Ginterview: Perri Lewis

The Ginterview is exactly what it sounds like. We interview people we think are awesome while drinking gin and other nice boozes. This time we chatted to Perri Lewis - crafty gal, writer of Material World and commissioning editor for Psychologies. We went to London Cocktail Club and drank ALL the drinks. Red wine for Sian (shush now), porn star martinis for Perri and bacon and egg cocktails for Frances. Huh, strangely very little gin for a Ginterview.

How did you get your job? We want it. Swapsies?

I was doing research at the Guardian on a piece about the 1000 best independent shops and someone asked "do you make stuff?" and I do make stuff. My first craft piece was a knitting guide. I started my blog Make and Do With Perri because I wanted an outlet for the simple stuff - it's basically craft that my friends can do. One day I popped into the Guardian offices and had a letter from an agent asking if I'd ever thought about writing a book. Only every single hour of my fucking life!

Yes, tell us about the book.

It's basically craft that everyone will want to do. It doesn't have hundreds of projects in it, just 21. It's called Material World, and has tips from all sorts of other crafters. Crafting isn't difficult or stuffy and old fashioned, it's actually really fun. The book isn't out until October, but you can pre-order on Amazon. I even designed the cover myself.

What does your house look like?

I've just moved, and we've got a gorgeous working fire place and oak floors. There are lots of books. I can imagine having parties here. My favourite pieces is a Louis chair and it's pistachio and pink (it's lovely, honest). I like plain walls and statement pieces.

Have you seen that couple behind us? They're really going for it.

(The couple behind us are indeed, really going for it.)

They've been snogging their faces off for about twenty minutes now. Why would you go out and then snog all night? What were we talking about? Oh! Yes! I also quite like Ikea, it's a good base for people to start when they're buying furniture.

What would you never own because you think it's damn ugly?

Anything matchy matchy. I'm never going to have a 3-piece suite or matching plates.

There's another snogging couple next to them now. It's like the bench of snogging.

What's in your fridge?

I'm vegetarian, but I'm not really that fussy about it. I'll still eat Haribo. It also means I get to eat more roast potatoes...

...Not in Sluttery HQ it doesn't. You can have some more carrots.

Oh. Then I'll eat all the buffet food. I love cheese and pineapple on sticks and I'm a sucker for those frozen Indian sets you can buy in Iceland.

(The snogging man asks the barman if he can reserve the table - apparently they'll be back in an hour after going to a gallery.)

Why are they coming back? Why aren't they going home to have sex? Can we have their table?

Apparently not. They've already been replaced with another couple. Let's get more drinks.

Yes! I want one of those pink martinis. The French ones. That couple are snogging now.

(The next half an hour is spent chatting to the cute barmen, talking about public displays of affection and Clueless. Lots of talk about Clueless.)

How much of Domestic Slut are you, Perri?

I'm pretty lazy. Luckily my boyfriend is good at cooking. I'd just live on cheese and tofu and gin otherwise. But I got my Level 2 chess badge in brownies.

Summer travel tip please!

I really enjoyed going to Beirut recently. I stayed at the amazing arty hotel Le Gray. It's was cultured and traditional with being all OMGWAR. I don't really go away enough to have awesome hotel recommendations. I'm a festival kind of girl.

What's your top Sluttery tip?

(All we have written in our tipsy notes is "Disney Princesses. Lady and the Tramp." That is a fine Sluttery tip if ever there was one. We have no idea what it means, just go and watch all of the Disney films and figure it out for yourself.)

The couple are back!

(We watch as the couple slide back into their spot, and continue their kissing. We stopped being subtle about two drinks ago)

We're staring now. Another drink?

Yes!

Now some quickfire questions because it's 10:30pm and we've been watching kissing couples and not asking any questions of our at all.

Favourte thing about summer?

Festivals and that spot of shade you get next to someone else's tent. Oh and HATS.

Favourite cocktail?

Pornstar martini. That's a really uncool name, isn't it? I'm enjoying this one. I've well and truly fingered my passion fruit, though. Let's get some more.

Cat or dog?

Cat. Her name is Juno. She's a little tabby.

(We all coo at a photo, the barman gives us a strange look as if we hadn't been annoying enough all night.)

Best summer song?

Anything by Blink 182. I know they're shit. I don't care.




Dream dinner party guests?

Johnny Depp, Barack Obama, Emmeline Pankhurst, Lady Gaga and Rupert Murdoch.

Biggest style mistake?

I actually just embrace really shit clothes. I once wore jeans with fake fur trims. I'm really that cool.

Best ice cream?

What's that one with chocolate bits through it? The vanilla one? Strati- stralti- stratilettica? That one. We're quite drunk aren't we?

And with that, we realise that we might miss our trains if we have any more drinks and head off into the rain leaving the kissing couple to it.

Want to buy Perri's book? You nearly can! It's on Amazon so you can preorder, and it's just £14.44.