Do you remember our lovely (blog)house guest zoë? You may recall she was the lucky one who went to the opening of the anthropologie store in London (Regent St) last year, and reported her experience right here for us with an exclusive post including photos of the store displays…
one of zoë’s fab photos taken inside anthropologie
You may also recall that zoë made a big decision last year to leave Amsterdam, bound for British Shores. Her new place of residence is beautiful Bath, and although I have yet to visit her there I’ve been keeping up to date with her adventures via email and skype.
The other day, zoë casually mentioned that she has been helping out at a little craft workshop in town called The Makery (pictured above). I said “oh, is that the fab place that susannah took that gorgeous polaroid of a little while ago and shared it on sfgirlbybay?” And she said, “that’s the one!” And I said, “oh oh! Next time you’re there, would you mind taking some photos and writing a little something about it for the (blog)house?” and she said, “no worries mate!”. Of course she didn’t say those exact words at the end, that’s just me being carefree with my poetic license. again.
So here in this post are some of the great pics zoë took at her recent visit to The Makery, and here is what she has to say about it. Take is away, zoë …
“Run by husband and wife team Kate and Nigel, The Makery is a creative workshop space housed in a lovely old shop in Bath. It’s a magical place – people’s faces light up when they walk in the door, and no one frowns, unless it’s in concentration! There’s inspiration to be found at every turn – old tee shirts become cuddle monsters, socks become little piggies, or funky pocket rabbits, pretty fabric remnants find new life as children’s outfits made from vintage patterns. There are jars of buttons, piles of ribbons, rolls of lace and glitz galore just waiting to embellish someone’s project.
“There are frilly knickers to be made, and furniture to revamp, and natural beauty products to be concocted. Even practical skills are packaged in fun – Basic Sewing starts with strips of cheerful bunting, or reversible tote bags, and moves on to curtains, cushions or patchwork as you master the techniques. Materials are re-used, recycled or revamped wherever possible, and the atmosphere is always relaxed, fun and welcoming. During the school holidays the kid’s club is full of fun and giggles, and twice a week the space is given over to the Makery Cafe – an “open door” session where you can get advice on those half-finished projects, make use of the machines and tools, or just enjoy a natter over tea and coffee and delicious cake.”
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Thank you dear zoë – perfect reporting, as usual. I’d love to see more places like The Makery and Papered Parlour, wouldn’t you? If you know of more places like these in your local areas, perhaps you can let us know in a comment below.
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Beside the handmade goodness of the whole place, I love the little garden The Makery have out the back, with all the special touches like the sweet make-shift strawberry patch on this old chair…
And check out the view over the wooden fence…
Ah Bath, it’s a beautiful place. And if The Makery and the landscape of Bath hasn’t charmed you enough, perhaps Rufus has your number…
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All photographs in this post by zoë yule.
