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We received a Grant from BIG2 Project funded from the ERDF as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 -2020 which partly funded this website which we commissioned in 2018.Today in Bali is Nyepi the first day of the year in the Balinese calendar, a day of reflection and quiet. For this day we remain in our homes with the lights off. No bikes populate the streets and the sea and beaches are empty. A standard that has become the normal as in turn each country across the world are confined to their homes in an attempt to stop a virus few understand.
Nyepi follows the Ngrupuk parade where local villages build Ogoh-ogoh, large statues that represent mythological beings or demons. There purpose is to purify the living environment and any evil spirits and after the parade are burnt with the evil spirits captured inside.
Who knows what will come in the following months all we can rely on is that in our isolation we are all connected. Wishing every cushion lover out there a peaceful and safe new year.
Bali is a small volcanic island in a series of islands that make up Indonesia. It is known for stunning beaches and lush tropical landscape… it’s known as paradise. I was first drawn to Bali many years ago enticed by the promise of perfect waves and friendly locals – of which I happily found both!
It was also in Bali and the other islands of Indonesia that I discovered the rich variety of textiles. The intricate techniques that go into producing Batik and Ikat fabrics and the skills that are passed down through generations. No trip to these islands is complete without a conversation with a stranger that leads to a trip on the back of a bike to a hidden workshop to find beautifully created fabrics. I am lucky now that many of these strangers have become friends.
When I think of Bali I think of waking before dawn and in the still of the air paddling my surfboard across crystal clear reefs to surf waves like glass while fish dart below my feet. I think of the hectic traffic and the weaving of the bikes amongst the trucks, of the incense smelling offerings that line the roads, walls and beaches. I think of delicious dragon fruit smoothies drank in the shade of the afternoon.
No trip to Bali for me is without visiting the markets of Denpasar, of rootling through stacks of fabrics in forgotten corners of tiny shops while someone insists that they are the only person who can help me and their cousin/ uncle/ brother is the only person who will have the best fabrics in the whole of the Island, if only I would follow (and pay) them. I love this about the Balinese, the clever way they entice you to go with them, cajoling, insisting and dragging me by the hand or clothing! Somehow I always manage to emerge from the markets of Denpasar, perhaps a bit poorer but with new friends.
I believe every piece of fabric I have ever brought from Indonesia carries with it the essence of the landscape, people and their warmth and skills.
© 2021, The World in Cushions
Powered by Shopify | Theme customised by Venn Creative
We received a Grant from BIG2 Project funded from the ERDF as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 -2020 which partly funded this website which we commissioned in 2018.© 2021, The World in Cushions
Powered by Shopify | Theme customised by Venn Creative
We received a Grant from BIG2 Project funded from the ERDF as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 -2020 which partly funded this website which we commissioned in 2018.It’s the time of year when we evaluate what has been, what we are proud off and what we are not. We tell ourselves that 2020 is the year we will get in shape and drag our arses running around the park. That we will actually get around to reading and implementing Marie Kondo’s famous ‘The life – changing magic of tidying’ book. The old will be cleared out to make way for a new dynamic version of our 2020 selves.
It is also around this time of year we are told that all our well thought out new year resolutions will be on the things we have failed to do pile by early February, a disheartening thought indeed! So, this year I have decided to make small changes, ones that do not overwhelm me and can generally be completed by the time I have my first cup of coffee. Instead of ‘I will run every day regardless of the weather’ I will resolve to put on my sports bra twice a week and go for a walk, who knows I might run a few steps!
But first we need to create the right conditions to make these small changes, we need a small shift in energy, something different in our everyday environment that brings in a new feeling of possibility. Now what could this be I hear you ask, well, wait for it …….. drum roll please! CUSHIONS haha! We realise we are biased but there is a lot of evidence to suggest that change begins from the simple act of refreshing the look and feel of your home and the easiest and dare we say it happiest way to achieve this is with a new cushion or two. You can transform your home with just a few pops of colour, uplift a well-loved chair, bring fresh possibilities to a favourite sofa and leave your living room feeling transformed.
With your new cushions creating new energy who knows what you will accomplish in 2020! So put on that sports bra, plump up your cushions (pun intended) and get out there!
Happy New year from everyone at The World in Cushions.
© 2021, The World in Cushions
Powered by Shopify | Theme customised by Venn Creative
We received a Grant from BIG2 Project funded from the ERDF as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 -2020 which partly funded this website which we commissioned in 2018.© 2021, The World in Cushions
Powered by Shopify | Theme customised by Venn Creative
We received a Grant from BIG2 Project funded from the ERDF as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 -2020 which partly funded this website which we commissioned in 2018.It was in the hills of the rift valley working for a Buddhist festival that I first fell in love with the Maasai blanklets or Shuka as they are called locally. I had come to Kenya as part of a motley crew of artists, designers, makers and musicians. We were to bring to life this corner of the world for the Shinnyo-en Buddhists annual fire and water festival a faction of Japanese Buddhists. I knew little of Buddhism before the trip and felt inspired by the marriage of colours and sounds of these two separate cultures. The gentle chanting with the deep purples and oranges of the Japanese’s fused with the bright reds and deep drumming of the local Samburu tribe.
It is customary in many of the Kenyan tribes for the women to build the homes and I was fortunate to have a team of the Samburu women helping me make a sculpture of the reclining Buddha for the festival. They wore bright Maasai blankets in vibrant red checks and coloured beaded necklaces and bracelets. They taught me songs and dances as well as their hut making skills, many of which I applied to the structure of the sculpture.
Our hosts where Kuki and Sveva Gallmann of the Gallmann Memorial Foundation in the Laikipia region of Northern Kenya. This dynamic mother and daughter duo have dedicated their lives to the preservation of the wildlife and people who call the conservancy their home.
We were housed in old fashioned army tents and showered under the stars, at night we would sit around the camp fire, listening to stories while lions and elephants padded in the bush on the edge of the darkness. We ate mandazas (a delicious type of doughnut) drank sweet masala tea and gossiped in the early morning sun before the day’s work commenced. It was a truly magical experience.
After the festival was over, sad good byes had been hugged and said I found my way to the markets of Nairobi where I brought the blankets we have used in our African collection. The markets are bustling, loud places where extreme haggling techniques meet with the smells of side cart food stalls. The colour, heat and noise of Nairobi is an unforgettable experience and I hope some of its vibrancy and adventure comes through in the cushions.
© 2021, The World in Cushions
Powered by Shopify | Theme customised by Venn Creative
We received a Grant from BIG2 Project funded from the ERDF as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 -2020 which partly funded this website which we commissioned in 2018.