HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

If there is one thing we English are good at, it's talking about the weather. Incase you missed it since mid April it has been raining. Not just a sprinkling here and there but a downpour on a daily basis. 

Having spent three years living in Manchester I quickly adapted to the northern weather, generally dreary and drizzly so one had never to be sans umbrella. I indulged my passion for thick tights and dresses teamed with quirky welly boots and a fabulous parasol umbrella. Sounds lovely I know, but this weather had its draw backs. In Manchester we had a lovely flat in the city centre with a balcony and, always one to plant roots wherever I am in the world, I set about making our house a home and this included our 'garden' (balcony). It was a simple affair of shrubs and grasses but the main attraction was the thought of growing lettuces; pulling back the french doors to pick fresh leaves for each day's meals. 

Rain is good - good for the plants but also because it saves me from remembering to water them every day. But rain every single day is not good and in Manchester this is exactly what happened. For the eighteen months that we lived in that balconyed flat it rained, probably no more or no less than it normally does but enough rain for there not to be enough sun for my plants. Slowly lettuce died (we got one crop and no regrowth) and then the shrubs and grasses eventually followed. Green fingered I obviously was not.


Now we have relocated back to the south of England, the sunny sunny south, where childhoods are spent outdoors from early May til late September. It was all going so well, March was glorious and so with a spring in my step the boyfriend and I took a trip to the garden centre. Forty-four pounds  later (I thought this was meant to be the cheaper alternative to cash hungry supermarkets?) we had a huge bounty of seeds and bulbs. In sunny March we planted the first of our vegetables, maybe a little earlier than some gardeners would recommend but it was 20 degrees outside what could possibly go wrong? Needless to say two weeks later and the weather turned, cold lightly frosted mornings were followed with a day of rainy weather. It's OK, I tell myself, plants need water and remember it saves you from trudging up the garden with a watering can (ironically within a few days of the government issuing its hose pipe ban the downpours began!)

When a few days of rain began to turn into weeks a feeling of deja vu set in. Was I doomed never to grow anything of my own?

However two weeks ago the rain stopped and then sure enough the sun came out (and boy did my vegetables need the sun). I have had to wait months to be able to share my veg patch with you, thus far all I have had is weedy little shoots but now thanks to Mother Nature things our blooming...


Sadly the question is will my efforts have been in vain; with my summer vacation just over a week away who is going to shoulder the responsibility of watering my plants?

A LITTLE TYPO

Here at Clementine & Bloom we love nothing more than colour and pattern (there are no white walls in this house!) Sometimes though you just can't beat the beauty of black and white.

On a recent trip to London we saw and fell in love with these gorgeous ceramics by Rory Dobner.


Typography and beautiful line drawings make an unbeatable combination. If you're hooked, like we were, make sure you visit his website for more lovely images.


HERE COME THE GIRLS

It's funny how sometimes you find yourself reading books that end up having similarities, even though you don't intend them to or plan it; they just seem to come along like buses in 2's and 3's (which is how we felt about our last book post).

These two books are my latest reads and were recommended by two very different women and although I thought they were going to be quite dissimilar they had more in common than I initially realised.


Both books are written by women, about women and both texts are easy and uncomplicated. Just below the surface, however, it is apparent that the issues they are discussing are a little more challenging than you realise at first.

The Midwife by Jennifer Worth is an autobiographical account of a nurse in the deprived Docklands area of London in the 1950's. It reveals the harsh conditions that most women had to contend with on a daily basis, basic amenities that people in the Western world take for granted. With little education, few opportunities and aspirations many of these women managed to give birth and raise several children into loving, happy families despite having so many obvious disadvantages.

How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran is a look at the challenges faced by women in today's society (and there is a chapter on childbirth too!) Although on the surface it would appear that our lot is a far easier one these days than the women's in the previous book we are all aware that along with multiple choices and opportunities that are available to us all, they carry with them the multiple pressures and expectations to live up to an ideal. Caitlin Moran is brilliant, funny and engaging and confronts the problems of growing up and then surviving in the modern world unflinchingly and honestly- it's like a good night in with your girlfriends and a bottle of wine!

As with all good reads these have been recommended and passed around amongst our friends and family. Three generations of women have read, enjoyed and taken something from these books to savour.

ROLL UP! ROLL UP!

We had a great time at Designers / Makers market on Saturday and were so pleased with how our stall looked.



We want to say a big 'thank you' to all the people who came along to say hello. It was great to meet so many lovely people - customers, browsers and fellow stall holders alike. We will be returning to Old Spitalfields Market on 23rd June but before then we will be celebrating at Battersea Park with the Queen!

See you there!

TOP DOG

Dear readers,

Whilst you may feel we have neglected you in recent weeks because of fast approaching deadlines, spare a second to think about how the main man in our life must feel. With whole days disappearing at the sewing machine, a family to feed and then finally a few moments to ourselves to crash on the sofa and catch up with the world again, it's at this point that the dog appears - tiptoeing in to look at you with his 'butter wouldn't melt' eyes seeking a walk. How could we say no?


This is Luigi our Jack Russell and most prized possession, the youngest member of our family. It is our love for this little pooch that lead us to commission the portrait you see here. When a certain someone turned 50 this April we all racked our brains to think of what we could buy the man who has everything for this landmark birthday? A chance trip to Greenwich Market and we fell in love with the work of artist Andrew Pledge; we love his gestural mark making that captures the hairiness and movement of the fur on animals. We couldn't think of anyone better to illustrate Luigi's expressive face. It was a gift very well received and now enjoyed by all the family.

NEWS FLASH

We interupt your day with a very important news announcement - Clementine & Bloom have been cordially invited to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (well sort of)!

We are off to Battersea Park on Sunday 3rd June as part of the Diamond Jubilee Festival, ourselves and other lovely Etsy sellers will have stalls selling all things British. The day itself sounds like it will be great fun, the theme is a celebration of the past and present, with live bands, cakes baked by the WI, vintage clothes stalls and even a vintage car boot sale. Battersea Park will also be a prime location to watch the flotilla of boats scheduled to sail down the Thames as part of the celebrations.


We are super excited about this event and hope you can join us to mark this very special day.

HOMETOWN

We've been working hard here in preparation for the Designers / Makers Market at Spitalfields but if the opportunity for a bit of retail therapy comes along, especially of the fabric and thread kind, we believe in embracing it wholeheartedly. So as our supply of sewing threads was running out fast we decided to visit our favourite fabric shop, Hometown, in the pretty city of Rochester.


This lovely shop is packed with beautiful contemporary fabric and trimmings as well as a good range of craft and sewing books. It is a great place to stop by to pick up a special birthday card or gift along with your interfacing and batting supplies, and they are keen to promote small and local designers. They provide a variety of workshops for makers from beginners to advanced level in patchwork, cushion making etc... (including our own Union Jack inspired quilt on 26th May, in case you're interested!)


Rochester has a long history and boasts a Norman castle, England's second oldest cathedral and strong links with Charles Dickens. All this and fabulous textiles makes it well worth a visit.

HUNGRY WORKERS

Now that our fabric has arrived, and we have secured a spot at the Designers / Makers market in Spitalfields, we have been beavering away day (and night) in our studio to make lots of lovely new homewares.



We can now add this lovely London Skyline cushion to our shop with more in the other fabrics to follow shortly.

All this hard work makes us hungry, and never one to miss an opportunity we got creative in the kitchen with home-made pizza yesterday as suggested by Stephene Reynaud for 2nd May.


Here's one of our fabulous creations featuring salami, chorizo, portobello mushroom, red onion and finished with chunks of mozzarella. 

If you haven't made your own pizzas before then you should definitely give this a go, simple to make (the hardest part is making a round base!) and you can indulge in your favourite topping combinations. Delicious! What would your's be...?   

SPLASHING AROUND IN BATH

This weekend me and my man escaped the pressures of his job and the whir of my sewing machine and motored off to Bath. Our first holiday in this country, not in honour of 2012 as Stephen Fry and his adverts keep suggesting, but because it was booked on a whim when the weather was good. Now sunshine feels like a distant memory as we are all feeling the full floods of an April shower.




We stayed at Villa Magdala, a lovely boutique Bed and Breakfast just a five minute stroll from the city centre. Our room was at the top of a most impressive grand staircase in the attic of the building which meant it benefitted from dual aspect windows and a view over the park. (Room Ten incase you're inspired to book!)


Inside the Roman Baths


Luckily the heavens heard our prayers and it stopped raining for our full day of exploring. Obviously our first stop was the Roman Baths; this was a fantastic place to visit as there is still so much of the architecture that you are able to see. Inspired by the Romans and their belief in the healing qualities of these natural thermal springs we thought we'd best treat ourselves to a few hours of rest and relaxation in the spa!

The Royal Crescent

Another must see whilst you're in Bath is the Royal Crescent; all of the buildings in the city were beautiful but if I could pick any to live in this would have to be my favourite. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in Britain consisting of 30 three storey houses built around a curve overlooking the park.

And no trip would be complete without a nosey round all the great little boutique shops that Bath has to offer, topped off with good food and and a well earned tipple - I'm sure Stephen would approve!