Blodwen sale

Blodwen of Cardigan Bay is having a sale.

Welsh Tapestry Scarf, was £80, now £59

Fingerless gloves - were £60, now £30

Vintage tapestry in coral pink, yellow and black was £280 now £145

Made in Cumbria - blankets by Helvellyn Herdwick and Original Cumbrian Wool, and oak swills

I ate so much Christmas dinner yesterday that these blankets are about the only thing big enough to wrap around my expanded self.

Helvellyn Herdwicks make throws and blankets from the wool of sheep that live on the Helvellyn fells - the light grey Herdwick wool is left in natural shades, and also dyed mossy green, a russet bracken colour and soft pink and blue.

Original Cumbrian Wool is a group of sheep farmers based in the Duddon Valley that make rugs and blankets from undyed wool from their fell-bred sheep.

Two-ply rug

Single ply rug

Oak swills are baskets traditional to south Lakeland and were used in farming and industry, and they can be bought from Owen Jones who makes them using traditional methods: the main part of the basket is made from thin oak strips steamed until they are pliable, woven on to a hazle rim ('bool').  

Oak swills are perfect as log baskets, but also for laundry or toys or newspapers...

this is a pic of a much-loved swill: you will note that the swill is missing a handle. 

this is not traditional design

Blodwen's Christmas Emporium

Blodwen is based in Cardigan Bay, selling Welsh-made products.  They are 'committed to the preservation and revival of traditional rural skills and the promotion of artisans' - and this is why I love them.
Their General Stores have been transformed into a Christmas Emporium. As the name suggests, it is a great place for Christmas shopping - there is something for everyone.

My top picks:

I want a pair of these - Dragon red 'Cwtch' (cosy) cashmere bedsocks - I would wear them 365 days a year! £35

Sheepskin slipper in dragon red £80

Traditional carthen tapestry blanket / bedcover £260

Welsh love spoon £25

Made in Wales: Damson & Slate

Damson & Slate sell Welsh-made products. Here are my top picks

Shea butter and goat milk soap 3 x 150g for £10

Pembrokeshire slate soap dish £22

Isa printed linen cushion £68

Traditional Welsh woven wool blanket £195

Made in Northumberland - soaps

The Bellingham Soap Company makes soaps from pure olive, sustainable palm, soy, castor and coconut oils; organic herbs, butters, spices and essential oils are added to make the different flavours. They do not use parabens, SLS, petrochemicals, artificial colours or fragrances - all the nasty stuff that can cause skin irritation at best, and more serious health problems at worst.

Check out the 'Production' page on their website which shows you how they make their soaps.

I'd like a bar of this Frankincense soap, as the smell is truly delicious (although I am not sure what to make of the blurb which recommends this soap for 'mature' skins - am I in that age-bracket yet...?).

The soaps are wrapped in handmade papers from a family-run business.

This 100g bar costs £4.50 - postage is £2.95 for orders under £30, and free for orders over £30.

Studley Cottage Soaps are made from primary oils (coconut, olive and palm oil) which are fragranced with essential oils; some soaps have sunflower oil, avocado oil, shea butter, calendula and vitamin E added.  No artificial colours or other synthetic materials are used such as parabens and SLS.
The soaps are wrapped in fabrics that are chosen to reflect the character of the fragrance.

This 100g bar costs £3.75, postage is £2.00 for orders under £14.75, and free for orders over this.

Made in Cumbria - sweet stuff

If you haven't had your fill of Easter eggs, and you need more sweet stuff, here are a couple of favourites:
Kendal mintcake - the best is Quiggins, in my opinion (according to their website it has been in production since 1880, longer than any other company) - super sweet of course as it is just sugar and peppermint, but crumbly rather than tooth-crackingly hard like Romneys:

and Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding available from the Cartmel Village Shop

Made in Norfolk

Following on from Made in Yorkshire, my virtual tour around the country has taken me to Norfolk (there is no logic to this; I'm just going to chose counties at random and find nice things that are made there - although I'd love to visit Norfolk again, I haven't been since I was a child).

Ah seed pod loveliness. Angie Lewin is a printmaker and her designs are inspired by the clifftops and saltmarshes of North Norfolk and the Scottish Highlands - seedheads, grasses, and flowers feature in fine detail, with simple landscapes forming the backdrop. There's a 1950s feel to her designs: spiky spindleyness and the use of muted colours. Her designs can be found on prints and book illustrations.  Her fabric designs are sold through St Jude's - along with other contemporary fabric designers.  

 

Angie contributes to the St Jude's blog All Things Considered.

Peter Dibble is a basketweaver who learnt his trade from his father-in-law. He works with willow, much of which is sourced from his own plantation, to make baskets and fences. His baskets are the perfect thing for picnics, or easter egg hunts, or collecting apples in the orchard, or filled with logs and placed artfully by your (electric) Aga in your inner-city kitchen. 

There's something rather sculptural about the shapes of these baskets with their elegant curves.

Peter also makes coffins, for more eco-friendly burials - click here to see a pic (and of other work), it is a thing of great beauty and fitting final resting place.

Contact details:

Angie Lewin  info@angielewin.co.uk

Peter Dibble, 17 Le Strange Close, Norwich, NR2 3PN   01603 662725  info@peterdibble.co.uk

Made in Yorkshire

Pheasant is a fantastic website, dedicated to things made in Yorkshire.

Hmm, this gives me an idea - more posts coming soon, featuring handmade good things from different counties across this fair land....

Check out the handmade teapots which look like your favourite branded foods - Marmite, Colman's Mustard and Tate & Lyle syrup - made in Leyburn, North Yorks.

The weather can't make up it's mind - for those wintry moments, these lambswool blankets made in Morley, West Yorks look just the ticket: