12.11.09
A fibre loot
Last week I visited the Knitting and Stitching Show at RDS in Dublin. I dedicated a day and a half to the show, the first day to see the exhibitions and browse the stalls and the second day to buy things. I thought it was a good way to avoid rushing through the shops and buying on impulse (and spending too much...) Looking at this picture and considering this is just a small part of the things I bought I am not completely sure that I succeded on my saving plan.
But I couldn't resist buying this lovely shades of merino wool and silk mix. These and the beautiful yellow ochre wool come from The Yarn Room (online sales too, with free shipping in Ireland!). The two spools come from Texere Yarns, from which I bought some other merino fibre for dyeing and spinning/felting and some silk as well. Of course I couldn't give up on some fabric (at Rags for Linda) for future items for my Etsy shop....
And my visit to the bookshops couldn't be unproductive, of course. I got a really good book of history of textiles (that is one of my subjects at school at the moment) and a second hand book from the 70s about lacemaking (The Gentle Needle Arts), as well as a very long list of other books I'd love to buy in the future. These two come from the Embroiderer's Guild bookshop and Sew Good Books.
The next day after the show, when I was walking around in the city centre, I popped into The Yellow Brick Shop and I found they were having a fire sale, with many items being sold at half price... but that's another story. Let's say that fortunately I had a 10 kg limit on my hand baggage.
11.11.09
A taste of autumn in Dublin
I was back in the dirty old town for five days. I met my friends, went to my favorite places, visited the Knitting and Stitching Show, got dripping wet, then a sore throat and a cold, and ate some delicious carrot cake. I loved being there again.
23.10.09
Etsy favourites: autumn in the kitchen
1. Retro Hornsea 'Bronte' Tureen by RummageInTheJumble. 2. Mr. B's Yellow Teapot by ModernNest. 3. Saffron Hornsea Teapot by Ladiesandgentlemen. 4. Large Footed Cup by ModishVintage.
21.10.09
Street culture
Since I came back to Spain I am fascinated by the amount and the kind of things people throw away. All these things should be inside the rubbish container, but for some reason very often they are just left around the place... Every morning on my way to school I walk across Gracia district and I make new discoveries like this, so I keep my camera ready. I suppose it's the 'out of context' feel that attracts me of all these poor things abandoned in the street.
18.10.09
A day at the market
I spent all Saturday morning at the very popular flea market Els Encants in Barcelona.
They sell absolutely everything you can imagine, old and new.
I'll come back another day to buy some fabrics and trimmings. This time my only purchase was this packet of lovely oily and overly sweet churros.
11.10.09
Etsy favourites: olive green
1. Wool Wrapped Bangles by mysticfibers; 2. Meadowgrass under Floodwater scarf by easternsky; 3. Green Meadow Pouch by oktak; 4. Olive Green Crocheted Earrings by FebystanDesigns.
05.10.09
I was the lucky winner
This is probably the most gorgeous pincushion ever, and it was generously given to me by Mitch in a giveaway she organized on her blog in August to celebrate the summer. It's just perfectly made and smells of lovely lavender scent. If you want to make one for yourself check out this tutorial and for more beautiful stuff made by her don't miss mqsquare, the Etsy shop.
Thanks again, Mitch!
30.09.09
Ok, let's do something now...
I am new to Barcelona so I don't know if it is just this time of the year or here the festivals, celebrations and holidays are really non stop. Since I came one month ago I've been enjoying lots of outdoor events, the latest of them due to Barcelona's main festival, la Mercè. I don't have pictures of all the street parades, concerts and shows I've seen, but these two examples of the human castles in Plaza Sant Jaume last Sunday will give you an idea of it. Breathtaking, isn't it?
Some vintage posters of this celebration from the 50's, in a shop window.
Well, in case someone is thinking about the lazy Spanish stereotype let's say that the party is over and it's time for hard work now. At least for me. I am beginning a 2-year full time course of Textile Printing at Llotja school with very intense classes on drawing, printing, designing, weaving and history of textiles. I'm very excited about it. Here is the beginning of my first project on a vertical loom.
19.09.09
Spain coast to coast
Well, it seems that my life is going back to normal after a month of holidays/relocation from Dublin. I arrived to Barcelona two weeks ago and I've been so busy since then: I spent three days going around the whole city to view rooms to rent, then I had to sit the entry exam for a course on Textile Printing I want to attend this year (and I passed, yay!) and of course I had a pile of boxes to unpack. Anyway I managed to spend some time just wandering around and enjoying the last days of summer.
Before I came to Barcelona I spent a few weeks at my parent's house in Galicia, Northwestern Spain, and since my luggage was heavy and the flight tickets expensive I decided to travel to Barcelona by train: 1341 kilometres, 13 hours. Sounds hard but it wasn't that bad. I really love travelling by train and I think this route is specially enjoyable, although long. It goes from coast to coast, so in the morning you say goodbye to the Atlantic ocean and in the evening you say hello to the Mediterranean sea, and during the day you go through many different landscapes. I had a lot of time so I took pictures along the journey:
Bye bye Atlantic
The morning on River Sil
Goodbye to green Galicia
Lunchtime in Castilla's flatlands
Flatlands? who said flatlands?
Siesta time by the little church
Journey planners don't know what a straight line means... here we go up to the Basque Country...
And by dinner time we are in.... ehhhh... I don't really know... Turkey maybe??
oh, I hope this is not Barcelona...
And then it's too dark for pictures but the Mediterranean is there and the city is coming...
20.08.09
Sunny days and no internet
I am now in Spain, enjoying a real summer with high temperatures, picnics and trips to the beach. I don’t have an internet connection at the moment, so regular blogging will be difficult in the next weeks. As soon as I have my own place and proper internet access I’ll blog about these beautiful holidays. Today, just a few pictures of a picnic by the lake not far from here.
10.08.09
Goodbye Dublin, goodbye Ireland
Only two days to go! As a farewell to Dublin and Ireland I've put together a list of the nicest places and things I've come across in the last three years. You can check them on THIS MAP too (with pictures!).
The list is very limited, unfortunately I haven't been to all the places I wanted to visit and among the ones I visited there are some I can't name or place on a map... It is clear that I need to come back! ;-) But in any case, living here and travelling around was an unforgettable experience... Ok, let's go to the list before I become too sentimental.
In Dublin:
- The very popular vegetarian restaurant Cornucopia.
- The cakes at Queen of Tarts, (and the music and vintage china...)
- Monday evening dancing sessions at O'Sheas Merchant Pub.
- The Library Bar at the Central Hotel.
- Georgian houses.
Around the country:
- Walks in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, an ancient monastic site between two lakes.
- The garden maze of Russborough House, Co. Wicklow. I got seriously lost.
- The wind in Inch Beach, Dingle peninsula, Co. Kerry.
- Walks around Killarney Lakes, Co.Kerry
- Driving around Lough Caragh, Co. Kerry
- The waves in Clogher Beach, Slea Head, Co. Kerry
- The curious corals and crystal clear water in Coral Beach, Carraroe, Co. Galway.
- Cong Abbey ruins, Co. Mayo, and the little fishing house on the water.
- The back room in Keane's pub, at the crossroad in Maam, Connemara.
- Driving along Glann Road, Lough Corrib, Co. Galway.
- Music at The Crane Bar in Galway.
- The swans in Galway.
- Killary Harbour, a fjord between Co. Galway and Co. Mayo.
- The old cemetery by the water in Donegal town.
- Glengesh Pass, Co. Donegal.
- Assaranca Waterfall, near Ardara, Co. Donegal.
- The beautiful Downhill Beach and cliffs and staying in Downhill Hostel.
04.08.09
On the move, again
Great, great news... I'm moving to Barcelona! This is my last week in Dublin, where I lived for the last three years. I am very busy planning the move and organizing my things (they seem to multiply magically when you start packing!) I don't know very well how to feel about going back to my own country. Before I came to Ireland I lived in Italy, and somehow in the last years I got used to being a foreigner. I wonder if my ability to adapt that worked so well in foreign countries will be equally efficient now that I'm going back home...
The other piece of news is that my old camera is now an angel in the paradise of digital cameras and this is why I cannot show you the wonderful results of a swap with Sandra Juto. I send her some of the tea I bought in Freiburgs's market and I got from her these four gorgeous photographs and other goodies I'd love to show you if I just could take a picture... Thanks Sandra, it was a pleasure to take part in this swap!
30.07.09
The little boat sails again
As I mentioned before, Elaine and I are doing a skill swap: gilding for stained glass work. In the past weeks we were working on the gilding of her royal bed, which is a nearly finished project (can't wait to see the final results!) and I had my 2 day stained glass workshop. Elaine was a fantastic teacher and she put a lot of effort and patience on teaching me all the necessary to complete my first project, this lightcatcher:
Check all the process at the teacher's blog.
The pattern for this project is my design too. It comes from the origami boat I played with before, have a look here, and here in the process of being printed on fabric.
I had a great time working with glass, my favorite part was soldering the joints with lead. Thanks Elaine!
28.07.09
Ikea is here
Yesterday was the offical opening of Ikea Dublin after a long and hard expectation.
Personally, being welcomed by people in Swedish folk costumes and ABBA music playing out loud was quite a surreal experience for me but it didn't seem to affect the Dublin hordes pushing their overloaded shopping trolleys. Happiness was in the air.
Inside the building the number of children magically multiplied by ten, or maybe there weren't that many but just an optical illusion due to the fact that they were running in all directions. Adults were busy opening all doors, pulling all drawers, sitting on all sofas and checking all books, and yes, they are all in Swedish.
I'd say Dubliners gave a very warm welcome to Ikea. I suppose they are grateful for being liberated from the very unstylish Argos. I tasted some Swedish biscuits, didn't buy a thing and then I went for a walk in the Botanic Gardens, a much more relaxing place.
27.07.09
My Etsy shop at Found Paper Co.
My Etsy shop has been featured by Xenia on her blog Found Paper Co. Check her shop for lovely vintage finds!
