*akka design*

Art, craft, design

08.02.10

The yarn room

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I love the weaving room at school. Specially the wall with the wardrobes full of yarn cones.

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The rest is nice too. Have a look:

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Posté par Laura Freire à 12:32 - Craft - Commentaires [3] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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05.02.10

Before the spring comes

This is my first woven scarf!!

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... I mean, hmm hmm...before it was woven, of course.

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A bit of order in the yarn chaos, and eventually...

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it's wrapped around my neck.

I'm learning to weave in a rush to complete a few scarves before the warm weather arrives to Barcelona!

Posté par Laura Freire à 17:21 - My work - Commentaires [1] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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03.02.10

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I'd like to start my new 'blogging season' -this is, blogging again after a long busy period without internet at home- with some pictures from our holidays in Sicily last Christmas.

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The most delicious tangerines ever, from my boyfriend's family land.

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We watched a friend harvesting honey. Don't let the digital zoom fool you, we stood very far back!

Posté par Laura Freire à 18:46 - Nature - Commentaires [1] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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01.01.10

Happy New Year

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I'm back from the sunny Christmas holidays in Sicily (pictures coming soon) and ready for a new year. Christmas time is not  yet finished in Spain, because on the 6th of January we celebrate the Epiphany by giving presents to family and friends. On Sunday we are having the second edition of the Craft Market.
I am moving house now so I won't have access to the internet for a few days. But I'll be back soon, promise!

Posté par Laura Freire à 12:33 - Events - Commentaires [2] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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16.12.09

Our Christmas market

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If you are in Barcelona this weekend come to our Christmas market. There will be handmade crafts, Mexican food and good music!

Posté par Laura Freire à 18:56 - Events - Commentaires [1] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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09.12.09

Busy days

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Very little time for blogging or sleeping these days... I am working hard on my school assignments and making new things for an upcoming Christmas market. Everything will be available in my Etsy shop in case you are not in Barcelona on the 19th of December... And on top of all that, the thing that makes me happier and stresses me more than anything else... I am looking for a new apartment in Barcelona, because my boyfriend is finally moving here very soon! Wish me good luck.
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Posté par Laura Freire à 12:37 - Craft - Commentaires [0] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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06.12.09

Embroidery inspiration: yellow

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More pictures from a book on top of my wish list: Broderies.

Posté par Laura Freire à 16:42 - Books - Commentaires [1] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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05.12.09

Embroidery inspiration: white

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Some pictures from one of the most inspirational book I've seen lately, Broderies.

Posté par Laura Freire à 16:16 - Books - Commentaires [0] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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25.11.09

Thai Textiles

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I went to visit an exhibition about Thai Textiles in Casa Asia, a fantastic Asian cultural centre in Barcelona.  Apart from organizing events and courses, they have a specialised library and media archive and three floors dedicated to exhibitions, all inside Palau Barò de Quadras, a beautiful Art Nouveau (Modernisme) building with a gorgeous view over the city centre. You can have a quick look at the exhibition and the building in this video.

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Posté par Laura Freire à 22:12 - Textiles - Commentaires [0] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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18.11.09

Dionne Swift, textile artist

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(picture from http://www.craftmaker.co.uk/dionneswift/)

My favorite artist exhibition at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Dublin was the one by Dionne Swift. The first picture is one of her devore works on velvet. She also sells kits to experiment this technique and teaches textile art workshops in her studio.

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(pictures from www.dionneswift.co.uk)

These are two of her collagraphic prints on thick felt. Being used to see this kind of work on paper, I find that the surface of felt really gives it a very interesting dimension. Loved them.

Posté par Laura Freire à 23:20 - Artists - Commentaires [1] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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12.11.09

A fibre loot

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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.
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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....
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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.
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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.

Posté par Laura Freire à 09:00 - Craft - Commentaires [0] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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11.11.09

A taste of autumn in Dublin

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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.

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Posté par Laura Freire à 00:10 - Cities - Commentaires [2] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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23.10.09

Etsy favourites: autumn in the kitchen

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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.

Posté par Laura Freire à 20:33 - Shopping - Commentaires [0] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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21.10.09

Street culture

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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.

Posté par Laura Freire à 18:47 - Cities - Commentaires [1] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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18.10.09

A day at the market

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I spent all Saturday morning at the very popular flea market  Els Encants in Barcelona.

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They sell absolutely everything you can imagine, old and new.

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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.

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Posté par Laura Freire à 18:22 - Shopping - Commentaires [1] - Rétroliens [0] - Permalien [#]
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