Friday, June 5, 2009

THE CARRIE BICYCLE BASKET


Marie-Louise made her first prototype for the bicycle basket out of crochet tablecloths in her studio for an exhibition called "Tokyo Style" in Stockholm in 2004. The theme was "fika" (Swedish word for coffee break) meets Japanese "tea time". For Marie-Louise the best kind for fika is a picnic in the countryside. Since she prefers to travel by bicycle, it was natural for her to find a way to carry her fika on her bike. She chose an ornate material because it reminds her of her grandmother, who always baked seven different types of cookies for fika and served them on her finest crochet tablecloths. The basket is therefore both functional and emotional and if you turn the basket upside down you get a table that looks like it is covered with a sweet crochet tablecloth. Educated at the Royal College of Art in London, Marie-Louise has a MA Degree in product design.


****I saw this basket in a magazine a few months ago and thought it was beautiful. So when I decided to replace the bicycle that I had and absolutely loved which was destroyed by hurricane Ike and looters. I ordered this basket for the new Seafoam Green Schwinn Comfort bike I bought. I am anxiously awaiting its arrival.

I love that it is feminine. The crochet lace pattern immediately struck me and I had visions of french bread, wine and cheese artistically placed in it, riding to a romantic picnic.

I believe that adding beauty and functionality add little vignettes of visual subliminal happiness to everyday life.


*****I put in an order for this basket with Scandinavian Grace.com , When it didn't arrive I began calling and emailing them daily as I would only get an answering machine to which I left messages with no return phone call and emails that were never answered. Finally I got a hold of a live person who said he would check into it and call me right back. I still have never rec'd a return phone call. I did finally get an email saying they were out of stock and wouldn't be getting any more in for perhaps a month or longer. I therefore advised them to cancel my order and in future it would be advisable to let the customer know if the item is out of stock, as I had needed it for a special event which is now passed. Had I known they didn't have it, I could have made arrangements with another purveyor.

*** I have now ordered the basket from Fjorn.com, hopefully my basket will arrive this week. Or they will have the professionalism to let me know one way or the other. Please be advised everything went perfectly with his order. If you want to order the Carrie Bicyce Basket I would only recommend ordering from Fjorn.Com.

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