Bio Fuels my Bottom!!

 Listening to- she's got you high by mumm-ra

I am so frustrated at the minute with everyone turning to using "BIO" fuels.

My friends at Lush and my persistant research has enlightened me to the fact that the solution to saving the rainforest, is apparently destroying more of it!!!

I really wish people would stop using palm oil, which is used for most toiletries including soaps and cosmetics, a lot of pre- packaged baked goods as well as ice creams and fried foods, paint (the biggest shocker to me as I go through gallons of the stuff), candles, house hold detergents, industrial lubricants, glue, and the biggy BIO Diesel.

With the rise in use of the apprently eco- friendly oil, even more of the amazon and other small rainforests in belize, borneo, indonesia  etc. are bring replaced with plantations. This confuses the orangutans which are then killed when they wander onto farm land which was once their habitat.

Unfortunatley palm oil is also used to make sett for woven fabrics which is devastating news!!!

I've managed to swap all of my toiletries that cointain palm oil for those without from Lush, and I agree it's a little more pricey but I'd probably just go and spend what little money I have on something else right.

Here's a link with more information:

http://www.lush.co.uk/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=lush.biofuels&Itemid=75

Newcastle Green Festival

Listening to- the Black Uhuru- Guess whos coming for dinner

I love the adventure of developing a film, you can never tell whether your photos have turned out or not, and more often than not they-re scratched, dust- speckled, and the grainy colour tones are all off. But there's something about film that manages to capture a feeling of nostalgia and sentiment.

As it happened to be one of the nicest weekends the UK has seen this year (apart from the later drenching at the Bo Diddley set), I thought I'd venture down the to amazing Green Festival. It really is the mark of summer, and in an ever so beautiful fashion I decided to take the Nikon to get it all on film. However the camera had to retire for Bo Diddley when it started to rain, shame. Here they are;

Keep it unreal.

listening to- after time by Mr Scruff (perfect for when the sun sets hazy in the sky, with a glass of pimms)

"What is this life if full of care

We have no time to stand and stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep, or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this, if full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare."

Sir William Henry Davies

Well no offence to Mr. Davies, poetic justic wins in this case as this is all I seem to be able to do lately.

So today's make- a 50s style summer smock dress with a drawstring plunge neckline, in a gentle floral green cotton poplin. Perfectly in place with some battered old kitchen utensils, a victoria sponge cake and some 'Cath Kidston- esque' garden bunting.

Forigve its creases, it hasn't beeen ironed yet, but the biased cut should help the drape a bit.
I made a straight cut skirt from the remaining fabric with some applique butterflies, a drawstring pocket, and cream biased binding hem and waistband.

Janina Bernina - an ode to the story of Janine Eaton

Listening to- Far away by Ingrid Michaelson

Janine Eaton is a most magical bean, I thought she deserved an entry all of her own. I even named my beloved Bernina sewing machine after her and this is her story.

Janine was born, a baby bird, in Letchworth Garden City, London. Slowly, she started to metamorphisize into a beautiful little girl with bundles of brown hair and nesting bumble bees, and she met a friendly unicorn called Deborah. Neen had the biggest eyelashes of any they had ever seen and cherubs followed her everywhere.

Neen and Deborah would play for hours in the Habadasheries of West End London, making dresses out of silken spiders webs. They became very talented little pumpkins who beamed with light when they skipped down the street. Then they met little pea me, and we all went fabric shopping together.

After years passed, they started to grow older and decided to purchase a goat. Then Janina Bernina, Deborah Unicorn, Little pea and Gertrude the goat  all lived in a big tree, at the top of the crafting world.

And although it seems quite odd to me, we never really did see, that Janina Bernina and the family, lived happily, in their tree. As it dissapeared with a flash of light, travelling around the Galaxy.

Banyan Trees and Wooden Elephants

 Listening to- Sprout and the Bean by Joanna Newsom

Apparently primark is the new vintage, with Newcastle stores such as Best Vintage and Attica stocking recent items to items a few years old, even though they claim to buy only from vintage specialists.

I recently bought a primark camisole (non- vintage!) and gave it sprinkle of hand made dust with some tree and cloud applique, a few trims, and some elephant prints from my little wooden elephant, purchased in camden market.

I used fabric paint for these as it stays on the fabric when washed, i know this after i spilled a whole bottle of dark blue fabric paint on my pale green wool carpet.

applique-ing the tree onto the vest and the finished item, looks a bit scruffy but that was the idea.

Marrakesh Express

 Listening to- no other way by Jack Johnson

Its pretty much exactly one month til' I go travelling now, for the summer that is. I wish I could go for a couple of years and just drift without a home. However security lies in money and in order to get that I'll have to exploit my education for atleast a few years after I graduate.

So the plan for this Summer is Morocco and a little of Spain, and the plan for next year is Japan through to South Korea, China, Indonesia etc.

I've heard about this little veggie place and organic farm in Marrakesh (the only in Morocco actually) called earth cafe, it looks pretty much like what I want my cob home to look like and apparently the food is amazing.

My purchase from Marrakesh shall be a hand of fatima necklace to protect me from evil eye :D preferably a big one, not that I'm superstitious. I'm meeting my amazing friend sian (aka shannon sossoman)

then going on to Tarbena to do a Help Exchange for Jamie at the Love Fish Cafe organic farm and sculpture garden. Then for the best bit...

The plan is to go to Barcelona for a bit after sunsplash as my last visit was amazing, I love the Barcelona culture.

I might also buy a ukele if i come across one on my travels

Nesting bees and hatching Butterflies

Listening to- Mentira by Manu Chao

Our catapillars have finally pupaeted, their cocoons are a dull green colour with gorgeous little gold flecks, not long now til we can set them free as butterflies and they will hopefully breed a whole colony in the wild.

Which brings me to my next point, we have found a nest of little bumble bees in the compost bin who have built a home for themselves out of teabag papers, which is lovely but means we will have to buy a new compost bin as we cannot disturb the little ones. It also means we will have a huge bees nest next to our house in a few months, although all bumble bees die in the autumn to make way for the new ones.

The Vegetable Dress

 Listening to- Nightlight by Bonobo ft. Bajka

Ok... the love for vegetables has actually just tipped the scale a little too far.... Yesterday I progressed into making a dress depticitve of actual vegetables...

The top was made from single crochet, no pattern used, with yarn from the trusty Grainger Market habadashery and the skirt is made up entirely of a variety of fabrics from remnant bins at Uni, fabric stores and charity shops. The thing about making your own clothes that I love is that if someone were to purchase them, they would be fair trade. Because the work itself is done only by me.

The dress features a quilted carrot and onion (made from borrowed merino wool tops and my grandmas old curtains) backed onto an embroidered cabbage (from old skirts and jumpers) with layers of soil and a hand dyed (with henna) gingham patch pocket.

Unfortunatley, as I have no access to the industrial machines over the summer, and as it is expressive to a taste only as hideous as mine, I'm afraid it would be unsaleable if I were to produce more than 1.

Embroidering the cabbage with spaghetti stitch and attaching the top piece to the skirt, with the obligatory morning cup of gunpowder tea

The Final Dress, and details of the vegetables :D

Broccoli clouds

Listening to- The Camel Song by Bo Diddley Squat

Do you know... I can't get enough of vegetarian food. It is so much more gratifying to make an amazing vegetarian meal then to fry a lump of meat and call it dinner.

My favourite vegetarian/ vegan restaurants would have to be Inspiral Camden, Sky Apple Heaton and Antonias Organic Kitchen in Barcelona. I'm awaiting my visits to Earth Cafe Marrakesh/ Essouaeira, Vegetalia, Self Naturista and Juicy Jones in Barcelona.

And every one of them seems to have the right idea.... Bundle a gazillion different little flavours onto a plate at once, almost like tapas and drizzle some kind of pesto-y hummous-y seed thing ontop. Excellent.

This is why I love it......

 Some kind of lovely sweet potato, roasted onion and feta quesadilla thing with paella- I don't remember exactly- La Boqueria market Barcelona

My Lunch today... Seared broccolli sprouts with goji berries and linseeds, toasted spelt focaccia with guacamole cream, griddled butternut squash, mozarella and olive oil. and A spinach salad With hummous drizzle, goats cheese and dried cranberries. Where else is it acceptable to combine this many different things on a plate....?

And for desert, strawberry bakewell :D not vegan, but not bad ...

Oh which reminds me, I came across a total Heston Blumenthal-ism yesterday at Sky Apple, having a chilled out snack with my dad.... "Little Weed Tiramisu" which came in a plant pot with some kind of tofu cream and an oreo soil layer, complete with edible pebble and flower. My face looked totally delighted when it came to the table as you can imagine.

Doilies aren't just for grandmas, they're for life.

Listening to John Coltraine and Dave Brubeck- Take 5

I'm having a tendancy to dis- regard everything I've ever learnt in my education about trend lines, and embrace the ever- so- classy, ever- so- up to date Doily.

I took a plain old topshop vest, cut it up, re- arranged it, hand dyed, appliqued, embroidered,  crocheted, appliqued some more and came out with this... (it looks terrible on the hanger but very nice on)

So next time you're feeling a bit retro, retire your grandmas doilies from the arms of her Stannah™ chair lift and join me. Classy bird!!