People Will Always Need Cushions Too...

Of course, there were lots of textile designers exhibiting their wares at LDF. I love being surrounded by designers, their creativity is infectious and of course getting to see stuff ahead of the rest of you, always gives us journalists a little buzz!

Doing the rounds at 100% Design, I came across Margo Selby, a wonderful textile guru known for her geometric, woven products.

New to her collection is a range of cushions that have been designed in collabaration with another of my all-time favourite design companies, People Will Always Need Plates.

Margo has taken PWANP's now iconic Trellick Tower print and used it to create two cushions. Available in Yellow and Grey and Black and White, the cushions are reversible, which means apart from being super stylish, they're super practical too.

I love them but with winter fast approaching the question is, do I go for the boots I've seen or one of these? Boots or cushion? Cushion or boots? This is definitely a dilemma, I'll let you know who wins, my sofa or my feet...

Doing Porridge

Despite my love of interiors, I am the first to admit that on the whole, hand on heart, essentially it is fluff really.

No one's ever going to win awards for writing about cushions and wars aren't going to be solved by having nice wallpaper.

So, it's always refreshing to see that interiors CAN make something of a difference.

While researching a trend page recently, I was told about an initiative called Fine Cell Work, they're a social enterprise who teach prisoners how to create needlepoint cushions and then sell their wares on for them.

Prison has always, as I'm sure it does most people, terrified me. Thankfully, I've never been inside one (unless you discount the time I went to a Jet gig at Pentonville Prison Officer's Club) so can only imagine how grim they are.

There certainly are some interesting facts on Fine Cell Work: 80% of the cushion makers are men (kinda dispels the view you probably most have on prisoners doesn't it? I know it did mine) and that all the teachers are volunteers.

So, of course I was impressed but are the designs any good? Well, yes actually they are.

Naturally, I love the Battersea Power Station one given my strange love affair with this building but what I really loved was the tongue-in-cheek tally countdown, presumably to release date.

This sort of initiative really deserves our support and Fine Cell Work are always looking for volunteers, so if you're handy with a needle (I'm not!) get in touch.

Right, sermon over, promise and back to more fluff and frivolity soon...

A Traveller's Cushion

Being a Londoner (born, bred and extremely proud) it never ceases to amaze me just how lost I can get in the capital.

I've been known to wander up and down the same street several times looking for number 21 only to find it's not on the odd side of the street but of course next to number 20, only across the road, round the corner and in fact on a totally different street.

A work experience girl who I worked with some years ago could testify to this, poor love was dragged up and down a road in Bloomsbury while I desperately tried to find the AW M&S show, getting more and more agitated with every step.

So, it's no wonder you often see tourists looking totally perplexed as they try and find museums, theatres and parks.

The Tube can be equally confusing, so I think this cushion from Rockett St George is a must for visitors and native-Londoners alike.

Ok, so it's not as practical as a carefully folded Tube map or even a pocket-size A-Z but it's infinitely more stylish and should you be unlucky enough to be travelling South to North on the laborious Northern line, could provide the perfect comforter to have a quick nap...

Woof!

If you regularly read my blogs, then you probably know I'm, shall we say, just the teeniest bit obsessed with dogs.

I have a theory that it comes from not having one when I was a child (my poor Mum is allergic to anything and everything with fur) but the real love affair with pooches began when I started walking my neighbour's dog Nell (RIP).

I love most dogs (apart from Yorkshire Terriers - they scare the life out of me) but one of my favourite breeds is Pugs. Now, some people think these little fellas are ugly (scandalous!) but not me, I think they're adorable and it seems Ben De Lisi agrees with me.

This cushion is without a doubt the hero product from his AW09 collection for Debenhams.

It seems I'm still no closer in getting my beloved pooch but in the meantime, this cushion will do.

Leaving On A Jet Plane...

I'll let you into a secret, I'm a little bit obsessed with aviation.

I love planes, adore flying (even the take off bit that everyone seems to hate sees me sitting with a huge grin on my face) and become like a small child in a sweet shop when visiting an airport.

It has to be said though, travelling used to be a lot more glamorous. Trips were planned (rather than just decided on a whim with a quick log on to EasyJet) and women had their hair beautifully coiffed with glamorous outfits and lipsticked smiles.

Today it seems that even celebs can't be bothered to dress up - choosing comfort over style.

Which is why I was delighted to be told about this cushion from Mini Moderns. It's from their Lost & Found collection, which turns vintage fabrics into stunning cushions.

I love vintage fabrics because they always feel like they have a story behind them. With some late night detective work, I found out that this yellow fabric started off life having something to do with the British Overseas Airways Corporation.

Perhaps it was used for stewardesses uniforms or even those little covers they used on the seat head rests.

Either way, I love it and think it would look perfect in my living room.

Seaside Dreaming

I've spent most of this weekend with my leg on a cushion.

A severe bout of blood poisoning has meant cushions have had to be practical not just stylish for me.

That doesn't mean I haven't wanted to look for gorgeous cushions of course and a friend alerted me to Fiona Howard's beautiful designs recently so I thought it was only fair to share.

It's not entirely by accident that I've chosen her lovely, whimsical Harbour design. Whenever I'm poorly or bored, my mind often wanders back to beautiful Falmouth where I spent three years studying.

And this cushion reminds me more of that beautiful, special and unique place than any other maritime-inspired one I've seen.

I haven't got sea-faring legs at the moment (I haven't even got walking-from-one-room-to-another-faring legs!) but as soon as I do, I'll be off to Falmouth to breathe in the sea air, dine on scallops and watch the boats bobbing on the river. Bliss.

How True!

The way I feel about 2009 has changed dramatically in the last few months. It's fair to say for one reason or another the start of the year was shit with a capital S.

Erring on the side of pessimism has often been a trait of mine but no longer. Don't get me wrong, I haven't suddenly become an eternal optimist (it's not by chance that journalists are some of the most cynical people around) but I'm seeing the brighter side of life - and I like what I see.

Someone told me back in January that being made redundant, would, eventually be the best thing that ever happened to me. At the time, I didn't believe it but finally 7 months on, I can say, that while it wasn't the best, it certainly hasn't been the worst.

I'm working again but this time I feel like I'm my own boss, making decisions that I never had the chance to before.

So, when I saw this cushion by Emily Peacock I thought I would adapt it as my new mantra.

Because let's be honest, it's true! It also reminded me of a quote I saw recently in a magazine " fear is temporary, regret lasts forever" I'm kinda standing by that one too.