Sunday, December 23, 2012

Monday, September 17, 2012

A photo of today

Autumn leaves by Aika Felt Works
Autumn leaves, a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.

We are in the middle of autumn. I wore my new wool coat today.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

ARKTINEN MUOTOILU│ARCTIC DESIGN - Habitare2012


Here are images of our booth, ARKTINEN MUOTOILU │ ARCTIC DESIGN in Habitare2012, Helsinki. We are a group of designers who work in the North Finland. The design of the booth is consisted of black and white and light, which reminds me the icy land of the Arctic Circle. Habitare is open until tomorrow 16th September. Please drop by if you are near, because Aika Felt Works is offering special discount for some products! I've added small size of Felt slippers on 14th, but there is a limitation of number of products there, so get moving!


(Photos from WDC2012 Helsinki-Rovaniemi)
Unfortunately I'm at home in Rovaniemi with my sick family. But I hope the success of this fair!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Aika Felt Works at Habitare 2012 in Helsinki!


Aika Felt Works is participating a joint project to exhibit in Habitare 2012 (12.-16. Sep. 2012). Our booth is 2e29, and we are a group of independent designers based in the North Finland. See the designers >>

Exhibited products will be on sale. And I'm putting -15% discount prices for some products!

First, Felt slippers. Normal price is €80,00, and for the fair price it's 68,00€!


Secondly, Osampo bag. Normal price is 32,00€, and for the fair price it's 27,20€!


And thirdly, Wine carrier bag. Normal price is 30,00€, and for the fair price it's 25,50€!


If you will be in Helsinki, come around!

Habitare OPENING HOURS

For public:
Thursday 13 Sep 2pm - 7pm
Friday 14 Sep 10am - 7pm
Saturday 15 Sep Oct 10am - 6pm
Sunday 16 Sep 10am - 6pm

For professionals:
Wednesday 12 Sep 10am - 6pm
Thursday 13 Sep 10am - 2pm

Map >>

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

A photo of today

Photos of today by Aika Felt Works
Photos of today, a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
On the way to my working room this morning. Amazing. I couldn't get there easily, that I stopped moving and just looked at the world many, many times.

aikafeltworks.blogspot.com

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Valon tuleminen exhibition in Arktikum, Rovaniemi, Finland

Arktikum, Rovaniemi, Finland
I graduated from the University of Lapland, and its staffs are having an exhibition, Valon tuleminen, in Arktikum, Rovaniemi. Arktikum in Rovaniemi is a museum, science centre, attraction, popular culture destination as well as a memorable venue for meetings and conferences.

The exhibition space is situated in the hall right after the main entrance of Arktikum. Free admission. 22.2.–29.4.2012.

Exhibition, Valon tuleminen

Exhibition, Valon tuleminen

Exhibition, Valon tuleminen


My husband Kalle Lampela's works are in the exhibition.

Exhibition, Valon tuleminen, works of Kalle Lampela

Exhibition, Valon tuleminen, works of Kalle Lampela

These two works are typed with a manual typewriter on rotogravure paper, 112 x 76 cm.

Approximately 500 pages from each of Theodor Adorno´s Aestetic theory (right, the black work) and Karl Marx´s Capital (left, the red work) is typed over and over. They seem like old textiles from far. I think these are some of the best works from him.

I hope you have a chance to see the exhibition!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Snow on a roof of "liiteri"

Via Flickr:
Liiteri is a traditional storage building for e.g. firewood often seen in country side of Finland.

This building is maybe about 100 years old? Its roof is made of tree's bark, covered with moss.

Scene like winter fabric

Via Flickr:
Last weekend we were in our family's cottage having a break from work.

Although the snow is now melting in the city center, here we could enjoy the shades on the snow.

Horizontal shadows and vertical birch trees were crossing like a piece of fabric.

Co-design Project - Embroidery!

After making the first prototype, I have been thinking how I should use conductive thread for the laptop case. The conductive thread is able to conduct electricity, discharging static electricity if you touch with condition of being electrified.

On the package of the conductive thread, it's written that you can use zigzag-sewing option by sewing machine to make as large an area as possible by the thread to maximize the effect.

Well... where, and how should I use the thread?

When I was a bit at a loss thinking of design, I bought this book, D.I.Y Design it Yourself, and I was inspired by this cool design.

Embroidered on women's and men's dress shirts. These designs refer to a human heartbeat as well as writing. Designed by Zvezdana Rogic.

I started thinking that rather than using my sewing machine making a line of zigzag stitch, or making grid quilting stitches on a laptop case, it would be much more unique to express something by embroidery.

For example this pulling part of a zipper: this is made of reindeer leather and wool felt, and I sewed with the zigzag options on the felt. ... Maybe I can embroider some meaningful words?

...words relating to electricity?
...formula of physics?
...words relating to electricity and computer...programming language?

If I remember right, I heard that programming consists of combination of "1" and "0".

01100101101
10000101111
01010101010

How about embroider this kind of enumeration of numbers on the bottom part of the laptop case where you hold?

Isn't there any formula that means "discharging your static electricity"?

While I was thinking like that, I got a message in my Etsy account. It was from a designer of The Big Harumph, based in Kansas, United States. She wrote that she liked my products, just a short greetings, and rather, I found her design so interesting.

Letters typed on pencils. Her works have a bit offensive words though :)
How about embroider letters designed like this?

Isn't it possible to ask her to design some patterns/letters for my laptop case... probably I can think about the words to embroider with you all, though.

Immediately I sent her a message.
Then, what is her answer..??

At the same time, I started looking for a company which can embroider using the conductive thread locally. And, one of them agreed to make a test to check if they can use the thread with their machines. I sent the thread and pieces of wool felt to the company.

I'm waiting for the result!
To be continued!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Co-design Project - Index

Co-design project is a project that I started to design original laptop computer cases with you.

I use industrial wool felt, that was the only thing I had in my mind. So far, I've been getting some very brilliant ideas from readers of this blog, my Japanese blog, and via Facebook and Twitter. Now the design process is moving on unexpected, interesting way.

I wrote the process in the following posts:

#1 Co-design project begins!
#2 Co-design project - When Do You Need Laptop Case, and How?  
#3 Interim Results of the Q1 and Exploring Felt Laptop Sleeves 
#4 Co-design Project - Wool and Static Electricity 
#5 Research on Wool and Static Electricity - How Can I Solve This Problem?? 
#6 Co-design Project - Collecting materials!! 
#7 Co-design project - Getting Used to the Materials 
#8 Co-design project - the First Prototype
#9 Co-design Project - Embroidery!

Co-design project is an on-going project. I don't know what kind of designs will be created yet. I'm excited to interact with people and get ideas that otherwise I wouldn't come up with. Thank you for joining me, and I still want to encourage you to give me your voice!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Fishing season on the frozen lake

Via Flickr:
On the way to my work room, I see fishermen these days on the icy lake. You can get European perch (I love to eat it with being smoked) and northern pike (soup is delicious!). Can you see the tool to make a hole on ice that he has?

aikafeltworks.blogspot.com

Snowing, snowing, snowing...

Via Flickr:
From a window of our home the other day. Night was near. Snow on thousands of birch branches. Blue moment made me silent.

aikafeltworks.blogspot.com

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Who's footprints are they?

On the way to my work room. Did you enjoy the sunlight today?

Via Flickr:
This is something that I enjoy in Lapland, seeing animals' footprints on the snow. I imagine where their nests are.

... and, these are footprints of a wild rabbit!

aikafeltworks.blogspot.com

Who's footprints are they?

On the way to my work room today. It was another beautiful day.

Via Flickr:
This is something that I enjoy in Lapland, seeing animals' footprints on the snow. I imagine where their nests are.

... and, these are footprints of a bird. You can see the footprints started over there, after landing from the sky!

aikafeltworks.blogspot.com

Friday, March 9, 2012

Monday, March 5, 2012

Photo of today

Photo of today by Aika Felt Works
Photo of today, a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.
He has been here since 2 days ago. I smile when I see him :)

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Photo of today

Photo of today by Aika Felt Works
Photo of today, a photo by Aika Felt Works on Flickr.
I baked Pulla! for welcoming my Japanese friends - doctors and nurses. I got useful advices about child raising!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Scenery around Aika Felt Works

Today I want to share one photo of my surroundings. This photo was taken about 4 years ago in January. After Christmas we have these lovely bright days. I love this season!

Via Flickr:
Rovaniemi, where I live and work, is a small city in North Finland near the Arctic Circle.

During winter, which is almost half a year, the city is frozen covered with white snow, that can simplify and smooth forms of the world, and reflect more shades of colors.

This surrounding awakes my sense, and extreme coldness makes distance from many things, which somehow foster my concentration on creation.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

If you are looking for products of Aika Felt Works

Now, products of Aika felt Works are available in OKRA, Helsinki!

The OKRA art, crafts, and design gallery is situated in the centre of Helsinki, by the side of Esplanadi Park, near the Havis Amanda statue and the famous “Kauppatori” harbour market.

Okra has been run by designers and crafters in Finland over the past 15 years. It has established itself as one of Helsinki’s more progressive, quality craft galleries.

Osampo bags, felt slippers, cottage bag, coasters and more products of Aika Felt Works are on sale. Please take them in your hand to feel nice touch of 100% wool felt!

OKRA
Unioninkatu 26
FI-00130 Helsinki FINLAND
Tel: +358 9 624 250


View Larger Map

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Co-design project - the First Prototype

Last time I reported my learning process of new materials; a zipper and leather. And today I want to share my trial-and-error design process of the first prototype of a laptop case. Jump to see more from the link below!

Actually I made this prototype already 2 months ago, and I have been using it everyday. I wanted to see whether leather could really prevent from producing static electricity caused by friction with plastic. And then, result was ...?


Thursday, February 2, 2012

Treasury List "Vegetation" featureing Osampo bag on Etsy

I'm so excited of this treasury on Etsy so that I wanted to share with you! It's so cute, isnt it? Enjoy!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Co-design project - Getting Used to the Materials


A Happy New Year!

After collecting materials for this Co-design project to make original laptop cases, today I want to share my process of getting used to the materials – the leather and zippers.

Here is one of the collected materials, elk leather.


It’s … heavy. And grain is quite rough.

I had forgotten that leather was heavy. How heavy the leather is comparing with light weight of wool felt in the same square measure!  Especially this elk leather is thick, and the thickness is probably 2,5 mm. 

I was a bit intimidated by seeing the whole shape of the skin, which reminded me the lifetime of the animal, by smelling it as well. I knew it’s just leather, but still I was shocked to face the massiveness of the material. Wow…!

My first impression of the elk leather was that it would be difficult to work with, but I thought I must get used to the material first of all, because this was my first challenge to make product combining zippers, leather and wool felt.

I had some ideas for design, but in my head it’s still unclear about actual process such as how I could handle details, what kind of sewing order I should take.

So I decided to make some models imitating existing products to learn the characteristics of the materials. By this way I shall understand some designer’s design process, including possibilities and limitation of materials at least partly, like “why that form has been created, why that detail had to be like that”.

Then, what I referred was hard graft.

It’s cool!

They say that they have been producing bags with combination of felt and leather already since 2007. 

I was discouraged because I thought there was no need of making new design in addition to their super cool bags! 

But they don’t have any product using leather INSIDE, as back lining to prevent producing static electricity (which is my main theme in this project).  So there is one reason to keep going. I started working.

I took note of 2 kinds of bag among others. One was ALL IN ONE LAPTOP FOLIO in which you can put not only your PC but also books and AC adapter etc from the top, and the other was DOPP KIT which had double zipper opening like a camera and lens bag.

I started cutting the leather with referring these bags timidly.

Zippers that I used here for making models were found materials in my work room so the color and design of zippers will be replaced by original ones from Japan for the final designs.

Photos below are the process of making models. Jump to see more details from the link.