white on oatmeal

Yes! A twiggy tea towel. Was nice to be back in the studio today and to print a new design. Am really loving the texture of these oatmeal tea towels and am rather pleased with how they turned out.

quilted cuff

What began as a quick little gift idea for a friend - this afternoons cuff making turned into such a great way to use up small scrap pieces of fabric lying around in my studio that I ended up not just making the one, for my friends birthday, but a whole heap of them. Perhaps they may just have to come along with me to the next handmade market...

twiggy

This is a new pattern that I have been working on - inspired by a little arrangement of twigs that I was playing around with. I think it still needs a little tweaking but am pretty happy with it so far.

handmade living

Am very excited to be able to share with you all, a sneak peak of the gorgeous new creation of the handmade market and shop handmade team. In support of both these highly successful ventures - is a publication that features many talented designers and inspiring ideas, how-to's and much more.

I may even have a little something to share with you all in there too - but you will just have to wait to find out what!! Luckily we don't have to wait too long - it is due to be released early December...just in time for Chrissy!! You can even pre-order a copy here!!

Formosa Design

Pictures by Formosa

One of the great things about being a resident at Megalo Print Studio is getting the opportunity to meet other designers such as the lovely Jennifer Berney of Formosa Design .

Formosa, which is Latin for 'beautiful', is true to its name. The hand-printed textile range which is inspired by Australian nature is beautifully printed on high quality 100% organic cotton hemp fabric - using water based inks. This wonderful blend of natural design and process is brought together to create a gorgeous hand crafted range - including cushions, t-shirts, bags, tea towels and more.

You can read more about Formosa and her gorgeous collection here!

Buckles

Ha! Found it, finally! Having just retrieved this image from the buried file, full of disregarded pattern ideas and random experimentation - I am inspired to dust it off and reconsider its potential as a fabric print. With the new range that I have in mind - well, I think so. Stay tuned!

Line

Maija Louekari

Miina Äkkijyrk

Gosia Wlodarczak

Gosia Wlodarczak

I have been preoccupied with line imagery lately and thinking about a new direction for my work. Not that I plan on moving away from the organic shapes and textures that I have become comfortable with - but more a way of complementing and exploring these elements.

Last year, in exploring ideas in my honours work, I experimented briefly with a bind contour drawing of suitcase buckles in my collections and put this drawing into a repeat design. I remember being really intrigued by the finished pattern (which I am desperately trying to find in my poorly organised hard drive) and thinking about exploring this idea further. Blind contour drawing is a process I really enjoy and often a starting point for my design process.

Above are some artists who instantly spring to mind when I think about line and design. Marimekko designers; Maija Louekari and Miina Äkkijyrk and Gosia Wlodarczak's work are examples of the energy and freedom that I am interested in exploring - combined with bold areas of colour! My mind is already full of ideas!

Nami Yamamoto

Radiant Flux (detail), 2008,
handmade paper: abaca with phosphorescent powder

Miniature Garden, 2006, cut paperMiniature Garden, 2006, cut paper

So, I may have let my little weekly 'pocket collection' series slide, for now, but may have just come accross the inspiration to kick me in the bum and begin collecting and arranging again. Yamamoto uses her disparate collection of natural and man-made ephemera to inspire her beautiful paper-cut series. Her arrangements are simply stunning!

New Shop Handmade display

I have borrowed these images off the gorgeous Shop Handmade blog which captures their new shop display featuring loads of my products. Very exciting, indeed! Can you spot the chickens? These were a creation of my mother (aka, second bird) using off-cuts of my hand printed fabric. Thank you, Handmade ladies! You're wonderful :)