Regency Colour nº2- Puce

A purplish brown shade of red or more specifically pantone 19-1518. Puce was a very popular regency colour and in 1805 The Lady´s Magazine states "The prevailing colours are green, yellow, and puce. Spanish hats of coloured velvet, with feathers to match, are generally worn. Black velvet pelisses, trimmed all round with lace, are most prevalent." It is however thought the colour was made popular in the Summer of 1775 when Louis XVI observed that Marie Antoinette´s brownish dress was "coleur de puce". Puce in French means literally "flea" and so it is the colour of this little blood sucker. The fabric dyers of Marie´s time made distinctions between young and old fleas as well as their different body parts as a means to subdivide and define the various shades of puce.

Buonanni Philippo´s 1681 "Puce"...

...and a portait of Marie from around the time puce was made popular as colour in France.

The 5 Cs of Christmas in Lisboa

Christmas Candles

Christmas Cakes

Christmas Cabbage

Christmas Cards

Christmas Clutch

Shop now open!

Hi everyone... you can now visit my shop on bigcartel.

Esquilohandbags.bigcartel.com

Air de Paris. I + can= go to Paris

Yesterday I found this at my parents place. My dad went to Paris when I was young. He must have brought back this great souvenier. It is an old fashioned can, the ones you need a key to open, filled with Paris air. It contains according to the label: Nitrogen - Hydrogen - Oxygen and Pollutive agents. On the side of the can there appears this, IMPORTANT: Do not puncture, contents irreplaceable. I think this is the best. I am not sure you could really analise the contents of the can, but I can´t help but wonder how different Paris air must be today.
I have always wanted to go to Paris, maybe this is a sign.

Catarina´s Quilt #1: Fuxico

My auntie Catarina has made many patchwork quilts. This is one one of my favourites. The flowers are made from circles that are sewn around the edges, gathered to the center and then finished with another smaller solid circle of a different fabric. Normally the flowers are a lot simpler and don´t have the extra center. It is thought that this technique originated in colonial Brazil and was the creation of enslaved African women. At the end of their days work they would gather to sew and talk. Hence the name given to these fabric flowers is "fuxico", a Brazilian word that means "to gossip".

Sweet & Sweets

I have been away from a computer since tuesday. I had tonsolitis and was bed ridden for 3 days(those who know me enjoyed the silence). Many cups of tea, spoonfulls of honey and lots of medicine later things seem to be back on track. Of what was supposed to be a few relaxing days with family down south in Lagos turned out to be quite frustrating but I did manage to get out and about 2 mornings, to the local market and the family farm and the Christmas Bazaar. The rest of the time I spent indoors resting or photographing my aunties quilts, rag bags and other curios. For today... a new purse and pretty roses to match and below a sneak preview of my morning at the local growers market. These cakes are amazing...pure sugar...made from almond meal, like marzipan but not bitter, and filled with strings of egg yolks that have been funneled into sugar syrup at high temperatures...hard to explain that last bit...suffice to say...delicious!! they are called "bolos de doce fino". My favourites are the animals, I like to eat them in bits, first the lips, then the tail, then the head...
Lots more photos to follow in the next few days.

Palms and Pampas grass

This is without a doubt, hands down, so far my favourite christmas shopfront decoration this year in Lisbon. It is on Rua Garrett in Chiado. There is actually a real palm tree and sprigs of rosemary. Oh, the excesses of the season. Or is it a mirage...I wish they decorated their shop like this all year round.

Downtown, in Rua Augusta, a pedestrian street perfect for rambling and window shopping these ladies brave the cold and clouds of roasting chestnut smoke. The warmth is all above the kneeline. Here they sit year round selling the brightest flower bouquets, cut ferns and my favourite the dried and died fluffy pampas grass. The wicker baskets are so perfect against the cobble stone....isn´t it all just so romantic. The window in the corner belongs to a tailor shop established in 1856, decorated in a more traditional manner with pine garlands.

Pretty retro fabric

This pretty fabric I found at my parent´s place is most likely from the 80´s.

If you are into vintage fabrics check out the Retro Age Vintage Fabrics Online Store. Some very cool fabrics and nice for inspiration for color combination and design. The pictured fabric is from the 50´s.

More Purses

More purses available for purchase at the Wrong Shop Lisboa.

Husquie came Home

I am so happy that I have my machine back. Not everything could be fixed but it is sewing straight and that is good enough for me.

This is a new lot of hand embroideries I am thinking about turning into bags...

...and these are my almost ready bags.

´Tis the season...

... for Christmas berries to make your humble abode a little cheerier.

... for moss to lay the grounds of your nativity scene.

... for acorns to drop and a tree to grow.

... for childhood handkerchiefs to wipe your sniffly nose.

Christmas Love

Largo de Camões, Lisboa, Portugal

"Love is the difficult realization that something other than oneself is real". Iris Murdoch

It is a fact...

Warning: Purse not to scale! Much smaller in real world size.

The Green Barber

I find Barber shops fascinating. This is because they are mostly always very well looked after and the fact that invariably the plants there kept are always thriving. Is there something in the hair that plants like or is the thumb of the barber greener than most? Also of interest are the portrait photos posted to illustrate haircuts that never seem to go out of style. These 2 beautiful barber shops are in Guimarães.

ps. Hair is in fact already used by some as very very slow release fertiliser, high in nitrogen and protein...I should have known the barbers around the world were up to something.

The things we learn. Read more here.

Afro-Deco Ettore

Finished purse

Purse in progress

Odeon, Leicester Square, 1930´s

Image source: Film Education

Ettore Sottsass teapot for Ablebest Ltd. 1971

Image source: Decorative arts

I love this African fabric. It is from a lot from Senegal that I bought a few months back. What I love about this and other Senegalese fabrics are the very modern geometric patterns. This particular fabric reminds me of Russian constructivism mixed with a little Bauhaus and the amazing Odeon Art Deco style. The Film Theatre is the Odeon in Leicester Square, which still operates today. The decoration has been much simplified but there are a few remains of its former glory. The Odeon style teapot is actually from 1971 and was designed by Ettore Sottsass for Ablebest Ltd.

For your change

These are the latest small purses hungry for your change. Some of these will be on sale at the Wrong Shop, but soon you will be able to find them also for sale online. Keep you posted.

I ♥ Saudade

Yesterday was rainy and miserable. After spending most of the day inside I needed some cheering up. So off we went to Saudade.

Saudade is my favourite place in Sintra to have coffee and cake, the wild berry tart is so delicious. The space is amazing. It is cozy with lots of alcoves where you can relax, romance and savour. I love to walk around and daydream that everything belongs to me. Every month there is a new exhibition, sometimes craft, sometimes art, always interesting. The coffee shop doubles as a front for a very well selected collection of Portuguese crafts and other foodie goods which are also available for sale. On the weekends(if I am not mistaken) all the cool cats congregate for the very definately "not square" Jazz sessions.

I love the dolls, they remind me of the ones my mum used to make me....Iĺl have to see if I still have them to show and tell.

Portuguese plastic toy: for the little lady of the house

I received the sad news yesterday that my sewing machine may not be able to be fixed.  I almost cried. But then this little toy cheered me up. The wheel actually turns and makes the needle go up and down.

Fun day at the market

Yesterday I spent my day at the urban market at SOU in Anjos. It was a great day. I shared a stand with my friend Catarina, she sells the slippers you can see in the background. We had a great time. The space where the market is held is cozy and communal and everyone was very friendly. There is music every market and Folear took the stage this saturday. They were fantastic. The space also has a little cafe with outdoor garden that sells delicious snacks and a super yummy banana and cinnamon tart. We were in heaven.

I sold most of my purses... so you can imagine I am very happy. A big thank you to everyone who came by and visited and a special thanks to all who bought purses.

Sou Mercado Urbano

Sometimes I wish that fiction was in fact reality. I am trying to get my purses ready to take to the market this saturday at Sou and I could really do with some help.

When:

This saturday November 7th, between 14h and 20h.

Getting there:

Rua Maria nº73 (à Forno do Tijolo)
1170 Lisboa
Metro Anjos
Bus 12 - 30 - 726
Eléctrico 28

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New African Fabrics

Thanks to the nice staff over at ISU(Institute for Solidarity and University Cooperation) I now have a nice new lot of African fabrics to work with. Within ISU, Nô Djunta Mon (NDM) currently develop volunteer projects for cooperation in Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde with the vision to create sustainable development in the areas of education, health and youth associativism. The sale of fabrics that volunteers bring back from their work in these countries is one way to help raise money for the programs. I am currently working on a proposal to contribute to NDM´s cause, I will keep you posted.

The Lovely couple

Charles & Ray Eames show their then-new masterpiece on the Arlene Francis "Home" show broadcast on the NBC television network in 1956.

Husquie is sad

It could not have happened at a worse time but my sewing machine has to be taken into the repair shop. Husquie is sick. At first it was just a horrible sound but the stitches were fine. Then it turned into a horrible screechy sound and the stitches started to gather at the back and go all crazy. I would have put up with the painful sound as crazy as it may seem.

So, I thought that maybe it needed oil and I ventured out to the neighbouring village in my search for the amber liquid. As it turns out I should have done some research before I left. Husqvarna were the first to make machine parts out of powdered steel that when heated permeated the parts with oil. So, there is NO need to oil my machine and hence that is really not the problem.

It wasn´t so much of a waste... the oil cost only 70cents and curiously it can be used for machines and rifles! so it seems I got more than i bargained for there. And the walk there and back was so much more worth it than moping around the house trying to understand and counsel my machine. Here are just a few pics to inspire.