Hackney's Design Award 2012

Fabrications new 'Imaginerium' space is among the shortlist for Hackney's Design awards, alongside other schemes such as The handball arena at the Olympics! Fabrications is the smallest project to be nominated, so we need your help to vote for us for 'The People's Choice' award. I'm posting a little late but still got a couple of days to get your vote in! Voting closes on Monday 5th November.
Please vote by following THIS LINK - Thankyou!

Open house, Open City

The Open House event has closed it's doors again this year. For those of you not familiar with the event, it has taken place every September across all the boroughs of London for the last 25 years. I discovered this year that it has become a global phenomena, stretching to other major cities such as New York and Tokyo.

 

Notable buildings, dwellings and other construction projects both large and small host tours and presentations for 1 weekend only to give visitors more insight into the history, architecture, construction and ethos of the space. Many of the places on the Open House trail are not usually open to the public, so the event encourages our natural curiosity to 'nose around' and gain an 'access all areas' pass!

What I think is wonderful about the event is it also provides the space to appreciate the diversity of buildings that make up our city, each has a special story to share and over just 1 weekend 1,000's of people are united in looking, listening and experiencing living history.

I decided to apply and put forward Fabrications new 'Imaginerium' craft space to be part of this year's event. The organisers came to visit and were keen for Fabrications to be on the Open House map. This year they were also encouraging hosts to put on 'late night' events to take place on the Saturday evening. After talking to my architects Eric Martin and Nikolai Delvendahl (DM Architects) we decided on hosting a good old fashioned slide show all about the making of the new space followed by a Q&A session with the team.

I decided to weave in some of my own buildings history into the slide show, pictures of the shop when I first discovered it in 1997. Back then the shop was in a bad state of disrepair and dilapidation as were a majority of shops on Broadway Market at that time. Preparing for the slide show and our daily tours (with myself and DM architects), made me realise the journey I have been on with the fabric of my shop building and how much I have achieved and improved. When I got the shop, the name on the front was "All Well" - Appliance Rescue Centre - a reoccurring theme in Fabrications story!!

For the tours and the slide show I wanted to promote the people and organisations that have contributed to creating the new space and my collaborative / community approach. One of these organisations is 'Out of the Dark' an inspirational social enterprise who "uncover the hidden potential of old furniture and young people by training and employing dissadvantaged youths to recycle and restore vintage furniture" (this quote came from a recent review of The Imaginerium by Inhabit ) Out of the Dark got stuck in with reworking old lock wood, fruit crates and a G Plan wardrobe to provide a kitchen and storage area for The Imaginerium. They also suggested curtaining across the front to hide workshop resources and a creative way to incorporate and showcase my own upcycled textile work.

On the previous weekend, for the London Design Festival, Out of the Dark ran a special workshop here 'Revamp your old furniture' which was so popular and well received, we've decided to run another workshop in December.

I really enjoyed being part of the Open House event. I was overwhelmed and really pleased by how many visitors came along and were captivated by The Imaginerium and our stories. I'm looking forward to participating next year!

Don't Move Improve!

Straight from last night's private view at the Building Centre in Central London, here are Eric and Nicholai of Delvendahl Architects, in front of their design for Fabrications, which has been shorlisted for the 'Don't move, improve!' award organised by NLA (new London architecture) in assotiation with RIBA (Royal institute of British architecture) BIID (British institute of interior design) and Elle Decoration.
The exhibition (which continues until 28th March) showcases shortlisted schemes from this year’s ‘Don’t Move, Improve!’ competition, which invited architects and homeowners from across Greater London to submit their most innovative and well-designed home extension, interior design and small office conversion projects completed within the last three years. Well done Eric + Nicholai on being shorlisted!

JANUARY workshops and events

This year's workshops are now underway! It's so lovely to be able to offer a wider range of classes in a new fully equipped workroom. Last weekend we had a beginners crochet class facilitated by Ayda Anlagan on Saturday. On Sunday I ran a beginners knitting class. I've introduced a feedback form - these were some of the comments:
"The workshop space is amazing, really friendly and helpful teacher"
" Had a great time learning a new skill with a nice teacher and meeting new people. Can't wait to do another"
" The course was great. I really liked the individual attention and encouragement"

This is what else is on this month. For more information on each class please click through to the calender on the website. If you are interested in booking a place, contact Barley through e-mail or telephone or at the shop.

THURSDAY 19th January, 5.30 - 8pm: Basic book keeping
FRIDAY 20th January, 5.30 - 8pm: Setting up your own business
SATURDAY 21st January, 2 - 4.30pm: Taste of flat felt making
SUNDAY 22nd January, 2 - 4.30pm: KNIT LARGE!
SUNDAY 29th January, 2 - 4.30pm: Refresh your wardrobe - Darn it! Mend it! Customise it!

After the success of the first Mrs Bears clothes swap event, we've decided to do another this month on SATURDAY 28th January, 1 - 4pm. Go through your wardrobe and bring up to 7 unwanted yet quality items to exchange. Visit Mrs Bears website to find out how it all works.
This month ON THE MEZZANINE, Mrs Bear is introducing her Vintage SALE RAIL and Debs of Stitch in time alterations will also be on hand for a free consultation and promoting her service.
Keep an eye out for our 'Refresh your wardrobe' workshops, which we're running to compliment the swaps. Maybe there is something on the rails that doesn't quite fit or you'd like to learn how to alter the item or transform it in some way.

MRS BEAR says "Please try to come to the Swap early, to avoid queuing, the rails will already be full of clothing to swap, as I run a number of clothing swaps, so what's on the rails is constantly changing! Looking forward to seeing you!"

It's a NEW new year!

Welcome to 2012! I am really looking forward to what this year will hold. This year is about nurturing the seeds I've sewn and enjoying the fruits of my labour. I've got lots of exciting news and developments up my sleeve, all will be revealed....In the meantime here are some beautiful photos of my new Imaginerium taken by Nick Holt.

Mezzanine level with balustrail warp wires at shop level

The basement area is now one big space where the old space meets the new

I love this shot taken from Bob Cooke's (Pie + Mash) roof. In order to achieve a light that doesn't bleach out the space as it shines out, Nicolai's (one half of DM Architects) son was turning the lights on and off! Doesn't the green roof look good too! (and creating great insulation)

Over to Delvendahl Martin Architects.......

"In the spirit of Barley's upcycling approach, the design of the new rear extension is to provide increased workspace and a basement workshop which incorporates, where possible, building materials and components that are either reclaimed, made from re-cycled materials or with low embodied energy. An example of this was the involvement of ‘Out of the Dark’ to design and install part of the fitted furniture. The organization repurposes salvaged furniture as a means to educate, train and employ young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The geometry that gives the massing of the building its characteristic triangulated shape, was generated to minimize overshadowing to adjacent properties and maximize daylight penetration to the basement. The palette of materials is neutral and includes laminated timber for the skylight, fibre cement exterior cladding and a fabricated steel staircase"

I look forward to sharing this magnificent space with you!

Progress Report

I am going away for 2 weeks! The Fabrications renovations have got to a stage now where I can have a holiday, re charge my batteries ready to get stuck into finishing, painting and fixtures and fittings and re stocking the shop. The plan is to re open mid October after the Knitting + Stitching show in Ally Pally, where I have put together a new area at the show called 'The Upcycling Academy'.

It has been an exciting journey, working with the architects Delvendahl Martin, Fiona Sail + Sons (contractor) and her team of hard working trades people and seeing an idea that was planned on paper 4 years ago become reality.
Standing in this new space I am now also appreciating the architects vision in transforming the little yard out back that wasn't really being used into this inspirational, light and functional space.

I am looking forward to all the workshops, events, happenings, talks, collaborations, creativity and positivity that the space is going to generate! See you in October! Or at the official launch party next year!

Fabrications Out-Back

I haven't been blogging for a while, posts are swirling about in my mind. While the building work takes place at the shop, it's given me the space to think, research and get out and about to soak up the wealth of exciting activity that's taking place in London at the moment. I've been to Somerset House for a talk on 'Art, Activism + the Avant garde', the RSA for a live recording of '4 Thought' and back to Somerset House for a debate on 'Women + the Big society - blast from the past or a new idea?'....to be continued...in the meantime a short announcement:

Fabrications is now open for business on Friday + Saturday afternoons - Out-Back at No 16 Broadway Market. Unless we are running a workshop at an event. Check our website calender for further information on what we're up to this summer.


Sarah who usually runs her retro furniture and brick a brack shop at No 16 Broadway is currently having a rest and will be reinventing her space in Autumn. In the meantime Penny + Les from 'The Garden Shop' on Columbia Road have transformed the front of the shop.

And I've set up my studio and mini shop, which includes a 'Museum of Everything' style counter. Please pop in and say hello!

B & B

Katherine May's fantastic banner is up and the builders are in! I've been watching people peeping through the door to see that Fabrications is now officially a building site!

Meet Fiona Sail and her team who have agreed to undertake all the work!

I'm Looking forward to the improvements and change...I'll keep you posted!