Thursday, October 31, 2013

The story of a dress

I love what I do.
And even more so when I have some very loyal and very lovely customers.
It really makes my job a pleasure!


Meet Anna Spurling.
Beautiful isn't she?
Anna contacted me a while ago asking me to make a dress for her to wear for a professional photo shoot. The images to be used for her new project, a wonderful blog dealing with some hard hitting and quite personal stuff, Colour me Anna.
We had a wonderful collaboration on fabrics and colours, and Anna was sweet enough to put her trust in me to come up with something suitable.
I was so flattered, but I also clapped my hands with delight when Anna sent me through this picture.
It's so nice to see something I've made looking so great.
Anna, you're the best!
And a big thanks to Cricket Studio for the fabulous photo.


Monday, October 28, 2013

Meanwhile...


Funny how making a quilt by hand seems to take forever, but then all of a sudden you reach the end, and there it is, on a bed, and looking as if it was always meant to be there.


Of course I've started another, this one a straightforward scrap quilt, only made complicated by the size of the fabric pieces. I decided on 10cm squares, sewn into blocks of 4.
I need 144 of those blocks.
I'm up to 50.
It's going to take a little while! 
Especially because I'm using offcuts from my other making, so I need to collect pieces to use as I go.


It's ok, there is a satisfaction in taking it slow.


But I felt the need for something else that was going to be quicker to put together.
Inspired by the free form quilting of Maze & Vale, I raided my stash and have just finished another very quick quilt top.
There was a satisfaction in not worrying about having anything lining up, no measuring, no precision cutting.
Just a piece it as you go approach.
Quite different, but fresh and bright.
I like this one too.


Monday, October 14, 2013

Defining ourselves



My friend Sal and I have been working away for the last couple of months organising this little market for our home town of Apollo Bay.
Last year was great fun, and we had such good feedback, we thought we'd do it all again!
Now that it's getting closer, we're getting pretty excited.
And in some terrifying news, a local radio station in Colac wants to interview us. 
Yikes.
It's got me to thinking about who and what The Bay & Beyond Market is.
Sal and I tossed this around too.
Are we craft? Are we art? Are we design?
What's in a name?
The more you think about this, the trickier it gets.
In this age, the word 'craft' seems to have picked up unfortunate associations, even though I love the connection to the Arts & Crafts movement of William Morris and his contemporaries. A movement that came about as a reaction against the mass production of the industrial age, and valued the skills and craftsmanship involved in producing something by hand. 
Nothing wrong with that is there? In fact, it's possibly more relevant now than ever.
But then, what about the idea of referring to ourselves as designers? That carries a certain weight of professionalism about what we do.
What if we don't actually make every single thing by our own hand?
Are we artists too? Or artisans even?
I really hope I don't get asked to define ourselves in that interview!
Oh, and take a look at the fabulous artists/craftspeople/designers/makers that are on board this year over here. And save the date!




Thursday, October 3, 2013

The Finders Keepers


Yes, it's that time again!
I'm in a mess of packing here today, but it'll all come together in time for me to travel up to Melbourne tomorrow morning, all ready for 6pm Friday.
I can't wait, I hope I'll see you there!