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Pins and Needles

As much as I would love to say I love what I do all the time, I'm always in tears at the end of every production; and feel I never want to do another one ever again. But something possesses me every single time - and then I get excited to do another collection. It has been inspiring receiving lovely messages from happy customers; thank you for your compliments - its a reason to keep going. It's encouraging getting recognition for one's work - as it's such a hard, hard slog. In saying this, and in response to all the craft crisis talks: In defence of The Cottage & D&H ; the business of making and selling your handmade is not for the feint-hearted; so here's another kit idea - a little patchwork heart that can be mended when it get's worn out on the sleeve.

Slow Fashion

"Thus slow is about a shift from quantity to quality...
where pleasure and fashion is linked with awareness and
responsibility. Slow fashion is all about choice, information,
cultural diversity and identity.
Yet perhaps most critically, is it's also about balance.

Slow Fashion supports our psychological needs
(to form identity, communicate with others, be creative through our clothes)
as well as our material needs (to keep warm
and protect us from extremes of climate)." Kate Fletcher.

Spinning out of Control

Taking up spinning classes at the Handspinner's Guild; thought I might not be so in to it, but being in that beautiful and historical building, working on those old wheels, learning this art, is a joy!!, and it's a help to balance the stress of meeting delivery schedules. Can't speed up this process, just have to work longer hours into the night to finish the work.

Loopy Loopy

Almost a shame to unravel these skeins of one-off handspuns, and knit them into garments; I sigh with appreciation each time I wind one off. Of course the acknowledgement of the wonder of the material is part of the process, so is the loopiness that creeps in when working long hours solely.

Wishing for Winter

The Darker Shades

Cant imagine it ever being cold enough to wear these; but I suppose the world just keeps going round, while these new pieces seem to be spun in slow motion, and the room is slowly melting, in 4days of 40deg heat. Shady room, dark threads, dark work; bring on the Winter!!

Fibre Wonder

Working on a beautiful process by just allowing the materials to create the forms and hence informing the garment shapes; A continuation of working with wool - from raw fleece to course handspun and then refined and processed at times in the same garment; also mixing with silk.

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Winter 09

Fresh

I was invited to be on the judging panel of the Craft Victoria Fresh Award, a graduation design award for innovation and skill. These were some of my favourites:
Ceramic Slip Cast Crochet t-cups by Jo Quirk.
Industrially Recycled Rag Rug by Karen Gilleade.
Plot System by Laura Gardner; configuring a textile based on a plot system of lasercut dots.
Imagine Luxury by Crystal Dunn; a philosophy on transforming the myth of fashion imagery back to the ownership of the wearer.

Basic Luxury

I am a fibre nut, and I do love a luxury fibre; buttery alpaca and silky cashmeres etc; but sometimes I love the basic lack-lustre of a warping cotton. Nice weight, easy to handle; and no fuss finish. Handknits for Summer back in 2002

How Handmade is Your Handmade?

A question I had posed to me recently, and when I explained, it was followed with; why? Well, because it's a beautiful thing to do.
Hand-dyed wool and silk with plant dyes, done at the Australian Ballet Dye Labs for Winter 05.

Crochet Kills

Part of my crochet kill summer collection. See earlier post.

Bag Loads of Knitting

I made an emergency call to Pene Durston, (misspenpen.blogspot.com) for help. As part of the raw wool series; I needed to finish these knitted bags with some leather strapping, and she pulled out this very cool medieval looking tool for cutting leather. We both agreed; this is one of the reasons to believe in the Craft; ingenious ancient tools that can outlive us; a moment we'll remember at the age of 90, bent over handstitching beautiful wax thread on leather.
I don't think my bags could have looked so polished without her help, and fantastic collection of tools, leather, snaps, buckles; not to mention the neat starched demin lining with pocket. Thanks Pene!

Raw Wool

I've been developing a new Winter collection, and experimenting with mixing wool from it's raw to refined stage attempting to combine the material in all it's processes. From the raw fleece to course handspun, and various refined spun, bleached and washed stages, but what's most interesting is the wool maintains it's integrity (elasticity, odour, colour etc) no matter how processed. I just love it!!

More Summer Knits

Going into store this week, silk slip dresses and handknitted linen cardis that you can wear upside down or up.

Summer 08

New Summer Knits freshly delivered only this week. Linen; in handknitted lace mixed with silk, all made in the little studio on the domestic knitting machines; Cardigans come with serious leather pins handmade for me by the equally serious shoemaker Brendon Dwyer. Available at RPM, Carlton.

Wabi Sabi

Dip Dye: I can get completely absorbed in the production process when each piece demands accuracy but also some creative license and accidental possibility; as oppossed to duplicating to fill an order for many of the same thing. The characteristics of the "wabi-sabi" aesthetic include asymmetry, asperity, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, and suggest a natural process. Production for Aurelio Costarella W09.