I Spy - Rob Ryan Romance

My sister and I have been having a bit of romance with Rob Ryan's work for some time now. His pensive, wistful and dream-like screen and laser-cut prints make the heart flutter, reading like a mantra that lets you inhale the beautiful, sometimes mysterious words and carry them with you. 

So when I discovered 'The Gift', a book written by Carol Ann Duffy, a story adorned and reiterated through the wonderful art of Rob Ryan's illustrations I knew it was a book which just like Ryan's art I'd like to share with my daughters.

The story journeys through the life of a young girl and her desires and wishes that mould it. Beautifully and just as delicately as the illustrations are made The Gift  interprets the circle of life, looking into the balance of love, birth, death and the importance of friendships and families. Its fairy-tale style resonates with the innocence and purity of life itself. 

Seen through the eyes of a girl as the years pass it has a magical yet sombre charm that expresses the mysteries that lie at the heart of the human experience. Exploring universal truths in an honest and approachable manner the story presents a difficult theme in an accessible way that will speak to anyone of any age who has ever wondered about the mysteries that our lives ensue.

  

I cannot imagine the book being able to speak so beautifully without the resonance of Ryan's illustrations. For younger children especially, words may wash over them but the images remain and are journeyed into.

I have always been taught to never judge a book by its cover however this is one time when you can - quite literally. The Gift is just that. A gift that can be shared with and by all.

Rob Ryan's website

The Gift is available from here and here and here and most bookshops on the highstreet.

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This is part of our new 'I Spy' blog features where we bring you a view of something we've fallen in love with. We also have our Monday Makery with ideas for things to make, bake and create.
Our other popular blogposts include 'The story behind our collections', 'Tell us its Tuesday' , An A-Z of Sisters Guild, a collection of images that depict the words we feel celebrate all that is Sisters Guild. The Art of Living posts bring you all the things and places we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas, and our 'Once upon a week' gives you a glimpse into life behind the scenes at Sisters Guild. 
If you would like to contribute to our blog by guest blogging a makery or a place or event of interest please do contact us we'd love to share your voice too.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

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The Art of Living: Castor & Pollux

My favourite Bookstore and Gallery in Brighton is located on the seafront and is absolute heaven to me!  Not only in the days of walking along a windwept winter seafront with a pram and newborn and crazy hair (I'm surprised they let me in!) but also on the sunny days of recent times when the cool archway of the gallery space allowed me to be refreshingly absorbed in some beautiful visuals for a little while. Thank you Castor & Pollux!

It's where I discovered Rob Ryan for the first time about 4 years ago and a little love affair began!

Then came Charley Harper - my favourite illustrator of nature - of whom I have a growing collection of books and prints.  My son has the Wings of The Worlds poster poised to go on his bedroom wall:

There are many local artists who exhibit at Castor and Pollux. The place is run by people who are passionate about print and good design.  The shop has jewellery collections, textiles and the best selection of books and cards too. Here's the selection of artists:

Prints available online at Castor & Pollux here

And, what is more...there's a perfect spot for coffee & cake next door.
Go there when you're next in Brighton!

Find out more on the website here

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This is part of the Art of Living series of posts that bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas.

In our Wednesday Woo blog post series we present a selection of things from the Sisters Guild Boutique.

We also have a Monday Makery with ideas for things to make yourself.

And for a glimpse behind the scenes of Sisters Guild we have the A-Z of Sisters Guild here 

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Memories are made of this

I want to give something to my girls that I have indeed created. My skills are not particularly well accomplished as I discovered last Christmas when I decided to embroider initials onto some beautiful vintage linen napkins I had found. Like a childs' picture may look in his mind, quite perfect, and yet his hand cannot create the same imaginings, my mind was full of hope that my needle and thread might dance up and through the fabric with some sort of magical gift I had yet to discover. Alas, my imagination and hope stretched a little too far and though I finished the napkins (a big feat for me) they looked as though my older daughter may have done them. Perhaps I should have passed them off as her handiwork to the glee of all the family, but I feared the disapproval of allowing a three year old to hold a sewing needle!

I am not one to give up and am convinced I can in fact create something wonderful for my girls and I am now about to make them some clothes. Not easy? Well, these Clothkits sewing kits are perfect for the less skilled or shall I say 'novice' and,  more eager creator.

Sessi is the girliest of girls so I'll be making her this gorgeous pinny:

Dove and Cherries pinny kit in pink £19

Clothkits at Sisters Guild

Oona is constantly climbing and scrambling, over, under and through everything so I think these may be preferential, besides I love the echo of 70's colour and it'll be a great addition to her winter wardrobe.

Emerald Green and Indigo Smiley Lion Dungarees kit £22

Clothkits at Sisters Guild

Each set contains all that you will need to create the pieces. They are designed to make it uber easy for the novice in all of us who wants to be able to make clothes.

If all goes well I will also be making these adorable, huggable, loveable matching dolls too.

 Dove and Cherries Doll Dress Kit £10

Clothkits at Sisters Guild 

The Clothkits revival is sure to impress our own mothers too, who'll perhaps remember making their own pieces for us when we were young. I've saved my favourite Clothkits dress I had as a child for Sessi, though she's still a little small for it I can't wait to pull it from my memory box to be worn again.

Both my mother and sister Bekka are in love with the illustrations of Rob Ryan so this kit designed by Rob Ryan for Clothkits will make a perfect gift for them to make their own creations.

 Rob Ryan House and Birds Papercut Design Kit by Clothkits £20

Clothkits at Sisters Guild

Perhaps I could make the bag to house this wonderful book by Carol Ann Duffy, 'Another Night Before Christmas' which is also illustrated by Rob Ryan.

 The kit can be used to make a bag or two cushions.

Another Night Before Christmas by Carol Ann Duffy illustrated by Rob Ryan £4.99 at Amazon  

Also featured on the fabulous ChicLittleBaby blog

Something I've been saving for the future is a pile of fabric I've been adding to ever since my girls were born. I have kept all my favourite pieces of clothing they have worn. Some that are just so incredibly beautiful and others simply because they hold so many memories; the top she was wearing when she took her first steps, her favourite blanket, the dress she wore all summer, the first babygrows she ever wore with the prettiest floral pattern.

When I have more time, if ever this miracle idea of a future with ample time does actually happen, I hope to make a patchwork blanket of all of these memories. Perhaps one for each of their first born.

So here's to an evening in a cosy chair, needle in hand and a head full of hope for my next creations!

Clothkits nostalgia

We rejoiced when we discovered a couple of years ago that Clothkits had been revived, got very excited to discover vintage kits and new kits by some of our favourite designers, and then rejoiced again when we were able to stock them in Sisters Guild.

And... yipeee the stock has arrived!

See the Sisters Guild boutique for more details

Clothkits was such a memorable part of our childhood.  Clothkits just off Union St in Bath was the place to shop for creative mums, and we have to admit now that our mum was pretty cool in her day (even though there was a phase when we refused to stand next to her at the school bus-stop due to her bright pink lace up boots - oh, how I wish she still had them!). I loved going to that shop, surrounded by fabrics , patterns and prints - a visual treat for my childs' eyes.  I'm going to have to do a whole new blog post about memories of Bath as a kid - Moles cafe, Harvest with it's big red play pen, Walcot Street festival - makes me want to move back there. That's Clothkits nostalgia for you!

The Clothkits clothes our mum created during late night sewing sessions on the old Singer machine were just beautiful, the most memorable being the corduroy dresses,  one red, one purple, with hand printed nature patterns.  All 3 of us sisters wore them in turn (yes, there's 3 of us sisters - our lovely Zoe, the oldest sis will surely be getting involved at some stage!)  Our little brother had lots of stripey bright Clothkits jumpers too - from the readymade collection.  A few dresses remain, and Carla's girls are next in line to wear them.

We feel Kay Mawer has brought Clothkits into the 21st Century so perfectly and taken it to a stunning new level by involving artists and designers such as Rob Ryan, Mini Moderns, Jane Foster and People will always need plates.  Now the new generation of mums who love to make stuff can get some creative satisfaction from making a Clothkits piece, and there'll be a whole new trunk of treasured things to hand down and share.

To discover the Clothkits collection pop along to the Sisters Guild boutique here

We are digging around for some old photos and will post them here as soon as we've dusted them off.

Here, I found some!

Please leave your own Clothkits memories here.