Author archive

:: Ethical shopping picks

Posted by Joelle on July 20, 2008 | Permalink

Jeans by Camilla Norrback, bag by Ashley Watson, fabulously hip ethical styling: all at Fashion Conscience

For the last year or so I have been making ever increasing efforts to avoid sweat-shop produced clothes as much as possible. First up was just to buy less stuff, and to make sure the stuff I did buy would last me, and to favour independent and local shops. I have been getting stricter and stricter with myself, looking for organic and fairtrade labels, recycled products and manufacturing practice that cares about the communities who make it.

Luckily it’s getting easier as more and more labels with watertight ethical credentials are appearing, and getting more publicity. Gradually I hope, it will become normal and we won’t have to do so much detective work before we can shop worry free.

So, it’s time to share a few of my favourite ethical shopping picks with you - nice timing at the moment as there are quite a few summer sales going on. Each month or so I’ll be posting more picks.

Fashion Conscience - the picture above is from this UK based online boutique, a great one stop shop.
Howies - most days I am wearing something from Howies! They do great organic jeans, t shirts and laid back clothing and they are awfully nice.
Annie Greenabelle - Very cute retro themed clothing in organic, fairtrade and reused fabrics. Stocked at Equa and the Topshop Oxford Circus concession.
Toms - I bought the loveliest pair of simple summer shoes from Toms. They work with communities in Argentina and South Africa and for every pair sold, they give a pair to a child in need
Enamore - very glamorous label with fancy underwear and vintage styled dresses in organic and sustainable fabrics.

Categories: green, shopping, style
Tags: ethical picks, fashion, green

2 comments

:: Get Folksy

Posted by Joelle on July 16, 2008 | Permalink

Rulers by GetFolksy on Flickr
Enchanted by the name, I’ve been keeping an eye on folksy.com for a year or more, since a mysterious message appeared there about beta testing. It seems the project finally launched in beta a week ago, and is taking it’s first faltering steps towards becoming a suitably marvellous site.

A lot like a UK based Etsy, this is a place to buy and sell items by crafters and small designers. There’s also a making section which will showcase how to guides and stories about the making of items on the site. Currently there’s a good showing of work for sale from design graduates. Here’s my picks: Read more…

Categories: craft, design, shopping
Tags: craft, design, folksy, handmade

8 comments

:: New ways with rick rack

Posted by Joelle on July 9, 2008 | Permalink

I’m a big fan of rick rack. I have a bag of it in my sewing box, but frankly, though I often take it out to see if it would enhance a bit of sewing, I never seem to find opportunities to use it. It seems often just a bit too twee and retro for what I’m after.

However, having stumbled across this blanket tutorial over at Purl Bee, I have found a rather charming way of using it. Instead of just stitching it on as zig zag trim, it is sandwiched between two layers with the tips pointing out. I guess that doesn’t take a huge leap of imagination, and it’s simple enough to do, but I wouldn’t have come up with it, so I thought I’d share the idea.

My blanket is for the soon-due baby of a friend. She’s going to be called Poppy, and will have a very stylish mother, so it seemed the perfect opportunity to use this lovely bold fabric from Marimekko. Oh how I love their prints! Add some orange jumbo rick rack, and a very well matched yellow green fleece from Ikea et voila. I’m thinking of quilting around the flower outlines. Good idea?

Categories: blogs, craft, tutorial
Tags: baby blanket, marimekko, rick rack

3 comments

:: The great outdoors

Posted by Joelle on May 12, 2008 | Permalink

It’s been another quiet weekend on the Four Good Corners blog. And here’s why - glorious sunshine, getting out of the city, walks, Pimms o’clock, barbecues and picnics in the park.

I hope the sun is shining on all our readers this week too.

Categories: adventure
Tags: outdoors, picnics, summer, sunshine

1 comment

:: Inspiration

Posted by Joelle on May 1, 2008 | Permalink

It’s funny how I go through a patch of not blogging much, not making much, doing mainly other things, and then pouf! all of a sudden ideas keep popping into my head and I can’t help it.

Here’s things that are making me feel excited today:

- really lovely camera case tutorial (pictured above) on Ayumill’s exciting new blog Pink Penguin, just crying out to me to make little quilted purses and clutch bags

- utterly charming broderie anglais pebbles from Stephanie Barnes upcoming picnic collection. I can’t fathom why these appeal quite so much to me, but they do

- Stuart Kovakolic’s amazing nine metre long Never Been mural

- cute and simple DIY paper sihouette tutorial by threepotatofour on Design*Sponge, giving me ideas for greetings cards.

Categories: blogs, craft, tutorial
Tags: inspiration

4 comments

:: Political hippo, bear and zippy

Posted by Joelle on April 30, 2008 | Permalink

Four Good Corners doesn’t really stray into the political, but when I saw Vanessa’s political pig post this morning, it reminded me of these three political animals. A clever bit of dubbing and such spot on characterisation for the three main candidates for the London Mayoral Election. For anyone without the cultural references of a 25 year old in London: Rainbow is one of the TV programmes I fondly remember watching as a kid, the audio is from a newsnight interview with Ken Livingstone (Zippy), Boris Johnson (George, the pink hippo) and Brian Paddick (Bungle the bear).

Anyway, fellow Londoners, remember to vote tomorrow!

Edit: Updated video as that version got taken down.

Categories: adventure, london
Tags: politics, rainbow, video

1 comment

:: Dorkbot

Posted by Joelle on April 28, 2008 | Permalink

Last week I went along to Dorkbotlondon #54, a geekout love fest full of dorks getting really excited. I felt seriously out-dorked, by the programming jokes I didn’t get, and feeling like the only person who wouldn’t know where to start to solder a circuit board, but still it was great. It was like walking straight into a copy of Make magazine.

The guy in the picture, Eric Raymond, had made these little robots that drew pictures generated from internet data like satellite maps. Dan Storell was beatboxing through a ZX Spectrum he had tinkered with to respond to the timbre of his voice (hot geek alert!).

There was another guy, who had made a brockenspiel - an instrument that played music generated by the magnetic strips on a credit card. Someone asked if it could be rigged up to play barcodes as well, and lo, someone in the audience just happened to have a barcode reader on their person, and during the break they adapted it and played tunes from the barcodes of the bottles of beer we were drinking. It was that kind of place.

It’s so cool that these people are all working on such crazy fun projects, and the atmosphere was really buzzy and supportive. Here’s to DIY creativity in all its forms!

P.S Sorry for the quiet posting week last week. All four corners have been kinda busy, but we’ve all pledged to post some lovely things this week, so do check back. We haven’t forsaken you!

Categories: adventure, craft, london
Tags: brockenspiel, dan storell, dorkbotlondon54, dorks, eric raymond, make, robots

1 comment

:: Anorak free

Posted by Joelle on April 11, 2008 | Permalink

Danish Blue by Zakkaliciousness on Flickr

Copenhageners have it. Amsterdammers have it. Londoners still need to catch on. What am I talking about? A culture where cycling is just a normal thing everybody does to get around their everyday business. Where there are no ‘cyclist’ just normal people, in business suits, in high heels, loaded with shopping, just being normal. The lovely picture above comes from the Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog, providing inspiration everyday for how it could be. Read more…

Categories: green, london, style
Tags: bobbin bikes, copenhagen, cycling, style

9 comments

:: No Letters

Posted by Joelle on April 7, 2008 | Permalink

Leigh Clarke - Love

The trouble with a lot of contemporary art, and also with so much of the media, is it so often focuses on the negative aspects of modern life. Important stuff I know, but it can get you down, especially since a trip to a gallery is supposed to be an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Read more…

Categories: art, london
Tags: art, hackney, leigh clarke, nettie horn, posters

3 comments

:: Puddle love

Posted by Joelle on April 4, 2008 | Permalink

I do love spotting secret messages formed by chance; cloud pictures, funny shaped pebbles or vegetables, and recently this puddle outside my office. The rain whispering ‘I love you’?

Categories: adventure
Tags: happy accidents, hearts, photos

3 comments