All Things Considered

Faber & Faber
Posted by Angie Lewin

Spotted via Creative Review, it's great to see three of the artists we exhibit at St. Jude's (Mark Hearld, Peter Lawrence and Paul Catherall) featuring in this new series of hardback editions of twentieth-century poetry, marking Faber & Faber's 80th anniversary.

The covers featured below are illustrated by Mark Hearld (top left), Paul Catherall (top right), Peter Lawrence (bottom left) and Clare Curtis (bottom right). You can find out more via the Creative Review blog.

Posted by Angie Lewin on April 17th, 2009

Neil Cowley Trio – live dates
Posted by Simon Lewin

The Neil Cowley Trio have been steadily announcing a series of worldwide dates. Just before they head off to the US there's a chance to catch the trio in London at Ronnie Scott's. And those booking tickets for the gig on Thursday 4th June might be eligible for a free digital download EP. Full details on the band's website. (Photo: Matt Crossick).

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 13th, 2009

The Purl Bee
Posted by Kate Sullivan

I once made a fabric doll for my niece but my inadequate skill and flare for doll disproportions only scared the two year old to tears.

If only I had seen Mimi Kirchner's pattern for a hand sewn felt doll on The Purl Bee back then. Mimi, an expert in handmade dolls (see her blog Doll) has passed on a step-by-step tutorial to Purl Bee, which shows me exactly where I went wrong.

The Purl Bee, the blog that features alongside the New York fabric and yarn shop Purl Soho, has numerous links to free patterns and step-by-step guides to help inspire home crafters with crochet, knit and stitch.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on April 11th, 2009

Norfolk & Norwich Festival
Posted by Kate Sullivan

Between the 1st - 16th May, the internationally renowned Norfolk & Norwich Festival will be in full swing. 

The eclectic festival has shows for everyone to enjoy; contemporary music, dance, theatre, cabaret, burlesque shows and circus events.

Chapelfield Gardens is to be reinvented and renamed Festival Gardens during the sixteen day festival. The gardens will be filled with interesting sights and structures as well as being home to a Spiegeltent (pictured). The mirrored interior has traditional wooden bar booths where the audience will be able to watch performances. 

The brilliant Bo Nanafana will be hosting another one of their 1940s dance extravaganzas in the Spiegeletent which I guarantee, will be fabulous.

Many of the events are free including a great programme for children. To find out more about the Festival and to book tickets, visit the Norfolk & Norwich Festival website.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on April 10th, 2009

Spirit of Speyside
Posted by Simon Lewin

Thursday 29th April 2009 sees the opening of the 10th Spirit of Speyside Festival. The Festival encompasses a range of events - tastings, exhibitions, tours, music etc. The area is home to some of the best mail whiskies you'll find - personal favourites would include a 12 year old Cragganmore or Aberlour.

The Festival's website lists all the events taking place with plenty of information on the region's malts.

Whilst not strictly related, here's a view of Ben Rinnes, not far from Aberlour, taken early one morning last December. No filters, no retouching. Promise.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 9th, 2009

Devon Sproule
Posted by Simon Lewin

A musical interlude. Devon Sproule plays 'Old Virginia Block' on Jools Holland. She appears at the Shepherds Bush Empire on Thursday 14th May.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 8th, 2009

The Travelling Barmaid
Posted by Simon Lewin

The image below is a page from 'The Travelling Barmaid', published by New North Press. I had the pleasure of seeing a copy of this when I visited Graham Bignell's London studio earlier in the year...

"I taught Lisa Rahman and fellow students from Chelsea College of Art typography in my studio and she became quite devoted to the intracasies of type setting. She came to me with a proposal to set some stuff in her own time for her degree course and gradually the book came about. Ewelina is a friend of hers who had endless stories of the life of a barmaid. Lisa recorded these and then set about designing a book for her degree show.

Although not too well printed, I could see an interesting artist book in the making. She got a 1st for her degree and the book was entered and shortlisted for the 2008 D&AD Awards. At the end of her course I asked if I could publish it and set about choosing different paper, slightly different layouts, printing the book over a period of 3 months. All the stories are in colour with information about where the type came from and the production details added in black ink. We also discussed and improved the binding which was done in-house."

The edition is 135 copies, hard bound with decorative paper and cloth covers. The book costs £300 - this is a pre-publication price and will rise within the next few months.

Copies of the book are availble from New North Press, Standpoint Studios, 45 Coronet Street, London N1 6HD. E-mail: graham.bignell@talk21.com

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 7th, 2009

British Sea Power
Posted by Simon Lewin

Picked up on this via our friends at Caught By The River. British Sea Power have provided a soundtrack for the 1934 'Man of Aran' which will be released via Rough Trade and screened in London on the 23rd at the British Film Institute.

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 4th, 2009

The Worm Forgives The Plough
Posted by Angie Lewin

Another welcome package from the postman arrived the other day - Vintage had sent me a few copies of their recent re-issue of 'The Worm Forgives The Plough' by John Stewart Collis which features my Island With Teasels print on the cover.

Posted by Angie Lewin on April 3rd, 2009

Typoretum
Posted by Simon Lewin

There's a nice piece about our friend Justin Knopp and his Typoretum letterpress studio over at Sophie Sampson's Flatlanders site.

"Walking into the studio is like stepping back eighty years or so, and everywhere your eye settles in the cramped space there is something interesting to look at. Four presses are lined up down the centre of the space and the walls are lined with drawer upon drawer of metal and wood type, ready to be set into greetings cards, posters, stationery projects or anything else at all." Read in full

Posted by Simon Lewin on April 2nd, 2009