Brick Lane & Fashion Street Paste-Ups

I recently saw these amazing fashion inspired paste-ups in Shoreditch on Brick Lane, Fashion Street and Seven Stars Yard. I suspect these are either hand-screen printed or enlarged copyshop versions of fashion illustrations that have been pasted onto the graffitied walls of Shoreditch.

I tried a variety of google searches to find out the name of the street artist who creates these fabulously cool figures but alas no luck! Whoever created them certainly has an eye for 1960's style and glamour!

And Other Vices.....

You may know, as well as my love for art and sewing I have another vice in the form of Tatty Devine jewellery. Over the past few years I have bought some lovely pieces, received gifts, grabbed bargains at sample sales and most of all enjoyed the jewellery workshops held at their Brick Lane shop in London.

Below is a montage of images for the workshops I attended in 2016. Some of these lovely pieces I kept for myself and a few I gifted to close friends. After attending five workshops last year I am pretty speedy at fastening jump rings now!

• Sequin necklace (gift)
• Mini Mexican Garden necklace (gift)
• Turquoise Swallow necklace
• White Dinosaur necklace
• Rainbow necklace

My favourite piece is the Dino necklace which was the most time-consuming to make as there were lots of fiddly connections.

Which piece do you like best?

Renegade Craft Fair and Shoreditch Adventures

I took a trip to Brick Lane to check out the Renegade Craft Fair. I found out about it from Tilly and the Buttons blog as she is one of the many crafters / makers at the event. The fair is open on the 5th and 6th November from 11am - 6pm at the Old Truman Brewery and even better it's free to get in!

I popped along to see crafts for some unique hand-crafted Christmas presents. I met the lovely Tilly at her stall and bought the new Cleo dungaree dress T&tB pattern which is also available as a kit. I bought the paper pattern as I have a decent remnant of burgundy Liberty needle cord from my McCall's 6696 shirt dress which is pretty similar to the kit option below. I hope I have enough for the Cleo.

Lots of amazing craftspeople and makers

The lovely Tilly herself!

On my way home I took the scenic route via Ebor Street near Brick Lane then to Spitalfields Market and finally Liverpool Street.

Lettering mural by Ben Eine on Ebor Street

Beautiful collections of antiques and bric-a-brac at Spitalfields market.

Art Adventures in North and East London

Last Thursday I visited the Whitechapel Gallery with my artist friend Nao for the first time in the five years I have lived in London. We walked the scenic route via Brick Lane from the Victoria Miro Gallery in Islington. Both exhibitions were great for very different reasons. By far my favourite was the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Miro.

Firstly, the Kusama exhibition at the Victoria Miro Gallery at 16 Wharf Road, Islington. A collection of Kusama's paintings and infinity room installations that were commisioned for the space. It is free and showing until the 30th July. It is definitely worth a visit but be prepared for queues.

Yayoi Kusama - The Chandelier of Grief

Yayoi Kusama - Where the Lights in My Heart Go 

Yayoi Kusama - All the Eternal Love I have for Pumpkins

Yayoi Kusama - All the Eternal Love I have for Pumpkins

Yayoi Kusama - All the Eternal Love I have for Pumpkins

The scenic route via Brick Lane was a fun experience. I love the atmosphere and diversity in this part of London. Here are a few photos of mad graffiti, fly-posting and stencils.

Our final destination was the Mary Heilmann exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery at Aldgate East.
The intense and sometimes minimal canvases and mini sculptures were bold in colour. The following paintings are a collection of my favourites but the colour was not quite on the same saturation level of John Hoyland (which I saw in April) or Mark Rothko. This exhibition is free and runs until the 21st August.