Nothing like a bit of hero worship. I went into town today to meet the one and only Amy Butler, in Liberty. She was sitting next to a display table covered in samples and copies of her new book, which is why I was so surprised when she stood up – man, that woman is tall! Anyway, being slightly nervous I talked way too much* and now she knows way more about my travel plans and my fabric obsession than she needs to, and of course I was wearing the new bag so I flashed the lining at her in a fan type way, which may or may not have been a bit weird. You know what though? She’s really lovely. And tall. But mostly just a very nice person who happens to design all my favourite fabrics.
(*I did the exact same thing when I met Douglas Coupland and David Mitchell. I should learn to listen to the voice in my head shouting ’shut up already!’)
Afterwards I had a coffee and then wound my way down to a new to me shop of goodness:
I read about this on Fehr Trade but couldn’t remember going past it – it’s just around the corner from the Cloth House on Noel Street. It has notions and trimmings, bag handles and buttons, pipe cleaners and fabric dye, and a lot of interfacing. Including some new Vilene stuff I’d never seen before that looks tough but flexible. I left only with some purple thread and a magic stick of iron cleaner made by Vilene, which means I am certainly not the only one to leave her iron covered in brown ick.
And then I sat in Trafalgar Square and watched the finals of the eventing on the big screen. I’m taken by these Olympics, maybe a little too much – I got a little teary when the German dentist took the individual gold. A grand day out all told.
Oh and the book? It’s super-cute, and I need to steal a baby to make wee things for.
12 comments ↓
You’ve met Amy Butler AND Douglas Coupland? I’m jealous!
:) Lucky girl!
Hello Chicken!
I went to go see Amy myself and the first thing she said after saying hello was “Oh I have just been having a nice chat with Jo!” Darn it if I had showed up a little earlier we could have been groupies together :)
X
Joanne….words are failing me and I am lost for words (for once). I am soooooooo jealous of your book inscription. Lucky you. Admiration that you talk when nervous. i become mute. x
Oh, David-Mitchell-the-novelist. (As opposed to David-Mitchell-the-comedian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Mitchell_%28actor%29). Now David-Mitchell-the-comedian would probably reduce me to gibbering idiot status…
wow! I would have swapped your day for my day in a nano second. I could have been meeting Amy Butler and hanging out in London and you could have been interviewing candidates for positions in a contact centre.
Perhaps we could do a life swap for a few weeks. I also quite fancy going to Japan on holiday – you, on the other hand would be camping at Bestival on the Isle of Wight.
Have I sold it to you? No?
Envy really isn’t very becoming is it? LOL
Monda
x
Oh Lucky you!! I was SO tempted to have a long lunch that day to pop into Liberty, but too much work to do…
I saw some photos of her on Lisa’s blog, she is very pretty and tall.
I have to check out that habberdashery store next time I pop down to the West End office. Looks very interesting indeed. Thanks for sharing.
Mary
I am about the same shade as the lining on your lovely bag. But it’s probably good that I couldn’t make it, because then I’d have bought the book and probably had another baby too just so I could sew the cute stuff.
Being a groupie gets you into all manner of hot water.
But you don’t need to steal a baby, you just go and make things for other people’s babies.
Hello …. sounds like you (and Lisa) so enjoyed meeting Amy – I am so pleased to hear that she is so nice – it is good to hear that you can be talented, pretty, successful (and tall) and still be nice! Hey, I met David Mitchell, too. I came out with something assinine like couldn’t he write faster because it is way too long between books. Duh. And also one last thing – I have bought from Kleins online twice and both times it was a next-day delivery. Their shop needs a couple of visits to see all the goodies they have in it! ;o)
What a really wonderful day out! Kliens is a great place isn’t it, full of fab haberdashery.
Sounds like a great day. I want to go to London. I’ve only been a few times and each time it’s has just been to take foreign visitors around the main attractions. So I know the Tower of London like the back of my hand (ie. not very well, but I recognise most of it. That tiny mole must be new… ) but I have never gotten to visit Liberty or anything like that. I just get to look at pictures of their gorgeous fabric online, while wondering why postage is equal to my electric bill… Maybe we could use candles for a month.
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