January Long Jills

Although PRETTY mild so far this winter, it’s been hard to leave the long johns, (or flyless ‘long jills’) off in the morning. As an insurance against drafts and astronomical heating bills, they can’t be beaten.

A favourite pair were made by Howies, purchased several years ago at a ‘Fashion Made Fair’ sample sale in London. Made from 100% Merino wool, they’re an invaluable second skin.  So treasured that they’ve been severely darned recently on both knees, just as they attempted to give up.

Darning can be very therapeutic. Like knitting, it’s great to do on train journeys, (if you don’t mind the curious looks.) Darning gives a sense of power and creation too – like playing God with jumpers… pulling a pullover back from the edge.

Colour-matching darning wool can be subjective. Sometimes we don’t have the same hue in wool or thread, so go all ‘wabi sabi’ and highlight the repair on our cherished sweater with colours that stand out.

You can re-stock your wardrobe quite easily with a few deft ‘stitches in time’ and a bit of choice de-bobbling. Surprisingly simple darning tips and basic techniques are available online, courtesy of ethical textile retailers, Greenfibres. (They also sell darning mushrooms.)

Special darning needles and vintage yarn can also be found online, on websites such as Etsy.
jen

Vintage spools and reels

The Folksy folk commissioned us to design and make a set of badges, just for them. They’re now available in the new, Folksy showcase-shop priced at £3.95.

Being long-term admirers of the charming labels found on vintage spools of thread, we were inspired to wonder what they would look like if Folksy had been a vintage brand of thread…

We did several sketches in coloured pencil, before we had the final artwork, which we printed out and pressed by hand into cute little pinback-badges.

The packaging is similar to our other badge sets, available in our own shop on Folksy. It’s made from 100% recycled card and felted wool.

Usually we use recycled wool jumpers, but this time we used a lovely duck-egg blue all-wool blanket from the 1930s/40s.

We also made our own ‘special edition’ labels for the packets. Hope you like them!
jen

reDesigned Folksy — Modern British Craft

Well, after the shock of the new wore off, we quickly warmed to the re-designed Folksy.com. Although looking perfectly lovely beforehand, it had a few usability limitations. Happily, it’s recent re-launch includes a sharp new design, new colour scheme and super improved functionality, to benefit both buyers and sellers.

The new design still looks clean, clear and simple, but a bit sharper & more professional. Good to see that Folksy has still got it’s friendly edge with a creatively colourful logo. Also, each shop item is now shown bigger & better, and conveniently, shoppers can now buy quickly without needing to register.

Loglike has had a shop on Folksy for several years now and we find it really useful for listing our one-offs and limited edition pieces. ‘Contemporary gifts & homeware with recycled, vintage elements’. As this side of our work all looks visually very different, we need a good-looking, UK-based site that is quick and easy to use, to list each style separately (and at an affordable price!)
Folksy fits the bill perfectly.

Launched in 2007, Folksy has always had a strong focus. The Folksy Story reads…

What we’re about

1. Strength in numbers. We believe that professional, portfolio and hobbyist designers and makers can reach a mainstream audience, test markets and grow their business more effectively together with Folksy than through costly galleries and boutique shops.
2. Cottage industries are the future. Small scale production and handmade goods offer ways to be creative, manage resources effectively and support local economies. We’re not anti-corporate but we want thriving micro-global people brands too.
3. Meritocracy is good for everyone. Folksy is not a juried site. We allow all designers and makers to list their work as long as it is hand crafted (no vintage, for example). This creates a meritocracy where great work from hobbyists can rub shoulders with the best from established professional crafters. The work should stand for itself.

All good stuff.

When the site first re-launched a few days ago, we found that the geriatric browsers on our own computers were in need of updating to make the site work beautifully. There were also the inevitable glitches in the new site design which the Folksy team have been hard at work on.

So if like us, you’re having trouble getting Folksy to display perfectly, don’t despair – first try downloading a free update to your computers’ internet browser, (for example, the later Firefox editions seems to work well.)

Informatively, James from Folksy details the ideas for the site changes in the following blog posts:
1. Layout and design
2. Searching, browsing and finding
3. Simplifying and delighting

jen

A is for Apple… C is for CAT

I love these new wooden apples, designed by Steve and rustled up especially for the ‘apple weekend’ at the Centre for Alternative Technology, (CAT) here in Wales. Steve refers to them as his pixelated apples, as they have the jagged edge of a low resolution digital image. They come in apple green and red and have a stalk and leaf made from salvaged leather.

We also had fun making these apple badges with kids young & old. Our collection of pencil erasers were sacrificed to make these hand-carved rubber stamps in the shape of apples, leaves and letter A’s of different sizes.

The weekend was a celebration of all things ‘apple’, and included a tour of the organic orchards, experts on hand to help with identifying apple varieties and tree diseases, many heritage apple varieties to taste (from 10p each), fruit trees to buy, juice to press and delicious unpasturised cider to sample.

Despite unseasonably good weather, visitor numbers were lower than expected. (Strange, as those living in nearby postcode areas SY20/SY19 and the under 5s get in for free.) Still, we always love our visits there and there were more delicious-smelling, freebie Lush products for us!
jen

Pixelated Apples

Loglike will be taking part in the ‘Apple Harvest Weekend’ at the Centre for Alternative Technology, we’d love to see you there.

Sat 1st & Sun 2nd October 2011.

We’ll be showing our brand new ‘Pixelated Apples’ and also invite you to make your own apple badge. Here is a sneaky peak at our ‘Pixelated Apple’.

Did you spot it? Here’s a better view.

Here’s the address for the CAT centre:

Centre for Alternative Technology,
Machynlleth,
Powys, Wales,
SY20 9AZ

Entrance fees: Adult tickets between £5.50 – £8.50 (discounts available if traveling by public transport!) Annual membership starts at £22.00
steve

The Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, Wales

Tucked away in central, west Wales is the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT). We visited it for the first time recently, whilst taking part in the summer art, craft & food festival.

OK, so it was a warm & sun-filled day, which does tend to paint things with a rosy glow, but even on the second day of the festival, with the rain bucketing down, we kept coming across blissed out visitors wandering around, covered in smiles.

The name ‘Centre for Alternative Technology’ may sound a bit cold and geeky, but the reality is a green oasis that pleases the senses and inspires the mind.

Leaving our car in the woodland car park, we took a slow, smooth ride up the astonishingly steep cliff railway, powered entirely by water. (The railway runs 9th April to 30th October.)

At the top, we entered a spacious woodland village, laid out especially for the visitor.

Bark and gravel paths meandered through groups of intriguingly green-built cottages, some complete with ‘planted roofs’.

Large modern buildings of natural wood and lime were clad with banks of shiny solar panels.

Organic herb beds filled the air with scent.

The verdant gardens, full of beautiful and edible produce arranged in informal, human-sized ‘rooms’ gave frequent opportunities to sit and enjoy.

Although we were told visitor numbers were relatively high, it didn’t seem particularly crowded, and there was still an air of peace, calm and tranquility.

Kids and adults alike seemed to be enjoying the exhibits and environments. (How could anyone resist a gigantic reconstruction of a mole’s burrow, complete with sounds and smells…?)

Like these oversized bugs and grubs…

…and ferocious claws and teeth!

As well as the casual visitor, just there to enjoy the grounds and facilities, CAT would definitely appeal to those with an interest in building, science, architecture, design, horticulture as well as those wondering how to live with less impact on the earth.

Every aspect of the Centre was able to demonstrate practical examples of green building, living and technology, and in a very accessible way.

CAT also runs workshops and courses on a range of subjects including green woodworking, sustainable architecture and renewable energy.

This would be a wonderful day out for those with children and without. We found the staff amazingly warm and welcoming & the facilities were excellent

We enjoyed delicious, home cooked food at the (licensed) cafe…

…and enjoyed browsing in the light & airy shop, filled with inspirational books, publications, home & giftwares.

We were amazed we hadn’t visited before, despite living less than an hour away, and look forward to returning.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

UPDATE!!!
Loglike will be taking part in the ‘Apple Harvest Weekend’ at the CAT Centre,
Sat 1st & Sun 2nd October 2011

Centre for Alternative Technology,
Machynlleth,
Powys, Wales
SY20 9AZ,
UK

Entrance fees: adult tickets between £5.50 – £8.50
(discounts available if traveling by public transport!)
Annual membership starts at £22

Winter opening times:
10 January – 8 April and 31 October – 31 December: 10am-5pm

Summer opening times:
9 April – 22 July and 30 August – 30 October : 10am-5.30pm
23 July – 29 August 2011 (school summer holidays): 10am-6pm

The cliff railway runs from 9 April to 30 October.

website: www.cat.org.uk
telephone: 01654 705950

Visitor Centre Christmas closing & January maintenance shutdown dates:
The Visitor Centre will be closed Friday 23 December – Tuesday 27 December 2011 inclusive, and Monday 2 January – Sunday 8 January 2012 inclusive.

Him and Her – Exhibition of Sculpture & Metalwork

Contemporary blacksmiths, artists & designers – Thomas Pearce and Angharad Pearce Jones are currently exhibiting new artworks at a tiny, stonebuild gallery in rural Bala, North Wales.

An interesting & unexpected diversion, we stumbled upon it, after purging the local Co-op shelves, of their Finest pizzas. The gallery is tucked away, off the main high street, but situated handily next to the Co-operative store’s carpark.

Pearce & Pearce Jones also run Welsh company, Haearn-Designer Blacksmiths Ltd, which produces large-scale public and landscape artworks for international clients. Working predominantly in metal and fabricating their own pieces by hand, in their  Carmarthenshire forge, their workshop seems to have contributed some artworks of it’s own. The “Disc-cutter Debris Landscapes”, by Angharad Pearce Jones (top and below) were formed by a 6 year build-up of iron dust on the workshop wall, and “Brass Waste Knickers” was one of a series made in different scrap metals, (bottom.)

Thomas Pearce’s exhibited work involved a series of metal and slate sculptures, some quite large and heavy, all cleverly balanced and able to swing around in every direction.

We got quite nervous when the sweet old ladies looking after the work, started gyrating them wildly to demonstrate!

“Him and Her – new works by the married artists Thomas Pearce & Angharad Pearce Jones” 21st May – 11th June 2011

Canolfan y Plase,
Bryn Ffynnon Stryd y Fron,
Y Bala,
Gwynedd
LL23 7BG

Telephone: 01678 520320

Mon-Fri 2-5pm
Sat 10.30-5pm

(check to confirm opening times before traveling far.)

 

 

Dandelion Design Inspiration

These velvet, homemade powder puffs still smell like my Grandma. Whenever I see the fluffy seed heads of dandelions, I think of them.

These are some sketches that led to our Dandelion printed Tshirt. In our Etsy shop, we call it the ‘dusk & dawn dandelion’ print, as the colours were also influenced by drawing dandelions in the colourful light you tend to get at the very beginning and end of the day.

These shirts are just in womens sizes, and are a very limited edition. We’ve dyed the organic cotton ourselves, with ‘azo-free’ dyes. It’s an unusual chartreuse green, which we think looks great as a background for the bitter-chocolate-brown leaf silhouettes and powder-pink dandelion heads.

Vintage powder puffs come in such charming packaging – although the cosmetics industry seemed to have a big thing for bright salmon-pink in the 1940s. It’s like a hyped up, super-saturated skin tone. Maybe it was meant to convince us we were looking healthy despite rationing?
jen

Va-va-volcano!

The volcanoes of Iceland are at it again. Voluminous, volcanic ash clouds billowing into the air, sending gigantic particulate-filled plumes around the globe. Just over a year ago was the last time we were impacted here in the UK by an Icelandic volcano. Here in North Wales, we even experienced a fine dusting of black grit over the car, the windows and all the clothes hanging on the line.

The volcanic eruption also impacted our Tshirt designs, making us super-geographically aware. We added a volcano badge to the Icelandic print area on our cinder-grey, organic cotton ‘Pigeon’ Tshirt. This time around, it’s our summer-blue men’s Tshirt that has gone totally topical. It has a ‘North Utsire’ badge to slot into the shipping areas around the British Isles, and also a badge of an erupting Icelandic volcano, (see top photo.) They’re available in limited sizes, through our online Etsy shop. If you wear a small, XL or XXL, then we’ve got just the shirt for you!

Hopefully, we won’t see as much disruption to flights & mail as we saw a year ago. However, if you’re worried that your parcel from overseas may take slightly longer to arrive due to ash / flight complications, this is a good page to check on the Royal Mail website…  Royal Mail service update page.
jen

New stockist – The Harley Gallery

We sent off a special parcel of Loglike goods to The Harley Gallery recently, for their Craft Shop. They’re stocking our pencil-fruit bowls, candleholders made from recycled saucers and stitch-your-own animal kits.

The fruit bowls are fun, because you can scribble lists and doodle ideas whilst sat round the table and a pencil will always be at hand!

We decided to send two styles of saucers for the candleholders. Those we grouped together as ‘pretty’ and ‘bold’. The bold saucers were from our coveted ’1950s geometric’ collection which we’ve been building up for a while now. These are such great pieces – they’re graphic, strong, and really Midcentury Modern.

The pretty candleholders feature vintage 1940s roses and Art Deco spring flowers… really cute, charming, and always very popular.

Also available – our ‘Stitch-your-own’ Animal Kits, which come with kapok stuffing and all the bits and pieces needed to sew a pocket sized animal out of real vintage fabric.

We wish we were nearer to Nottinghamshire, as the Harley Gallery seems like just the sort of place we’d enjoy visiting! It’s also currently showing an exhibition on loan from Wales’ Ruthin Craft Centre, called ‘Smile’.
jen

Harley Gallery
Welbeck,
Worksop,
Nottinghamshire
S80 3LW

t 01909 501 700
e info@harleygallery.co.uk