Adventures in Felt

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Look, look, look!  I’m so proud of my little self.

Remember I knitted this last year?

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Well the original green bowl was swiped by the Minx as a hat (though I may swipe it back again as she never wears it) so I knitted up a white one instead. And yesterday I finally plucked up the courage to have a go at felting it by hand.

Following instructions in the Alterknits – Felt book I put about three inches of very hot water in the sink, pulled on my washgloves, added a teensy bit of Woolite and then rubbed and scrunched the bowl together with a very old clean facecloth for friction.  And it took me about an hour.  Never, NEVER, again. I literally have a blister on one of my fingers.

But it does look good.  I’ve got a couple more bowls lined up all ready to go and have decided to treat myself to one of these little babies, which is essentially a motorised washing bucket, which comes highly recommended by experienced felters.  They’re currently doing a great deal on Amazon and there are also some good deals on Ebay.

I’ll let you know how I get on with the next couple of bowls.

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Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day – Set Decor

Last Saturday evening, I lit the scented candles, cracked open a bottle of Baileys, got out my knitting and settled down to watch Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day.  We like to live fast and die young round these parts.

The film itself is slighter than slight, though perfect Saturday night fodder, and utterly redeemed by Frances McDormand's perfectly judged comic performance, the incredible Art Deco costumes and interiors and lots of lovely shots of Art Deco London.

It's not really my taste, but there's something about the sophisticated colour palette; the handpainted wallpaper; the sheen and glamour; the fur and the padding; the satin and chandeliers which makes you want to spend all day lying in bed eating oysters, drinking champagne and receiving gentlemen callers.

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Here's the trailer so you can see the sets in action.

 

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Homes and Gardens – Germany

I’ve just received a copy of some great coverage we got just before Christmas in Homes & Gardens – Germany of all places, including a great full page picture of the Boudoir Embroidered Cushion by Dishya. (From what I remember of A-level German the text is pretty complimentary.)

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Muji at MOMA

In more good news for US peeps, I’ve recently discovered that New York’s MOMA store (which is a great online shop anyway) sells a range of Muji merchandise online, so all is getting righter in my world. (Hope they get some of the fab Christmas merchandise next year).

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Orla Kiely for Target

Well, I'm very behind on this one, but for the one reader who might not have seen this on another blog, iconic Irish designer Orla Kiely is coming to Target in the US, with a range of retro-styled kitchen and homewares.

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I can't help thinking that the US has got a bit of a bum rap on this one. I do like one or two of the pieces – the square melamine platters and the vintage-Pyrex style bowls – but I'm not entirely keen on the colours or the very retro-looking cross hatching.

I much preferred the collection she did for Heal's – the colours seemed fresher and more contemporary and I love her stem and leaf pattern way above all the others.  And I'm still waiting for her to bring her stores to the US. What do you guys think?

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All pictures from AT:NY

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