Tuesday, 16 November 2010

Christmas and Sample Sale


Roost Living Christmas and Sample Sale will be held next Friday 26 November and Saturday 27 November 9.00am to 2.00pm, so do join us. We will be selling not only beautiful products from our current collection, but samples from past collections at bargain prices, as well as sweet treats for Christmas and lovely jewellery by Nicola Hart.

It's also a great opportunity to meet our supporters and friends so do come along, we'll be serving tea and homemade mince pies throughout the day too...

At 39 Laurier Road London NW5.

Thursday, 4 November 2010

Quilting Crazy...

I turn into hibernation mode this time of year as the days become shorter and colder. And instead of just staring at the telly (well, maybe a bit, especially with Kirsty's Homemade Home on for inspiration) I've been making a quilt for my little Milly May.

Having read a few Quilting books, and having no idea of what they were talking about, I enrolled in a short three week course at Sally Bourne Interiors in Crouch End, and with the guidance of the lovely Sarah Harper, I finished my first every bit of patch work. Ok, so it's small, and not so perfect, but I'm as proud as punch!

So much so that before the course had even finished I had started on what I really wanted to do, a quilt for Milly May. So off I popped to Liberty for one of they gorgeous Jelly Rolls and got sewing, It's a simple design - here's the almost finished product...


So I think I may have the quilting bug, I'm already planning a quilt for our bed, but for not, perhaps King size is a little too ambitious...

And for a bit of inspiration and eye candy, I have fallen in love with a few quilts in this beautiful book by Jane Brocket...

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

I skipped work the other day...


Last Monday I skipped work (friends staying from Australia. That's my excuse) and did a spot of site seeing.

It is so easy to forget what London has to offer - the history, art and culture, so I always enjoy taking time out to enjoy it.

We started our journey at the British Museum with it's stunning atrium by Norman Foster, skipped straight up to my favourite room, the mummies, before heading to lunch.

Next stop was the National Portrait Gallery and the fantastic photographic exhibition of Camille Silvy, a pioneer of early photography. Silvy captured the society of the time, not only the celebrities and aristocrats of the day, but the uncelebrated people of the streets, with the eerie streets of London as a back drop for many. (Image of a Paris street above).

In stark contrast to the Camille Silvy exhibition, an unusual portrait caught my eye, the Isabella Blow portrait by Noble and Webster (pictured below)

Tuesday, 12 October 2010

Little Paris...Little Gem!


It's not often I come across a shop that I fall in love with, so I was absolutely delighted to stumble across this little gem of a shop in Crouch End.

Helene, the owner, has hand chosen unique and interesting pieces from the markets of her native France and brought them back to London. The stock is forever changing and her style is simple, elegant and fabulous.

And I just couldn't resist this lovely mustard chair, perfect for my hallway...

Monday, 4 October 2010

Ruth and her Knitting Army


The new Autumn Collection is now online!

Our makers have been so busy getting all our lovely new products made. Especially Ruth Cross and her army of knitters up and down the country, who've been whipping up stunning products, exclusively for Roost Living. They really are the most beautiful blue and each piece knitted by hand.

Below are our gorgeous new Tea Cosies available in both Bessie fit and to fit our own Candy Tea Pot, £27 each.




New for Autumn too is Selina Roses' Bloom throw, £250

Tuesday, 14 September 2010

Windfall Apple Crumble


It’s been a great year for apples in our garden. And now we have an abundance on our ground. But these aren’t destined for the worms, there’s still enough to salvage for a crumble or two.

What makes this crumble so delicious is that it uses sweet, juicy very ripe apples, so doesn’t have that slightly tart flavour of cooking apples.

Ingredients:

1kg Windfall apples, sliced (carefully removing the worms and cutting out the bad bits)

20g Sugar (soft brown gives a lovely richness to the flavour)

1 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 x clove

1 Tablespoon water, just to get it started

Topping:

200g Flour (I use Dove Farm Gluten Free)

75 g Brown Sugar

75 g Butter

3 Tablespoons Rolled Coats

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

2 x Tablespoons gently toasted Pecans, crumbled (optional)

Method:

Place sliced apples in a saucepan along with sugar and spices and cook gently until apples are beautifully soft and not too mushy.

Rub butter and flour between your fingers in a bowl until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add sugar, oats and cinnamon (and pecans if you’re adding them too, I give mine a good bash in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, great for getting rid of aggression too...but don't get too carried away or you'll end up with pecan flour), again with your fingers, rub until combined,

Placed cooked apples in a pie dish and add crumble topping. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Serve with ice cream, cream or both. I've served mine on Fliff's lovely Lace Tea Set, available online.

Wednesday, 8 September 2010

Quilty Pleasures

Mughal Quilt, Toast Autumn/Winter 2010

I am so pleased that Quilts are now on trend. And although I am not the most accomplished of sewers, I have always wanted to make my own patchwork quilt. But I think I need a bit of help getting started so am hoping to do a course at The Make Lounge before the year is out.

The history of quilting has always excited me - sewing as a social tool, bringing women together while making something both beautiful and practical, and perhaps as a way of earning money for house wives.


Our modern lives, with lack of time, and the convenience of the high street, have meant the redundancy of these important skills. So resurgence in the handmade, returning to and reinventing the skills of our ancestors, but in a modern setting, excites me. It arouses something in my own creativity…if only I could find the time to devote to making!


In the meantime I'll have to make do with these lovely quilts from the High Street...


John Lewis