Finally I am catching up and my shop won’t look like the Sahara desert anymore. Click here to see all the new bags available in my etsy (US and int) and dawanda (EU and UK) shop.
Here are some more pictures (taken by Jeremy) of a Pincushion Protea with a bee collecting pollen.
I am falling more and more in love with a macro-lens ….
I was first attracted to Alejandra Laviada’s work becuase of the colours, then because of the unusual objects that were the colours and then … well I was hooked.
Look at all these great photographs:
This is my favourite photograph (below):
She “explores the shifting relationship between photography and sculpture, whereby ordinary objects are stripped of their traditional function and perceived differently. Each body of work is an attempt to record pieces of history that are simultaneously being erased and created, and reflect a city struggling to reconcile past and future histories”.
I could not resist these chairs. The chair on the left-hand-side (below) is almost cute.
I love the way Alejandra has made interesting and beautiful the things we would ordinarily have either thrown away or washed.
The two pictures below are the Pincushion Protea’s buds. I cannot find words to describe them - they are more beautiful than I have ever noticed.
These photo’s were taken by Jeremy and again, the macro lens (which was borrowed). I have got to get one of those!
I do not follow trends but I find them interesting and even more interesting how I subscribe to them subconsciously (although you could say that by reading them I am conscious of them). Either way, I find how they reflect economic situations, how they merge and develop and how they are adopted by people, fascinating. I also like to see if my gut/instinct towards shapes and colours is right. Often I feel a connection towards a colour and there it is, in the prediction. For all these reasons I enjoy reading them.
Colours: I do not see much change from winter 2008 and summer 2008/09 (for South Africa, that is now). The colours only seem to get a little bit darker and perhaps even dusty. For example, the deep but rich turquoise of summer 2008/09 seems to transcend into a deep and darker emerald for winter 2009. My only observation that sparks up some interest is the disappearance of orange. Walk through the shops now and you are surrounded by cool orange tones. In winter and summer 08/09 the trend sites could not stress the importance of ‘flaming orange’ and ‘utility orange’ … but I do not see it in these (the winter 09/10) palettes. They have become burnt sienna, ochre and naartjie.
Fabrics: Sensual is the word that comes to my mind when I see the chosen fabrics: silk for it’s matt shine, wool for it’s lightweight body (but in contrast there are heavy tweeds), sequenced chiffon, crepe, creased linen and satin.
Prints: Urban graphics, modern art, graffiti, hand-crafted techniques, high-tech surface finished …. ohlala … what a combination. This imagery together with the above mentioned fabrics creates an ultramodern performance (with a human touch). I find this extremely interesting and I would say - just go for it because it seems that as long as it is unexpected and full of interest, you are ‘IN’.
In conclusion I would say: The colours and fabrics are inspired by nature and the prints are the technological inspiration. Together it is a juxtaposition that makes a composition (if that even makes sense…but then again, is sense what we are looking for?).
Please note that this post is my thoughts on the trends reported on Infomat.com and Trendstop.com. They should not be taken as definite trends or as any researched matter. They are purely subjective and reflective.
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**NOTE** All Organic Coffee Bags that have extra-long straps (they can be worn across your chest) are called ’sling bags’. The Organic Coffee Bags that are worn over your shoulder are now called ’shoulder bags’.
For those of you who have not followed my post on my sewing machine experience(s) I decided to ask etsy (see forum) what sewing machine they use and to share their experiences with it. I did not expect the overwhelming response it got: over 100 people applied to the thread giving their recommendations of what they thought of their sewing machines. I have taken all of these and tallied up a list, in order of excellence, of the different sewing machine brands.
Interestingly more than half the positive ratings were for OLD machines (older than 6 years) so if you can, hang onto your family heirloom sewing machine … it seems the old (and heavy) sewing machines were far better made.
OLD MACHINES:
Singer (21)
Pfaff (13)
Benina (10)
Kenmore (8)
Brother (7)
Husqvarna Viking (5)
Janome (4)
Juki and Necchi Mira (both got 2)
Veritas (1)
NEW MACHINES:
Husqvarna Viking (14)
Bernina (8)
Brother (1 negative / 8 positive)
Pfaff (5)
Bablylock (1 negative / 5 positive)
Janome (5)
Kenmore (both 4)
Elna (4)
Singer (3 negative / 3 positive)
Juki (1)
In conclusion, Pfaff is the most consistent brand, Singer is by far the most popular old-school brand and Husqvarna Viking is the highest rated brand of new sewing machines. Anybody know where I can get one in Cape Town???
Mondedesigns (forum pg 8) spoke about Singer, Pfaff and Viking combining to create one company. I did some research becuase if this were true - WOW …and as far as I can work out, it is true but a bit more complicated. There is an umbrella company to these three brand names and it is called the SVP Group (this is the ‘new’ company). They manufacture all three brands. I’m hoping the brands decide to collaborate and develop ONE ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT sewing machine!
I have two new sewing buddies (from strawberriesandcream): Wopples the hedgehog is named after his wopsy ear and rolly-polly quality (he never stays upright, always wants to roll up into a ball and hide away just like a hedgehog), and Missy the mouse who is just so adorable! I love them!
P.S. They are pincushions.
I saw this display yesterday on ‘milk tooth’s rain‘ and thought it was such a clever idea.
So, I took my old and plain brown clipboard and decided to ‘make it pretty’ too. I have a bit of a wrapping paper fetish (if I see one I like, I buy it. I have a collection but sadly they always get damaged before I can use them. My idea is to get architecture draws (but they are like hen’s teeth to find) and my papers can all be stored safely in them). Anyway, I took one of my favourite wrapping papers, cut the outline of the clipboard, coated the clipboard surface with a thin layer of wood glue, carefully stuck the cut out wrapping paper down and then coated the surface with a clear varnish.
It was as simple as that and now I have a beautiful and fun clipboard.
As many of you know, I sadly said goodbye to my mom’s 20 year old Elna sewing machine about a month ago after it was badly serviced by Elna. My new machine is good but it is taking some time to trust and love and events have not helped: my first machine stopped working every time I got home so two days later it was exchanged for another new machine. Last week (exactly a month later) this sewing machine (the second one) went phoOF-bAng-grRRrr and stopped. The belt had come off becuase the screws had not been tightened properly when the machine was assembled. They also discovered several other ‘niggly’ faults which got ‘fixed’. Now I think it sounds funny but I also think that might be in my head.
I have discovered the hard way that the brands you trusted becuase of years of sewing happily with them are not always the best anymore. This brings me to my mission: To find out what the BEST NEW sewing machine is to buy. I know the old machines are still BEST (kind of like the classic VW Beatle) but if you have to trade-up or need a new one, what is the BEST make to buy?
I asked the Etsy forums and got some great feedback. Click here to read the discussion and to add your comment/recomend a brand/share your sewing story.
