michealhowells100 (Instagram)

Mid Summer

Mid summer and we FOLK are immersing ourselves in The Ripley series of suspense thrillers by Patricia Highsmith.

Demonically handsome...

Oggling Plein Soleil by Rene Clement and wondering why we are not in Italy.

Meanwhile back in Inghilterra...

Square neck 3/4 sleeve

The lovely Judy Dewsbury and I have made a dress.

It's based around the chemise de nuit in three shades of blue linen.

Three shade of blue

Round neck with cap sleeves

Dresses to be online soon...

Most Women

Image from google images

Most women I know are drooling  over  Mark Rylance's interpretation of Thomas Cromwell in the BBC's adaptation of Hilary Mantels Wolf Hall. I thought I was the only one attracted by his brooding in the dark, slow moving, fire crackling stillness.

But no, chatting with friends over lunch about his finer attributes one woman said complete with impression " I love the way he removes his hat from the back first, must be a period thing"

The things that turn us on ..Oh well...

Photography by John Bentham

We are strangely attracted to lime green and yellow candles

Back in the 21st century we FOLK have been busy sourcing some new items to take along to the Spring fairs we will be attending, starting with Selvedge at the American Museum in Bath this March and shooting said items for our online store.

Photography by John Bentham

A selection of vintage pewter chocolate moulds perfect candle holders and aquamarine candle.

Welcome to my cave

Image from Google images

Last Saturday son No 1 Leah Fusco and I attended a talk by the artist John Virtue and the art historian and broadcaster Andrew Graham Dixon at the Towner Gallery Eastbourne.

It was an interesting experience listening to John Virtue talk about his work and soak up some of his immense energy while surrounded by his huge tumultuous canvases.

During a question and answer session after the talk somebody asked a long winded question about the integrity of artists work today compared to cave paintings of prehistory. Who, they asked, are todays artists painting or creating for? Themselves? critics praise? or commercial success?

Andrew Graham Dixon suggested that when looking at Johns paintings you are within his cave...

John Virtue, The Sea, No 4, 2011-2013

We Folk

meant to start the new year as we intended to continue, but it soon disintegrated as evil liqueur took hold.

Now we have recovered our decorum we have decided to have a  SALE.

But we are not anticipating a stampede, no pushing, shoving or overnight camping,

Perhaps just a discreet enquiry for a pair of Alpaca socks, a hand knitted bobble hat or a lambs wool throw from Ireland.

We have taken 10% off, actually more... the remaining Leeds Pottery.... ( so tempted to keep it all myself now it's discontinued ) and are searching the hidden depths of FOLK HQ for any overlooked goods.

Love the weird Ouija woman in the middle...

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

         

Failure is an option

Image from National Geographic
(found in dentists)

Even though it was boiling outside and the weather app was predicting a 14 c day. We FOLK layered on the knitwear and headed off to the Selvedge Winter Fair with our cargo of felted slippers, gloves and bobble hats. Five hours later drenched in sweat and gasping we joined the Merchant and Mills team, resplendent in sleeveless dresses for aperitifs' outside Nell's on the Kings Road, Chelsea.

The following weekend, not to be caught out, we triumphed at the Remodelista sale with Leah Fusco's shipwreck paintings and Ted's beautiful beeswax candles, no knitwear in sight.

Mast from Leah Fusco's shipwreck series

Last week, again, found us in London at the HAND sale in Notting Hill where we spent copious amounts of cash on gorgeous Kirsten Hecktermann's hand dyed velvet cushions, ogled the RAM jewellery and succumbed to the biggest chopping board ever fashioned from a single piece of Elm from Stuart Paterson Antiques and Objects. Now home, all hands are on deck for this weekends sale at Great Dixter House and Garden. This year we will be joined in the Yeomans hall by;

Persephone books, Merchant and Mills, Gill Fox millenary, Freight by Helene Adamcchweskis, Martha and Ed's Jam, Warp and Weft Styling, and Coban Rugs along with many other local artisans.

Painting of Roux by Leah Fusco

We will also have hand fashioned dog collars and leads by master Sadler, Nicola Watson, and you will be able to order a portrait of your favourite hound by Leah Fusco. The grounds will be open for a lovely winter stroll hopefully in mist, or a dusting of frost....

October Already

A splendid vehicle outside Wayward

October already and we FOLK have been gainfully employed by our friends at Wayward to help them get some order into their awe inspiring collection of buttons, ribbons, lace etc., gathered from all over Europe and beyond, some dating back to 1900 (see The World of Interiors March 2013). A slightly overwhelming task.

Rolls of fabric photo from World of Interiors March 2013

This finds us prowling the streets of St Leonards, a truly beautiful place,designed by the architect James Burton between 1827- 1837 and his son Decimus who added further buildings around the 1850's. The town was originally conceived as a resort for the wealthy and it became instantly popular with royalty and aristocracy who loved its grand villas coupled with a hint of Scottish baronial.

photo google images

Nowadays crumbling plaster, groups of dodgy looking people collapsed on the corner, interesting shops and galleries and regeneration of its amazing buildings, all against a backdrop of the ever changing sea scape make it for us, quite charming and strangely uplifting.

I wish I wouldn't keep seeing house's I want to buy.

The little window in the tower, for glancing one eyed at the sea...

Meanwhile back in the village...

We FOLK must spend every spare moment preparing for the Selvedge Winter Fair. 

This season we have some new products and we are just about to receive delivery of soft felted ponchos, from Ceceille, unpack the coloured hand dipped dinner candles and upload some new images to the Folk at home store.

Lovely as it is

We FOLK would rather be in Capri, Naples, or anywhere really

Distance stone spotted near Rye

as, this August, we have been lurking around FOLK HQ waiting for the Arctic wind to blow away the storm clouds.

Camber Sands

Even our annual trip to The Giffords Circus has been postponed to September.

The painter Heinrich Hoerle at the Cologne Rag Ball 1930 photo August Sander

So my obsession with knitting has begun unseasonably early.

Annie Neil's lambs wool wrist warmers have arrived and are available online at the FOLK at home store

Photo by John Bentham

and I am busy cultivating my obsession with bobble hats, which seems to be reaching a crescendo.

Not one of mine, wish it was, son no 1 found this gorgeous specimen online. Source unknown.

So we have been busy working away collecting Autumn stock for our appearance at the Decorative Living Fair Chelsea Town Hall alongside our friends from Butlers Emporium Hastings and finalising the designers and makers who will be joining us in the Yeomans Hall at Great Dixter this November. 

PFB

We Folk are suffering from PFB or post festival blues...

The view to the estuary

So I thought  I would share some photographs with you.

Night time was magical

A beautiful girl in a blue cloak

Drinks by the water at sunset or dawn

Larking about in the mud

A merry time was had by all..

X

Do you think

Photo of illustration from google images

Do you think I was a lizard in another life? I asked one sultry day, as I basked smothering myself in a mixture of olive and lemon juice (my mothers answer to factor 50). 

"We were all lizards at one time my dear, " retorted husband in a moment of Darwinian majesty.

It feels more like August than late June [ bit late in posting this] here in East Sussex the wheat already beginning to turn yellow, the grass all dry and the earth cracking in the orchards where the hound and I take our daily stroll.

Whoa, It's a jungle out there...