Our forum has been filled with great debates and discussion regarding handmade products, textile crafts, pop-up shops and craft gifts over the Christmas season.  Ysh London has witnessed many products under these categories and we are very keen on some of the hand-made textile crafts we have seen. The East London Design Show was a great example of hand-crafted goods, check out our article at www.yshlondon.com/report/east-london-design-show-december-09.

I personally loved Tamasyn Gambell's scarves and the ‘Sock Mates’ soft toys.

This Christmas my favourite gift that I received was this gorgeous coq made from kitty litter and silk fabrics! He is completely handmade, from the cut-out red felt crane and three clawed yellow feet, to the plant hold-up sticks covered in yellow felt and hand sewn all the way up in tiny stitches. The face and body are hand sewn in cotton white fabric, stuffed with stuffing and a kitty litter bottom for weight.

The gorgeous outfit was inspired by Spanish costumes and reminds me of a jester's collar. He is also an ecological product, as the silk fabric was sourced in fabric bins at the Bon Marche in Paris where off-cuts of fabrics go for one Euro or less. He even wears matching pantaloons!

Anna Bertho is the creative mind behind this coq, who has no qualifications in textile design or pattern cutting or fashion.  All her creations are from her natural innovative flare and logic; why else would one use kitty litter to stuff a doll other than pure logic!

Anna has created a collection of five coq's all inspired by her trip to Spain. One wears a tailored costume with a toile de jouy suit and a quilted green smoking jacket, another wears gingham pyjamas with his own teddy bear, and a third wears a black and yellow diamond dress with jester-like collar and bead necklace (she is rumoured to be getting matching pantaloons as a commission from the new owner!). The fourth wears a red suit with waistcoat and puff sleeves in a velvet fabric.

Anna Bertho has been a successful cross-stitcher over the past ten years in Paris. Her cross-stitch work has appeared in many famous churches across France including a 15th century church in Boce, and she has been commissioned to produce pieces for special ceremonies in certain churches.

She dabbled in patchwork before discovering the art of cross-stitch using cross stitch kits, and in her own time she creates cushions, napkins and other such tableware using cross stitching kits. After a while she was able to create her own designs and developed a good eye for colour and materials used in her artwork. She was also very adept at using the smallest needle points which are almost impossible to see – very impressive!

Images by Delphine