Introducing: The Thread Wrapping Machine. And why would you need thread wrapped? Watch and find out:

The Thread Wrapping Machine from Anton Alvarez on Vimeo.

In case you need evidence that practice makes perfect:

The first Thread Wrapping Machine. from Anton Alvarez on Vimeo.

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Issey Miyake is recycling with unprecedented style, collaborating with Artemide to make these origami-style lamps from recycled bottles. More specifically, the lamps are made of  fabric that is made from recycled bottles. The line of lamps includes floor, table and hanging fixtures.

In collaboration with Italian lighting brand Artemide, Miyake’s Reality Lab researched and developed a translucent fiber made from recycled PET plastic bottles (which likely held water or soda in their previous incarnations).

-”Issey Miyake Turns Plastic Bottles Into Glowing Origami,” Jordan Kushins in Fast Company

Photos: Artemide and Miyake Design Studio

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It’s not that blue was ever out of style; it’s just that now everyone is calling it “indigo.” In some cases, that’s accurate—-like when describing Maura Grace Ambrose’s hand-stitched indigo-dyed quilts. These beauties arrive in a handmade cedar box.

All of the quilts, above, are made of linen hand-dyed with natural indigo dye. The quilt below, though the same palette, is made from repurposed denim.

Ambrose’s quilts combine traditional patterns with a modern sensibility. As Folk Fibers, she teaches workshops, as well, including a natural indigo-dyeing workshop in Austin, on May 18th. Sign me up!

You can read more about Ambrose and Folk Fibers, here.

(a quilt teepee!)

[photo: Gustav Schmiege]

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Those familiar with the television show GIRLS–because you watch it or because you’ve been suffocated by the media hype–may have also noticed that a brilliant title treatment accompanies the show:

Grand Jeté is behind this adaptable treatment, which greets viewers each week in a slightly new costume. Imprint has a nice write-up about the process, here.

What other title treatments have you found memorable?

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Emily Post had a lot to say about letter-writing. In her chapter on Notes and Shorter Letters (Chapter XXVII), she writes:

I would say that a lot of this applies to email, as well. Recently, DesignSponge ran a short blog piece about email etiquette, for which the book has not yet been written. Of special note:

3. Provide a short and sweet explanation: This is where most mistakes are made, I think. Keep your message short and to the point. Show that you’re respectful of their time, and, if requested, try to leave long personal/business information or stories for later.

You can read the whole piece, here.

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Meet the Vogels, Dorothy and Herb. I’m late to the game in screening this heartening documentary about the famed art collectors who amassed one of the most important collections on two modest salaries–that of a librarian and postal worker. More accurately, they lived off of Dorthy’s salary as a librarian and Herb’s salary went solely to purchase art. I highly recommend this doc.

HERB & DOROTHY Trailer from Herb & Dorothy on Vimeo.

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Catching up with Swiss Miss posts, today, I learned of several items that I’d like to stock in my modern-day emergency kit,  items that could come in handy when I’m in a tight spot.

The teacup slingshot, a perfectly concealed office weapon

It’s not actually a weapon, but rather uses the slingshot motion to drain the bag.

When you must pop a squat suddenly in a chairless landscape, how about this emergency bench, designed by Jamie Wolfond?

The Bluetooth Talking Glove comes in handy when you want to talk through your hand on a cold day–keep your hands and phone in your pocket!

Thanks to Swiss Miss for curatorial prowess!

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DesignSponge featured these young preservationists, on Thursday. They sent valentines to neglected buildings they love, especially those deemed “endangered.” This feels like a thoughtful and graphic strategy to express support for urban rehabilitation focused on improving existing structures, rather than bulldozing them. [All photos by Jason Wilson]

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Forgot your Valentine, today? Send a classic Robert Indiana e-card from MoMA!

or William de Kooning’s Valentine

Happy Valentine’s Day from Maxine Snider Inc!

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If you love Louise Bourgeois’ art, you may be pleased to learn of her lesser-known fabric work. A recent exhibit at Hauser and Wirth featured “70 fabric drawings” along with collage and fabric sculpture made between 2002 and 2008 (Bourgeois died in 2010).

[source]

You can read more about Bourgeois, here.

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