Seamless

Libby of Lawrence 

Samples of Libby's garments made from felt

Libby's shop

St Patrick's, Lawrence

bell and belfry

I so want to say a strew of acorns, but seeing as the word strew is actually a verb, that would be wrong

***

Dear Reader,

When I was in Lawrence recently, I met Libby. Her 'hello" greeted me before the shop's front door had even properly closed behind me.

I said I'd like to just take a look around if that was okay. I was made to feel welcome to do that, and I spent the next wee while looking at all the things piled, displayed, collected and heaped in every corner.

The small shop appears to have originally been (I didn't ask) a hundred-year, or older, wooden cottage. They made houses smaller back then to house people who were also a lot smaller back then

The tiny shop was stacked to the ceilings with second-hand clothes, hand-made garments (knitted, sewn) toys, jewellery, ornaments ... I was told there was 'more upstairs'.

I made my way up stairs that were obviously designed for a sprite. My feet hung over each step. The landing, the size of a bread-box, was chocka with second-hand toys and crockery and mirrors; tastefully and sweetly arranged, I might add, like everything else in the shop.

I had a quick look around the one upstairs room, each creak from the wooden floor boards announcing my whereabouts and progress.

Downstairs, Libby (I found out her name later when I took her photo) was standing at a table top where she was using a hot iron to shape a woollen garment. I don't know much about the process that goes into making things from felt, but after talking to Libby I learned a little more.

I liked the colours in the top she was making - natural, earthy colours; browns, blacks, creams and greys. Merino, she said, which is far superior to perendale but correspondingly, far more expensive.

Basically, a felt garment is wool worked into a seamless shape by encouraging the woollen fibres to meld and hook together (through steam and heat? Not sure about that; I obviously didn't ask Libby enough questions, and tonight I don't particularly feel like using Google to check my facts).

Libby makes vests, hats, head-bands, scarves, dresses. (And other things I didn't notice, I'm sure).

I ended up buying a purple, green and pink hat because it reminded me of a watercolour. I asked Libby if she would mind if I took her photo and told her I'd write about her shop in my blog.

Well, why not? I thought.

After leaving the shop, I walked up to the church lording it (sorry, terrible pun) on the hill behind. I see this church every time I go through Lawrence, but have never seen it up close before.

I had an inkling that it would be a Catholic church, and I was right.

Kay