Today is ‘Time for a Cuppa Day’ which is an annual fundraising event for Dementia UK.

The special day aims to raise as much money as possible to support the work of the charity and it encourages everyone from across the country to get involved.

The organisation relies completely on voluntary donations so they are asking Britain to help them make a difference to carers’ lives by taking time out for a cuppa to raise funds.

It gives everyone affected by dementia the opportunity to break down barriers and talk about the illness over a piping hot cup of tea.

What do you have to do? Simply invite the family and friends round; put the kettle on and have a good old chinwag over some homemade cakes.

Nothing quite beats a scrumptious cuppa and rest assured that the pot can stay lovely and hot with one of our tea cosies. So even if you do end up gossiping for hours on end, your brews will remain toasty!

If you are thinking about putting on some nibbles for your guests to eat, why not grab one of our aprons and practice your culinary skills by baking some delicious treats?

Everyone loves dunking a biscuit or two in a piping hot brew, so why not carry out your favourite pastime and raise money at the same time, perfect!

Besides, tea parties are becoming all the range as of late and are ideal for friends and family to gather together in one room and do what as a society females do best – natter.

Check out our vast array of delightful bone china mugs which are great to use as your ‘fancy’ tableware and we have some gorgeous cake tins so if there are any leftover cakes, you can store them safely for another day.

Also, carry all the brews at the tea party like a true domestic goddess with a pretty tray and cover the table with our beautiful table runners, napkins and coasters.

Gingham Red Cotton Apron

Today is National Wear Red Day!

In association with the British Heart Foundation, everyone across the UK is being urged to get involved to raise money for the life-saving work the charity does.

There are numerous ways that Brits can help for example by wearing red clothing but if you have already got up, got dressed and gone to work then fret not, there are still tasks that you can carry out to raise vital funds.

Why not put a swear box in the office for the day? Every time someone curses and turns the air blue, they have to put 50p in the box. Or fill a jar with lots of red sweets and ask people to guess the number in the jar for a £1 donation?

The whole family can get involved by painting the children’s face red with face paint, and you can get baking in the kitchen to make up scrumptious delicious red treats!

It may be too late to purchase something in time to wear today but next year, when practising your culinary skills in the home, dress from head to toe in red with Ulster Weavers’ Plain Red Collection. This is great to add a splash of bright colour into the home with vivid homeware accessories of kitchen tea towels etc.

We also have the fabulous Jan Constantine Gingham Red design which comes complete with coordinating apron, double oven glove, tea cosies, tea towel, gauntlet and pot mitt. It has a gorgeous cute heart on it with a pretty rose inside.

And Jan Constantine’s ‘Love’ collection is ideal as it has a heart on it which ties in great with the British Heart Foundation. Plus we’ve got a new Love messenger bag in stock now as part of the range which is just perfect.

So why not get involved by baking red heart cookies or cupcakes and sell them to your family, friends, or kid’s school class to raise money. Any amount that is raised will go a long way but don’t forget to wear one of our aprons to protect your clothing from any stains.

This week is Woolly Hat Week in the UK!

The campaign has been launched by the Sailors’ Society, a charity that helps merchant seafarers on board ship and when they step ashore in port.

The society claims to be among the largest and most comprehensive international seafarers’ support charity and they are calling on the British public to wear a woolly hat this week to raise awareness for the world’s 1.5 million sailors who brave the high seas.

As part of the week, the interdenominational maritime charity is asking for small donations as well as woolly hats. Each year the Southampton-based organisation gives out 15,000 woolly hats knitted by volunteers.

The fundraising director, Jan Webber, said that seafarers battle with the elements regularly and that a hat is appreciated, especially by people who come from warm climates and are unprepared for the less than tropical climates of the UK.

Now here at Ulster Weavers, we don’t necessarily have any woolly hats for people to wear but we do have a vast array of children’s chef hats. From Robot and Farmyard-themes, to London 2012 and Treasure Island, there is a plethora of choices available to let the kids practice baking in the kitchen.

Dress the little ones up in cute aprons and matching hat and encourage them to have fun and play the part of being a professional chef! Why not make some delicious cupcakes that have anchors decorated on with icing?

The common colour associated with seafarers is blue and our Pride The Lion Child’s Chef Hat is just perfect to display British pride. So get involved in Woolly Hat Week by donning some gorgeous homeware and cooking up a storm in the kitchen. And you can carry on the trend outside the home to keep your ears warm in such blustery cold weather.

A teacher from Cheshire has set herself the sweet challenge of baking a Victoria sponge cake every single day for a whole year.

Cath Webb plans to put her culinary skills to the test by cooking up a storm over the 12 months and giving each cake away to someone needy- simply to put a smile on their face.

The 46-year-old was reportedly inspired to start the baking adventure after she made a cake for a friend who had been diagnosed with cancer, and saw the overwhelming reaction.

Ever since, she has put the power of doing good deeds to force and made an array of Victoria cakes with a variety of jam fillings for a plethora of local people including her own family, hospital staff and the homeless.

Despite the time-consuming challenge of washing up, cooking and cooling, the mother-of-three has recorded a diary of every single entry. But the domestic goddess admits that her husband was sceptical at first, and was moaning how much it would cost in ingredients.

She is due to complete the challenge on her birthday on 6^th April in which she would have baked 366 cakes. 

And the total amount of recipes used included;

- 1098 eggs

- 160lb of flour

- 292 packs of butter

- 160lb of sugar

- 183 pots of jam

- 74 bottles of vanilla essence

- 12 pints of milk

- Two packets of icing/ vanilla bean sugar

Let’s hope the woman protected her clothing from all that baking with Ulster weavers.com delightful ranges of aprons!

We have a cute homeware range called Victoria which is one of Ulster Weavers designs and it would be perfect to cook Victoria sponge cakes in. The collection includes matching co-ordinates of oven glove, apron, pot mitt, gauntlet, cake tins, tea and kitchen cosies and more.

And after all that hard work, we think Mrs Webb definitely deserves her hubby to put the kettle on and give her a nice cup of tea in one of our gorgeous Ulster weavers china mugs!

Sport Relief 2012 is just around the corner and already the countdown has begun with only 65 days to go.

The annual event is taking place from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th March and it is set to be the biggest year of sport, especially given the fact that it is also the year of the London 2012 Olympics.

Over a million people are expected to take part in Sport Relief and join in with the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile to help raise money and change lives. And a wealth of celebrities are said to be getting involved.

A long list of famous faces is supporting the charitable event including singing sensation Olly Murs, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and actress Kara Tointon.

The money that is raised as part of the campaign will help people living tough lives in the UK and abroad and to generate even more cash, this year’s official Sport Relief single has been made by boy band JLS.

The former X Factor contestants, who have five UK number one singles and two BRIT awards, visited Uganda to see how the raised money helps transform people’s lives with education and assisting them to escapethe dangers of street life. And the lads will perform a special one-off concert during the Sport Relief weekend.

If you and the family want to get involved and take part in the Mile run, make sure you quench your thirst with Ulster Weavers cute child’s water bottles that suit all ages.

Why not carry on the celebrations into the home with our delectable range of ‘Sporting’ tea towels which can quite easily be used to mop up any sweaty brows! *eugh*

And if you like, why not check out our vast collection of London 2012 ranges. Get ready for the Games with Ulster Weavers homeware!

This weekend is the special holiday of Choral Day!

It is a dedicated day that people from all over the world can get together with their friends and enjoy the power of song. Choral Day promotes choirs and choral singing in all forms and it aims to promote unity, harmony and kindness through choral singing.

And you can get involved too and celebrate with Ulster Weavers Birdsong ranges.

Founded in 1990 by Alberto Grau, the international event is part of the International Federation for Choral Music. The official website states: “It is time to show, with more power and strength, that our choral family contributes, through music to break down the artificial barriers product of politics, different ideologies, religious differences, and racial hatred that separate human beings.

“We must be able to show that music, the divine art, is more than the mere search of formal perfection and interpretative beauty, music should serve to extol the values of solidarity, peace, and understanding. We cannot work isolated, we have to make all possible efforts to have our voices heard and to let music work its own paths of communication.”

Our birdsong ranges comprise of tea and kitchen cosies, gauntlets, oven gloves, aprons and bags. The bags available in the design vary to suit your needs including small/medium canvas, shoulder, packable and PVC.

As well as the birdsong range, we also have a Celtic Blessing Linen Tea Towel and our super cute Musical Cat range which is a Rosina Wachtmeister design. The collection similarly comprises of tea cosy, linen tea towels, cotton apron, double oven glove, pot mitt and bags.

So join in World Choral Day on Sunday 11th December by having a sing-along, visiting your local choral seminar, or going to a festival and check out the gorgeous homeware today.

Birdsong Double Oven Glove

Celtic Blessing Linen Tea Towel

Musical Cat Linen Tea Towel

Today the iconic British Fashion Awards is taking place to recognise the most influential people in the industry and celebrate the best in British fashion.

The annual event commends the reputation and development of British fashion and it awards the ultimate accolade “Designer of the Year” to the leading British based designer who has directly shaped fashion in the past year. The hotly contested award for 2011 is between Sarah Burton for McQueen, Christopher Kane and Erdem.

There are various categories to which people are nominated for but Sir Paul Smith has already been announced the winner of BFC Outstanding Achievement.

Harold Tillman CBE, Chairman of the British Fashion Council, said: “This year’s nominees demonstrate the breadth and creativity London has to offer. The fashion brands and designers that are based here set the trends across the globe.”

The Awards, which is sponsored by HSBC, MAC, Toni & Guy and Vodafone, was celebrated for the first-time this year with a ‘Born to Walk Tall’; a fashion mile walk to honour the critical work performed by doctors, nurses and midwives worldwide. It was led by Save the Children and British Fashion Council ambassador Samantha Cameron and took place from Downing Street to Somerset House to raise awareness of the vital role health-workers play in making sure that children survive to take their first steps.

The nominations were made by key UK and international opinion formers within the fashion industry and the lucky winners were chosen by panels of leading British and international media and buyers.

The categories include;

-          Designer Brand

-          Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator,

-          Emerging Talent Awards (accessories, ready to wear, menswear)

-          Red Carpet Award

-          British Style Award

-          Model

-          Accessory Designer

-          Menswear Designer

-          Designer of the Year

Join in the festivities with Ulster Weavers British-themed ranges! We have lots of textiles and homeware products that are themed with the UK including linen tea towels and canvas bags. So show your patriotism to Her Majesty The Queen and your country with our vast array of kitchen essentials.

Watch the awards and drink a piping hot cup of tea from one of our British-themed bone china mugs and take the tea out of the oven with our Union Jack oven gloves whilst wearing themed PVC aprons.

British Cats Reversible Cotton Bag

British Cats PVC Apron

Union Jack Double Oven Glove

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

A latest survey has revealed that food prices are expected to increase by more than double in less than 20 years, putting an even bigger squeeze on already tight household budgets.

The findings, by the leading aid and development charity Oxfam, show that by 2030 the average cost of key crops will rise between 120% and 180%; which is extremely bad news to the populations already struggling to buy adequate food.

The charity, which aims to fight global poverty, is now demanding a radical reform of the global food system, as food prices have already doubled in the last two decades. It predicts half of the rise to come as a result of climate change and is now calling on world leaders to improve the regulation of food markets and invest in a global climate fund.

Barbara Stocking, Oxfam’s chief executive, said: “The food system must be overhauled if we are to overcome the increasingly pressing challenges of climate change, spiralling food prices and the scarcity of land, water and energy.”

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) world food prices have now amplified by two since 1990. It means if the trend continues, food prices such as wheat will increase 125%, maize by 175% and live-stock by just over 100%.

The Oxfam research also found that the world’s poorest people now spend up to 80% of their incomes on food.

In its report, Oxfam says a “broken” food system causes “hunger, along with obesity, obscene waste, and appalling environmental degradation.” It wants nations to agree to new rules to govern food markets to ensure the poor do not go hungry.

As food prices are set to increase, invest in quality home ware from Ulster Weavers. Our cute Kitchen hand towels are perfect to handle hot plates as well as dry the dishes spotlessly. And what is more, we have a vast array of Hand Towel ranges so you are bound to find one that suits your taste and room décor.

Today is Care for a Cuppa day!

Organised by the national charity Diabetes UK, the recognised day calls for the British public to gather the friends around, make brews and hold a tea party.

It aims to be a great way of supporting the charity’s work whilst enjoying time with loved ones and mates.

There is a Care for a Cuppa prize draw this year which offers the lucky tea winners a Grosvenor Hamper from Fortnum and Mason; and all you have to do is request your very own party pack.

Diabetes UK are also asking for all domestic goddesses to send in the pictures from the tea parties as they are in full swing so everyone can join in the fun and laughter!

So help raise monies towards the charity and its research by holding a tea party for Care For A Cuppa Day this May, in support of Diabetes Week in June.

You can invite some of your close girl friends and family members round in the afternoon, bake some cakes and treats and sit drinking and gossiping over a lovely hot cuppa. And with our fantastic Cosies your brew will stay lovely and hot for hours.

Even celebs are signing up and hosting their own tea parties, such as Melanie C- otherwise known as Sporty Spice- from the pop girl group, Spice Girls. She said: “I am pleased to be supporting Diabetes UK’s Care for a Cuppa campaign and would urge everyone to have a tea party to help support the charity’s research and its other diabetes-related projects.

“My brother has Type 1 diabetes and I know first-hand how serious diabetes is and what a huge impact it can have on people with diabetes and their family.”

The singer added: “Throwing a Care for a Cuppa party is a great way to entertain friends, family and colleagues with the knowledge it can make a real difference to the lives of people with diabetes.”

So get involved by throwing a tea bash; Ulster Weavers Tea Cosies will ensure your tea pot stays nice and warm even if sat outside in the sunshine. And with our extra special Tea party range, you will definitely take the theme to a whole new level!

Tea Party Bone China Mug

Tea Party Tea Cosy

Tea Party Cotton Apron