The Barbican goes Downtown

This week Barbican Art Gallery new show presents Laurie Anderson, Trisha Brown, Gordon Matta-Clark: Pioneers of the Downtown Scene, New York 1970s.

Performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson, choreographer Trisha Brown and artist Gordon Matta-Clark were friends and active participants in the New York art community, working fluidly between visual art and performance.

With the city as their backdrop, canvas, stage and inspiration, this exhibition is the first major presentation to examine the experimental and often daring approaches taken by these three key figures, both individually and collectively, in the burgeoning arts scene in downtown New York during the 1970s.

And now for my personal plug to pop into the gallery shop while you're there, You will find the full range of my 'Rethink Rubbish' craft kits and a selection of upcycled woven bicycle innertube cushions amonst other exhibition complimenting delights sourced by Andrea Toon, the shop's buyer.

Holier Holes

Picking up the threads of my previous post 'Holy Holes' where I suggested the possibility of sporting 'show off' or 'fashion statement' darning and mending patches. For those of you adverse to the time consuming labours of sewing Suzi Warren of Twisted Twee has a perfect and witty solution...Just pick up an iron and "Let them's as made the 'oles mend the 'oles"

There are 5 patches in a little screen printed drawstring bag.
On sale now at Fabrications!

And drawing even more attention to wear and tear defects -
Suzi's 'Stains without shame' iron on pointer patches!!

Sustainable gift wrapping

Last week we were very happy to wave goodbye to a large order of our 'Rethink Rubbish' sustainable gift wrapping kits to Amnesty International. I thought it might be of interest to share some of the process with you.

A sack full of vintage scarves on arrival

This is how the scarves arrive from the recycling factory. We then sort into different colour ways for laundering. Then scarves are styled together according to colours and design into 3's and then the ironing marathon commences! (Any scarves with holes or stains get set aside for cutting up for our Rosette + Fascinator kits or educational workshops - so nothing is wasted here at Fabrications!) Alongside bows and rosettes are also made.

A box full of gift wrapping kits at departure

The 3 scarves are then packed with 2 handmade bows + rosettes with an instruction card showing how to wrap your gift in a scarf using the Japanese art of 'Furoshiki'

All safely packed before the next destination

The final result, I think you will agree is very stylish and it's re usable, so that's 2 gifts in one! Maybe even 3 if you count the handmade bows + rosettes which can be worn. As well as being available at Amnesty's shop, the kits are available at Fabrications and a number of other quality outlets. We will also be offering the gift wrapping as a service at Fabrications for all of December and also at the East London Design show.

New Craft Kit

The 'Create a fabulous fascinator' workshops have gone so well this summer, we've added this project to our range of 'Rethink Rubbish' craft kits.


If you missed out on one of our workshops or are looking for a great crafty gift step this way!

Each pack contains beautiful pre prepared upcycled vintage materials and haberdashery, enough to make 2 fascinators, needle and thread and illustrated instruction card with step by step how to make the base and ideas for decoration.

London Design Festival

Skandium presents....'Knit Wits' with Iittala.

As you can see from my last post, I was kindly invited by Skandium to dress about 80 iconic Iittala products in knitting. I did this along with my friends from Hackney based knitting group 'Knitty Gritty'. We had a lot of fun devising different cosies and covers for items such as glass birds by Olva Toikka, Kivis by Heikki Orvola and the biggest challenge was a curvaseous jacket for Alvar Aalto's vases. To highlight Iittala's great ethos of 'lasting design against throwayism' I used salvaged yarns and reused materials (of course!) Our creations have now been installed in Skandium's windows on Brompton Road and Marlybone High Street and will be on show until Sunday 27th September.

* * Come along and celebrate * * the installation at a free knitting class with me and some of the Knitty Gritty girls at Skandium this Thursday 24th September, 6 - 8.30pm, available on a first come first serve basis. There will also be opportunity to enjoy tea and cakes, giggle at our knitted pieces and have a browse in Skandium's wonderful store. Participants will also receive a free 'Knit-Wit-kit', this is an Iittala / Barley Massey 'Rethink Rubbish' learn how to knit kit. The Knit-Wit-Kits have been in circulation at various locations in the London Design Festival.
If you find one we would love to see what you create with it!
(you can e-mail me or jodi@circle-pr.com )

Skandium, 245-249 Brompton Road, London SW3 2EP.

Saturday 26th September from 10am - 6pm

We will be at 'The Dock' in Ladbrook Grove with 'The Art Car Boot Fair' (or Art Car Bootique, cos it's gone West!)
The Dock event is an emporium of creative talent instigated by Tom Dixon.

I will be joining forces with Belle Tidswell to present our popular 'Emotional Baggage Handling service'. Check in at the booth and once you're feeling lighter try your luck at our 'Lost + Found tombolla'. There are 100 fantastic prizes ranging from quirky found objects with a psychological twist to contributions and recycled products from the following leading ethical designers: Annie Sherburne, Barley Massey (of course!), Hannah Greenaway, Jasper Startup, Jethro Macey, Robert Archard projects, Ryan Frank, Twisted Twee.

We will also have our 'Controversial Debates' game and my 'Rethink Rubbish' craft kits on sale.

Other Festival highlights......

If you're planning to vist Tent, I would highly recommend visiting Katherine May's stand with her new collective Bricolage

Hidden Art kick started the festival with their exhibition 'Transforming Passion into Products' at the Oxo gallery

Have fun!

KNIT WIT

My friends Knitty Gritty and I have been busy knitting bees this month. We are getting ready for the London Design Festival.

Skandium have kindly invited me to cover a collection of iconic Iittala products in knitwear for window installations in their Brompton Road and Marlybone High Street stores.

I hope you can visit the 'Knit - Wit' installations, which runs from September 24th until 27th.

Keep an eye out for the free 'Knit-Wit-Kits' which will be in circulation at various locations around the design festival. The kits contain how to knit instructions, needles, wool with lots of exciting information about iittala and Skandium and a competition too!

Please e-mail barley@fabrications1.co.uk or jodi@circle-pr.co.uk your own knit wit creations as a result of finding a kit!

Happy hunting!!

I hope my choice of salvaged yarns and re used materials (eg the Aalto vase has a recycled plastic bag curvaseous cover) reinforces Iittala's great ethos of "lasting design against throwawayism"

and brings an appreciation of good quality craftmanship and a sense of imagination and fun......

Photography by Reuben Steains

Rethink Rubbish

We launched our new Rethink Rubbish craft kits at this year's Pulse show. With a growing interest in craft and sustainability they were well received.
Our aim is to pass on different craft techniques and show that you can create beautiful / interesting items out of waste. One person's rubbish is another's treasure! Through my own design practise and collecting of 'waste' from local business and textile recycling factories, I have become very aware of how much materials and clothes get thrown away on a daily basis.

There are currently 4 kits in the range, which have evolved from our tried and tested workshops. Each kit contains enough re used materials and basic equipment for each project / technique and are assembled at the Fabrications studio with a sprinkling of love + fun! The printing and packaging is also eco friendly

The sustainable gift wrapping kit combines the Japanese art of 'Furoshiki' with vintage head scarves and bows. The kit contains 3 different sized head scarves (washed + ironed!) 2 bows / rosettes (with safety pins on) and instructions. A stylish way of giving and re usable!

Make your own recycled rosette kit includes enough materials (strips of re used ties, head scarves, fabrics, ribbons, lace) to make 5 rosettes. There is also basic sewing stuff for embellishing your creation (needle + cotton, buttons, safety pins..) The instruction card shows 4 different methods of creating a rosette / corsage.

Knit your own Mp3 / phone case shows you how to create your own bag yarn out of old plastic bags. There are also how to knit instructions, a simple pattern, a set of knitting needles and enough pre prepared bag yarn for the project.

Learn to weave on a simple frame includes a DIY style frame (we hope it will inspire you to create different sized ones or your own) and a range of different re used materials to experiment with. The A5 instruction card shows you how to warp up the frame, weave on it and how to finish your weave. You could make a tapestry style picture or a piece of fabric (for a purse, a table mat? - up to your imagination!)

Thank you Jawa and Midwich for your help with the graphics and to James Champion for your wonderful product shots!

Rethink Rubbish are currently on sale at Fabrications, The Barbican art gallery, The Geffrye Museum, Junky Styling, Eco People.