one year and one baby later...

This year's challenge will be to resuscitate my blog - wish me luck. Other goals include starting new medical device design projects and developing some stuffed animal concepts. The motto for the year is "reconnect and engage"!

Design Competition THE INTELLIGENT HAND

http://www.designboom.com/contest/winner.php?contest_pk=30

We submitted, we waited and we sweat it out... checking email with an obsession that shaved a few years off my laptop and now the results are in!! We didn't win! But we were shortlisted (150 of 3000), which is really very fabulous for a product that has little to do with "home accessories, tableware, utensils, small furniture..." But has everything to do with the other criteria as outlined in this beautiful sentence: "craftsmanship produces superior quality products, with attention to detail that reflect the careful artisan precision. by combining skill, commitment and judgment, the craftsman establishes a close relationship between head and hand, man and machine, which is vital to our physical, mental and societal well-being". This small endorsement is a nice push to explore the possibilites of these designs as products. The question remains: Cat, Croc or Mobile???

green = sexy PART 2!

Thanks Nadine for the "green" post it reminded me of some of our guiding principles here at Pacifier; one, that we are interested in ideas about design, culture and sustainability; and second, that those ideas should have some sort of "hot" component; something surprising or good or exciting or dare I say sublime, a something that makes us say "yes, yes please".

Here is a perfect example. It is a smoker of a project, seriously wicked actually. What happens when you make everything you need to wear for one year yourself? That is what Natalie asked herself a few months ago. She is interested in identity, production and design. Her project is called Makeshift and is expressed in daily outfit shots posted on her blog - so far we don't get to see her underwear, but they and her shoes etc are also part of the "make it all myself" parameter.

Makeshift Project: Day 114 December 23, 2009

http://makeshiftproject.blogspot.com/

Something else that got my attention recently (during the COP15 lead-up excitement) were how many blogs and alternative "news" sources there are. Actually many of these sites are better considered magazines, but I find them thoughtful and most excellent and tend to say "oh, yes!" to them.

Here are a couple:

http://www.treehugger.com/

http://www.inhabitat.com/

green = sexy

i like sexy. so, does that mean i like green?

http://www.greenissexy.org

i like this site. it's easy to digest, it's cute (sexy?) & it keeps things simple for us novice greenfolk.

350 action in support of Copenhagen negotiations

Wether you "believe" the 350 ppm science (safe level of CO2 in our atmosphere) or not, you can't help but see that it's time for less pollution in our air. We had a small candlelight vigil here in Ingolstadt in support of this movement. In attendance were local citizens, their children, the Bundnaturschutz (Nature Protection society), the local newspaper, and suprisingly city and provincial politicians.

The Scruffy Baby series

All the things you need and don't need when you have a baby... hmmmm, quite a list - on both sides of the equation. But imagine how that changes when you make things yourself. I have had hits and misses. Here are a few of the hits.

First up, his wool coat. I know many would say I was crazy for considering wool - hard to clean, itchy etc. The wonderful thing about wool is that it cleans itself; those oily little natural fibres resist dirt and smears and seam to shake off the brunt of what is thrown at them. The pattern was developed on the go and the coat itself changed a lot throughout the process - starting as a peacoat. The lining is satin, which is not so very dirt resistant, but smooth; making it easy to put on. The buttons are various colours of leather.

Crocodile

Crocodile is waiting for his name. Because he is so distinguished, I find the  name Lyle to be not quite adequate. Suggestions are welcome!

Crocodile is made of rescued wool and upcylced poly (the green is a vivid lime, the weave is how I would imagine the underbelly of a croc to be). His vest is an extension of his body material, and like Caritas Cat, is an exploration of where suit and body meet.