Juliette Orton

I feel I am going through a bereavement of sorts at the moment. I have taught Product Design GCSE for over 10 years and as of the end of this academic year, it will no longer be offered as a subject in my school. It is a sign of the times I’m afraid and many schools that I know are shrinking their Design & Technology departments dramatically. It is just so very sad that young people are not going to have the same breadth of creative subjects available to them and I despair at what the long term implications of this will be. I am not a naturally political animal but the current situation (which is impacting education at all stages) makes it hard not to want to shout out and be heard. As a nation we have always been celebrated as a leader in design on the world stage and rightly so. Now the creative thinking and problem solving skills that the Arts subjects nurture will no longer be fully developed in our young people it will surely impact both our economy and wellbeing in...

It's not the easiest thing to be on a strict diet whilst having some sort of a social life but I am gradually finding my way through it. I am lucky enough to have some extremely lovely friends and recently one of them hosted a dinner party to which I was invited, insisting that her meal would be AIP (Autoimmune Paleo) friendly. I did suggest that maybe it would be easier to just do drinks but she wouldn't have it or let me bring any food either. I directed her to Mickey Trescott & Angie Alt's Autoimmune Paleo website for help http://autoimmune-paleo.com/ and she produced the most lovely meal which everyone thoroughly enjoyed . I am so touched by all the effort she made as I know it can be very challenging, especially when you don't already have many of the specialist ingredients in your cupboards and the recipes are in American measurements not British.                                ...

I  had such a busy week last week what with giving a talk to Chiltern Textiles Group on Monday, teaching stressed GCSE and A-level students Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday and loading up my car to the brim for an exhibition on Friday - all with a stinking cold! I was so relieved to actually get to my Mums house in Sussex on Friday afternoon when I could just exhale. By popular demand I was asked to do an Open House Art Exhibition in my Mums 250+ year old cottage in West Sussex - certainly a change from the clean lines of most galleries! There was a garage sale outside too with various pieces of architectural salvage and knick knacks so there was plenty to see. Excuse the dark photo but unfortunately it was quite cloudy in Sussex last weekend - and very cold. This chocolate box cottage has a beautiful setting with a big garden and a lot of sheds full of stuff that needs clearing (25 years worth!).          ...

I regularly visit exhibitions and fairs and often lust after things that I see but can't quite afford. Sometimes I make a note of them and put them on my Wish List for birthdays and Christmas and sometimes I throw caution to the wind and indulge myself there and then (making sure that I am very thrifty in the following weeks or months, depending on the price!). Obviously there are many items items that are still on my Wish List, and I shall refer to these later on, but firstly I thought I would share some of the pieces I own that have been created by some wonderful artists. 1 . First up is my pair of Long-Tailed Tits by Barbara Franc (barbarafranc .co.uk) . Barbara is a sculptor who uses recycled materials to make unique artworks inspired by animals and the human form. I was lucky enough to be given these as an unexpected gift by my sister-in-law and brother and I love them. 2/3 . Last year my lovely friend Sam gave me a present for letting her stay with me during her...

Yesterday I went into London to attend an AQA A-Level Textiles Art & Design Standardisation course - in a nutshell, this is the exam board ensuring that the teachers understand what an  'A' grade should look like (and other grades too!). It's a pretty intense day with lots of concentration required so as a bit of light relief afterwards, I decided to go to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Olympia. I'm not sure what to make of it really. I've been to lots of shows over the years, Initially as a student participating in events like New Designers, then as a Buyer with visits to Top Drawer and the NEC and then as a Designer/Maker/Teacher to shows like Origin/Kirsty's Handmade Fair/Art in Action/Craft/MADE etc. Whilst I recognise that the K&S show is not selling itself as an Art Show but more somewhere for anyone with an interest in sewing to pick up resources and tips, I have to say I found it all a little confusing. It took me (and others) a lit...

As it's been about 10 weeks since I started my Autoimmune Paleo Diet I thought I'd reflect a little on how I'm doing and what I've learnt so far: It's very hard to have any sort of social life on this diet. I have been to several parties where I have just drunk water which I can just about cope with although I do miss a nice glass of red. I also had a funeral to go to this week which involved 5 hours of driving and a lot of food/drink planning which proved quite complicated but I got there in the end I actually really like the food and have never eaten so well. This book by Mickey Trescott is really well written and also useful with some great recipes Having two teenagers, a husband and a dog adds more complexity to mealtimes although I'm not really sure that the dog makes a difference. I do still need to have something sweet occasionally - fortunately not eating sugar makes honey taste ridiculously sweet. I seem to have been ab...