handmade acoustic guitar from reclaimed wood

 Tim Lloyd, who does the exquisite woodwork from recycled wood made this beauty from a mix of reclaimed wood and new materials (tuning pegs, shell and fretboard) 

Wood for the sides and headstock are from an old bar top.  Bamboo from an old CD rack picked off the street used as white piping around the sides and the white tab on the headstock.

Gingko leaf design shell inlay (gingko in Chinese tradition represents longevity and health)

The Chinese word pronounced 'Ye' means leaf.  White bamboo from an old CD rack, red Padauk from old bar top

Padauk back of guitar from an old bar top.

purple heart wooden box with french polish

wooden box made from reclaimed dark wood, french polished to perfection

reusing a tea box part 2

The inside of a Yogi tea box with a Smarties tube.

what's inside a box of tea

we like the Yogi Tea boxes because of the lovely print on the inside.  reverse the box after the tea has been drunk to make a gift box with the faint scent of tea.

mini mbira DIY

Old saw blade (look for one that resonates) cut into strips, recycled wood, 2 nuts and bolts.
This mbira is a mini version of the traditional Zimbabwean musical instrument.

eco-friendly water resistant organic cotton part 2

We've started experimenting with larger pieces of fabric to see if we could re-create the water repellency seen on earlier swatches. Using fairtrade, organic 100% cotton, handwoven in India, the above image shows the fabric ,prior to processing, with water stains. Droplets of water sprinkled on fabric were absorbed within 20 seconds.



Above are pictures of black and white fabrics after water-repellent processing. It works and the fabric still retains its breathability and orignal handle.
The process uses a water-based emulsion without high heat input, waste water can be safely exuded into the mains without further processing.
So far, it looks like the white fabric responds better to the process than the black, with water droplets rolling off easily. The water droplets on the black fabric showed a mix result. Could it be due to the varying amounts of emulsion used (less on black than white) or that the black dye forms a layer which makes the process less successful?

Further tests will be carried out, stay tuned for new updates.

fabric offcuts scarves

what do we do with fabric off-cuts once our garments are made?

silk jersey off-cuts. plait and wear.