First up - Greenwich Market

It takes me about two hours, but by 10 o’clock I’m ready. I have handmade hats galore (well, I am a milliner after all!), shoe-bags made out of vintage curtains, corsages made of ribbon, customised turbans, and T-shirts that I’ve printed with a photo of youngsters celebrating VE day. I found the photo in a Greenwich antique shop, and wonder whether by some slim chance I’ll meet the now grown-up children today. My friend’s quilts help to fill up the space a little, and by the time I finish “dressing” my stall – I feel quite pleased with the results.Many people are curious about my Newsnight banner, and it provides me with a great opportunity to talk about my project – as well as to reassure them that no, Newsnight has not gone into the craft business!It’s slow at first, I seem to be a tourist curiosity rather than a serious concern, but little by little, I nudge towards the £50 mark. The stall costs £39, so if I’m to make any money at all I need to earn at least £100. The corsages do well at £3.99 each, but my best sale is a headband at £40.Running a stall is hard work but great fun. By the end of the day, I’ve almost lost my voice, I’ve spoken to so many people! If nothing else, it’s been great for publicity. As the afternoon draws to a close I count up my takings – nearly £150! So after paying for the stall, that leaves me with £110. That should get me to the Midlands and even beyond. Britain here I come!

Make Your Way Around Britain Skirt

This is the skirt my wonderful neighbour Robert Wignall customised for my trip. Here he is handing it to me! The thing is - this talented man is so shy that he refused to be photographed! He found the skirt in a local charity shop, and bought a load of that fantastic and much neglected '70's trim RIC-RACK to decorate it with. Not only did he get in the red, white and blue of the Union Jack - he also wrote MAKE YOUR WAY AROUND BRITAIN in ric-rack too! I love it.

PS You'll notice I'm still in France at this point. Well - why shouldn't the French come and Make Their Way Around Britain too...? How about a Make/Create tourist route? I think so......

Newsnight Make Do And Mend

I'm just back from a short holiday before I head out on the road. If you have a chance take a look at my Newsight piece - produced by Robin Punt, who shot and edited the film as well. Thankyou Robin! Don't you love the tapestry graphic? Surely that's a first on Newsnight! Let me know if you have any Make Do and Mend needs or ideas and I could come and see you during my trip. I'm starting on Saturday 3rd October with a stall at Greenwich Market - a few things I've made and customised on sale to get the ball rolling. I'd love to meet you if you are free to come along.

I'm in deepest France with my Auntie for a little R+R before the travels begin on October 3rd. I'm starting with a stall at Greenwich Market in South East London - so if you're free this Saturday, then come along and say hello. I've tried to fill the stall as much as possible with things that I've made and customised - taking inspiration from finds in the local area. I came across this wonderful photo of children celebrating V day in a Greenwich junk shop and have transferred it onto T-shirts which I found in a Deptford charity branch. The T-shirts are just one of the things you can buy! Prices will be low (starting at £4.99 for a badge made of ribbon), but I need to sell enough to make the petrol money to take me onto my next port of call. So come and help if you can!

Make Do And Mend

Make Do And Mend books - they're everywhere! From John Lewis - to Top Shop of all places. Are teenagers really buying these things? It seems they're eating them up - alongside Stitch Your Own stationery and craft books. Also in this picture, a ration book sent to me by my Octagenarian friend Dorothy. It belonged to her brother who died at the age of 38. She wanted me to have it for my project.....he never used it.........

Newsnight

Exciting news - I'm covering my Make Your Way Around Britain trip for BBC 2's Newsnight. Watch out for the first film on October the 1st(fingers crossed!)

Button excavation in South East London

It's amazing what a box of buttons can reveal about its owner. Yesterday I was lucky enough to stumble upon a cardboard box stuffed with the spare buttons you get in little plastic packets alongside the clothes that you buy. Or at least, that's what you used to get. You might now find a spare sewn onto the inside of your purchased garment, but more often than not, you're left to your own devices when it comes to replacement fastenings thse days. It's a pain, given that most buttons are now sewn on so badly that you usually lose one the first time you put on your new shirt! The owner of these buttons seemed to shop almost exclusivly at Jaeger and Basler. And as I went throght the box it became clear that black and gilt far exceeded any other colour. A woman of expensive and classical taste perhaps? I popped the buttons from their packets as if I were shelling peas, and was pleased with my £5 haul. I also discovered that clothes used to be accompanied by small skeins of wool or thread for the sewing on of buttons and minor repairs. Some little packets contained spare squares of cloth too - evidence of our past attitude to making clothing last. When did we lose that determination to preserve and conserve?