Christmas shopping

Now that it’s December I feel OK talking about Christmas. I was horrified in September to see a Christmas tree in a restaurant: my friend couldn’t understand the pointing and gabbling of ” Aargh, look, look!”. She thought perhaps that I’d spotted a celebrity but I’m not quite that pathetic.

Anyway, back to Christmas and gift buying. There are a number of open studios and studio sales as makers spot an opportunity to sell direct to the public. They began last week but plenty more are on the way. Here are a few worth visiting:

• East London Design Show at Shoreditch Town Hall www.eastlondondesignshow.co.uk starting today until Sunday. SCP and other local shops are joining in with late night opening this evening
• Saturday sees the Selvedge Christmas Fair in London N6  www.selvedge.org 
• Soboye Soong  has a special event this weekend on 13 Calvert Avenue: catch some of Samson’s fabulous scarves and cushions. www.soboyesoong.com
• Next week you can visit the Temporium at 221 Brompton Road , London SW3 from the 9th December for 10 days.
• Also from the 9th for the weekend, Christa Davis www.christadavis.com opens her studio selling fashion, lighting, toiletries, stationery and children’s clothing from a  range of contemporary makers.
• Clockwork Studios in Camberwell next weekend is also well worth a visit with over a dozen makers selling their work including Victoria Richards and Bridget Bailey. www.clockworkstudios.co.uk
• Don’t forget the Super Christmas Market at Somerset House. They even have the pound shop!

Although not strictly from local makers, Friday the 10th sees the Amnesty International open house at New Inn Yard. Theyhave one of the best NGO Christmas selections I’ve seen for a while with interesting and attractive presents I’d be happy to give from choice rather than from duty.

So now you have no excuse for not investigating gifts and treats unavailable from the normal run of shops.