New amigurumi; Jo the rockbitch

For Jo's leaving party. jo is a biker girl, so I thought let's make a rockbitch, easy to make it look like Jo with all that hair. She's from Scotland, which you hear when she talks :-) so we gave her a celtic cross on the front of her t-shirt. The amigurumi is wearing the recognizable Jo signature elements; golden sneakers and leather jacket.

John helped brainstorming about the styling elements, Ozgur helped with the photography. It's Ozgurs LEGO bike.

rockbitch amigurumi

rockbitch amigurumi

rockbitch amigurumi

Jo and her rockbitch avatar

New cool super-size pets from Cosima von Bonin

Cosima von Bonin had an exhibition in the Witte de With gallery in Rotterdam, not too long ago. I find her super-sized pets so cool. The exhibition is called Dolce Far Niente; the art of doing nothing, the series is called Lazy Susan. The animals and setting may be calling up notions of fatigue and inertia, sloth it was called in medieval times, a big sin. However honestly what intrigues me as a crafter is the carefully curated mix of fabric, the patchwork, texture, patterns and thread being used to form sketch-drawings, that gives it a feeling of craft-pop. It;s a much more color-ful mix than when I first saw her work at the Documenta in 2007. It has a great sense of humor and the blown-up proportions create a universe of wonderful fairytale, and in this one the animals are cute, like toys and even though they are so big, you just want to cuddle them. even the big octopus just calls for a hug.

At the end of my previous post of Cosima von Bonin, I have included a pattern on how to make a pet yourself; link

Cosima von Bonin @ Witte de With

Cosima von Bonin @ Witte de With

Cosima von Bonin @ Witte de With

Cosima von Bonin @ Witte de With

Milan Designweek craft-work

Of course this year in Milan the talk was all about Lidewij Edelkort'sTalking Textiles whiccelebrated the return of the chunky, clearly handmade and crafted textiles into our living-room. At the Center of Milan at Spazio Gianfranco Ferre was the exhibition with the celeb designer names, that have all ventured into the chunky crafty sfere. But I was much more charmed by part II, set-up in Venture Lambrate, where the more artsy work could be found by young relatively unknown designers.

Ella Robinson is embroidering on wood. How amazing is that? She drills holes and her colorful and poetic embroidery "bleeds" onto the wood from there. Funky, etnic, you could be misled to think that there where some hidden African roots embodying it.

Ella Robinson

Ella Robinson

Marie Paysant La Roux is using a somewhat similar technique, punching her holes in soft paper pulp egg-packs. It almost seems like the egg-pack is hosting a parasite fungi culture that is growing even overflowing the natural boundaries of the egg-pack
 

Marie Paysant Le Roux

Elaine Yan Ling Ng uses the Neologism Naturology to describe her work. It's a hybrid word combining nature and technology. Her re-created nature was mounted on a slice of wood, a bit like Ella Robinson but executed in a very different way. Elaines work is subtle and transparent almost a reproduction of fragile leaves, animated by LED's that bounce.

Elaine Yan Ling Ng

In the PlusDeSign Gallery I saw these wonderful skinned furniture. The designer, and I unfortunately lost the name, has crocheted new jackets, thereby upcycling the furniture. Also by adding the cute coaster flowers she makes the stark and rigid office-furniture kind and friendly.

in a little gallery in Lambrate, I saw these coasters, which where nicely in contrast with the sweetness of crocheting, saying FUCK. Maybe swearing at the boredom of the everyday?

and to close off look at this wonderful horse, carrying death and all his accesories. It's as if a rarity cabinet has been opened and hung onto the horse. Frederique Morrel wallpapers horses and paraphernalia with salvaged needlepoint. Needlepoints as we remember them from grandmothers living-room. The combination makes for something grotesque, baroque and alarming. The total seemed quite camouflaged against the background, but once you noticed what was really in-front of you can hardly prevent a feeling of disbelief arising.

Frederique Morrel @ Rosana Orlandi

modern crafting

This Sunday I went to the Utrechts salon with a friend. I found this pieces of modern crafting absolutely beautiful. I love the mixed media, using the wood or paper as a start and then creating the stitching board by pulling the threads that at the same time also take on the role of perspective. The cutting in the paper or woodboard create 3rd presence in the negative space.

Monique Kwist

Monique Kwist

Monique Kwist