Handmade in Britain '08

If you find yourself in Bath this weekend, then head for the handmade.

Handmade in Britain is a fantastic exhibition of the best contemporary craft and design from the UK and will be on at the Assembly Rooms from 20th – 22nd June. Showcasing a wide range of eco-friendly, handmade products, including jewellery, fashion accessories, millinery, ceramics, stationery and home accessories, which will be available to view, purchase or commission. You can see a list of the exhibitors here but a few which immediately caught my eye included The Old School Press, 100 Metres and Lou Gardiner.

I’m going to have to wait until November when the show comes to London, but it sounds like a great event, whether you’re looking for inspiration, a special gift or a unique, handcrafted treat for yourself.

Craftster

If you ever thought there were limits to what could be done with a needle & thread and an old pillowcase then you have yet to discover the wonders of Craftster.

As the name suggests, this is a community for all things craft. Whether it's sewing, knitting, crochet, interior decorating or good old kids activities for a rainy afternoon, this is the place to go. A sort of Blue Peter nirvana. People are surprisingly generous about providing instructions for those who want to recreate their design and there's a great sense of collaboration to the place.

Current favourites include the Spiderman pillowcase finding new life as a seriously cool skirt, a prom dress made entirely of Skittles wrappers (yes, really), wallets fashioned from trashy novel jackets and, last but not least, something no home should be without - a knitted bath tub (complete with Jared the Goblin King aka David Bowie).