Everyday Objects Print

I just happened upon this amazing collection of wax print fabric someone picked up in Ghana.

view the full collection here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/extremecraft/sets/483754/

It's amazingly awesome the way all the designs are inspired by everyday, modern objects such as lightbulbs, mufflers, lipsticks and even first aid kits. Something mediocre turned into something beautiful. If I got my hands on this fabric I'd love to throw together some amazing Shaheen-inspired creation... as if I could actually sew dresses.... In reality I'd probably make some mis-shapen tote bags... but we can all dream a dream.

Laundry Envy

As a follow-on to my previous post, I came across this delightful Laundry Room. Ahhh... to be a time-warp wife.

The original post is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28153783@N08/3725524151/

"Washdays are sure to be sunny in this colorful laundry. While washer and dryer take over, you can catch up with a favorite TV program or settle down to desk work. Soiled clothing is sorted into hamper baskets to match washer settings."

"The American Home"
April 1959

Although that fiberglass chair is making my arms itchy just looking at it.

Modern Life is Rubbish

The things we impose on ourselves!

So... I've been having a dilemma. I've been a homeowner in Ireland for just over three years. Yep, myself and the fella are one of those lucky people now living in negative equity... which doesn't really matter so long as you've a roof over your head right? And with interest rates so low, we're paying less than we would if we were renting. So, it's not so bad.

Except (and it's a big except to us) we bought our place in a neighborhood we were less than thrilled about simply because there was nothing else we could afford at the time. An Estate Agent would call it central, I would call it inner city.

Wanting to upgrade neighborhoods was always at the back of our minds, and knowing we couldn't sell our house, we slowly worked on fixing up the house with the distant possibility of being landlords. Well... opportunity literally knocked on our door a few weeks ago and our former next door neighbor was interested in renting the house. Grand. Good. Let's do it.

In theory we're supposed to be leaving our home this week... except for one small problem. Our house doesn't have a washing machine. No biggie right? When I lived in NYC, having a washing machine was a luxury. Well, in Dublin it's considered a "Mod Con". It's actually required! Not only do we not have a washing machine, but we've no place to put one. In order to put a washing machine in our house, we would need to fit an entire new kitchen. This whole landlord business is starting to look quite expensive!

So... lucky for us cheapies, Dublin finally has Ikea. I've got the kitchen all picked out using the Ikea kitchen software thingy, but I began to panic as reality set in. Thoughts of all the things that need doing in order to REALLY put in a kitchen. Such as:
Okay, like, BUY the kitchen
buy a washing machine
get the kitchen installed
re-tile the walls
re-tile the floors
get a plumber to put in a washing machine
get a plumber in to take out the radiator
get another heater installed under the units by electrician
get electrician to fix the oven pluggy-thing that is messed up but we've ignored for 3 years.

Ummmm... this is not a weekend event is it? All for a stupid washing machine!

AND... can I really call myself a modern-day-eco-warrior by buying a super cheap kitchen from Ikea? Inevitably imported from far overseas and taking business away from some local kitchen artisan? Okay, well, my bank balance won't allow me to have that argument, but it is something I think about.

I'm thinking I agree with Blur, Modern Life Is Rubbish.

(anyone know any good kitchen installers?)

More Volunteers!

Since I was on the whole volunteer buzz, and since the garden is beginning its annual, colorful journey to winter slumber, I figured I'd take some photos of the locals who have taken up residence in my little patch.

Click on the photos to see more detail.

First, below, a grape vine, grass, and heather:

Then, a willow and some bell flowers:

Finally, my messy pot that was originally supposed to be a peonia, but is really just a shambles.

It you can't find it... Make it!

I've always loved creating projects on the aul sewing machine... I am however, no dress maker - no, my sewing projects are generally limited to purses, bags and other carrying devices. I'm not really sure why, but that's what I seem to engineer as soon as I've got fabric in my hand.

Some of my more successful items include canvas and oil-cloth shoulderbags specifically created to carry two-litre water bottles, and possibly my greatest ever feat of engineering (that still needs a bit of stitching) a bespoke bag I created for my mate Lauren's Roland AX-1 Keytar complete with shiny red outside, adjustable strap, lots of padding and super fuzzy leopard print on the inside. I must get a picture of it for the site.

One of my most recent projects began life as a bag, but ended up as a "love heart knitting cushion". Basically it's a cushion made from hand-dyed canvas that opens up to reveal clever wool storage - just add needles and a couch and you've got a quiet night in. Below are photos of the results.



This weekend, my plan is to develop a couple of bespoke guitar pedal board/cases. Stiff bottom where the pedals can be velcroed-in and left on stage, and then a zipped top turning it back into a carrying case.

Volunteers...

No, not the charitable kind, instead the kind you find popping up in your garden. Urban gardening is a strange thing, my neighborhood suffers from a huge lack of greenery, yet despite this, an amazing amount of plants have sprouted up of their own accord in the pots in my little back garden. I have a full blooming heather, a willow tree, some sea grasses, maiden-hair ferns, and loads more that I am yet to identify. Which is sometimes the danger with volunteers - some might be simple weeds, while others are worthy of replanting into their own pots! An eye for identifying plants is definitely helpful in the volunteer arena.


My favorite volunteers? A couple of tomato plants that just popped up into my Clematis pot... They've grown a good bit more since this original photo, and I've since transplanted them to their own home. It's too bad the summer's over - I have a feeling there will be no real activity out of these bad boyz.

Here's the results of the great tomato transplant, we'll see if they survive.

Cheap-Chic = Eco-Chic

Angela Scanlon, stylist extraordinaire (whom I have had the pleasure of working with via StyleNation & IMTV) recently appeared on rte's TwoTube - giving tips on staying stylish without parting with too much of your hard-earned dosh. And lucky for us, in another "being good to mother earth without even knowing it" way, many of the tips revolved around the whole upcycling/recycling of clothes buzz.

She's got a couple of tips for the spendthrift fashionista (and fashionistuds as well) including the Crafternoon Tea which I covered earlier. You can watch her talking about her trip to Temple Bar's SwopShop here: http://www.rte.ie/tv/twotube/movers.html
or simply read her tips on the rte website here: http://www.rte.ie/tv/twotube/anglespendtips.html

Check em out - Tanks Ange!

DublinBikes: Tragic Update

I've just read reports that a 51 year old cyclist was killed this morning after being hit by an articulated truck on the Quays in Dublin's City Centre. The RTE report doesn't give much insight into the circumstances, but some of those active on the innnernet are reporting that he was on one of the Dublin Bikes as mentioned yesterday. Either way, it's tragic news and all the more reason for the Transport Minister's cycling path scheme to hurry up and get into place.

Here's what RTE had to say: http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0915/rta.html

**update 16/09/09: the victim was definitely not on a DublinBike**