The Tea Party

Last weeks tea party was wonderful, we managed to haul 24 deckchairs from the Forbury to make up the numbers of seating already borrowed from Picnic and our own chairs, bake an excessively large number of cakes, lay out the china, stroke yarn hand dyed locally by Skein Queen, see the first prints of the new book, Vintage Gifts to Knit by Susan Crawford, marvel at Felix‘s marvellous Tea Museum, try on Emma Bradbury‘s new pieces and scatter Patchwork Butterfly‘s cushions around.

For those who missed it, here in pictures is a brief run through of our evening.

Tea Museum being created

Even Councillors love a cup of tea and cake

Thank you to all the Outcasts, you made a fab evening, baking, leaflet designing, serving teas and a special thanks has to go to Melanie Nabarro who organised the event and was the hostess with the mostess. Thank you as well to everyone who came, we made quite a bit of money for Amnesty from donations for cups of tea.

The excitement has not ended there though as the big news (other then that we are working with them in September) is that Jacksons is now stocking A Stitch in Time Vol 1 and Vintage Gifts to Knit both by Susan Crawford. Pop in and have a look, the books are in the haberdashery/ wool department.

Tea Party Time

Yes, it’s here, it’s tonight and you are all invited.

fondant fancy, Kate Kessling

Come along and see the brand new book for the first time. You can get a sneaky preview right here.

bottles from Patchwork Vintage

The china is already there ready and waiting, some is being lent to us by the wonderful Patchwork Vintage . They rent out china and are sponsoring our event for the book launch. They are so very lovely and generous and there will also be some of their handmade gorgeous textiles on display too.

tea set, Patchwork Vintage

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We’re looking forward to seeing you from 5-9pm at the artpad, 3rd Floor 42 Market Place, Reading, RG1 2DE

The Sonic Tuck Shop

It’s here and it’s live

You can read about it on Felix’s blog and by the skin of our teeth we got the piece up and installed in time for Eat Reading Live

It was a glorious experience watching the piece being created in the jelly artpad, from popcorn threading, letterpressing and box assembling to actually moving the pieces down the street and watching the passer-bys. There was a sense that a new and extraordinary shop was going to open. Right now it’s just a visual treat from the street, a sound treat via felix’s blog and soon enough it will be a physical in your hands treat when the limited edition 40 books are created.

A Big Thank You

Thank you everyone who came to help and who came to take part last week for the Town Centre Day – it was a very warm day and thanks especially to the hardy souls who helped lug the art materials from one end of Broad Street to the other and then at the end of the day, back again. So here’s the roll call of thanks: Porridge Lady (aka Anna Batchelor), Ingrid Jensen, Martin Stubbington, Shehnoor Ahmed (RISC), Tara Scott, Chris (New Directions), Tim Scott, Lucy Griffin (Reading Museum), Alabama Hall, Louie Hall, Ivy Schneiderman, Isla Reynolds, Maxine Doyle, Ahmed (The Oakford), Pat Lewis, Jasmine Lewis, Conrad Bullow-Weeks and Gillian Stevens.

Without you we wouldn’t have been able to make:

Animal Masks

paper boats

drawn our way down Broad Street

made cardboard castles, taught some people to knit, recycled newspapers into bags and made paper bag puppets.

So once again thank you all

At the end of the day we felt a little like The White Rabbit and The Mad Hatter

in need of a quiet sit down and a cup of tea.