Spring time pottering

Spring  is in full flight and I'm celebrating by getting my hands dirty and potting a few herbs around the house. Looking for interesting potting ideas I came across these Sky Planters. The plants display just like a normal pot plant, only hang from the ceiling like a light bulb. Arn't they gorgeous?

Toronto Talent 4/5

Though I have a great appreciation for creative furniture design I often overlook new designs, as my taste is skewed more towards classic and vintage styles. Toronto Furniture and Industrial Designer Kirsten White's designs however, do stand out. Her design phylosify clearly takes on many mid century modernist principles and ideas, which I love. These classy table and tray designs present nicely with strong, clean geometric shapes and lines wich, along with the soft finishes, marry the timber and the metal together beautifully.

Toronto Talent 3/5

Wow! Want dark themes in greyscale tones,  soft simple hues and majestic intricate prints? Then let me introduce you to Jessica Mary Clayton. A Ryerson graduate that treats the creative process like a newborn baby, nourishing it with simple and organic ideas, applying them to gorgeous flattering garments. The prints from her Summer/Spring 2012 collection are created from photographs of colour and light experiments; playing with ink, oil and water. Love love love love love!

Toronto Talent 2/5

 

 

As much as I would never wear these crazy up-cycled shorts, I'm intrigued and hypnotized by this sexy obnoxious label TODYEFORdenim. Probably the same way that I'm captivated by those crazy/wild personalities that spell danger but always lead to fun. From a design perspective they come across as a scary acid induced craft project but looking through TODYEFORdenim's promotional pictures I can see that designer Meaghan O'Brien has some killer ideas and the creativity to turn them into a successful business project.

  

   

   

  

Toronto talent 1/5

The first in a series of Toronto talent - Falconwright have mad style! Below is a snapshot of the latest screen printed leather goods by Sandi Falconer & Danielle Wright.

How cool is their spring 2012 lookbook? I love the styling; it reflects the products perfectly with a cool and casual vibe livened with smashing colours textures and patterns. Nothing says 'fun' like a 1970's pinball machine.

Falconwright Spring 2012 lookbook

Hot up your spring wardrobe with your own little Falconwright by visiting them at their next Market: City of Craft Spring.

Discovering Toronto

Karlicuts has moved to Toronto, Canada! My Perth studio has been stored away and I'm in the process of starting up again in a new city. Before I moved here I'd never even visited so I'm thrilled at how much I love it here. I've been spending my first few weeks looking into the Toronto arts/design world and I don't have to look far to find it. Here's a snippet of some of my first Toronto discoveries:

Worn Fashion Journal

A twice yearly Toronto Fashion publication. Articles in the latest issue range from the story of a girl, a garment and a tragedy, through to a fascinating historical account of 19th century window dressing. Did you know that L. Frank Baum (Wizard of Oz author) and Salvador Dali were both early 1900 retail window display designers? Check the website to find out how to get a copy to read about it for yourself.

Worn Fashion Journal - Issue 13 - Fall/Winter 2011

The Work Room

Sew by the hour: Use their fabulous Bernina machines, Gocco B6 printer, laser cutter and more for $7 an hour. They also sell machines and a range of sewing materials and resources and run classes. Owner Karen Valino posts inspirational projects on the Workroom blog where I found this which I'm dying to make! I just need to get a hold of that Simplicity pattern!

The Workroom shop front - 1340 Queen st west, Parkdale, Toronto

Simplicity pattern made with Jay McCarroll’s Purple Drop Cloth fabric

Annex style residential architecture

I live near by The Annex district so my walk home from work means passing hundreds of homes designed in this style. Here are a few of my fav's.

Local Music

Toronto is buzzing with amazing new artists like Austra and Parallels but there is so much more going on in this city. Dirty Mags describe themselves as melodromatic pop. They seem to have pretty strong garage rock revival influence and with the recent addition of synth to the act they sound pretty post punk. I dig it.

Rock/pop/rockabilly outfit July Talk are a killer live act. Singers Leah (with her party girl persona) and Peter (with his Tom Waits style deep sexy voice) ooze sex appeal and create amazing energy on stage. I recommend catching them in the flesh for the full experience.

One of a kind

This weekend I'm off to the One of a Kind show to discover more Toronto talents. I'll let you know how I go.

Happy Weekend

xx Karli

Pendleton

Browsing this gorgeous store in the Sunset district, San Francisco, I noticed these great woollen blankets and I fell in love with Pendleton. The Portland label make 100% virgin wool clothing and blankets inspired by native american colours and patters, and while none of the clothing listed on their website is particularly to my taste, heading over to Opening Ceremony there's a little collection that is.

Heres the little number I bought myself to keep warm during the North American winter.