Our new exhibition opened today at the shop. Samples is a collection of stories about fabric, collected from people in Hackney and Newham, told through sound, text and images.
Samples; stories about textiles and people by Jessica Plant
Samples aims to explore the textile objects we hold onto and reveal the stories and meaning they carry. Jessica put together a book, along with a sound montage and a series of images, which aims to bring these stories and communities together. Featured stories were collected from members of the community at workshops, which took place at local venues including; Hackney Museum, Rosetta Arts and The View Tube.
Samples; stories about textiles and people by Jessica PlantSamples; stories about textiles and people by Jessica PlantMade-to-Measure, Dogtooth Suit, 2011
Samples was devised by Jessica Plant as part of an MA Arts and Design by Independent Project at the University of Brighton in 2012. Jessica has also made a series of designs inspired by the Samples project; these limited edition prints, postcards and textile images will be available to purchase throughout the exhibition. The exhibition continues until Sunday 3rd November 2013.
Here are a few images from the preview:
Samples; stories about textiles and people by Jessica Plant
Wowser! This is one doorstopper of a pulled pork sandwich and I’m very pleased to say it’s also delicious! I’ve just popped in to Lazy Social, our new neighbours at 101 Stoke Newington High Street, to see how it’s all going on their first day.
The cakes look amazing! (I think I may be back to sample those later) And for coffee fiends, it will be important to know that Workshop Coffee is the brand of choice.
Lazy Social is a big woody space, kitted out with large comfy sofas and rows of old school desks. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and inclusive, and Mums and Dads are very welcome. There’s plenty of room to swing your buggy or your bicycle. Lazy Social is certainly the first cafe I know to provide an indoor bike rack! A couple of the walls have been stamped with vast, bright graffiti and the front of the counter is filled with over-sized, primary coloured lego bricks. There are plenty of these for the kids to play with too.
I’m amazed by how quickly this place has been turned around. When owner Carl introduced himself just a few weeks ago and told me when they were planning to open the first week of October I was quietly thinking he’d given himself a pretty tall ask. But here they are open, almost bang on schedule!
Of Cabbages & Kings has taken over one of Lazy Social’s walls as an extended exhibition area. At the moment we have on show very bold, black and white images by One Must Dash, coupled with Jack Ramsay’s detailed and comical illustrations of city living. We hope you enjoy it!
And here are the final images! Just in case any of you were wondering, this is what the bricks and mortar shop looks like. Get ready for a guided tour!
Contemporary fine art printsGifts, jewellery, stationery, homewaresThe shop floor
We share our space at Of Cabbages & Kings with Knit with attitude, specialists in eco-friendly and fairtrade yarn, hence all the beautiful brightly coloured wool to the right.
Workshop area
This is our workshop area to the back or the shop. We hold all sorts of beginner and intermediate classes. Check out the website for details: Workshops
Yarn bombed, granny square, crochet counter
This is another photo of the crocheted granny square counter that Maya and I spent so many hours constructing. Our ‘floating box’.
Things are all a bit topsy turvy today as we’ve employed local photographer Leah Band to come and take some professional pics of the shop. We’ve finally finished the crochet for the counter so now seemed like the right time for the job. It’s little strange as the lights are off (I hope no-one thinks we’re closed!). Here are a few photos of our lady in action.
Leah Band PhotographyLeah Band PhotographyLeah Band Photography
Over the weekend we had some new jewellery designs by Alice Bosc arrive on our shelves. Alice’s geometric statement necklaces by designer Alice Bosc have taken from the patterns of Navajo folk art, so I thought I’d take a closer look at some Navajo Indian craft just to get a bit of background to the pieces.
The Navajo, the largest federally recognised tribe in The United States of America, are famed for their weaving. I stumbled across this short film of elderly Navajo Clara Sherman carding and spinning. She was one truly skilled lady!
A new exhibition went up in the shop over the weekend and I’m very excited to let you know all about it.There’s an element of the outside coming in here as there’s a few immediately recognisable local street scenes from the surrounding East End.
Marc has put together a series of Limited Edition Prints concentrating on the city’s decaying and unique architecture. They capture the singular beauty to be found in those neglected buildings that have fallen into disrepair as the living city of London continues to evolve around them.
“I had always set out to paint the city I knew and which is close to my heart. Avoiding the repetitiveness of London’s landmarks depicted in many paintings my aim was to capture an alternative view of the city. As much as I love the monumental buildings that create our skyline, it was the side streets and alleyways that seemed to hold a mystery for me.
I love the freedom of the city, getting lost in the crowds. It can be claustrophobic yet there’s also the feeling of loneliness and isolation.It’s these feelings that allow you to create your own world within the city.The atmosphere can change according to weather, season and the time of day, which makes it the perfect subject to paint. It can be the drama of sunlight hitting a window or the glow of a street lamp or chimney tops against an unsettling sky.
I began to explore the East London streets discovering something magical and new each time. I saw the street corners in a different light, almost appearing as cinematic compositions. I was able to visualise them from reality to canvas.”
Fashion Street by Marc Gooderham
As the face of London changes overnight, it’s apparent that these views of the city, the architecture of crumbling and faded grandeur are beginning to vanish before our eyes. Desolate buildings, with their peeling paint, numberless front doors, and glimpses into empty rooms through uncurtained windows invite contemplation – of the lives once lived here, and the new lives that continue to do so.
The Music Maker by Marc Gooderham
The Music Maker illustrates the facade of the famous Wilton’s Music Hall, an example of London’s decaying and unique architecture, beautiful and decorative buildings that appear desolate, living on amidst an ever-evolving city. The layers of paint applied to Wilton’s exterior over the years chime with the generations of Londoners ushered through her doors to enjoy music, variety and spectacle. Even if you’ve ever passed the building you can imagine the revelry and cabaret emanating from within. Though paint may fade, Wilton’s Music Hall remains one of the most colourful places in the East End.
It’s been a long time coming, but today we finally finished the counter. Hurray!!! A contemporary take on the good old granny square. We were aiming for a floating box effect and I think that’s what we’ve achieved. The colours are rather stone-like, however it’s incredibly soft to touch as it’s constructed from Ushya, which is a chunky merino wool. Also, as the wool is only temporarily fixed, we’re free to change the look as we wish.
Go on a journey of self discovery with these absolutely incredible Titanium Quartz pendants.
Titanium Quartz, also known as Rainbow Aura Quartz, is the perfect stone for the mind. It is said to centre scattered emotions and aid clarity of thought, clearing unnecessary thoughts and helping you discover your life path.
We also tend to think that these pendants look a little bit like the far flung reaches of the universe. What better way to expand your horizons!
Just a short note to mention Bloglovin is a great way to keep track of your favourite blogs, and if you decide to follow the Of Cabbages & Kings blog it is a great way to get updated every time a new post is published.
It’s that time of year when baking fever takes over the country. A new series of the Great British Bake Off began this week and we’ve got two new oven glove designs to jazz up your kitchen and aid you in your quest to create the perfect Victoria Sponge!
‘Rock Cake’ Double Oven Glove
Baking is the new rock ‘n’ roll (apparently), so we’ve come up with the ultimate rockin’ oven glove; a recipe of classic bands combined with dodgy baking puns, all in tattoo form.
Think ‘Bread Zeppelin’, ‘Rolling Scones’, ‘Tofu Fighters’, and 17 more ‘hilarious’ band puns, all inked onto a double oven glove. The perfect piece of kit for your next jam (making) session.
‘Licence To Grill’ Single Oven Mitt
Yes, yes, y’all! Unleash yo inner gangster rapper whilst grillin’ with this bling inspired mitt. Complete with knuckle dusters and diamond encrusted watch prints. Word.
3 colour double sided print, with metallic gold detailing.
ofcabbagesandkings 