Once Upon a Week - New Beginnings

This week has been a week of new beginnings. Sophia returned to school, starting year 1 and Oona has begun her mornings at the local Montessori, following in the footsteps of her big sister.
It has been an emotional week with conflicting feelings of excitement and pride intermingled with a sadness for having to let go of our summer together and evenings are spent reflecting whilst sewing labels into their uniform.

A fresh breeze has blown the Autumn collection into the boutique and as each new collection arrives bringing their winter coats and hushed autumnal tones I am reminded of the changing seasons and the chilly days ahead.

Summer clothes are slowly being put away, not returning to their place in the wardrobes after their spin in the wash but rather set aside to be handed down. Seen again when the summer returns.

Now after its first days of its new beginning is over there is a sense of calm and excitement for all that lies ahead. New friendships, afternoons spent kicking the fallen leaves as we walk home through the park, hot chocolate upon coming home and sharing our days as we eat our warm wintry food sitting at the table together.

I feel ready.

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This is the first in a new series where we give you an insight into the lives and times behind the scenes of Sisters Guild.

We also publish other series in our blog including our Monday Makery, Tuesday brings the closing of our series 'The  Story Behind Our Collections' inviting you to take a closer look at the designers we house and the beginning of a new series 'Tell Us Its Tuesday'.  Wednesday we show you our favourite seasonal pieces and Thursdays is dedicated to the 'Art of Living' in which we share ideas and inspiration from places to visit, things to see and articles about things that enrich our lives.


www.sistersguild.co.uk

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

Wednesday Woo: Waddler

Reversible Wolf & Bear Jumper by Waddler £65, Red Patch Jumper by Waddler £48, Tomatillo Romper in Robin Egg Blue by Waddler £30, Pierrot Jumpet by Waddler £40, Mouse Mitten Overalls by Waddler £60, Bombachos in Oatmeal by Waddler £42, Hooded Baby Bag by Waddler £60, Wolf Suit by Waddler £65, Blueberry Baby Dress £40

Waddler is like a legend - of a place where children run free in nature, become bears or wolves, any animal they choose, they romp and play and let their imaginations soar.  Yet it's not really a legend, it's a true story of a creative family who adventured to South America, discovered freedom for their children and dreamt up a beautiful alpaca clothing collection.  The inspiring couple behind the collection is Marina Scrymgeour and Philip Thompson who bring us something incredible and unique: ethically made clothing in alpaca wool in playful designs that reflect the fun and adventure of childhood.

Waddler really does express the wonder and the wide-eyed possibilities of being a child and embracing the world.  Waddler is a celebration of a joyous time.

We are so happy to share such a stand-out and beautiful collection in our online boutique.

Step in and discover Waddler here

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This is part of our Wednesday Woo blog post series where we present a selection of our favourite things from the Sisters Guild Boutique.

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

The Art of Living posts bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Sign up for future news & offers:

Tell Us it's Tuesday: Peggy of Paul et Paula

This week we present you with Peggy, a fabulous blogger & mama from Amsterdam (via Berlin, Paris & London). Peggy not only blogs about childrens design & family lifestyle on Paul et Paula, she is also a photographer AND designs and makes beautiful things for her own shop.  We were intrigued to find out more about this talented lady.  Here she reveals her love of the rooftops of Paris and that Life is like a feast....

Peggy at 2 years old

On waking the first 3 things I do are…think what time is it and how can I extend bed time a tiny bit, not successful in like 97% of my attempts as kids got the energy jab just right after they were born and the first years this means: I am awake, I am busy, I am 200%.... this fades with the years it seems…. But hallelujah… it takes some time…

Checking the weather, which is just a glimpse out the window as we sleep under the roof!

Switching on my phone and checking e mails…. Oh yes, call me an addict, that is fine!

If I had a superpower it would be…. sentencing people who abuse children (in any possible way) because I feel that they get away too easily and “too short”.

If I could trade places for a day with someone it would be… Kate Moss, to see if skinny really feels better than any food, I think I know the answer but let me prove it!

If someone wrote a story about me the title would be… Peggy in Wonderland

When I was seven years old…I was already addicted to Nutella and would NO WAY accept a different chocolate spread.

If you open my fridge you will see…. face cream because that is where I store mine, I love the fresh feeling it gives! 

My favourite view is…  the rooftops of Paris!

 

The 3 things I will tell my children are… be yourself, be happy and enjoy what you do.

The song or musical piece for the theme tune of my life is… Sterephonics/ Maybe tomorrow -  And I love that video… !

(this was the hardest question really, I love music and a couple of songs came into my mind. Some I was a bit afraid you might think I am depressive or something and I am not …. Or how would you like Life of Agony/ Let’s pretend… it is one of my favourite songs of all time)

I used to be… a “no cheese and tomatoes for me” person, I still do not like tomatoes but I LOVE cheese, thank god my taste changed because cheese can be so delicious…hmmm ….

My biggest guilty pleasures are… Haaegen Dasz, dark chocolate and online shopping! 

My wardrobe is… very dark…

Never have I ever… had a cup of coffee in my life… 

My kids taught me… patience and joy for the little things.

Life is like a… feast! Lots of appetizers to start with and have fun, splendid main courses with only the best you can get and an awesome desert to top it all!

My earliest memory is…. Strolling through the woods with my grandpa.

My underwear drawer … ui, needs a refreshment… and it is on the list. The day I stop breastfeeding and kick my BF bras I will go and have fun in the underwear department… that is so sure! Want to join? Would love to take a fun gal with me….

I feel like running for the hills when….  I am asked if I like beer and sausages…. (because of my German roots)

On my teenage bedroom wall there was… Andre Agassi and Depeche Mode!

My ideal partner would have the mind of /  skills of  / body of… my husband! He is perfect… for me!!!

Thank you Peggy.  So great to find out more about you - you sure do know how to live and love!
Yes, new underwear shopping, I need a date for that, as long as it involves a really good lunch too.  See you soon x

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This is part of our new series of Tuesday blog posts where we ask you to tell us all. We wanted a fun way way to get to know the people behind the blogs and businesses we follow.  We have more people lined up to reveal themselves and may be asking you too!

We also publish other series in our blog including our Monday Makery,  Wednesday we show you our favourite seasonal pieces and Thursdays is dedicated to the 'Art of Living' in which we share ideas and inspiration from places to visit, things to see and articles about things that enrich our lives.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Monday Makery - An Invitation to the Land of Dreams

Children love being able to assert themselves and being able to keep independent; doing things by themselves, taking care with their own things and learning the routine of the day gives them a sense of achievement and confidence. Though occasionally there are times when they need a little help and persuasion.
Perhaps like most mums I find there is a particular part of the day that seems to need the most persuasion. It's the part I sometimes find the most difficult and yet when we do it well it is perhaps the most satisfying part - bedtime!

Bedtime; the bath, the pyjamas, the story and then that which should be the gentle stillness of the end of the day can sometimes end up the most chaotic.
Though this is no cure for the chaos and the chorus of 'but I'm not tired!' and 'Can I have five more minutes?' come the bedtime hour this may turn bedtime into something different; with a gift of sleep wrapped in an envelope and alongside a favourite bedtime story. It's a delightful bedtime recipe and a routine that has been invited into our home with a tired eyed bedtime enthusiasm. There is suddenly a calm theatre to the evening, a magical end to the day.

Here we make invitations to the land of dreams. A fabric envelope personalised with a childs name, a place to keep the ingrediants for sleep; pyjamas and a good book. Its easy to make and so utterly satisfying. Both my girls love them and each night they find a book inside which turns bedtime into a beautiful story discovering time....they love opening up the envelope to discover their pyjamas and book and settling down placing the envelope at the foot of the bed ready for the next nights invitation and discovery is such a pleasure for them.....and myself too!

Here's what you'll need:

• paper, pencil and ruler - to create the template
• scissors
• 2 large pieces of fabric 
• a button
• embroidery thread
• fabric scraps, ric rac and whatever decorative pieces you might like to include

Here's how:

1. Use the template picture above to draw your template onto paper. I used sticky tape to stick four pieces of paper together to get the right size then drew on the measurements.
2. Pin you template to your chosen fabric and draw and cut around. Repeat for your second piece of fabric. I chose a thick natural linen for the outer sleeve and then a striking contrast pink for the lining.
3. Now you'll need to give both pieces of fabric their envelope shape. Take one of the pieces of fabric and fold up the bottom to create the pouch, right sides facing so it appears inside out or rather the wrong way round. Pin the edges of either side together ready to sew (see picture 1 & 2). Then sew along each side to seal the edges.
4. Follow the same process for the second piece of fabric.
5. You'll now have two separate pieces which are starting to take their shape and its time to piece the two together. Take your outer fabric envelope and turn right side out. Then place the envelope into the inner fabric pouch (see picture 4). 
6. use pins to tack the two layers together along both the bottom lipped curve and the upper flap used to close the envelope. You will need to leave a gap of 3-4 inches along one of the straight sides to give yourself a hole to turn the fabric right side out. 
7. Now sew along your pinned seams. Don't forget your turning space.
8. Using the space in the opening turn the fabric right side out. This looks a little odd but rest assured it will all make sense...... just keep following these steps, its nearly finished.
9. Lie the fabric flat onto your surface with the inner lining facing upwards. You will see there is a flap at the end where the two pouches are separated. Place your inner lining fabric into the outer lining pouch. You can use a chopstick or the end of a pencil to push the corners into each other. 
10. Finish off the envelope by sewing along the 'turning space' - the gap left for turning the fabric inside out and the right way round, and voila! A beautiful fabric envelope.

Now for the button:

1. decide where your button will go and mark with a pencil. Make a slit on the flap of the fabric envelope and sew along each new edge of the hole. 
2. sew the button onto to the pouch side of the envelope making sure it lines up with your button hole.

You could sew on a popper if you prefer or perhaps if your children may find a button a bit tricky you could sew velcro for the seal. Velcro would give it that same feeling of opening a real envelope.

Decorating the envelope:

You can use scraps of fabric to create a stamp and ric-rac makes a beautiful wavy line for the post mark. I wanted the fabric envelope to be addressed personally so I 'embroidered' an 'S' for Sessi - I use the term loosely as its just a simple running stitch with embroidery thread. You can elaborate as much as you like with buttons and sequins and whatever you can imagine. Take care in deciding what you'd like to add if you intend on your fabric envelope being machine washable. 

These fabric envelopes make wonderful and unique ways of giving gifts too. You can alter the size of the template to make the envelopes larger or smaller depending on what it is you'd like to place inside. The decorations can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, perhaps writing an address on the front: 'climb the stairs, under the pillow, land of dreams.', or sewing on  a sillouette cut from fabric for the stamp. You could make them quite surreal and dream-like with patterns and colours reminiscent of childlike dreams. There are so many possibilities.... an invitation for your imagination.

Enveloped sleep!

We hope you enjoy making your own invitations for the land of dreams. We'd love to see some pictures if you do.

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We have more Monday Makery craft & recipe ideas here.

If you would like to share some ideas as a guest blogger on the Monday Makery we would be very excited to hear from you. Use the contact form on our main website here.

For behind the scenes photos of Sisters Guild we have the gallery of the A-Z of Sisters Guild here.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

An A-Z of Sisters Guild - Z

....................................A Zillion  Kisses

We couldn't or wouldn't let our A-Z of Sisters Guild go by without a big, huge, gigantic, massive, enormous, humongous  vast, and monumental thank you to all of you wonderful, inspiring, brilliant, encouraging, thoughtful and hilarious people who have kept us going on our adventure this past 11 months with all your commentary and chatter spaced within its 140 character allowance. We couldn't nor would we have wished to have done it without you:

line 1:
@thatkat, @nataliemlue, @bambinogoodies, @babystylefile, @babyccinokids, @ChicLittleBaby,@loveitiloveit, @OlliElla, @pauletpaula, @shak_shuka,
line 2:
@TheWickedMama, @LaPetiteMag, @damselflye, @sweetknittwit, @RedTedArt, @LettieBelle, @Hucklebones, @lucydavies, @violetposy, @supernatbblack,
line 3:
@poppyvalentine, @reddskingyal, @urbanmumslondon, @hello_madeinme, @molly_meg, @poppynorton, @mumrablog, @zoesee, @ScandinavianMum, @belleandboo,
line 4:
@lattesandjuice, @babyjungleblog, @the_landofme, @nurturestore, @bobochoses, @PirouetteBlog,  @petitapetitblog @mama_magazine @AnorakMagazine, @babieKinsMag,
line 5:
@FLUKE_Kids, @mini_mcghee, @waddlerclothing, @ilovegorgeousuk, @thisismarmite, @sissyandmarley, @BabyBoltholes, @mydaddycooks, @TootsaMacGinty, @SuperAmazingMum
line 6:
@becaboop, @lottiefrank, @serendipitySt, @MaverickBaby @angelsurchins, @petitecokids, @ebabeelikes, @plus2point4, @JuniorMagazine, @littlestylebook,
line 7:
@lovedbyparents, @makedomum, @mummytips, @missielizzieb, @chloeowens, @orkneycampers , @zidzidkids, @twobecomefour, @BBCWomansHour, @paumes
line 8:
@itscloudcuckoo, @StAnnsWellHove, @kenziepoo, @adenandanais, @AllAbroadBaby, @BloesemBlog, @chldfriendlybtn, ,  @BathBabyShow,  @theTWMum,  @smilinglikesuns
line 9:
@coosandahhs, @lmnopmagazine , @AstridCarter , @menschenskind08 ,  @lilmagoolie , @mamagreen,  @ohdeedoh ,@kateagreen ,  @lollibopUK, @RICE_dk

Because you give a little love and it all comes back to you.

xx

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This is the last in the series of our 'An A-Z of Sisters Guild published every Friday. See also A is for adventure, B is for bedtime, C is for colour, D is for discovery, E is for exuberance, F is for Feminine, G is for glorious, H is for home , I is for imaginative , J is for Joie de Vivre, K is for kin  ,L is for Love , M is for Maternal , N is for Nurture  O is for Oneiric , P is for Play , Q is for Quirky , R is for Restful, , S is for Style, T is for Twitter, U is for Unique ,V is for Vide ,W is for Wonder, X is for Xanadu and Y is for Yesteryear.

We also publish other series in our blog including our Monday Makery, Tuesday brings 'The  Story Behind Our Collections' inviting you to take a closer look at the designers we house and why we chose them for the Sisters Guild boutique.  Wednesday we show you our favourite seasonal pieces and Thursdays is dedicated to the 'Art of Living' in which we share ideas and inspiration from places to visit, things to see and articles about things that enrich our lives.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

The Art of Living: Vintage Brighton

The collection of Paumes books in the Sisters Guild Boutique includes the title London Vintage which I recently had a peek at and it got me thinking about Brighton and all the Vintage spots around the North Laines.  The North Laines are a visual treat for browsing and discovering unusual bits and pieces.

My passion for vintage started young as we grew up in the countryside oustide Bath and when we went into the city we were drawn into the Antiques markets.  Carla & I both had a fascination with old linens and textiles from quite a young age and Carla had an amazing collection of vintage gloves and bags.  Later on came the furniture and our vintage love affair still continues to this day.  Even though there's no more room in my home for furniture there's always a shelf that can carry a small object, or room in a drawer for some antique napkins!

I sometimes have those rare Saturdays when I'm child-free and I can skip around Brighton.  That means I get to browse my favourite shops and takes some pics too! 

The North Laines in Brighton is an area full of so many unique and independent shops. I really hope it stays that way.  It's the reason why I love Brighton and why so many people enjoy visiting.

Kate & Aud, Trafalgar Street, Brighton facebook.com/kateandaud 

Dinky Vintage, Sydney St, Brighton dinkyvintage.com

Hope & Harlequin, Sydney Street, Brighton hopeandharlequin.com

Wolf & Gypsy, Trafalgar Street, Brighton wolfandgypsyvintage.co.uk

Pigeon, Pelham Street (off Trafalgar St), Brighton pigeonvintage.co.uk

Enjoy discovering these Brighton Vintage gems when you come to visit!

And don't forget Snoopers Paradise for all sorts of treasures:

Snoopers Paradise, Kensington Gardens, Brighton.  Image courtesy of uniquebrighton.com

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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

Wednesday Woo: ilovegorgeous AW11

For the Autumn Winter season we are so delighted that ilovegorgeous have created a range of  luxurious cashmere pieces for babies.  So soft and beautiful, these are baby pieces to treasure.


Ideal baby gifts in cashmere/cotton blend:

Butterfly Babygrow by ilovegorgeous, £82
Baby Mittens by ilovegorgeous, £26 
Baby Booties by ilovegorgeous, £48
Harem Trousers by ilovegorgeous, £52 
Angel Wings Jumper by ilovegorgeous, £74


Discover the baby dressing room at the Sisters Guild Boutique here

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This is part of our Wednesday Woo blog post series where we present a selection of our favourite things from the Sisters Guild Boutique.

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

The Art of Living posts bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Sign up for future news & offers:

The Story Behind our Collections: Japanese Paper Balloons from Petra Boase

When we wanted to bring something sweet and fun and ultimately decorative into the Sisters Guild Boutique, we turned to Petra Boase.  From Petra we were able to source the Japanese Paper Balloons that have been charming us for a few years now.

Petra Boase is well known for her beautiful greetings cards and gifts (some of which we shall be adding to the boutique for Christmas, so do look out!). Petra established her design range in the year 2000 with collage style hand-made greetings cards inspired by her knowledge and passion for textiles - having graduated from Manchester with a Textiles degree.  Petra has since expanded her collection, seen it spread across the globe, collaborated on many books , at the same time as raising a family of 3 children in Norfolk.  She's certainly an inspiring designer, business-woman and mama! AND she has a very stylish home too!

Petra Boase must've been as charmed as us when she first discovered the Japanese Paper Balloons and decided to make them a part of the Petra Boase collection - we are glad she did as they are not that easy to get hold of.  Apparently production in Japan is quite limited now even though thay are a very common plaything for Japanese children.

So, where did they originate?  I can find 2 stories:

One source says they were developed in the 1890's:  Kamifusen emerged as an alternative to the rubber balloon. They were created by the wives of fishermen during the winter season with handmade paper, with the toy then catching the attention of Japanese manufacturers in the early 1920's. They are traditionally used in the Kamifusen game, where you blow air in the paper balloon and keep the multicolored Kamifusen afloat by hitting them with your hand. A simple game that is still played today.

Another source traces them back further to the beginning of the Yedo period (1603 - 1867), when kami-fusen were made by masterless samurai as their side job.

As well as playthings they are beautiful as interior decoration, and not limited to any room, they can be everywhere!  You can choose to have them up permanently or just for parties - speaking of which, they make a great party bag goodie.

They come in many different animal designs. Made from bright, crisp environmental paper, each balloon comes flat and you simply blow in the hole to make the balloon expand.  The balloons can be flattened and blown up over and over again.  To hang the best tip is to thread a piece of cotton through the top and hang with a pin or white-tack.  You can make a lovely arrangement of your favourite characters:

Discover the Japanese Paper Balloons here, from £2.25

Sign up to find out about new collections and future offers:

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This is part of our series of blogs where we share the story behind our collections; because the collections and their creators mean so much to us here at Sisters Guild we want to pass the story on.

We bring a new blog each day; other series of blogs include our 'Monday Makery' with ideas and 'how to's'  to make and bake with all the family, Wednesday we woo you with our favourite pieces from the boutique and its new arrivals, Thursday is all about the art of living; discovering places and sharing new treasures and Friday we bring you the 'A-Z of Sisters Guild' a collection of pictures that convey the life behind the boutique

You can Follow us on Twitter here ,like us on Facebook here and visit our rather marvellous boutique here

Monday Makery - Hula Hoop Rag Rug

What do you get if you cross a hula hoop with a pile of T-shirts? A wonderful rag rug of course!
We have lots of wooden floors in our house and "not enough rugs" apparently! Whilst I've wanted to teach my eldest daughter to knit I feel that she is just a little too young and that perhaps the effort and concentration required doesn't quite match the time it takes to create a result. So we've been weaving in the garden, making  rugs. The skills needed are easily learned with a motion of 'over and under' or 'through the door' and its utterly appealing to young children. It takes only a few hours to complete and children will get completely absorbed in their world of weaving.

Here's what you'll need:

• A large hula hoop - the one we used here had a 32" diameter
• 8-10 large T-shirts - I found a size 16 womens t- shirt or a mans XL worked perfectly. 
• scissors

Here's how:

1. Begin by cutting your weaving materials. You'll need to cut your T's across their width. Cut off the hems and discard. Then cut your T's with 1 inch strips; each creating looped fabric, cutting horizontally across the T-shirt.
2. Now lets make the warp. The warp is the skeletal part of the weave, it's the frame which you then use your 'weft' to weave around. It's simple; take 11 of the loops cut from the fabric and stretch the first one across the hoop. Then take a second piece and stretch across perpendicular to the first, creating a cross shape. Continue until all 11 loops are stretched around the hoop.
3. Push together two of the loops to create a single warp. This is needed to create your odd number of warps. In order to create the weave you will need the odd number to alternate each row of your weft. over, under, over under.
4. Now lets get weaving. Take your first 'weft' (your fabric loop) and wrap it around the centre of one of the warps (fabric spokes), thread it through its end loop and pull through. 
5. Weave over and under each warp spoke around in a circle making sure it fits quite snug. For the initial part of making this rug you'll need to use each warp loop as single warp spokes. 
6. When you reach the end of your piece of weft loop through another piece: threading it through the last weft and then back through itself. Continue weaving over and under making each circle snug but not tight. If you weave the fabric too tight as you go it may cause lumps and curves when in fact you need it to sit flat once you've finished.
7. When the rug has roughly 14 circles around it or is 8-10 inches across you can start using each warp (the base spokes) as individual warps. When you get to the double warp (the two you pushed together at the beginning) separate them and use one warp as two individual warps like the others and keep the other of the two as one single warp. This keeps the odd number you need to give the weave its alternate rows. To help you remember you can tie a coloured piece of fabric above the 'special' warp that is used as a single spoke. 
8. When your rug reaches the size you want it to be but no closer to the hoop than 4 inches its time to tie off the final weave. To do this simply cut the end and tie them around their nearest warp spoke.
9. Then cut each warp off the hoop one at a time tying the ends in their pairs against rug.
10. You can trim them down closer to the rug to create a fringe or tuck them into the rug altogether. We left the ties quite long as we liked the tasseled look, but also because Sessi liked to use them to illustrate to everyone how she made the rug 

If you wanted to make a larger rug you could of course try finding a larger hoop to use, though I can imagine, having made lots of these rugs, how beautiful they would be sewn together to create a larger piece. There would of course be gaps where the circles don't reach the whole way round but I think the effect would be beautiful.

Sessi has asked if we can now make a tall long rectangular rug and so I think having learned the basic technique here we will embark on a new one. To make the rectangular one we will take two pieces of bamboo and wrap warps vertically from one piece of bamboo down to the other, then make our rug by weaving horizontally across the vertical warp, tying each at the side to hold it in place.

We hope you have fun making your own beautiful rugs. They make such wonderful splashes of colour to add to a childs room, or used as mats for sitting and playing. As they're easily machine washable you can take them into the garden and off to the park for picnics too, easily carried in children's own little backpacks.

The fabric for these rugs can be found in daddy's drawers - do ask permission before taking any of his clothes! Alternatively - as we did, you can raid the charity shops, then, searching for your colours will be much more fun, plus your helping a good cause too! To make sure you find the right size take a fabric tape measure with you and stretch each one you find to make sure it will go over your hula hoop.
One T-shirt gave us more than the 11 loops needed for the warp, and though we found all our t-shirts in the same size it doesn't matter too much how big each loop for weaving as long as you have the correct size for making the skeletal frame around the hoop.

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Alongside our boutique we publish a series of blogs, each day bringing a new theme; our Monday Makery craft and recipe ideas can be found here, Tuesday tell's 'the story behind our collections'  , Wednesday brings you a preview and a peek into our boutique with our 'Wednesday Woo', Thursday treats us with 'the art of living' where you can pop by to discover places to go, chance upon things to do, and come across inspiration for family life, Friday is a playful portrayal of 'an A-Z of Sisters Guild',  and we've got 2 new series of blogs coming soon!

If you would like to share some ideas as a guest blogger on the Monday Makery we would be very excited to hear from you. Use the contact form on our main website here.


www.sistersguild.co.uk

Quick Quick Last Days Of Sale

Quick! Quick! As fast as you can......

It's the final days of our big sale and to finish it off we're giving all you blog lovers, followers of Sisters Guild, and savvy shoppers.......... an extra 10% off in our clothing sale and the decor sale too.

Catch it while you can.......'QUICK'

before its 'going'....

.......going

......'gone'!

Enter the word QUICK at checkout and get your extra 10% off the clothing sale
Enter QUICKER for 10% off the decor sale

Oh and be sure to get there before I do ..... I've got my eye on some pieces too....

Sisters Guild clothing sale here

Sisters Guild decor sale here

The Big Sale 

Sale ends Monday 29th August 2011

An A-Z of Sisters Guild: Y

yes·ter·year  (ystr-yîr)
n.
1. The year before the present year.
2. Time past; yore.

Formal or literary
n
last year or the past in general
adv
during last year or the past in general

Origin:
yester-  + year;  apparently introduced by D.G. Rossetti (1870) to render Middle French antan  (Villon) 

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This is part of our 'An A-Z of Sisters Guild published every Friday. See also A is for adventure, B is for bedtime, C is for colour, D is for discovery, E is for exuberance, F is for Feminine, G is for glorious, H is for home , I is for imaginative , J is for Joie de Vivre, K is for kin  ,L is for Love , M is for Maternal , N is for Nurture  O is for Oneiric , P is for Play , Q is for Quirky , R is for Restful, , S is for Style, T is for Twitter
, U is for Unique ,V is for Vide ,W is for Wonderand X is for Xanadu

We also publish other series in our blog including our Monday Makery, Tuesday brings 'The  Story Behind Our Collections' inviting you to take a closer look at the designers we house and why we chose them for the Sisters Guild boutique.  Wednesday we show you our favourite seasonal pieces and Thursdays is dedicated to the 'Art of Living' in which we share ideas and inspiration from places to visit, things to see and articles about things that enrich our lives.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

The Art of Living: last of summer days in London

The National Theatre Square is alive with theatre, fire, circus, juggling, music, dance and street performance for the annual WATCH THIS SPACE free festival of outdoor entertainment for the summer - another reminder of what makes London so special and why we love the Southbank. And there's plenty happening this August bank holiday weekend!

image courtesy of TIME OUT - go to website for listings & info here

The Alternative Village Fete sounds like our cup of tea (and there has to be tea and cake!): a riotous Bank Holiday weekend of unconventional artists, cunning craftmakers and alternative produce stalls in a modern urban take on the traditional village fête in the concrete jungle.

image courtsey of www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Friday night is the Big Sleepover - it's now sold out, but what a great idea: Theatre Square becomes a giant inner-city campsite for The Big Sleepover. As the campfire blazes and the barbecue crackles, join us to roast marshmallows, have a singsong and tell spooky stories. Then, for a very limited number, there will be the chance to spend the night under canvas on the South Bank; you’ll need to bring a sleeping bag and warm clothes; adventerous kids (age 7+) are welcome in the family sleeping area. You’ll make your own eggcup, fired in a kiln overnight, ready for breakfast. 
If I was a 7 year old I would be so excited to be doing this, though it's not so easy to crawl back to your own bed in the middle of the night when you get the heebie-jeebies, like we always did when we camped out in the back garden!

image courtsey of www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

WATCH THIS SPACE runs until September 11th, so it gives us some more time to make the most of the rest of the summer holidays before back to school!

It's worth knowing that the Society of London Producers have declared August 12 to September 4 to be Kids Week in the West End: children aged between five and 16 go free to participating theatre shows when accompanied by an adult paying full price. Read more here... 

The Tiger who Came to Tea, recently reviewed as 'thoroughly enchanting and enjoyable! by Nat at Bambino Goodies, is part of the Kids Week event, so go grab some tickets!

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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

Wednesday Woo: Back to nature for AW11 with Little Duckling

The Little Duckling collection for Autumn Winter 2011-2012 is full of beautiful, deep and  hushed tones:  blues, greys, warm browns, old rose and cream.  In some wonderful fabrics of warm jersery, babycord, cotton, poplin and denim, chosen carefully by Rosa with style, comfort and movement as well as practicality in mind.

As ever with Little Duckling there is a touch of 70's vintage, which we love.  It harks back to our childhood days where clothes were beautifully tailored but long-lasting too, made to hand down to younger siblings and beyond. Clothes made with longeivity in mind is something we are very passionate about at Sisters Guild, expecially if they are clothes that have been made with that extra thought and attention to detail - something that is so evident in Little Duckling.

The inspiration for the collection is Nature and this can be seen in the signature print for the autumn and winter season, the leaf print in blue and brown, like fallen leaves on a forest floor, along with toadstools and deer images which add a folk element to the collection.  It is true that Little Duckling blends the best from English and Scandinavian design - the designer Rosa is from Denmark and has settled with her family in the UK, so she cannot deny the 2 different influences!

The denim and cord pieces of the Little Duckling AW11 collection are some of our favourities.  Rosa has chosen a dark indigo denim for the jeans and dungarees and a dusty blue and grey soft cord for the dungarees, dresses, trousers and shirt. The Dusty Blue is a really beautiful colour for both boys and girls, with the baby dungarees being a must-have piece of the season if you have a young romper in the family!

The girls dresses have a vintage appeal and are definitely for girls who are feminine yet like to play.  The dresses have delicate detail with contrast piping, hearts and bows. Rosa really knows how to design a garment with thought and style - with delicate detail that can be appreciated by the child who wears it too, such as the pockets, the fullness of the skirt or the fine finish of the cuff.  This detail is what makes the collection stand out.

We hope you enjoy discovering the Little Duckling AW11 collection and finding pieces for your children to see them through the colder months with warmth and style!

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This is part of our Wednesday Woo blog post series where we present a selection of our favourite things from the Sisters Guild Boutique.

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

The Art of Living posts bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas.

www.sistersguild.co.uk

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