Purlesque Goes POP!

So we've been very busy moving and settling in to our new home in POP Boutique Liverpool. You can find us on the first floor sewing and knitting away!
We really love our new home surrounded by all things vintage and retro, which we take a lot of inspiration from, let us show you a few treats we have in store at the moment!

Just a small selection of some of the gorgeous new fabrics we have NEW in stock this week, everything from big, bold and beautiful floral prints to delicate, detailed and delightful Liberty designs. WE LOVE THEM! and hope you do to.

MORE NEW STOCK COMING VERY SOON !!!

xxxxx

Purlesque moves to pop

We are moving to the 1st floor of Pop boutique Liverpool next week!

Purlesque opened its doors September 2006 in Grand Central Hall on Renshaw street, a new shopping arcade created to house the former Quiggins retailers.
Purlesque was created by Jane and Susan, who had found their passion for knitting. After looking for supplies they saw a gap in the market in Liverpool for a craft supplies shop that stocked contemporary yarns and craft materials. So they put the plan together.

The small unit in the basement of Grand Central was perfect for our start up.

We soon gained our reputation for large clown buttons and ribbons, everybody at the time was making large bows with buttons in the centre for their hair, as well as our bright and unusual yarns.

In 2007 The Bluecoat was finalising its plans to re-open after a couple of years re-development.
They were recruiting creative businesses for their studios and retail spaces. The re-development was exciting and the opportunity to be in a supportive creative community was difficult to resist. We put in our proposal and we were selected for a space.
It was very exciting to have our own front door on to the court yard and to have a shop with day light.

We had our pink and white candy striped wall designed and built by Matthew Ashton and Christopher Ashton. The Bluecoat is listed so we had to work around a number of details we couldn't change this didn't leave us a lot of plain wall space. So Matthew designed the walls as a response to this problem. All the walls were built out and designed to look as though they are floating. Christopher used his skills and patience to build the walls.
The design is unique and striking and we would soon become known as the candy stripe shop.

We opened our doors at the Bluecoat on the 10/05/08. However our excitement quickly turned to fear as we were told there had been a fire in the kitchen above the shop. Luckily we escaped with out to much damage, a lot of thanks to the fire brigade who used the shop as the entrance to put out the fire, but managed to leave the shop looking exactly as it was.

During our time at the Bluecoat we have had a lot of fun, doing workshops, being involved in events like the Bed in, and knit graffiti in the garden.
We will be sad to leave the creative community and to close the door on our cute little shop.

We want to thank all our customers and supporters, especially for their kind comments over the past couple of weeks, and we ask that you keep following us and get your friends to follow us too.

We are not going to let 5 YEARS of hard work go to waste, so what is next for Purlesque?????

Purlesque has a secret

We stock more then just wool and buttons you know!
Well sell lots of bits and bobs for craft projects, if you can't find it ask us and we will see if we can.
Have a look at our tumblr pics

http://purlesque.tumblr.com/

Bluebird blog

Our little Button treasure trove has been featured in this lovely little blog. I recommend you follow this which features all kind of delights at the Bluecoat.

New workshops for 2011 email purlesque@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list

TIS THE SEASON!

TIS THE SEASON!

Purlesque are busy getting ready for lots and lots of exciting fairs, come and see us at the following locations:

 

Winter Arts Market at St Georges Hall

27/11/10

http://www.stgeorgesliverpool.co.uk/whatson/details.asp?id=186136

Leaf Tea Bar on Bold Street

4/12/10

http://www.loacaart.co.uk/section450788.html

Kazimier

5/12/10

http://www.thekazimier.co.uk/listings.htm

Martini Lounge

11/12/10 

http://www.martinilounge.co.uk/

KNIT- IN: Give purl a chance!

This is Purlesque knitting circle at the Bluecoat bed-in giving purl a chance!
(photo: Pete Carr)

We had a lovely time in bed chatting, knitting and creating our blanket for peace!

The Bluecoat bed-in event marks the anniversary of John Lennon's birthday and assasination by recreating John and Yoko's famous 1969 peace protest. Each day a bed in the hub will host a new action by performers, artists and others. For more information or to see who's in the bed right now! click on the link below:  
http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/index.php/events/view/events/828

We decided to spend our time in the bed creating a communal knitted/crocheted blanket that represented us as individuals (our different knitting styles, choices of colour, texture etc) and as a group (the finished blanket) to express our mutual appreciation of the peaceful art of knitting! 

The blanket is still growing! so we will post more photos soon!

Jane xx   

FATHOMING

www.tinctory.co.uk

Hello again!

I just wanted to tell you about a beautiful collection of textile jewellery we currently have displayed in the shop, a collaboration between artist Eva Fulinova and poet Rebecca Joy Sharp:

Fathoming - is a triptych of poems worked into individual smocked silk necklaces, each of unique design. Each poem/piece can be expereinced alone or as part of the series of three.

There is a thread of a story that runs through the pieces - half-glimpsed, it invites you to a chase and never fully gives itself away. Two voices seperated by time and the sea; memories and secret messages drift in on a breeze of shimmering silk; the promise of a return perhaps never fulfilled; echoes of Penelope at her loom, waiting for Odysseus.

The design of each piece reflects the tone of that poem and in turn tells the story. The object itself could have been a coded message from an absent love; a talisman or love token. The pieces were designed to have an antiquated look and feel, as though they may have lain hidden for centuries in a secret compartment of an old wooden chest.

The process of creating the series was reciprocal: the poems were written with the final outcome in mind, inspired by the very process of intricate smocking and delicate embellishment; the final pieces were crafted in such a way as to reflect the structure, content and mood of the poems.

To read the poems, on the page or within the silk, is to unravel their secrets. To wear each piece is to reveal its magic, while forever keeping some parts hidden, for only the bearer to behold.

www.tinctory.co.uk
www.rebeccajoysharp.com


For more information click on the above links or come and see the collection in the shop, they are even more beautiful in real life and will be with this until the end of January.

Jane xx

A MUCH NEEDED UPDATE!

So, so sorry we have not blogged for ages and ages! we are not very good at this, apologies, apologies we will try harder!

Well what have we been up to?

Back in June the knitting circle took part in Liverpool's Lord mayors and we had so much fun! dressing in sparkly outfits with big balls of wool on our backs! And Susan became our very own knitting queen! Many thanks to Liverpool Lantern Company who made our outfits they are amazing - check them out their Halloween carnival is truly awe- inspiring

http://www.liverpoollanterncompany.co.uk/

We've also been speending our summer months doing a lots and lots of fingerknitting and knit graffittiing all over North Liverpool!

We've been working alongside ART Valley a programme of arts activities for people living in Alt Valley, an area of North Liverpool that includes Clubmoor, Croxteth, Fazakerley, Norris Green and Walton (County & Warbreck).

Their role is to work with local community organisiations and with statutory bodies to increase access to the arts in Alt Valley through a year-round programme of activities

The programme looks to respond to priorities in each neighbourhood using the arts as a way of engaging people. For example they have designed projects specifically to tackle anti-social behaviour, isolation amongst older people and lack of confidence in young parents.

For more info:

http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/content/art-valley-outreach-programme

Well I'm going to leave it at that for now, we have lots going on over the next couple of weeks: including making lots of new stock, craft fairs, a burlesque night and staying in bed and knit-in for peace at the Bluecoat!! so I will try my best to keep this blog updated and take lots of photos.


Jane xx

On the waterfront!

Purlesque will be down by the pierhead this weekend! as part of the Year of Health and Wellbeing with Feelgood fairs, lot's going on On The Waterfront and should be lots of fun, Come & join in!
CRAFT IS GOOD FOR YOU! 
http://www.culture.org.uk/articles/show/271?type=News

Landbaby, Purlesque & MAS would like you to join us for a celebration of craft and making at the Bluecoat:

18.06.2010 6-8pm
HITCH
an etsy global craft party
at the Bluecoat
school lane
liverpool


The event showcases the craft community at the Bluecoat:

connect: meet other makers
participate: live workshops & performance
join: the global meetup & make

http://www.meetup.com/Etsy-Craft-Party/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/craftparty/
http://www.etsy.com/storque/events/throw-an-etsy-craft-party-in-your-town-8083/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Landbaby-at-the-Bluecoat/89408539268
http://www.purlesque.com

MASworkshop have created the identity and concept development for HITCH
on behalf of Landbaby, the boutique store at the Bluecoat.
To find out more about MAS visit
http://www.masworkshop.com

Hope to see you  here,

Marie-antoinette says "Let them eat cake!"

NEW THINGS FOR SPRING!!!!

Here at Purlesque, we are longing for the spring! So we can take our knitting outside with us accompanied by the chirping of birds, the smell of cherry blossom, a lovely picnic in the park and maybe even a sneaky pint down at our local beer garden :)




So to evoke that spring feeling we have been taking inspiration from vintage fabrics from the 60's and 70's, making bunting, aprons, tea cosys, cushions and lots of other lovely gift ideas.....we hope you like!



Flower Power indeed!

MAKE DO & KNIT!

Firstly i would like to apologise for being a terrible blogger! Really need to try harder! so, new year's resolution (although it's also a bit late for that too), we will try, try and spring clean this blog......
so what have we been up to?
Well I would like to tell you about our weekend: we had an absolutely marvellous time at the "make do & knit" weekender http://www.makedoandknit.com/, the first of it's kind and organised by the lovely Susan Crawford knitwear designer and co-author of "A Stitch in Time", please, please can we have more events like this in Liverpool! It was great, perfect for all those who love knitting, sewing, making, crafting, vintage or all of the above! We especially enjoyed chatting to a lovely lady on the stall next to us from Brimstone buttons who knew everything you could ever want to know about the history of buttons. There was also lots and lots of lovely yarn to drool over and the knitted poem was unravelled (it's massive!) Here are some photos from the weekend (by the way - the letter G was knitted by Sarah from the Purlesque knitting circle!)

bye, bye for now

Jane x

Hello! Purlesque have been busy this month! Along with making new stock for the shop we have been running stalls for two local club nights. Firstly, 'Geek Chic', set in the stunning Racquet club, held a teadance, everyone came elegantly dressed and a good time was had by all, we particularly enjoyed the tea cocktails! Watch out for future events http://www.clubgeekchic.co.uk, their next night is rumoured to be having an 80's theme, so get your puffballs out! Last night we were at the Martini Lounge, which has become a regular night for us, we love it! http://www.myspace.com/tallulahsburlesque, They always put on a great show and last night we were particularly impressed with Anna fur laxis' tribute to Betty Paige, brilliant! http://www.annafurlaxis.com/home.html. Anyway, here are some pictures of the stalls jxx

The Plinth

We thought Sue Martin did brilliantly on the plinth. You may have noticed that on her skirt said make doing mend. We used Sue going on the plinth to launch our new campaign make doing mend to promote the health benefits of making things. Purlesques focus is on knitting. Sue Martins focus is on positive thinking for more information on what Sue does go to this website www.positivethinkinc.co.uk .
We are very excited about this collaboration and will keep you up to date.

Thank you to everybody who got up early to watch her! If you missed it you can watch here

www.oneandother.co.uk/participants/hilbilsue

Thanks
susan x

morning

Lovely day for Sue on the plinth she has just started knitting on the giant needles.

plinth

Our friend Sue will be on the plinth tomorrow morning to represent Purlesque, knitting and positive thinking. So set your alarm clocks as she goes on at 6am (or don't go to bed for those of you are out partying tonight) and watch her as she knits a rainbow.