One year today the London 2012 Olympics will be starting!

In 12 months’ time the Olympics and Paralympics will be kicking-off from the wonder of the Opening Ceremony to the thrills of the sporting action.

The London 2012 Olympic Games will feature 26 sports, which break down into 39 disciplines including Rowing and Athletics, to Cycling and Swimming, Gymnastics and more.

The Olympic Flame goes back to ancient Olympic Games in Greece and is transferred from one torchbearer to another across the UK before the Opening Ceremony in July. It marks the start of the Games and is said to represent the spreading message of peace, unity and friendship. It has been a part of modern Olympic Games since 1928 and according to legend the torch’s flame has been kept burning ever since the first Olympics.

The Olympic Flame is travelling up and down the country during a 70-day Olympic Torch Relay to enable local communities to shine a light on the best the area has to offer from breath-taking landscapes to dynamic urban areas.

Get excited in being a part of British history in hosting the London 2012 Olympics and start your celebrations today by grabbing one of Ulster Weavers fantastic Olympic ranges. Get a piece of quality memorabilia for one of the major international sporting events.

The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition so get yourself a souvenir- you never know how much it might be worth in years to come! Or simply keep it as a token of the special event to tell your grand-children about such an enormous event on British soil.

Ulster Weavers has a vast array of Olympic mementos from Canvas shopping bags, aprons, tea towels, double oven gloves, gauntlets, pot mitts and tea cosies. Not only can you get yourself matching homeware but you can also choose what colour and style you want too with our multiple ranges including pink and green union jack, blue and black union jack, blue union jack infill, silhouette pictogram, and navy blue tourist icon.

You’re spoilt for choice with Ulster Weavers Olympic ranges- so celebrate with us in one years’ time!

Tourist Icons Tea Cosy

Union Jack Flag Blue Double Oven Glove

Union Jack Flag Pink Cotton Apron

Union Jack Infill Canvas Shoulder Bag

Union Flag Map Cotton Tea Towel

Silhouhette Pictogram Green Canvas Shoulder Bag

Today is Thread The Needle Day!

It is a nationally recognised day that gives Brits the chance to dust off their sewing skills or learn how to knit if they don’t already know how.

Can you sew? Why not organise a sew-a-thon with your friends this summer to raise money for charity; simply pop round to your gran’s house and get her to teach you some lessons?

Celebrate all that is great about needles and thread and have fun going back to the basics; just like the olden days before electronic games, iPads and mobile phones were invented.

Use the special dedicated day to spend time with the grandparents- they’ll appreciate the effort you make and you can use the opportunity to talk about the family history. Swap stories about the good old times over a needle and thread and a piping hot pot of tea.

Pass the afternoon time by brewing a nice cup of tea, chill on the sofa and gossip over funny family tales- it will definitely bring the two generations together.

And if you are a sewing beginner, be aware it may take a few hours to master the knitting skills. So make sure you have one of Ulster Weavers fantastic tea cosies to keep the pot of tea lovely and warm.

Our tea and egg cosies come in a galore of shapes and sizes with a mixture of traditional styles to quirky, shaped cosies. Ulster’s cosies come with matching items so you can put the pot of tea and cups on one of our cute trays, coasters and placemats. And if your gran loves them that much you can always give them as the perfect gift for her birthday!

Cakes Tea Cosy

Dog & Bone Tea Cosy

Cats In Waiting Tea Cosy

Being a good host to family and friends is just as important as the food in which they’ll eat. Having superb culinary skills can only go so far if the party atmosphere is bleugh! But you can entertain the guests, cook up a storm and look sensational all at the same time with Ulster Weavers aprons.

Some are in fact BBQ themed and others come in fun summer designs and colours so with just about every style you can think of, you’ll definitely find an apron to suit you and the kitchen.

As well as the design our aprons also come in a wide variety of materials from cotton and PVC aprons, to shaped aprons and childrens aprons. So you needn’t worry about getting burnt from the BBQ grill splashback as the apron will protect your skin and your clothing.

Just because you need to wear an apron to cook doesn’t mean you still can’t dress up for the occasion. Our aprons are practical and functional as well as fashionable. They can be long or short depending on which you prefer but bear in mind the longer the apron it will prevent splashbacks on your clothes. However, try to get a size that will not drown your legs because you don’t want it to get caught under your feet and cause a trip up! Party embarrassment or what!

And regardless of gender, the vast array of apron ranges comes in so many different colours and styles there is definitely something for both him and her.

Just as you would decorate your outfit with earrings, a belt, a handbag or with shoes- do the same this summer with the ultimate seasonal accessory; the apron. 

Chambray Red Cotton Apron

Licensed To Grill Cotton Apron

Master Chef Cotton Apron

They say that to have quality you have to spend big bucks but sometimes some people have more money than sense.

The world’s most expensive car is worth around £1.5 million and the world’s most luxurious house is said to be £620 million.

Although these figures are ridiculous, one can argue that at least they are used to the fullest ability to get your money’s worth.

But would you spend £380,000 on a pot or pan? Well that’s what one keen food-lover has done for what is being dubbed as the world’s most expensive cooking pot!

There are many domestic goddesses in different countries but does anyone really love being in the kitchen enough to fork out over a quarter of a million pounds for some kitchen homeware?

A department store in Changchun, the capital and largest city of China’s Jilin Province, has put a cooking pot on sale for the astonishing hefty value. At 3.8 million Yuan it will set you back a fair few pounds and is said to be the ideal gift for a footballer to buy his wife or girlfriend.

But this lavish kitchen accessory comes with some grand features for the dear price tag. It has a pair of handles of pure gold on the pot itself and another on the lid weighing a total of 738g. The details are also embossed with 13 diamonds and best of all- it gets delivered to the mad buyer in a Rolls Royce.

Fissler China, whose German parent company manufactures the extravagant item, say that any buyer of the pot will get top service. He/she would not only be invited to the top Michelin restaurant in Europe with ten of their friends but also the company would deliver the pot to their address with a Rolls-Royce (the car is not included though)

Most of us ordinary folk can’t quite afford to spend so much on some kitchen accessories but fortunately Ulster Weavers has gorgeous ranges of giftware, homeware and textiles that are both lavish and affordable.

So grab one of our aprons and get cooking in your very normal cooking pot at home- minus the gold handles and diamonds!

Domestic Goddess Shaped Cotton Apron

Wine Label Cotton Apron

La Gaffeliere Cotton Apron

Tantalise your taste buds and fill up on Omega-3 this month as it is National Fishing Month in the UK.

Starting from the 16^th July to the 14^th August 2011, the month is designed to encourage every family member to have a go at fishing from whatever cultural or social background they may be from; so when you dabble your hand at angling bring home the bait and cook with Ulster Weaver’s aprons.

There are tons of varieties of fish to cook so whether you like fishcakes, fish fingers, scampi, mussels or salmon- just put on one of our PVC aprons and get practising those expert culinary skills.

Eating fish on a regular basis is said to protect from a range of diseases. Fish is a super-food that is packed full of vitamins and minerals and can prevent arthritis, cancer depression and heart disease. And a French study showed that those who ate seafood at least once a week had a significantly lower risk of dementia over a seven-year period than those who didn’t.

As well as being healthy, fish is also said to be great for skin; smoothing out aging lines on the forehead and eyes. Never cooked fish before? Fret not because fish is hugely versatile and can be oven-baked, barbecued, microwaved or steamed.

There are reportedly 32,000 species of fish in the world but just check out some of the following examples to cook this National Fishing Month.

Creamy Mussels

Cooking mussels is cheap, exciting and super quick but please be wary that if they are not cooked properly, you can develop food poisoning.

Make sure you thoroughly clean and rinse them before cooking to prevent any contamination.

They are a great recipe choice for anniversary meals as they are believed to be natural aphrodisiacs. A study has revealed that mussels have chemical compounds that release sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen.

 Fish Pie

A fish pie is very simple and quick to make and can be packed full of healthy vegetables which is perfect for the kids.

Put in potatoes, carrots and serve with a scrumptious parsley sauce for a good homecoming meal.

It can serve the whole family in one dish and only takes an hour to cook- perfect to keep the little ones quiet when hungry and moaning.

 Fish Parcels

Want a dish that can be made in just 30 minutes and is ideal for a healthy lunch?

Fish parcels is really easy to make and can be packed full of tomatoes and red and yellow peppers for a tangy twist!

They are really low in fat and can be flavoured with whatever you like whether it is lime, chillies, parsley or lemongrass stalks.

Olive Oil Label Cotton Apron

V&A Portofino Cotton Apron

Doris Shaped Cotton Apron

Nothing beats going to a checkout and discovering that your favourite new purchase is in fact discounted, so imagine the satisfaction when you find out that you can grab a brilliant bargain this summer in Ulster Weavers 50% July sale!

We are running a massive half-price sale which involves a huge selection of products being on offer from PVC bags and tea towels, to trays, pot mitts and coasters. Pick up some cute summer delights which will really freshen up the kitchen from strawberry cotton aprons and gauntlets, wild duck tea cosies and flowery oven gloves.

Get yourself some gorgeous kitchen textiles at staggering low prices and install some va-va-voom into your home for less than a tenner. But there is limited stock available as these perfect pieces are just flying off the shelves so orders yours now before you miss out!

Check out Ulster Weavers fantastic July summer sale and grab your own cheap give-away- you’d be silly not to!

The Butterfly range is super charming to bring some novelty into your everyday normal household accessories and the flower ranges are blooming great. Carry on the summer theme with cherries, owls or squirrels or for a more chic décor simply opt for our Country range which will transform your kitchen into a delightful traditional cottage. 

RHS Helanthius Linen Tea Towel

Only £3.25

Butterfly Blue Coasters (Pack of 4)

Only £4.00

Strawberries Gauntlett

Only £5.00

Kate Middleton painting, pity she's not wearing an apron

A celebrity doesn’t really have much spare time on their hands what with being a celeb and partying and working; but how do they relax when they have precious time off?

Some famous stars have openly spoken out about getting some down time by knitting, listening to music and hanging out with friends and family. So it may come as a surprise that a bunch of icons also enjoy doing arts and crafts.

Richard Madeley who is widely known as being a British TV presenter, who fronted the show This Morning with his wife Judy, reportedly loves arts and crafts. His daughter Chloe Madeley told Heat magazine that her dad hearts biros and bits of paper and that he loves making banners.

The Londoner’s big secret has been let slip that he makes his own banners with multi-coloured biros, not paint or crayons. Awww bet he got tons of practises in when Chloe was taking part in the ITV reality television show “Dancing on Ice”!

And even the royals have been publicly showing off their artistic talents whilst painting with school children on their visit to Los Angeles, America.

HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton promoted a visual arts and performance organisation during their royal tour by sitting down in a classroom and creating their own art pieces.

Will, the future King of England, painted an abstract square whereas Kate painted a red snail.

So express your inner imagination and have fun getting creative with the help of Ulster Weavers and our fantastic aprons. And get the kids involved too to pass the time on these hot sunny days with our cute childrens aprons- they are brilliant to protect clothing from paint splash backs!

Painting Child's PVC Apron

Domestic Goddess PVC Apron

Betty Shaped Cotton Apron

This July Marie Curie Cancer Care is encouraging all tea lovers across the UK to pop the kettle on and host a blooming great tea party to raise money for charity.

Thousands of people up and down the country will be trying to generate as much money as possible for terminally ill people with cancer and other illnesses in their local areas.

And what do you have to do? Simply don some aprons; get your tea cosies at the ready and gather the girls round to have a natter over a brew- it couldn’t be easier!

No matter what size the tea party is whether it is just a few women or the whole street round, have a good old chin wag  and gossip whilst drinking tea and raising cash for a good cause.

Last year the hosted tea parties raised enough money to fund over 30,000 hours of care and every £20 raised will pay for one hour of nursing care for ill people who spend their final days at home. So let’s beat the record and raise much more in 2011 by putting out cosies and getting immersed in the cancer mission by drinking tea.

You can even go the whole mile by making cheese and crackers and biscuits to eat, becoming ladies that lunch. With Ulster Weavers fantastic homeware ranges that include coasters, placemats and trays you can present all the delicious delights beautifully! But don’t worry if there is any food left over as our cake tins are perfect to store all sorts of buns, biscuits and cakes. And you can drink out of our delightful bone china mugs!

Make it the social event of the season; for more information on how to get involved and get a free fundraising pack simply go to mariecurie.org.uk. 

Cassandra Rose Small Tray

Flower Pot Shaped Cafetiere Cosy

Victoria Bone China Mug

Every little child has their own favourite toy that they love playing with. Many teddy bears and blankets are stuck to the hip of young boys and girls as a security concept to keep them company whilst they sleep.

What is more, all kids love to attend parties; to have fun with their friends, run around and eat lots of food. So what better way to combine the two than to throw a teddy bears picnic this summer with the help of Ulster Weavers!

A teddy bears picnic is simply a party intended for young children which involves a picnic to which teddy bears are brought. They make a great idea for birthday parties as they get the little monsters outside in the sunshine and allow for their creativity.

As well as using our fantastic picnic homeware, you can play the song “Teddy Bears’ Picnic” whilst the festivities take place. It is a song consisting of a melody written by American composer John Walter Bratton in which the lyrics were later added in 1932 by Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy. It remains a super popular child’s song decades later!

Ulster Weavers homeware range includes everything from trays, coasters and placemats, bone china mugs and cake tins- all that are essential when hosting a fun picnic. The colourful trays are perfect to put little cucumber sandwiches on and the cake tins are ideal to store all the biscuits, buns and cakes.

And to make the kids feel all grown up and special, let them drink their juice out of our quality bone china mugs- we even have the specific range Tea Party.

Don’t worry about transporting all the homeware though as our canvas shopping bags are great to carry all the food to and from the picnic hotspot!

Tea Party Bone China Mug

My Garden PVC Packable Bag

Cassandra Rose Cotton Packable Bag

The Rocke Cottage Tearooms in Shropshire, England has been awarded the prestigious Tea Guild Top Tea Place award.

The Tea Guild is an independent organisation dedicated to raising the profile of tea in the UK.

It is a unique organisation that represents and encourages those outlets who are dedicated to both brewing and serving tea to the high standards desired by the United Kingdom Tea Council.

Now in its 26^th year, the Tea Guild award is considered the ‘Oscar’ of the tea world and the tea room nestled in the Shropshire countryside has achieved the highest accolade.

The best tearooms in the UK compete for the hugely coveted honour and so far 44 special Awards of Excellence have been awarded in recognition of their outstanding quality and consistently high standards in tea service.

The judges were impressed by The Rocke Cottage’s variety and amount of sandwiches, crumpets, scones and delicious cakes and were won over by the excellent selection of teas and the staff’s exceptional knowledge.

Irene Gorman, Head of The Tea Guild, said: “Rocke Cottage Tearooms offers a truly special tea experience and this award is very well deserved.”

She added: “The standard of entrants this year was incredibly high, with many excellent entries from across the UK. The tradition of afternoon tea has never been stronger, with Tea Guild members busier than ever.”

So with more and more people taking time out to enjoy afternoon tea, make sure you have some of Ulster Weavers gorgeous Tea Cosies which will keep your tea piping hot!

The Cosies are perfect to take outdoors to relax in the garden, so you don’t have to keep nipping back inside to get a brew; and they come in all different cute styles and shapes so you can even put your own fashion stamp on it.

Cakes Tea Cosy

Tea Pot Shaped Tea Cosy

Tourist Icons Tea Cosy