Lovely cushions by Betsy Jarvis

Betsy Jarvis makes minimal, chic cushion covers from hessian and linen. I was drawn to these the instant I saw them, because they are so simple, and vintage-y, and would sit perfectly in my imaginary apartment on the rue de rivoli, or when I'm pretend sipping jasmine tea fashionably in New York, or whatever, you know, I just think they're really, really nice.

the cotswolds vintage fair

I have started to get very excited about this upcoming event in Toddington, Gloucestershire on Saturday 27 August.

 

When I was little, I loved going to jumble sales in the local village hall and finding some 10p treasure to hoard in my bedroom. One year I bought an old typewriter; it weighed about the same as a Ford Cortina and some of its keys didn't work very well so my typewritten letters were a little hard to decipher, but I loved it! This event I am sure will be a sight more salubrious and stylish than the dusty jumble sales of my memory, which is why it's even more exciting. Rummaging for grown-ups, with tea and cakes: how perfect.

i made a cushion today

So, normally other things get the better of me, like having plans, or feeling like a bit of a div when it comes to sewing machines. But today I actually sat down in the kitchen with a few bits of material and made this cushion cover. Fancy, no?

I think it looks better than my actual sewing skills/interest in precision or neatness would suggest. It's just a piece of velvety-striped fabric I got for 20p in the remnants area of a fabric shop, and a couple of bits of polka-dot cotton I had left over from making curtains. (*clears throat* I have only made 1 curtain so far but I like the thrifty, on-top-of-things sound of what I just wrote).

I simply pinned the pieces together and sewed, leaving a gap for the cushion pad to go in (£5 from Dunelm Mill), then I stitched a length of ribbon to each side of the gap to close it and look pretty.

Frankly, I believe I have just demonstrated that a lack of any real skills or patience should be no barrier to creating something quite nice.

ohh, I like very much: Becca Williams' Tenby Street jewellery

I totally love these beautiful little house pendants and cufflinks by Becca Williams. She has handmade them from silver and resin. I am amazed at how precise the lines are and how cute and nostalgic the shapes. I love the way the silver edges gleam against the flat resin surfaces. Really I just want to live in them...or failing that, just stroke them a bit. Weird?

hello!

we like we make is a blog about lovely things, made by nice people. It's been brewing in my brain for some time, and on it I'm going to share some of the most delectable things that people all over the UK are making by hand - jewellery, art, accessories, handbags, bits and bobs for your house, decorations, cards and what-have-you.

I'm also going to post some tips & ideas for making your own scrumptious thingies that you can have a go at yourself.

So to prepare for all the lusciousness that will soon be spreading across these pages I am now going to get my beauty sleep, so I'll have plenty of energy for running about looking at lovely items and bringing them here.

see you soon