Mimi Berry at John Lewis, Oxford Street: Febuary 9th

Mimi Berry's new SS13 collection will soon be available from John Lewis on Oxford Street, oh happy happy days. So, when I go to the Mother Ship to buy a 3 pack of grey school tights and a new bath mat, I can also satisify my desire for a good quality, made in the UK, handbag too.

Mimi and her team will be at the flagship John Lewis store on Saturday 9th Febuary from 10am to 2pm with their studio workbench and tools doing a little demo of their bag making skillz and talking about their designs.  A free keyring is offered to the first 30 people who buy handbags - which can be monogrammed if you want.

Here are some of the new purses for this season in sunny yellow and bright pink.

Catherine Tough, Angel Linens and Heyland & Whittle at Ph Factor

 

I went to Ph Factor on Regent's Park Road in Primrose Hill, a sweet little independent shop that is well stocked with a range of luxury toiletries, bathroom products, nightwear, gifts and vintage furniture - the stock changes frequently and it's a great place to look for presents (Valentine's Day, anyone?!). Ph Factor's got a good range of British designer-makers:

Catherine Tough - last blogged about here - makes knitted hot water bottle covers, scarves, and heart-shaped lavender bags in her studio in North London. Her pieces are available in an array of edible colours.

Heyland & Whittle - last blogged about here -is based in Surrey. They handmake a range of soaps using the traditional cold-pressed method using essnential oils, herbs and spices to make sulphate and paraben free products.

Angel Vintage Home Accessories are handmade in Britian using vintage linen and antique buttons.

children's clothes by What Mother Made

I'm always on the look out for beautiful clothing for my four children. M&S and H&M are all very well - very practical, and cheap (which immediately rings those ethical alarm bells). But those high street brand don't really fit with Mrs Osborn's mission to find the very best of British designed and made products.
What Mother Made, based in London, is the perfect alternative - and well named too, as the clothes really do look like what my mother made for me back in the C20th. Clothes for girls and boys (woo! not always easy to find nice stuff for boys) from baby to 8 years old are handmade in a studio in Dalston. Everything is made to order, so if you fancy it in a different fabric, ask if they have it in stock.
Clothes are available to buy on line and also at the Saturday Broadway Market in London.

I'm very taken with these dresses, and the gingham boy's shirt

 

Sophie Woodrow at Primrose Hill Designer Sale

Each time I see Sophie Woodrow's porcelain ceramics I am struck anew by their amazing combination of vivid character with quietness. Is it the contrast of black, empty eyes with the smooth white porcelain? Is it the stillness of her friendly owls ready to take flight for a night out in the woods, or the bull which might normally be rampaging through china shops is endearingly wrapped up in a bow?
I'm not sure. But these ceramics demand a second look - and they would be fantastic sitting atop your dresser.

I spotted Sophie's ceramics at the Primrose Hill Designer Fair before Christmas - they are also sold at The Shop Floor Project, which is based in Ulverston in the Lake District.