BLOG OF THE MONTH


We are very pleased to announce our inclusion in March's edition of the wonderful magazine Sew.


We have been selected as their Blog of the Month and they have done us proud with their images of our work. Featured in the article are our silk Archive cushions and burnt orange Papilio lampshade plus the olive green Papilio cushion and Polka Dot Beetle cotton cushion.


It's always great to be able to reach out to a new audience and this is a great opportunity for us.

(We would like to point out to any of our readers that have met us at past shows and exhibitions that we have not recently had a makeover. We're not sure who the two lovely ladies in the picture are but we do know it isn't us! We've been assured that there will be a correction for this in the April issue of Sew magazine so regular readers stay tuned.)

THE OFFICE

We're in February and the days are definitely getting longer which means that Spring is certainly on its way. With this in mind some organising and sorting was required and with an interview including studio shots in our schedule the studio was the place to start.

We thought it might be interesting to share a few of the shots with you and let you see where some of our creativity takes place.



This is where the messy stuff happens - some of the artwork and all of the screen printing. It's great in the Summer when we can throw open the double doors and let all of the light and fresh air flood in.



One of our favourite 'toys' - the heat press which we use to set the designs on fabric for the Archive cushions and tea towels. We love this gadget as it saves time, before this we used to spend hours ironing!  


And this is the clean area. Most of the sewing takes place here, as well as making up the orders, sending emails and plenty of coffee drinking! As our first proper studio (we are not counting the kitchen table) we feel we have been able to indulge ourselves with beautiful pieces like the desk and mirror below. After all, when we get up in the morning we want to look forward to going to work.


(Oh, and by the way, it doesn't always look this tidy!)

THE ENTOMOLOGY TREND

To write this post we need to take you all back to a time before Clementine & Bloom existed, back to a time when one of us worked for the infamous Alexander McQueen. 

With a background in Embroidery, and a particular interest in fabric manipulation and hand embroidery, it was my goal to work in couture. I achieved this in 2009 when I was chosen to work in the Alexander McQueen studio as a Hand Embroidery Assistant - I shall skip the gory details (long hours and tight deadlines) but what I will tell you is that I loved it! All day sewing beautiful, intricate designs for the most amazing garments, really what's not to love? The highlight of the whole time I spent working there was going to Paris Fashion week with the Plato Atlantis Spring/Summer 2010 collection, not just to finish the garments but to work backstage and see the final vision and all that hard work brought together in one fantastic show.



It still gives me a buzz to see the dresses that I embroidered on Lady Gaga in the Bad Romance video, or Daphne Guinness gracing the red carpet in the collar I worked exclusively on.

Now I can no longer claim any involvement in the McQueen studios but just the other day I was browsing Pinterest when I came across a fabulous dragonfly pattern (straight away I pinned it to our Entomology board) and I was delighted to discover it was a McQueen design. Little ol' Clementine & Bloom must be bang on trend then!




All images courtesy of Alexander Mcqueen

I've included a few of my favourites of the dragonfly designs and as we can't afford Alexander McQueen prices we shall be content instead with these cushions and lampshades from our Entomology collection to give our home that designer treatment.



LOVE LETTERS


Just to send a little love out to all our readers on this special day

Happy Valentine's Day!

ARABIAN NIGHTS


It has been a little while since Clementine & Bloom took a holiday- June to be precise for our Parisian Dash. So we booked a last minute deal to Marrakech to catch ourselves some rays. Truth be told we bought back more than just a suntan, having visited this wonderful city five years ago we knew in advance to pack light so that we had plenty of room for all the treasure we intended to buy.


When you step off the plane it's not just a change in temperature that awaits you, Morocco is a wonderful concoction of bold colours and pattern - Clementine & Bloom's mantra! I've included a few examples as there are just too many to share; turn the corner in the souk and you are greeted with another fantastic and intricate doorway. Sit down to dinner and be surrounded by vibrant colourful interiors. What's not to love?


For anyone who is thinking of going the first 'must' is to stay in a riad inside the Medina, traditional Moroccan homes built around a courtyard. We stayed in Riad Lorsya, just a stones throw away from our second 'must' the souk. The Medina of Marrakech is a maze of alleyways (the souk) where you can spend hours browsing, and in our case buying, wonderful artisan products. And when you emerge from these you should find yourself in our third 'must' the Jmaa el Fna - the heart of the Medina where by day you will see snake charmers, tooth pullers and henna tattooists. But at night the square really comes alive, locals and tourists flock here to see musicians and eat at the food stalls. The noise, sounds and smells give it an exciting carnival atmosphere.


There are several places of interest to visit whilst you're in Marrakech, my best advice would be to buy a guide book, not only useful for its maps but they list some great restaurants where you can eat traditional Moroccan cuisine. On this visit we ventured outside of the Medina walls to the Majorelle gardens, lush greenery against the most beautiful vivid blue that made me want to rush home and repaint the house! It was like stepping into an oasis where we could relax away from the hustle and bustle of the souks.


And finally, perhaps most importantly, I know you are all dying to know what we bought. I've included a few of my favourite pieces: these beautiful patterned bowls are a welcome addition to THE kitchen,


jazzy new slippers (babouches), making us the most stylish ladies in loungewear,



and best of all this brass lampshade; now all that's left to do is find the perfect spot in my home for it...

MANET, MORI & MARTINIS

Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets
courtesy of Musee d'Orsay

Last week as the snow had finally melted and the temperatures had crept up respectably I travelled into London to see the Manet: Portraying Life exhibition at the RA. The gallery was really busy, too busy in fact, to the point that it was difficult to see many of the paintings and impossible to read most of the information plaques. Many of the works appeared to be incomplete and having read some of the reviews that have discussed his techniques I'm not sure this worked well for me; there seemed to be an odd conflict of finished, detailed areas alongside what appeared to be unworked areas. Some of the works are exceptional; the contrast of black clothing with the luminosity of skin in Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets is stunning and it's impossible not to be provoked by Dejeuner sur l'herbe if only for the composition. As a whole though I have to admit that I found the exhibition a little bit disappointing and difficult to engage with and whether the volume of people present hampered it I'm not sure.

Dejeuner su l'herbe courtesy of The Courtauld Gallery

The next stop was a short stroll round the corner to Burlington Gardens and the Mariko Mori: Rebirth exhibition. This was completely different from the first one being much smaller and emptier which allowed the viewer to contemplate the work; I particularly liked the contrasting textures, the smoothness of ceramic with the ornate and scrolled opaque glass. The use of soft lighting to reflect and highlight some of the sculptural elements was interesting and reinforced the theme by making the spaces feel intimate and at times womb-like.

Flat Stone - image courtesy of artnet

So after the cultural excursion it was time for some food and a visit to Brasserie Zedel near Piccadilly Circus. You walk off the street and down into a gorgeous art deco interior with fabulous murals and mirrored walls until you enter the restaurant and are transported to Paris. I can recommend the escargot and beouf bourguignon and the wonderful French martinis are a must-have.


Oh and do visit the ladies toilets while you're there and enjoy the lovely tiles in the cubicles!