I’m not going to say that the creations of Your Organ Grinder aren’t a little on the weird side, because they are. I mean, they’re felt organs. But they’re also kind of rad. Particular favorites here include the brain necklace, brain hairclip, and nose embroidery hoop.
Spring is starting to turn into summer. Change is in the air. Squirrels are finding their autumn treasures. Some lucky acorns will grow into mighty trees. Does are throwing baby showers for one and another in the woods and birds are looking for some action.
I have a feeling my favorite naturalist enjoyed this time of year. 
My hats off to The Greedy Crocodile for her felted busts. If you are more of a physics or literature kind of person, her shop includes some luminaries from those fields.
She’s also got an amazing sculpture of my girl, Marie Curie. I hope to see some more famous women in the future as well!
Flipping though Physics World magazine , I turned a page and caught my breath; there was the tiniest picture of the most beautiful quilt. I still, several hours later, cannot quite find words with which to explain how awe inspiring, how wondrous these quilts, made by Kate Findlay, are.
But what was a picture of Kate’s quilt doing in a physics magazine? Well, it turns out to be one of a series which she has made themed around the LHC. There are 20 quilts (so far) in the series, some inspired by particular particle detectors, and some inspired more generally by the science of supersymmetry, dark matter and particle physics. ‘Atom – Silver’ (pictured above) is based on the structure of Ag, while Atlas (below) is based on images of the ATLAS detector.
What initially caught Kate’s eye were the symmetry, repeating motifs, and colours present in CERN’s images, and I agree that quilting is a perfect medium to reflect those ideas – Kate’s mixed textures of silks, satins and sheers really capture the source material, the pieces feel modern,full of hope and wonder. Kate also cites the vastly disparate scales that any physicist works with as a source of inspiration – and I for one can see how the juxtaposition between atoms and astronomy, and the interplay between the two, is a captivating concept.
The early pieces from the series incorporate wire, card, beads,and other mixed media to further play with texture, while the more recent pieces are traditional 3 layered beauties. Kate has experimented with screen printing and dyeing to personalise her fabrics, and of course this adds yet another dimension to the quilts.
So, this week’s Friday Round-Up celebrates one of my heroes, Darwin. The well-known two legged take on the ichthys symbol is used by fans of evolution (can a scientific theory have fans? Does it matter if it does or not? It’s popularity’s kinda irrelevant; it’s still true…). Darwin Fish (Or Tonys, as all good Feeters know) are rough depictions of Ichyostega, the remains of which are important transitional fossils between tetrapods and fish, since they have a tail and gulls akin to fish but amphibian style skull and limbs.
So, I present to you my ten favourite crafts in honour of both Darwin and Tony…
Mooching around Covent Garden between shows on my last matinee day, I came across these gorgeous necklaces and brooches made by Brendan & Ruth from I Am Acrylic. The pair of them design and make all the awesome designs you see here, as well as other jewellery inspired by ‘space and sky and nature and things.’ I really love the simplicity of the icons, and the bold use of colour – the necklaces would look great worn layered together.
Every piece is individually cut on a fretsaw, from acrylic or wood, then hand finished in their Spitalfields workshop. They sell in a number of stores through out the UK, or online at their site and etsy shop.
Here are some things you should know about narwhals: 1) Their “tusk” is actually an elongated canine 2) A highly specific diet limits their geographical range makes them vulnerable to climate change 3) They are highly skilled deep-water hunters.
The unicorns of the sea, could there be a classier mammal? Perhaps with a monocle? A top hat maybe? A jazzy silver bow? Check out these super cute narwhal plushies from Ostrich Farm. I love sparkly tusks. They are
made to order in a number of colors, with a variety of stylish accessories. Also, strictly for the hardcore, there is a narwhal of the month club.
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