Tuesday 30 November 2010

Dead drops

oh look!
here

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Rain Catcher

So much prettier than our rhone pipes, you just buy the number of cups you need and link them all together, preferably hanging them over a garden like this one, thus using the rainwater as it was meant to be.

Monday 22 November 2010

First Frost

There is a benefit to getting up at the crack of dawn and driving 20 miles out of London to do a day's work  - I saw the first frost on Tuesday and it was lovely.

Saturday 20 November 2010

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Indigo, Boro and Sashiko

 
 
  
The Japanese tradition of stitching, patching, mending and recycling has resulted in a fantastic tradition of peasant, or folk clothing. The ragged, textured result of all the layers of stitching is called Boro.

The white mending stitches became a decorative technique in their own right called Sashiko. Intricate patterns were stitched onto woven indigo fabrics creating bold decorative detail.
See Sri Threads blog and gallery for some great items.

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Hunsett Mill

Voted the best new house in the UK 2010 by RIBA
see more here

Monday 15 November 2010

SAMPLE SALE 27 & 28th November

 
Just to let you know, SHELF, our neighbour Mimi and some friends are having a little pre Christmas sample sale...
An excellent way of buying really special presents at knock down prices!

Tokyo Tea Break

Saturday 13 November 2010

Scholten & Baijings





Beautiful woven pillow covers by Scholten & Baijings for Thomas Eyck

Friday 12 November 2010

Play House


At what point in the boys life would this cease to be used!?
Play House, Jakarta

Wednesday 10 November 2010

FARM:shop

I've been walking past this shop on Dalston Lane since summer & wondering what these people were up to.
Recently, passing on a 38 bus, I saw them on the roof, erecting a chicken coop.

Then on the way to the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden recently, I peeked in and saw huge bubbling tanks of water, tiny plants growing in neat rows, towers of strange plant pot 'trees'...

Now they put a sign up, I've found their web site and I'm intrigued.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

A Collection a Day 2010

Artist Lisa Congdon's collection a day is an almost daily visit for us, and a look at her home & studio make me wonder.

Where does she keep it?

Monday 8 November 2010

Kastehelmi by Oiva Toikka

We love these re issued 'Kastehelmi' bowls, so much, we just had to stock them for Christmas.
yep there's no getting away from it, its coming!!

They were designed by Oiva Toikka in 1964, reissued by Iittala in 2010 to clebrate 50 years of working with Toikka.

Cant wait to get a set of them home & fill with delicious red pudding . . . .

Sunday 7 November 2010

Gropius

 
In Walter Gropius' home, I want one.
What IS it??
See who took the photos & more on Leslie Williamson's blog and buy her book Handcrafted Modern, so many beautiful & beautifully wierd houses to nosey around..

Saturday 6 November 2010

Laurie the Lion

Laurie the Lion is new in SHELF.

Ethically produced in Sri Lanka by Barefoot Design, and designed in the '60's,
Laurie the Lion is hand made from hand woven & dyed cotton, stuffed with Kapok and shipped slowly by sea to Cornwall.
(this is proving to be a problem getting more stock in time for Christmas!) 

Barefoot was founded in 1962 in Sri Lanka by colourist, artist, designer and entrepreneur Barbara Sansoni.
They work mainly with women.
Nothing is mass-produced.  
No child labour is used.  
All employees are given a decent wage and benefits.  
There are no factories and no production lines. 
Each worker is responsible for the quality of the final product.  
Barefoot teach the skills and strive for quality from the weavers and sewers.

If you are a small person, you can sit on his back!

Lisa Larson

Gustavsberg 1962, 1957