Hot seats for summer

As Toronto is about to move into Phase 2, everyone and their best friend seems intent on hitting the barbershops and hairdressers. Me? I’m happy to keep on rocking my homemade haircut for a while longer.

How are things feeling in your part of the world?

Cheers, Arren

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I popped by Augustus Jones this week on the hunt for garden furniture for a client, and took the chance for a masked chinwag with owner Cliff Smith.

I first met Cliff, his wife Yasmin and daughter Amanda years back, when we shot their Toronto home for Flare magazine. Back then Cliff told me about their country property, an old canning factory, that they were stripping back to bare bones. Fast forward to earlier this year, when the house was featured in Objekt magazine looking all sorts of cool, take a gander here.

While at Augustus Jones I was taken by a chair from Tolix. Nope, not the classic and oft copied A Chair from 1925. Instead it’s the Patrick Norguet designed T14 Chair, which feels fresher and more contemporary. A modern classic, if you will. Oh, and if you’re wondering, it sits like a dream, perfect for a long, lazy afternoon with sangria.

Image: T14 Chairs and N Table

Image: Tolix T14

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After discovering the work of artisan Amina Haswell on Insta, I’ve come to the understanding that my life is incomplete without a handmade broom.

Based in Manitoba, Haswell makes her brooms, brushes and whisks (small handheld sweeper-uppers) using a mix of corn broom grown on her property, plus some sourced from further afield. You can order her work, tied in your choice of coloured cord - Twenty different tints to be exact, including a rather jazzy rainbow dipped number.

Check out the full Prairie Breeze collection here, or shop in person at an upcoming Third + Bird urban market in Winnipeg.

Image: Edo Whisk Broom

Image: Sailor Brooms

Image: Whisks and Brushes in Rainbow Cord

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I’m an absolute fiend when it comes to prints and patterns, so it’s obvious that London-based designer Eva Sonaike’s textiles give me major ooh-ooh-ah’s.

Sonaike’s ‘Bringing Colour to Life’ ethos definitely comes into play in the collection’s vibrant West-African aesthetic - Shrinking violets and nervous nellies need not apply. Get some yardage and get happy. What are you waiting for?

Peruse the complete Eva Sonaike collection of fabrics, cushions, lampshades and more here.

Image: Sonaike at work in her studio

Image: The Falomo collection

West Elm and Etsy's love-in

Hey there. Yep, I know I've been barely hanging around here recently (I'm blaming it on a combo of being blisteringly busy with work, travelling to both New York and Chicago within the past couple of weeks, oh, and getting kinda sick too), but here's something that you guys can really sink your teeth into>>>

West Elm's Toronto store will be hosting an Etsy We Heart Handmade Art pop-up event curated by Fieldguided - that's her smashing carryall pictured below - which'll feature a slew of other local Etsy craftspeople, as well as promising both drinks and tunes. I was in the store yesterday and they were being busy bees getting prepped and clearing space for what promises to be a very busy Saturday. All the deets are below, and yep, Bookhou (a local design fave of mine) will be there with lots of gorgeous gear, including the pillows and artwork pictured below, too.

I'm hoping to make it, but might be entirely exhausted after participating in our mega local neighbourhood yard sale (shout out to everyone who lives in The Pocket!).

{that one great thing} Jan's handmade frame

I once had a landlord who mentioned that old chestnut, You scratch my back, I scratch yours while I was signing a lease, and delightfully went on to say You kick me, I kick you. Memorable, yes, but not exactly charming, so the first part - definitely not the second - came to mind when Jan Halvarson of Poppytalk kindly asked if she could grab the shot and story from Susie Sheffman's *that one great thing* pick to post on her fantastic blog. I said of course, and then proceeded to bug her into contributing one in return. So here goes!

Jan Halvarson: I have fond memories of my Swedish grandfather whittling away on a chair outside in the back deck on warm summer days. I would be playing in the yard, and he would watch me and whittle away. He made this frame, and I really don't even know the back story, nor does anyone else, but it's just always been around, following me everywhere I go; always there. And as I write this I'm realizing how profound that is. I remember it having three hearts, and I'm sure at one point there were four, but now only two remain. I love how he painted them gold, and left the rest. It's housed a favourite black and white photograph of my mother, at times my drawings and right now I love it best just left as is. Without even knowing it until now, it could very well be the inspiration to why I love handmade so much today.

In the photograph the frame is shown with a collection of found driftwood I wrapped a bit of yarn around and a crochet covered rock from artist Margie Oomen.

Rainbow rabbits, and other stuff

I have been so behind the 8 ball this week. You know how it is, you come back from vacation and there's a traffic jam of work to wade through. Well, that went out the window yesterday morning as I took time out to check in on the just-opened One of A Kind show.

There was scads of great stuff to see, so here are just a few faves from me. First up, the incredibly sweet felt creatures from Cristina Larsen of Textile Platypus, who makes the felt, hand-dyes it, then stitches each little fellow by hand. Next, Lost Nation had fun with their Humane Antlers as well as these cool carved moustaches. I totally heart all of the hemp and organic linen tea towels from Freshly Printed, their snow-shoe design was a standout for me. Menswear brand Identity stepped out of t-shirts and into these screenprinted wool blanket pillows. More great tea towels, of course from the lovely Avril Loreti (whose calendar tea towel is a certified blog hit!). And finally, an '&' pillow craftily made from vintage clothing by Hilary Cosgrove.

Getting my craft on

I spent this a.m. running around at the One of a Kind show in Toronto. It's quite the craft-tastic institution and always a great one-stop-shop to check out what's new on the handmade scene, and as usual, I scored a few great finds (while gabbing with Julia Black, lol).

Up first, I'm loving the petite and edgy hand-embroidered artwork by Amanda Hu of Denture Thief Productions (read more on Amanda here). Next, the sweetly sketched packaging of Honey Pie Hives and Herbals, designed by one of Honey Pie's co-owners, Bay Woodward. Repeat, a collaboration between Roisin Fagan and Arounna Khounnoraj, resulted in a great line of hand-printed textiles, as well as these charming teensy notebooks (that were printed last night!). And finally, Jardinique's Garden Chair - inspired by this Rietveld chair - which looks smashing in all white (though you can order it in any Benjamin Moore exterior Aura paint colour), it also comes as a rocker and has an accompanying side table too.

The forecast is grey and cool

Well looky-loo, my mate Bev Hisey has finally got with the technological times and opened the doors on her online store. It's filled with a special selection of best sellers of her handmade wool and wool blend pillows, blankets and carpets, as well as a few super snazzy web exclusives too. I'm such a fan of Bev's gear and think she has such a singular way with colour and pattern. I also know how hard she works both physically and creatively on everything she turns her hand too, and yep, of course I've posted about her before (you can see more of her stuff right here). Oh, and while you're noodling around her site be sure to check out In The Woods At Night. It's Bev's latest hand-knotted wool carpet inspired by one of her grandmother's paintings and tagged - of course - with the socially conscious RugMark label, though it's Pippin, the beyond beautiful owl, that (almost) steals the shot by photographer Donna Griffith.

Below you'll spot a few of my all-in-grey current design crushes from Bev's online store. The River Rock carpet and throw, and the slightly punky and random Flocked Letter pillow.

 

Speedy Gonzales

Yesterday I had to make like Speedy Gonzales and run around town like nobody's business. My day started well enough, with a preview of the just-opened One of A Kind show in Toronto, except, rather than a leisurely stroll I only had 20 minutes to check it out before my next appointment. Gah! Needless to say, I'll be going back to have a proper poke around (more cool stuff to come).

Here's one thing that definitely caught my eye as I was dashing about - These are the hot and fresh hand-painted Splatter Morph Pads by Montreal firm, Schleeh Design. I'm bananas about well-designed paper goods, and I just loved the loose and splashy colours - very Pop!

  

Seeing the light

When I interviewed designer Christophe Delcourt recently for the National Post (click here to read it) he was talking passionately about craftsmanship and the beauty of handmade objects. His words popped into my head when I saw this fresh new line of lamps that Industrial Storm will be carrying by ceramicist Lesley Anton. Take a look below to get a feel for the collection, they have a sculptural rough and ready modern vibe to them that recalls mid-century studio pottery. I love 'em! And, as is currently de rigeur in lamps; they have personality for days as well as quite the eco cred (Lesley carefully reduces waste, saving clay and water as much as possible, and uses organic fabrics for the shades). To see Lesley at work throwing and slip casting the lamps, click here.

In other news - Yesterday was yet another bad day in magazine world - Canadian Home & Country sadly just announced that it will be closing it's doors.