Hi the MLE,

Remember that summer in New York when we discovered that someone had upholstered a random tree trunk at the side of the road?

It makes me inexplicably happy when someone takes something bland, boring or just commonplace and makes it into something special, for some reason. At the Calgary Airport, those random places where you park your luggage trolley all have photographs of the luggage trolley itself. Which is unexpected and interesting and makes people notice these ordinary objects that are otherwise overlooked.

Now, the airport could have easily made a bit of money putting ads here, or they could have slapped in its logo with some instructions or something more predictable. But no, we have these photos instead. And it makes me very happy.

And it gives me an idea… I’m looking for something to hang over the sofa in the living room. Perhaps it could be a photo of the sofa, with a photo of the sofa itself on the wall?

Suzan xx

 

MLE happy 2016!

I always like when a fresh new year begins after some time off. For my first note of the year, I’d like to tell you about a special little shop I went to when I was in Wales: Jane Beck Welsh Blankets.

One would be surprised to learn that this tiny shop (that we had to drive a few hours into the middle of nowhere and could barely find), actually holds the largest collection of Welsh blankets, new and vintage, anywhere in the world.  They are beautiful!  So of course they have been featured in all the interior magazines, in various television programmes, theatre productions, and even a Vogue fashion shoot. Welsh blankets are a passion for Jane, and you can tell.  Her personal collection has been loaned to museums and is regularly accessed by students and artists.

Wales was once covered with small independent mills and weavers who supplied the local community.  Jane is one of the few people who can accurately identify the date and mill of a particular blanket pattern design/weaving technique.  With the commercialisation of the wool industry at the end of the C19th, almost all these mills have been lost except a handful.

Her Heritage Collection of blankets reproduces some of her favourite vintage patterns, dating from the C18th.  They are made in Wales, as they have always been: at a small independent mill, using age old looms and traditional methods.

In my pictures above, you can see Daniel in awe at the gorgeous blankets everywhere.  You can also see some of the incredible Welsh blankets that were on sale.  Of course we couldn’t leave without one!

Have a nice weekend my friend,

Suzan xx