I have also finally finished my Owl and also felted a bird pincushion.
Before you start you will need enough thick elastic to go around your waist + 3cm seam allowance. This will be your waist band. For the fabric, choose something that can be doubled over to create the length of the skirt.
We visited Silverdale Alpacas, one of many Alpaca farms around Auckland that had opened their doors to the public for the day. It was so much fun, we got to chat to the breeder and pat the animals. I hadn't realised how think and soft their fleece is. Would defiantly visit another farm next year and I would highly recommend it to all of you.
The resident Beagle.
Storage box – mobile desk. For work on the move. It is true that most people now use laptops but not all people prefer or want a laptop. There are some instances where pen and paper are still a must. Not to say that people with laptops couldn't use a mobile desk. On the contrary, laptops can be more comfortable when you have a surface to place them on and kept safe with a solid shell around them.
-a writing/drawing box, a place for pens and paper (envelopes, rulers, and so on), as well as a flat surface to work on. As in the 3rd Storage box image, the box also gives a straight edge which to align you T-square (useful when you are hot-desking and desk quality can not be assured.)
-a mobile desk, wheels to help transportation, storage and maybe even a chair contained within.
But, at the maximum it would have to be able to fit in the boot of a small car. For example, no bigger than your average sized suitcase.
The concept started with the desire to have a place to nap between uni classes. The original design started with a hammock like net that is hung long-ways under the large tables at university. Held in place by pockets that slip over opposite ends of the table. Not only could it be used for a quick nap but also as storage.
The second design focuses mainly on storage (although I'm sure if one made it big and strong enough, a person could curl up inside it). They have a loop at the top so they can hang where ever there is a hook.
From the second design I shrunk the concept so they could be hooked over the back of a chair. Handy for keeping bulky items off the floor (hand bags, drink bottles, bike helmets and such).
Any of these designs could be made from either netting or a solid fabric.
Waste Paper Bin - In studio only having one or two large bins per level means bins are never close at hand and this leads to messy desks and studio spaces. This concept will tackle the need for temporary rubbish bins (specifically paper waste bins). I want to look at temporary bins because of the nature of the studio space, one moment you are working the next everything needs to be cleared for presentations.
The use of recycled materials is also important. We do not need to make more rubbish just to dispose of our waste. Discarded newspaper would be ideal for this as it is readily available and quite strong.
The rubbish bin holder on wheels can be used in conjunction with the design above it.
The Paper Waste Bin Maker.
The Paper Waste Bin Maker is a mould that is used to create paper waste bins out of a single sheet of large newspaper. It can be made by anyone out of easy to obtain recycled materials (a large can, a slightly smaller can and a knob) and some easy to use epoxy. The Paper Waste Bin Maker was inspired by a design supplied by Suntec called The Paper Planter Maker. This product is a mould that enables the user to make paper planters for seedlings out of stripes of 8 by 21cm newspaper. I wanted to take this concept and adjust it to form disposable, recyclable waste-paper bins.
The Paper Planter Maker supplied by Suntec.
Construction.
First to test the idea of using a mould to make paper waste bins I used two buckets for the same brand and size. I wrapped the outside of one bucket in two sheets of partially overlapped newspaper and wrapped the excess under the bucket. I then took this (bucket and paper) and placed it inside the second bucket as to create a mould to compact all the newspaper. This model in principal worked, it did create a form that would hold waste but overall it failed as it is difficult to use and flimsy. Firstly the buckets were too big for the size of newspaper. Secondly the walls of the buckets were at an angel so it was difficult to wrap the paper around them and thirdly there was no compartment for the paper at the base to be moulded into making the base uneven and unsteady.
Initial test. Taking into account my test with the buckets I could now see why the creators of the The Paper Planter Maker had made it as they had, the strait walls, the base unit to press the paper into a solid base, but there were three main components that I had to change. The original handle is difficult to keep a grip on, the smooth walls where the newspaper is wrapped create a vacuum when trying to remove the planter and the overall size is far to small to be used as a bin.
So after figuring out what needed changing I had to consider materiality. My first thought was to copy the original planter maker and make it from wood but then it occurred to me that it would be too heavy given its new size. Next PVC pipe but that would be too expensive along with metal pipe. Then maybe ceramic pots but those are also heavy, expensive and fragile not to mention that all ideas so far were using new materials and did not fit my criteria of being recycled. So what about cardboard tubes. A plausible material but quite difficult to get your hands on ones that are the right size as well as being surpassingly heavy. Then we come to tin cans, cheap if not free and extremely light.
Scale drawing.
Small can being attached inside the big outer can with the epoxy Knead-It.
