Plaited fabric
By Daniel Williams
Maybe theres something in the air, viagra approved maybe its my age or maybe its the season but it seems everybody around me has suddenly spawned. Friends have started to have babies, sick and family members are producing them faster than I can count them.
I am also a little south of skint, so my meagre craft skills have come in pretty handy. I recently made a baby mobile out of stuff lying around my flat. It was easy, free and convenient , so I thought I’d show you how to make one.
You’ll need:
Wire coat hanger
Fabric (I used an old running t shirt, denim cut offs, and some other fabric I had lying around)
Ribbon, if you have any
Scissors
Glue
Buttons (Optional)
Firstly, bend a wire coat hanger into a circle. Easier said than done. I found that laying it on the table and beating it into submission with a hard object worked best. Wrap some thin strips of fabric around the wire coat hanger, using a dab of glue every few wraps to secure it.
To make the part that will attach to the ceiling, plait 3 strips of fabric 3 times. Then attach the three plaited strips evenly around the fabric covered wire frame, using glue or a staple or a few stitches.
Cut your strips of ribbon and fabric to the same width and length, then fold the top of each strip of fabric around the fabric covered wire frame, using a dab of glue to secure each strip.
To make sure none of the lengths of ribbon fall from the frame, you could also add a few stitches to each strip too.
This is easy enough to encourage little hands to help you do it, as I did with my creation above. I fashioned the wire and plaited the three strips that attach to the ceiling, and my little assistent attached the individual strips to the frame. You could neaten it by hemming the fabric, or using only ribbon, or keep it rough and ready. Parents will appreciate the time you put into it and babies will love the colours and the way it moves. And, more importantly, it doesn’t add to the inevitable pile of growing tacky plastic crap, either. Winner.
This column attempts to provide lovely ways to recycle junk into useful and beautiful things. If you have a genius recycling idea or if you are stuck with something you don’t want to chuck away, leave a comment and let me know! I may feature your idea or I will try and come up with a solution to your recycling conundrum.
Illustration by Daria Hlazatova
To be honest, seek I was skeptical of the idea of a bike rental scheme before the launch. If we are going to spend £140 million on cycling I’d rather see we build more bike lanes, stomach I thought. London needs to make roads safer for cyclists, more about and in my experience, this is the number one reason why people are put off getting bikes.
But in the weeks since 30 July’s launch, when 6000 solid, bright blue bikes where installed in 315 docking stations, my objections have been put to shame. Now, as I roll into London Bridge every morning on my trusty hybrid bike, I invariably find myself accompanied by city workers scurrying around on rental bikes. And I swear the number of ‘regular’ bikes have increased as well – the profile of cycling has shot up as everyone loves the ‘Borisbike’.
Mayor Boris Johnson by Mina Bach
While the need for more bike lanes prevails, there is safety in numbers as every extra bike on the road makes it safer to cycle. Over 1.5 million rides were made on the Borisbikes in the first three months, the Greater London Authority declared as it held the first appraisal of the scheme on 12 October. Once implementation costs are covered within three years, the scheme is expected to become profitable – in fact it will then be the only London transport system not to run at a loss. Only five bikes have so far been stolen, a fact the Police Cycle Task Force attributes to a sense of ‘community ownership’ among Londoners. And I think that’s true – having spoken to numerous people about this, there is a feeling that these are ‘our’ bikes. In a sometimes very anonymous city like London, where being spoken to on the tube by a stranger can actually feel intrusive, the bikes are becoming a symbol that after all, we are after all Londoners.
Illustration by Genie Espinosa
Mayor Boris Johnson‘s introduction of the bike scheme grants London a place in a worldwide club of bike rental cities. But the Borisbikes, and the the 12 cycle ‘superhighways’, was actually the suggestion of former mayor Ken Livingstone, following a visit to Paris to see the city’s ‘Vélib’ cycling scheme. This is the biggest in the world with 17,000 bikes, suggesting this is only the beginning for London’s 6000 bikes. Our numbers are soon to reach 8000, however, as the system expands beyond central London to cover all of Tower Hamlets and more of Hackney, in time for the 2012 Olympics. The bikes themselves are identical to Montreal’s ‘Bixi’ rental bikes; 23 kilos would be excessively heavy for a regular bike, but for a rental it makes it a very stable and durable ride, plus very unattractive to steal. Vandals are further deterred as most of the wires have been placed inside the frame, and the bikes also boast extra-strong tires and dynamo lights.
Cycle superhighway by Carla Bromhead
So as Londoners get on their bikes – here’s a quick guide to safe cycling in traffic:
* Claim your space. Make sure drivers can see you, and ride a good foot’s distance from the kerb. Signal clearly and look behind you before turning, and they will respect you for it.
* Watch out for cars turning left. If you see vehicles indicating to the left, stay behind, or, if there’s time, get far in front where they can see you.
* Overtake on the right if you can. Instinct will have you overtake queuing vehicles on their left – this places you in a blind spot so only do this if there’s plenty of space.
* Avoid lorries. Stay behind, or overtake on the right. But as statistics dictate that if you get injured while cycling it will be from a lorry, it’s best to just steer clear.
* Follow the traffic rules. Cyclists who plow into pedestrians to get ahead give us all a bad name. But every now and again, it might just be safer to get ahead of heavy traffic by jumping a light. But be extremely sure before you do this – and mind those pedestrians.
Mayor Boris Johnson by Daria Hlazatova
Sign up for the London bike hire scheme here. Read more about the scheme in Amelia Wells’ article about the launch, or have a look at our tips for getting ready for winter cycling here.
By Daniel Williams
Maybe its something in the air, website like this maybe its my age or the season but it seems everybody around me suddenly spawned. Friends have started to have babies, patient and family members are producing them faster than I can remember the names.
By Michelle Urvall Nyren
I am also a little south of skint, view so my somewhat meagre craft skills have come in pretty handy. I recently made a baby mobile out of stuff lying around in my flat. It was easy and convenient and it turned out dandy.
You’ll need:
Wire coat hanger
Fabric (I used an old running t shirt, denim cut offs, and some other fabric I had lying around)
Ribbon, if you have any
Scissors
Glue
Buttons (Optional)
Bend a wire coat hanger into a circle. Easier said than done. I found that laying it on the table and beatng it into submission with a hard object worked best. Wrap some thin strips of fabric around the wire coat hanger, using a dab of glue every few wraps to secure it.
To make the part that will attach to the ceiling, plait 3 strips of fabric 3 times. Then attach the three plaited strips evenly around the fabric covered wire frame, using glue/ a stapel/ a few stitches.
Cut your strips of ribbon and fabric to the same width and length, then fold the top of each strip of fabric around the fabric covered wire circle, using a dab of glue to secure each strip. To make sure none of the lengths of ribbon fall from the frame, you could also add a few stitches to each strip too.
Looks lovely, no? Parents will appreciate the time you put into it and babies will love the colours and the way it moves. And, more importantly, it doesn’t add to the inevitable growing pile of tacky plastic crap, too. Winner.
Illustration by Daria Hlazatova
To be honest, viagra sale I was skeptical of the idea of a bike rental scheme before the launch. If we are going to spend £140 million on cycling I’d rather see we build more bike lanes, treatment I thought. London needs to make roads safer for cyclists, look and in my experience, this is the number one reason why people are put off getting bikes.
But in the weeks since 30 July’s launch, when 6000 solid, bright blue bikes where installed in 315 docking stations, my objections have been put to shame. Now, as I roll into London Bridge every morning on my trusty hybrid bike, I invariably find myself accompanied by city workers scurrying around on rental bikes. And I swear the number of ‘regular’ bikes have increased as well – the profile of cycling has shot up as everyone loves the ‘Borisbike’.
Mayor Boris Johnson by Mina Bach
While the need for more bike lanes prevails, there is safety in numbers as every extra bike on the road makes it safer to cycle. Over 1.5 million rides were made on the Borisbikes in the first three months, the Greater London Authority declared as it held the first appraisal of the scheme on 12 October. Once implementation costs are covered within three years, the scheme is expected to become profitable – in fact it will then be the only London transport system not to run at a loss. Only five bikes have so far been stolen, a fact the Police Cycle Task Force attributes to a sense of ‘community ownership’ among Londoners. And I think that’s true – having spoken to numerous people about this, there is a feeling that these are ‘our’ bikes. In a sometimes very anonymous city like London, where being spoken to on the tube by a stranger can actually feel intrusive, the bikes are becoming a symbol that after all, we are after all Londoners.
Illustration by Genie Espinosa
Mayor Boris Johnson‘s introduction of the bike scheme grants London a place in a worldwide club of bike rental cities. But the Borisbikes, and the the 12 cycle ‘superhighways’, was actually the suggestion of former mayor Ken Livingstone, following a visit to Paris to see the city’s ‘Vélib’ cycling scheme. This is the biggest in the world with 17,000 bikes, suggesting this is only the beginning for London’s 6000 bikes. Our numbers are soon to reach 8000, however, as the system expands beyond central London to cover all of Tower Hamlets and more of Hackney, in time for the 2012 Olympics. The bikes themselves are identical to Montreal’s ‘Bixi’ rental bikes; 23 kilos would be excessively heavy for a regular bike, but for a rental it makes it a very stable and durable ride, plus very unattractive to steal. Vandals are further deterred as most of the wires have been placed inside the frame, and the bikes also boast extra-strong tires and dynamo lights.
Cycle superhighway by Carla Bromhead
So as Londoners get on their bikes – here’s a quick guide to safe cycling in traffic:
* Claim your space. Make sure drivers can see you, and ride a good foot’s distance from the kerb. Signal clearly and look behind you before turning, and they will respect you for it.
* Watch out for cars turning left. If you see vehicles indicating to the left, stay behind, or, if there’s time, get far in front where they can see you.
* Overtake on the right if you can. Instinct will have you overtake queuing vehicles on their left – this places you in a blind spot so only do this if there’s plenty of space.
* Avoid lorries. Stay behind, or overtake on the right. But as statistics dictate that if you get injured while cycling it will be from a lorry, it’s best to just steer clear.
* Follow the traffic rules. Cyclists who plow into pedestrians to get ahead give us all a bad name. But every now and again, it might just be safer to get ahead of heavy traffic by jumping a light. But be extremely sure before you do this – and mind those pedestrians.
Mayor Boris Johnson by Daria Hlazatova
Sign up for the London bike hire scheme here. Read more about the scheme in Amelia Wells’ article about the launch, or have a look at our tips for getting ready for winter cycling here.
Our Broken Garden by Karina Yarv.
I have to say, approved if there hadn’t been a very special reason to go out I would have stayed in last night. Needling icicles of rain ain’t what I need heading into town at nearly 9pm on a Pashley with a flat tire. But head I did, viagra dosage because last night Our Broken Garden were playing their only date in the UK for the foreseeable future and this I did not want to miss. And boy was I glad I made the effort. It’s no secret to my regular readers that I’ve developed a bit of an obsession with Our Broken Garden. They are nothing short of fabulous, especially the glorious vocals of sometime Efterklang keyboardist Anna Bronsted.
Our Broken Garden perform live at St.Giles-in-the-Fields. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
On arrival I was in a bit of a grump to discover there was some time to wait before Our Broken Garden came on stage, but all that was put to rest when I sat down to listen to their support band Still Corners.
Still Corners.
Against a blood red swirl of light the singer contributed dreamy vocals on top of swirling 60s keys and the odd dash of country and western melody. The beautific tunes worked particularly well where they stepped the beat up, and I’m eager to hear more. In the meantime enjoy the video for Wish. Just delightful.
Thereafter followed some fabulous electric noodling, which I presume came courtesy of Ulrich Schnauss, a once-upon-a-time Amelia’s Magazine interviewee whose latest stuff I have not heard, but was perfectly suited to the hushed setting.
Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins.
Against the up-lit cross at the back of St Giles a bit of stage set pfaffing took place before Our Broken Garden took to the stage – four cute Scandinavian guys and one absolutely stunning lady. And by stunning I don’t just mean looks, though I was very taken with her slinky metallic wide-legged pants suit. Anna has a voice to die for. Whilst the rest of the nation is wondering if any of the X Factor vocalists can even sing in tune, the real talent can be found in places like this. Quietly going about their exceptional way. We were treated to a selection of tracks from the new album Golden Sea as well as a few tracks from earlier album When Your Blackening Shows, as Anna skipped and bopped in front of a large fabric tree.
And we all drifted off somewhere quite magical.
Really, more people should know about Our Broken Garden. They are surely my favourite discovery of the past few months, and every bit as good, if not better, in the live flesh. Oh, and did I mention that the drummer is really cute?…but I was so mesmerised by Anna that it took me better part of the gig to notice.
Why not check out my review of new album Golden Sea, out now on the fab label Bella Union and an interview with the director of the Garden Grow video whilst you’re at it too. Jessica Furseth met with Anna before the performance: read her interview here.
Anna from Our Broken Garden by Evie Kemp.
Vessels by Faye West
It was with more than a little excitement and anticipation that I arrived at the bar-cum-club that is the Queen of Hoxton on a rainy Wednesday evening. Hidden away behind Liverpool Street station, tadalafil the venue wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, medical it was very quiet and a little like walking into a low-rent American diner. But that’s all by the by – Vessels are one of those bands that could play in a public toilet and create the kind of spine tingling atmosphere that would immediately transport you to a dreamy, other-wordly place and envelope you in a blanket of sound.
It’s fair to say I have something of a love-affair with the music that flows so effortlessly from the instruments of Leeds-based post-rockers Vessels. Fresh from touring Europe with the magnificent Oceansize and with a new EP to boot, it was a treat to have the chance to catch them on one of only a handful of UK dates.
Vessels by Jes Hunt
So how to describe Vessels? C’est difficile, but let’s take Walking Through Walls as a fine example to dissect: I would say “post-math-rock with a couple of intricate time signature changes thrown in, embellished with ambient harmonics which gradually builds to a thundering climax with drumming that would give Tool a run for their money, leaving you with the most beautiful, haunting melody, making everything around you melt away.” No lyrics are necessary, everything you need is right there courtesy of Vessels’ expert instrumental abilities.
Put simply, Vessels are a whole other kettle of fish. And seeing them live tonight was no exception. The venue was wonderfully intimate, with candles flickering in the darkness, occasionally reflecting off the mirror balls, which hung in clusters from the ceiling and twinkled like little stars. After the heavy, energetic, Converge-esque hardcore of support act Humanfly, Vessels were like the calm after the storm, albeit an expansive, orchestral juggernaut of calm.
Interior of the Queen of Hoxton
Their set was a mixture of old, in shape of classics such as An Idle Brain and the Devil’s Workshop and Altered Beast, and new – a definite highlight being the sublime and artfully named single ‘Meatman. Piano Tuner. Prostitute.’ This particular track is a mesmerising combination of meaty guitar riffs, with twinkling piano and a melody reminiscent of an old music-box. Dream-like vocals come courtesy of Stuart Warwick who also provided support and sang live on the track before sneaking out to ‘catch his tube’ home. (Something that I should possibly have been thinking about but was too caught up in the atmosphere to realise the time). This man’s voice is so beautiful I’m sure my jaw was on the floor for much of the track. This segued nicely into more new material, which in true Vessels style was a powerful slice of ear-popping rock pie finished off with a sprinkling of intricately layered atmospherics. Their closing track built to epic proportions before stopping dead…Leaving the crowd in a cosy, post-orgasmic haze. This all set to a back-drop of floaty, ethereal visuals displayed on a huge screen at the back of the stage, combined to create a real feast for the senses.
And with that, I headed back out into the cold drizzly night to catch my train, but comforted by the satisfying afterglow of a truly beautiful gig.
Categories ,A Hundred Times in Every Direction, ,Converge, ,Experimental-rock, ,Faye West, ,Gemma Milly, ,Humanfly, ,Jes Hunt, ,leeds, ,Meatman.Piano Tuner.Prostitute, ,Oceansize, ,post-rock, ,Queen of Hoxton, ,Stuart Warwick, ,Tool, ,vessels
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