Upcycling and the Regeneration Game

Nice piece in the Sunday Times this week on Upcycling....

"Up what?" you ask.

Well for those who aren't in the know "Upcycling", according to the author, can be defined as follows...

"The idea is not to use collectable pieces — it’s to take solidly made but rather dull items from periods such as the 1950s and 1970s, and, by using wit and art, give them a new lease of life. The results are individual — no two pieces are ever the same — contemporary and yet classic."

Maybe Kirsty Allsop made riffling through skips a bit more mainstream on her Channel 4 program Homemade Home but it looks set to be a trend that could have strong resonance for those turning over turf for turnips. A typical office conversation at The Cotton Patch kitchen is on how early our beans were ready this year - not a particularly common conversation 5 years ago. Recycling for quilters is easier with the advent of Quilters Dream Green - 28 green plastic bottles can go into your King Size Quilt that won't be going into landfill.

There can be no doubt that those dull items from the 1950s and 1970s can appear to those who lived through the era not quite retro enough (they say that time heals) or without the classic style of Nouveau or Deco but maybe they do have something here. Certainly to the younger generation who think Twiggy must have been the precursor to Twitter, 70's style is pretty much spot on. Bring back the Curly Wurly I say ...oh...they did that already!

So if you want some inspiration and ideas on how to get started follow the link to the article here.