Snippet * 28  BLOCK Play

By

Divya Agrawal 

Alphabet inspired wooden blocks by Lena Mühl. Birds perched atop As and snuggled in Vs. 

A very simple and imaginative block set for kids offering a promise of tireless playtime.

Text & creative layout copyrights: On the Design Boat  ( www.onthedesignboat.com )

Stories   in   S_T_I_T_C_H_E_S

by
Divya Agrawal 

Welcome to the heart warming, playful world of 'Miga de Pan' by Argentine designer Adriana Torres. 
With a formal education in Architecture and Graphic Design, here's an artist who works with thread and a needle to create other worlds using fabric and crochet. Her embroideries and crocheted toys are a treat to peruse, with immersing narratives woven through.

Mythical figures and quirky animals wrestle, cycle and meditate in the midst of mountains and flowers here. There is minuteness of detail and an unmistakable feel of the modern in the treatment of each figure. 

Being someone who herself embroiders, I can't help but marvel at the variety of embroidery stitches and the lovely, unusual pastel palette Adriana uses. 

"The mind selects and nests, and with its curious and intrinsic spirit incorporated to the daily effort and an endless imagination has resulted in a collection of precious art pieces..." Adriana Torres

  

The details are enchanting. French knots, running stitch, stem stitches and more create Russian fairy tale like stories!

Miga de Pan's line of kidswear, toys, rugs etc is equally endearing.

Ander the Lion, Farnesio the Elephant, Oswaldo the Bunny, Mr Kuma the Bear and the very unique Coco Terráqueo the giant Armadillo - all these crocheted beauties would touch any child's heart (adults too!) 

I personally found Adrainna Torres work very inspiring, enough to put to paper an embroidery project I had conceptualized some time back. 

I will continue to follow this talented designer's newer offerings at Miga de Pan. You can too!

Images: Miga de Pan

 

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T O Y S    t h a t   c o m e   A L I V E

By Divya Agrawal

Children's fiction is alive with stories where toys come to life. They speak, dance and act like living beings. Our featured artist for today, Nadya Sheremet's handcrafted toys are similar - they come very close to being alive. Being somebody who enjoys crafting by hand, I am completely taken in by the beauty and detail in Nadya's creations. 

Nadya creates elaborate sets to photograph these toys. The result is nothing short of stunning.  

Born in Ukraine and living in Russia, Nadya cites forests and mountains as her big love. "Nothing pleases me as much as unity with Nature."

 There are many more aspects of Nadya's work that are eye catching - extravagant hairdos, designer costumes, intricate embroidery and a balanced use of many interesting fabrics.

The clothing is elaborately designed and detailed. I love the blue coat with an over sized collar above, showing off the embroidery design on the dress underneath.

Note the wooden legs and embroidered faces on the pirate pair. Natural antlers - what a lovely addition to this jacket totting reindeer!

  

Nadya's creations also include brooches, stuffed animal toys and other items - all incorporating her sometimes unconventional, always elaborate embroidered designs.

What an impressive confluence of fabrics, embellishment and design! A treat indeed! 

 All images: Copyright Nadya Sheremet

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T H A T   L I T T L E  C U R L Y  L I N E ...

Better known as a Squiggle is also the brand name chosen by designer Niyatee Sharma for her line of accessories for children. What sets Squiggle apart is the back to basics approach. Unlike the run-of-the-mill products for children that are synonymous with cartoon characters, bright colors, push button music and light, these are sensitively designed with materials close to nature.

The brand was born when Niyatee went looking for products for her son but could not find anything that appealed to her design sensibilities. This was also the time when she became aware of how the mass manufactured toys have replaced the handcrafted traditional wooden toys. She then decided to create a range for kids on her own. One thing led to the other and in no time Squiggle had made inroads in the world of children.

Made with material like wood, cloth etc, the products are designed to touch a special chord with the children. Simple lines, basic forms and soothing colors are a hallmark of Squiggle products. The rounded edges, the foam padding and load testing is the designer's way of ensuring that the products are also safe for children.

While growing up a toddler needs to explore the world around and make decisions and discover things for himself. Niyatee's products are aimed at just this - they ignite the child's curiosity while he plays with or uses these products. A fine balance has been created to ensure that the products neither spoon feed the child that he gets bored of them nor are they too complicated that he gives up on them.

Creativity and imagination being the buzz words in the world today. A rocking horse is what everyone is aware of. Think out of the box and you can have a rocking sheep or elephant or just about anything.

Squiggle is an option for design conscious parents who do not want something 'different' but but something that can 'make a difference' in their little ones' world. 

Check out Squiggle on facebook or on the blog.

All images: Squiggle, Niyatee Sharma

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