Ever since The Cornershop popped up on 1st August, my Instagram and Twitter feeds have been inundated with snaps of traditional corner shop goods made of nothing but felt and wool. And being the nosey type who also really enjoys art (with a personal preference for installations at that) I made plans to check it out over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Dreamed up and created by artist Lucy Sparrow, this shop is stocked with soft knitted versions of everything you’d find in a typical newsagents: newspapers, bean cans, cigarette packs, sweets, ice creams, tampons, alcohol and all the rest.

Each item has been meticulously hand sewn and stuffed by Sparrow herself, and the efforts don’t go unnoticed in the fully stocked shop.

Luckily – everything here is for sale! (You can also shop online if you can’t make it to the shop.) Sadly, everything Jeff and I were interested in purchasing had already sold out, so we settled for appreciating everything in the exhibit while we were there.

Because the installation space was an abandoned shop before Sparrow set up for this immersive experience, her soft and cuddly handmade creations offer a fascinating contrast to the worn surroundings.
Sparrow set up shop in an area that’s becoming increasingly gentrified, and has said of her work that she is looking ‘in a small way to work to rebuild community relations’. Ironically enough, this project was actually partly funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

The Cornershop is easily one of my favourite exhibits of 2014, so if you’re in London and you have a chance to go I recommend a visit! You can find The Cornershop at 19 Wellington Row, London, E2 7BB. It’s open from 10am-7pm daily until 31st August and it is free to experience.