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All the latest news and creative projects from Cotton & Cogs

cotton_and_cogs

Multi-media Artist, Ceramicist & Workshop Tutor
Inspired by nature & Community
Committed to sustainable and ethical practices.

It’s a glorious day to be sat enjoying a view of

It’s a glorious day to be sat enjoying a view of @groveparkcommunitygroup @ringwaygardens while slow stitching at #MendingMondays with @alittlecuptea !

Underway we have a blue linen jumpsuit being adjusted to fit and a crochet cat getting eyes 🥰

It’s been a lovey morning glazing birds at @clay

It’s been a lovey morning glazing birds at @claygrovepark @groveparkcommunitygroup

The final class of term, and my last class attending….

As from next term I’ll be leading the session!

The last six years have been the most wonderful journey and I am so excited to start the next phase. I’ve loved the short courses and community sessions I’ve run for @claygrovepark and am beyond delighted to become a “term time” tutor.

I’ll still be making my own work - just from home now and I’ll have to be strict to protect my “home studio” time.

Just delivered my latest piece to the @claygrovepa

Just delivered my latest piece to the @claygrovepark @groveparkcommunitygroup community kiln 🥰

It’s really amazing to think that some of art pu

It’s really amazing to think that some of art purchased yesterday at @croftongarden market is being gifted today for Mother’s Day! I loved chatting to so many wonderful people - thank you for stopping by and supporting small independent businesses!

One of the pieces that went to a new home was a sgraffito coaster and to celebrate I have spent this afternoon turning more of my sketches into functional art. Realising I can combine my love of nature sketching with ceramics is setting the sparks off in my brain - I can’t wait to get these birds of Chinbrook Meadows back from the kiln. 🥰

Sgraffito is such a fun process - the marks you make can’t be undone - you are removing a layer of coloured clay to expose the clay below and there is something freeing in that. You have to trust the process and work with confidence. That said I do sketch lightly first gently indenting the shapes and outlines before pushing slightly harder to start scoring. Much like I rough out a drawing lightly in pencil before committing to darker lines when sketching. Letting the first marks stay and the darker marks sit atop. The process there like a story to be read. I love that the same story can be read in the clay.

Losing your eraser and working with “flaws and all” is empowering and I love the energy it can bring. Perfectionism always used to stifle my creativity and I can never thank @lilygermanstudio and @claygrovepark for encouraging me to let it go and enjoy creating without the fear of getting it “wrong”.

I’m in excellent company here at @croftongarden

I’m in excellent company here at @croftongarden - thank you BookDragon for the footage! We’re here until 3pm why not pop by and say hello?

Bookworm@has done a stellar job setting up our sta

Bookworm@has done a stellar job setting up our stall @croftongarden - what a beautiful space to sit in glorious sunshine. Pop along to browse stalls from local makers and find one of a kind treasurers.

Excited to have my newest creations out in the wild for the first time - loving the reception so far for the birds with legs, taken a commission for special request - a smaller version of my cheeky pigeon. 🥰

I’m always happy to make a special order - of any size!

I found a bag of dusty wood slices in all differen

I found a bag of dusty wood slices in all different sizes in a charity shop in Folkestone. Obviously they had to come home with me at join the teetering tower that is my hoard of craft supplies waiting for the day to be transformed into something splendid.

I made a start today, adding to my Chinbrook Meadows inspired pieces - the bottom three are from photos taken recently of the spring blossom and pussy willow, and I revisited memories of the wetlands in summer for the top three. These layers need to dry and then I will decide whether to add anymore details before sealing with microcrystalline wax.

I love the small format and chose not to sand my wooden slices so you can see the wonderful texture of the growth rings still .

I’m thinking some bird and insect portraits might be next.

What a beautiful day in Chinbrook Meadows! Sleepy

What a beautiful day in Chinbrook Meadows!

SleepyDog joined me for a gentle saunter around the wetlands and park basking in the signs of spring.

I’m spending my birthday adding legs to my new r

I’m spending my birthday adding legs to my new range of bird brooches!

I have two series I am working on - Birds of Chinbrook Meadows of which the wagtail is my first, and a more whimsical set of LBJs (Little Blue Jobs)

Now the legs, brooch pins and felt are glued in place they need 24hours to cure - which means they’ll be ready to fly off to new homes from Thursday (dare I say just in time for Mother’s Day!?)

They will be part of my shop update tomorrow evening - but if you’d like to reserve one drop me a message and I’ll keep it back for you. £32.99 each + p&p

Thank you as always to the ever supportive @claygrovepark & @groveparkcommunitygroup - I am incredibly lucky to be part of this community and to live somewhere that has a community kiln!

Instagram post 17963349174020707

Instagram post 17963349174020707

Another month another fabulous Mending Monday! It

Another month another fabulous Mending Monday!

It was a gorgeous sunshiny afternoon with @alittlecuptea today and this month we were delighted to be part of @londonrecyclesuk #RepairWeekLDN

As well as some existing members we welcomed 3 new visitors to our session and between the six of us we fixed (or started fixing)

Blue Jumper - visible darning of a hole with an embroidered flower

Green fine knit top - visitor learned to use a fine crochet hook to repair a laddered run and secured the hem with sewing thread

Grey gurnsey jumper - an invisible repair was requested for this beautiful jumper - by unpicking the seams we were able to harvest thread to mend holes with a duplicate stitch. Seams will be resewn with black thread - this is a great hack if you don’t have the right colour for a repair, check your hidden seams which can be restitched with a “close enough” thread and use the original yarn for your repair.

Black Jumper - this special piece was knitted by our visitors’ Mum, for her Dad (before they were married!) - using a crochet hook the ladders in the rib were repaired, and a donor yarn held tripled was used to replace broken strands. This extra special repair means so much!

Cropped Jacket - pocket vents sewn down to smooth the lines. Inner seams unpicked ready to add darts so jacket fits better (an ongoing project!)

In addition to the stitching we also enjoyed fabulous teas, sandwiches and cakes - thank you George!

As always thanks to @groveparkcommunitygroup @alittlecuptea for having us.

#stitchitdontditchit #MendingMondays

Each year, ahead of World Book Day, BookDragon’s

Each year, ahead of World Book Day, BookDragon’s school runs a “recreate a book cover challenge”

BookDragon has been working on her entry for weeks. Naturally she chose a book by her favourite author @brandsanderson - Tailored Realities with @bryanmarktaylor ‘s gorgeous artwork

This year she took inspiration from the fabulous @thenerdforge - we LOVE watching their awesome creations on YouTube- and rather than a flat image BookDragon has created a diorama / Book Nook complete with an LED light!

Apart from some occasional consultation on materials all the work is BookDragon’s she used scalpels, a dremel with drill and sanding attachments both for the first time. I couldn’t be more proud.

I am incredibly grateful to live in a time of such inspiring creatives who fuel her imagination, and for a school that values the creative arts.

Home again after an amazing half term - Oh I do lo

Home again after an amazing half term - Oh I do love to be beside the seaside!

Books, beach, hand dyed yarn, steam trains, pebbles, friends, dogs, fish & chips, no morning alarms - Bliss!

Taking it gently doesn’t mean doing nothing - le

Taking it gently doesn’t mean doing nothing - learning how to walk when the pain is bad has been game changing - go slowly, go gently, no pushing, walking without a target to meet and beat, thanking my body for each step rather than berating it for the mountains not climbed.

Luckily SleepyDog likes to stop and smell everything so I have the perfect companion - and if we’d been walking fast I might have missed the first of the flowers. Aren’t they gorgeous!?

There are little joys to be found everywhere. And now I am back on the sofa with a cup of tea so all in all not too shoddy.

Today my Fibro pain has sky rocketed - the sort of

Today my Fibro pain has sky rocketed - the sort of day where every step makes me want to throw up and the thought of doing anything vaguely constructive requiring any amount of effort makes me cry.

Thankfully today is also Tuesday which means I have my Sleepy Dog - so after a VERY slow walk through the park to get here - stopping to talk to some friends on the way (both human and canine) - I am now with the most comforting of souls who accepts me however I am and reminds me that taking things gently isn’t a character flaw, and not every moment needs to be productive to be worthwhile.

I’ll pick up the pace again later when my system has regulated a bit. But for now I might follow SleepyDog’s lead and have a gentle snooze.

Have you ever fancied working with clay? Here’

Have you ever fancied working with clay?

Here’s the perfect opportunity to come and play and try your hand at the art of Sgraffito at our one day “intensive” course. Sgraffito literally means “to scratch” - and you’ll have access to a selection of tools to scratch and carve your design through the surface of a coloured clay slip to reveal the pale clay below.

By “intensive” we simply mean you will get to create and finish your piece ready for firing in a single session. We promise it will be a relaxed and friendly day!

What to expect -

Part of “Clay at The Ringway” this course is taught by artist and ceramicist Victoria from Cotton & Cogs

On arrival you’ll prepare a clay slab and apply coloured slips of your choice. This will be set a side to become “Leather Hard”.

You’ll be given a pre-prepared slab to practice on while learning sgraffito techniques - this is your chance to play, discover how to make a variety of marks and patterns to different effect, and plan your design.

We’ll have paper and pencils to hand it you want to sketch out your ideas.

After a lunch break it will be time to start carving and scratching into your clay. What you make will be up to you - for beginners we recommend coasters or brooches. There is also the potential to make simple dishes - I will be on hand to help guide your choices.

After the session finished we’ll slowly dry your work out and fire it, ready to be collected a couple of weeks later.

When: Saturday 28th February 12:30 - 5pm

Where: Grove Park Community Group, The Ringway Centre,
268 Baring Road, Grove Park, SE12 0DS

Easy to get to, our welcoming Community Centre is a short walk from Grove Park Station, and well served by buses which stop just outside including: SL4, 261, 284, 273

Cost: £88 - this includes tuition, all materials and use of a range of tools, technical support and firing in the community kiln.

To find out more and secure your place email Lily: claygpcg@gmail.com

Places are limited - booking essential

It may be grey and drizzly today but Spring has ar $It may be grey and drizzly today but Spring has arrived in Downham! I love my job - it has been an absolute pleasure to support @phoenixtogether Grove Hill Court Coffee Morning to make this @royalmailofficial PostBox topper. We installed it today on Rangefield Road / Pontefract Road near @burntashschool - we hope it brightens up your school run! Keep your eyes peeled if you’re on the @transportforlondon 336 bus 🥰$

SleepyDog and I enjoyed a rather soggy but still b

SleepyDog and I enjoyed a rather soggy but still beautiful walk today 😊, the fungi looked amazing glistening in the rain - love the reflections you can see in their surfaces.

Shorter walk than usual but good to be out and about and a much welcome break from my laptop screen

Thank you @groveparkcommunitygroup @alittlecuptea

Thank you @groveparkcommunitygroup @alittlecuptea for hosting us again!

February’s Mending Monday saw 5 visitors, 7 repairs, 6 cups of tea, 2 ham and cheese croissants, 1 sandwich and 4 cakes, and lots of chat and laughter.

We covered darning socks and shirts.
How to start and finish your darns to avoid puckers and knots
How to adjust the fabric on darning mushrooms to prevent over stretching.
Choosing the best thread for your repair.
And ditching perfectionism!

Give it a go - and darn can be undone if you want later. Do your best until you find a better technique, and then do better!

I am loving the mending community we’re developing - there’s no pressure - just a welcoming atmosphere and a willingness to give it a go.

Our next session is Monday 2nd March - part of @londonrecyclesuk #LondonRepairsWeek2026

Why not pop in and join us

Grove Park Community Group - A Little Cafe
The Ringway Centre, 268 Baring Road
Grove Park, Lewisham

When the lovely Ann of @houseofcolour_annorton ask

When the lovely Ann of @houseofcolour_annorton asked me if I could knit her an ascot style neck scarf I jumped at the chance. We had a splendid morning over tea and biscuits choosing the colour wool (from my stash) and discussing what she wanted - something neat that held its shape, with a clean and delicate line. We looked at various patterns which were available but none were quite right.

I took notes as to the length, width and shape Ann preferred, and after making a few test swatches to work out what needle size created the fabric she was looking for, it became clear the edging of a “normal” knit just didn’t give the precision I associate with Ann and I knew I wanted to use an icord edging.

So starting with a provisional icord tab cast on I experimented with different increase and decrease options to create my own variation of the style.

I was so excited to deliver “Ann’s Ascot” today - and look at that smile - I think she is pretty pleased with it too!

Yarn: @westyorkshirespinners #Signature4ply
Pattern: my own, worked to Ann’s preferred dimensions
Model: @houseofcolour_annorton

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