Local crafts and our WI cake stall will be the highlights of Stroud Green Women’s Institute WInter Fair on Saturday 30 November, which is raising funds for Mind in Haringey. There will also be a WI preserves stall selling jams and chutneys.

Local small businesses and crafts people will be selling unique gifts – jewellery, ceramics, stationery, cards, candles, scarves, gardens in a jar and homeware and much more!

And there will be wonderful raffle prizes donated by local businesses in Stroud Green and Finsbury Park, including a Christmas tree from The Christmas Forest, a £40 meal for two from the Stapleton Tavern, goodies from The Deli at 80, a £25 voucher from Rewild Flowers, a £15 voucher from Bacchus N4 plus a stallholders group prize.

We’re pleased to welcome the following stalls: Fran Wood Design’s Scandi and mid-century inspired screenprints and giftware, mini gardens from Linda Philips, jewellery designed and handmade by Leila Khasal, handmade or upcycled items to help promote a plastic free lifestyle from Wastelady Studio, stationery and paper goods from illustrator Julia Wyzgowska, handcrafted ethical fashion accessories from Enfair, wheel thrown stoneware ceramics from Maria Cabrera, sterling silver and gold jewellery from Tracey O’Neill, gift wrap, prints and homeware from Bryony & Bloom, accessories and homeware using upcycled vintage fabrics and trimmings from Annie Sparkles, a range of hand felted items from Jacqui Osley, plants and gifts from Rewild, crochet mug cosies and gift accessories from That Tea Cat, fabric and crafty bargains from Shoreditch Sisters WI, and handmade scarves, shrugs and aprons from Rarebits Design.

The fair will be opened at 12pm by the mayor of Haringey, Councillor Sheila Peacock.

Sarah Wiseman, president of Stroud Green WI, said: “We’ve got a wonderful variety of stalls featuring handmade crafts, plants and jewellery. We’re all looking out for Christmas presents – for ourselves if no one else! You won’t want to miss getting a slice or two of our cake, or a jar of preserves. It’s going to be a great afternoon in aid of a superb cause.”

Lynette Charles, Chief Executive Officer of Mind in Haringey, which will benefit from money raised on the day, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the WI raising money from this year’s fair for Mind in Haringey. Every pound we make on the day will help us support the well-being and mental health of people in Haringey.”

The Stapleton Tavern has generously donated the use of its grand Chandelier room for the fair.

Saturday 30 November, 12 – 5pm
The Stapleton Tavern, 2 Crouch Hill, London N4 4AU

Wow! Look at all these

Our Christmas meeting was wonderful! We made rag wreaths, Lorraine the WI federation chair showed us how and provided us with lots of materials and ideas as well as technique.

We had  such a lovely evening all round – there was creativity,   lots of lovely festive food and drink kindly supplied by our members, some fantastic organising by our committee (including a paper Christmas tree tutorial).

We were also really pleased to have so many new faces among us, who we hope to see again.

A very big thank you to Lorraine who drove a long way to provide our activity for the evening

THANK YOU LORRAINE!

A proud maker!

Our finished products!

Some of the lovely materials we used to create our wreaths

Some of the finished products on proud doors around the borough!

It is with great regret that we have made the decision that this year we will take a break from the Winter Fair. We have a list of great quality stalls but not enough to put on the Winter Fair to the standard that we are used to and the stallholders, their customers and our patrons deserve.

In Spring 2019 we intend to start planning a bigger and better Winter Fair than ever.

Emma Marshall portrait photographer, joined us this evening. She  helped us take better photos using our mobile phones.

Emma showed us some of her own portraits and talked us through  techniques she had applied to get interesting, balanced or edgy shots, she also Demonstrated how to maximise on  natural or other non direct lighting, instead of using the flash  which often creates harsh or unflattering images.

We got an opprtunity to go outside and practice what we had learned, doing our best to consider composition and eliminating background ‘clutter’. We ended up with some fun images! Emma will set up a Facebook page so that we share and critique our images.

her work can be found at:

www.emmamarshall.net

….. and here are a few of our images! Including one of some of us comparing and chatting about what we had taken.