On this week’s podcast I had the pleasure of interviewing the lovely Leigh Metcalf about her brand new book, London Stitch and Knit. It was great to sit down over a cup of tea to talk about what it’s like to take a book from concept to launch, and how we find time to creative while juggling the demands of work and motherhood. Her publisher describes the book perfectly:
With a design aesthetic to inspire any craft lover, London Stitch and Knit: A Craft Lover’s Guide to London’s Fabric, Knitting and Haberdashery Shops
seamlessly documents the city’s best to provide a comprehensive guide that encompasses the handmade and the vintage.
Freelance writer and photographer Leigh Metcalf discovers the hidden gems in London’s ever-growing craft community, promoting independent shops as well as craftspeople and their work. Ever since she arrived in London from the US, Metcalf had made it her mission to discover the best places for haberdashery supplies. Drawing on her experience from the last five years, she combines well-informed narrative, illustrations and a beautiful, layered design, to discover the history and operations of approximately 50 shops—divided by London territories.
As soon as I got my hands on a copy of London Stitch and Knit, I knew it was something special. The photography alone makes me want to drop everything and go out on a tour of haberdashery shops around London immediately!
Leigh has really captured the magic of supplies and notions, and each page offers tantalizing shots of the treasures waiting to be unearthed in local shops.
This isn’t just a pretty picture book, though. Along with the drool-worthy photos, Leigh has gathered a wealth of useful information. The descriptions really give a good flavour of each shop – very practical details about what they stock as well as her description of the overall vibe. Every entry is like a little in-person tour, and all of the most important details for each shop are conveniently positioned at the top of the page for easy access to addresses and websites.
What’s most amazing to me, as someone who adores shopping for supplies, is that lots of shops I haven’t heard of: it’s so exciting to be able to discover new gems in London. I also LOVE that they are organised by area, and I will definitely be planning a few “days out” next year to various corners of London. Who would like to join me?
If you didn’t catch the episode, you can have a listen here. Alongside a great interview, you’ll also find out how to enter the two giveaways we have going on this week!
