Sep 7, 2011

Thames Festival Designers: Bags and Accessories

With just under a few days  to go we would like to introduce you to some of the designers that will be at the We Make London area at the Thames Festival.

These are all of the wonderful sellers that make bags and accessories:


SewSmitten was set up in August 2009 by creative duo Penni P and the Gnome, together we design, print & hand make gift items for sale on our online shop, through other stockists and at  craft events around London.  

Amongst our handmade stash you will find: Oyster Card and Passport Holders, Framed Coin Purses, Clutch Bags, Greeting Cards, Prints, Accessories and Homewares.  

Our main objective through SewSmitten is to provide appealing, useful and good quality handmade products ideal to buy as gifts or for the individual to suit any occasion.   

Anna Wiscombe handcrafts contemporary wooden products from beautiful natural materials with colourful finishes!  
Ranges include decorative standing ornaments, cute wall pieces, wooden jewellery and fun and functional chalk boards.  
Birds are a main inspiration, each piece having its own little character and charm! 
 
   
Tugba Kop Illustration is a one woman designer/maker who creates intricate machine
embroidered leather accessories, custom peices and Illustrations. Tugba graduated from
Illustration at Kingston University in 2010, so drawing is at the foundation of everything she
creates. Her work is driven by her passion for drawing and her lifelong love of textiles.

She has always enjoyed making things, but discovered the beauty of leather during a project,
in her final year at uni. She then decided to make a few peices to sell at her degree show using
scraps, and the rest is history! She was instantly drawn to the idea of making something both
beautiful and practical.

Her products range from brooches to purses to custom illustrations. She tries to keep her work,
fun, quirky and contemporary and is always on the look out for her next interesting character to
draw!


Awamu means ‘together’ in Luganda, the main language spoken in Uganda. We chose it as it reflects the name and spirit of both the women’s groups that we are working with.

The big idea: you get lovely hand-made things to enjoy women in our projects earn a livingchildren in their care are healthier, happier and can go to school.

Awamu is about showing you the lovely handmade goods that give the makers an income and raises money to help children born with or orphaned by hiv in two of the poorest areas of Kampala, Uganda.

100% of the money raised from the sale of our lovely handmade things is used to provide small education grants so our kids can complete their basic primary education and give their guardians a small fund help them start up a business so they can feed and care for their families.

We love making things and we love using and sharing our passion and skills to make a difference.



Laurafallulah is Laura Harris, a weaving graduate who, after a lightbulb moment, knew she had to swap her life in retail for setting up her own business making the most of her creativity and promoting that of others.Working from her home in South East London Laura takes inspiration from her surroundings. Her love of vintage design combined with an eye for bold colours and stylised motifs help her create fun individual accessories for the young at heart. A proper grown-up treat.


Bryony graduated from the Birmingham school of Jewellery with a BA in Jewellery and Silversmithing. She worked as a designer and creative director in the Jewellery Industry until 2010, when she co-founded the Pretty Scruffy gallery in Chichester, the gallery now represents over fifty artists and showcases Bryony and Margaret’s work, which is created on site in the attic workshop.

Bryony has been creating and adding to her textile menagerie since 2005, when collaboration with fellow artist Abi Gilchrist gave life to Flossie the life size patchwork donkey. Each of Bryony's creations is carefully made by hand from reclaimed materials using traditional techniques and crafts skills. The animals are to scale, and resplendent with jewels of reclaimed fabric, also utilising antique buttons and jewellery for eyes and claws. There is a joy and naivety in the work, which aims to celebrate the beauty and symbolism of our animal friends.


We are an eclectic and experimental lifestyle label dedicated to handmake unconventional and quirky accessories, bags and homeware. We want to reflect contrast between past and present, elegance and quirkiness and femininity and masculinity crossing the seasonal boundaries of fashion. We use a mixture of sources and recycle any and everything to create special details rather than mass produce ones.




    Bumble and Earwig transform colourful balls of fluff into wearable works of art.


    All pieces are entirely made by hand and therefore can be customised to your requirements.

    Made at green view was brought to life by Geraldine. She makes traditional style purses, bags, and a variety of decorative lifestyle accessories using the ancient technique of patchwork. However, her bold and playful use of colour and print give a contemporary twist on this traditional technique.
    She embraces the versatile design elements that patchwork offers giving the finished item a modern feel and each piece is thoughtfully embroidered. Geraldine loves how this traditional technique is a very effective way to recycle her collection of old and new fabrics.


    Make Industries has been producing modern urban cross stitch kits and craft products since 2007. It was founded by Tina Fox, the sewing architect, who is based in London. 

    The designs are focused on combining contemporary graphics and iconography with traditional handmaking skills to create craft products which will fit into the modern home. 

    All the kits are made in the UK with original artwork by Tina Fox. Current best sellers include BATTERSEA POWER STATION and LOVE cross stitch kits. Please follow Make Industries on Twitter: @MAKEINDUSTRIES and Facebook: MakeIndustries. 

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