If you were a child of the 1980s, I’m guessing that, somewhere in your toy-cupboard, you had a spirograph. A strange collection of plastic wheels and garishly coloured biros, it always looked more like a science experiment than something you’d use to make drawings, although, as a bit of a maths nerd, that somehow made me love mine even more. It was like schoolwork, only prettier.
So, I’ll leave you to imagine my (slightly tragic) excitement when I received a flyer from the Southbank Centre a couple of weeks ago and opened it up to find this incredible bit of retro spirography.
Spiro-trees, for the love of Wham! How could anyone fail to be inspired?
After a little rummaging around on Flickr, it seems I’m not alone in wanting to get my spiro on all over again. People are doing it on fabric…
As art…
To decorate cakes!
On jewellery…
….and clothing.
To decorate the coolest ear-muffs…
To decorate the coolest ear-muffs…
On a Moleskine…
As papercuts …
As papercuts …
And, be still my heart, as simple but oh so beautiful white-on-kraft motifs.
Whilst I’m pretty certain most of my childhood fads are best left back in the ‘80s, I'm definitely planning to revisit the spirograph soon. How about you?
I'd forgotten all about spirographs, for the love of Wham! (Totally nicking that fab phrase.) I loved using my spirograph as it was the only way I could create anything vaguely neat and technical looking. I'm the girl who can't stay inside the lines when colouring so, until my pen slipped, this was a source of much happiness! At the earliest opportunity I'm off to find one!
ReplyDeleteThanks for following me on twitter. I actually bought my son a spirrograph for Christmas about two years ago... he loves making colourful patterns. The white ones are really fun.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! (never a Wham fan myself, more of a Smiths girl). Fantastic. My daughter has asked me a couple of times recently to see if my spirograph is still in Granny's loft! I might just have to go up there and look now.
ReplyDeleteMe me! I had a spirograph! Those ear muffs are just the cat's pyjamas!!!!!!! Awesome :)
ReplyDeleteKeep a look out in charity shops, I'm pretty sure I saw a set the other day.
xoxo
Spirograph!!! I loved my spirograph. Oh how I wish I still had it around. :o)
ReplyDeletehmm me thinks i need to find a spirograph for myself now. Would look cool on a scrapbook page.
ReplyDeleteOh, I loved my spirograph, had hours of fun with it!
ReplyDeleteOh - must check parent's loft for Spirograph circa 1985! The shape's so retro and cool - wonder how I can get my sewing machine to do it - hmm… Jen x ps great site - really love it
ReplyDelete