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.

Voodoo Dolls - prototypes

BYOVD - we invited folks over for Halloween, provided they brought their own Voodoo Dolls. Martina from RX Design fashioned these. Since then our son has enjoyed playing with them - lets hope Martina and Eva are not suffering any ill effects.

I find they both have tremendous potential as regular dolls; their proportions - especially the feet on the right one and the body on the left one, are fun and a little "off". I also really like the weight of them, they feel substantial in the hand. Finally, they leave room for lots of imagination - who are they and what might they have to say?

Let's see if these 2 early prototypes will go anywhere...

GOOD

GOOD examines climate change and the lead up to 'Copenhagen'.  It is also a fabulous source of info and really great, beautifully designed charts and graphs.

http://www.good.is/post/the-good-guide-to-cop15-an-introduction/

Caritas Cat

The Caritas Cat is a bit of a street urchin who makes himself comfortable where he pleases.

Caritas Cat is made from one German made wool suit and some rescued tan cord. Stuffed with spelt, hemp and a bit of poly, I find him particularly sustainable... although finding such a suit again will be difficult. 

The development process was interesting, as I started without a pattern and wanted to keep things as loose as possible while capturing that classic pose. Pinning, cutting and sewing as I went allowed for an expressive looseness, once the pose of the cat started to emerge though I tightened up a bit. I think the next cat will be more an exploration of the suit form with some tailoring references.

Molotov Cocktail Mobile

The Molotov Cocktail Mobile with paving stones; a training aid for young revolutionaries or a way for pacifists to participate?

The material is either "pre-loved" or rescued. The paving stones are 100% wool which gives them a texture and stone like dullness. The Molotov Cocktail is (in this case) a mixture of cotton and poly with a cheese cloth wick.