Paperfolk Picks

What I'm reading...

I've been a fan of Vivienne Westwood for years. Westwood's clothing isn't to everyone's taste but I love the cut and use of pattern in her clothes. It's funny that although I didn't know a great deal about her, I somehow knew her life story would be interesting! Westwood's new autobiography is a hardback tomb that is surprisingly easy to flick through. Each segment deals with important points in her life that have been inspirational and vital to her life in the world of fashion. I haven't quite finished it yet but i'll be sad when it's all over. Buy it here

What i'm listening to...

I'm a big fan of Sufjan Stevens but over the past couple of years i haven't been bowled over by any of his works. Carrie and Lowell is a return to Steven's older style and is a bit of tear jerker (although to be fair i'm pretty soft when it comes to sentimentality in music). Give it a whirl you won't be disappointed. Buy it here

Paperfolk Loves... Aisling Smyth

Aisling Smyth is a textile artist from Northern Ireland. With a first class honours degree under her belt it looks like we'll see great things from her. I particularly enjoy her use of everyday mundane objects (banknotes, CV etc) that we all have some exposure to and pieces of embroidery created on a large scale. I always feel playing with around with scale, be it large or small, can draw attention to the formation of stitches, the technical part of embroidery. 

More of Aisling Smyth's work can be found on her website

Confessions of a counterfeiter

Embellished CV

Embroidery: Triangle Girl

Image of an embroidery I managed to eventually complete last night. Working on some research drawings tonight for the next one.

Organic Crafting

I've been making some changes to eating and cosmetics habits to lead a more healthy, organic lifestyle. I haven't been too crazy about it, just making changes where I can and when it's financially viable. 
One of the reasons I got into crafting in the first place was because it was affordable, it didn't require many specialist materials, most likely things my mum already had in her mending box. I feel it's really important to make sure that crafting is accessible for all.
At one time organic and Fairtrade fabrics cost a lot of money and we would all be a bit hesitant at trying out a project on a fabric that cost a lot of cash. Now things have changed and it's much easier to make a choice to be organic or Fairtrade (or both). Living a more sustainable lifestyle doesn't always have to mean purchasing from expensive haberdashery stores, in fact the best option if you are crafting is to use second hand fabric! 

If you do choose to give second hand a miss I thought I would share a few contacts where you can find a high quality range of fabrics and embroidery thread that are either organic or Fairtrade...

Fairtrade Fabric : A company who works with producers to ensure they receive a fair wage and also produce items which use minimal chemicals in their processing. 

House of Embroidery : South African embroidery house that specialises in embroidery thread of various colours, strands and thickness.

Organic Cotton Plus : This company started as a 5 generation cotton farm in Texas that became a certified organic farm in 1991. They sell a nice range of fabrics in various styles and weights. 

Raystitch : A London based shop with an online shop too. They sell a variety of fabrics and notions but doublecheck to make sure the one you choose is organic as they also sell non-organic too. 

If you have any other companies that you enjoying purchasing from (particularly if they are UK based) please let me know in the comments section.