Pitter Patterns

An old-fashioned, long skirt (from my high school years) turned into a fun dress.

With up-cycling on my mind this week,  I wanted to make something useful out of trash. So I turned a CD lid, hanging out under our bed, into a planter. And these plants really needed it. They were dying in the original, smaller pot (as you can probably tell from this picture). Drainage holes were drilled into the bottom to create a happy place for this pair.

The planter can be made with any plastic container, like the big yogurt ones, but the CD case makes a great holder because its deep and wide. It also has a great modern shape and can’t easily be recycled (P6). Additionally, telephone cabling was used to create a pattern around the pot saving this too from the landfill.

New Yorkers are lovely people despite more popular, contrary opinions. Visitors at the Earth Fair warmly offered their techniques and advice for up-cycling, like the married teachers who told me that boxes could be made out of brochures and then came back with a few to demonstrate. Z. made the lid you see in the foreground which I videotaped thanks to the handy video function on the iphone. When I got home, I tried it with some maps we had because let’s face it, we don’t use paper maps to navigate anymore, but they are still so beautiful. Once I got the hang of it, I experimented with different proportions. They are super fun to do and eliminates the need for gift wrap or tape. Check out the video tutorial and make a box today –>
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I had a little downtime on Saturday morning, so I started this sketch and finished it last night.

I came across these handbags this weekend and thought they were very cool. It’s hard to make eco look chic but Ella Vickers has done just that with her collection. Her bags are made from discarded yacht sails.

I had the privilege of helping RePlayGround with their Earth Day booth this past weekend at Grand Central. One of their projects was to make an envelope from a magazine cutout. I was surprised to see how beautiful and fun they could be, and all with trash! Here are some that I made using a glue stick to hold down the flaps. The template can also be bought online if you want to upcycle some of those old magazines, maps, or wrapping paper. And yes, the post office will accept it.

English sailboats again! I found this Liberty print at Purl last week and although it’s not typical plant/floral Liberty, I really love this design. The intricate details and the differing line weights against a cream backdrop creates a modern yet old world feel. I followed instructions from the purl bee (they use a different pattern) to piece this coin purse together because all the instructions that came with the metal kiss frame are in Japanese. The flower was made as an ode to the classics. Cheers!

A hand-made birthday card for my mother-in-law. This photograph caught her attention at last summer’s Brooklyn Flea Market. She and dad had recently visited this place while living in London. The photograph was taken many years ago, and Clovely, Devon looks very different now, so it was interesting that she made the connection. We bought the picture when she wasn’t looking so she was really surprised when she got it in the mail yesterday.

I just love the sailboats!

I did these drawings for work…. and that is all I can say. Anyway, these drawings reminded me of Tim Burton. Ha! I guess that is a huge compliment to myself. ‘Reminded’ doesn’t mean they are ‘like’ his drawings in any way. I sooo want to see his exhibit at the MOMA before it ends April 26th but the timed tickets are sold out! Looks like I’ll be heading out there bright and early between now and then for the limited releases.

photo by Jon Freeland

Dressing for Spring/Fall is tricky, but scarfs are the perfect climate transition accessory for the see-saw temperatures during this time of year (wooh was it cold this weekend!). This scarf was made from left-over fabric I had from making curtains for our office. This material is just perfect for both purposes. As curtains, it lets in so much sun without having to draw them, and as a scarf, it is light and airy yet warm, reflecting the season better than a wool knit.