Iceberg weaving

Well Mell what do you think? I think these could be fantastic weavings.What do you think? a challange for the summer holidays?

Lacroix

I love the colours in this suit. How would you translate it Melly?
C Madeleines

Satin weave

So Melly,
Thoughts are pleats with anchoring rows of satin weave. pleats will be unwoven with glass beads on the warp threads. Thoughts? to start with clear beads with pink satin anchoring passes. Wonder if I could have monfilament in the warp?

Belly

What is Vintage ? and where can it lead weaving projects ?

 I collect vintage clothing, well I have a small collection and they are chosen for the garments design, textile or embellishment.  It is an open criteria and is purely an ascetic pleasing  to me and not about the garment's designer or previous owner/s which is why most people collect vintage clothing. As I look at my collection and other garments I want to collect there is a theme or design ascetic running through the collection. Its seems to be the  1950's. So to describe some of my garments:

• Dress number one ( image 1) is a heavy pink satin which is totally beaded with loops of glass beads.  
• Dress number two ( Image 2) blue satin with black lace over lay.
• Dress number three ( image 3) is a green silk satin jacquard woven pattern fitted with draper sections at the neck and hem. This also come with a matching swing coat.

So if we are looking at contemporary weaving, how would these garments influence a body of work. Looking at dress number one pleats come to mind, beaded pleats these are something I have been researching for a number of years and would like to develop this in to lights or window-wall panels that could emit light collected from the sun. So thoughts turn to the other two garments what could they be?

where oh where has passion gone?

I am feeling a distinct lack of passion in my life at the moment. So I have begun the search (actually, I seem to start this a lot..hmm) with Pattern (with a definite capital 'P'). Some old friendly favorites and some new..

 Kaffe Fasset's fabric designs

 Islamic tiling

 Rachel Paxton's paintings

 Liberty's silk chair

Haroshi's recycled skateboards

So that's a little smattering of my pattern project folder. It's turning into an interesting and eclectic collection. Weird too.

--melly

Finally some weaving

So I've been playing about with the undulating warp I put on ages ago. And some of the metalic thread we bought a few weeks ago. What do you think? Oh yeah, and because of the nature of the structure, it slippery-slides everywhere. But I actually like it doing that.

Liz Williams - Architects of Cloth

Craft Australia Living Treasure series

Liz Williamson website

Object  Gallery: Education Kit

Sophie Mallebranche

Two of my favourite things weaviong and metal. I stumbled on this weaver and love her work. it is very simple but at the same time amazingly beautiful.
Sophie Mallebranche 

Got to love a red sofa

Oh Melly don't you just love this! I wish I could have it. But seems its from the UK and I am sure out of my price range I will just admirer it on line. I always figure,  no price  = can't afford it!
Talisman

Just have to share

 Photographer Jessica Bialek

The Design Files is a fantastic design site and blog and this weeks guest blogger is the Australian Ballet. How could I not share this image? You just have to follow the blog this week it is an exceptional insight into the workshops of the Australian Ballet.
The Design Files
Australian Ballet Guest Blog 
The Australian Ballet

Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future

 Valentino | Evening gown | Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2003, Model 130 | Strapless evening gown with low-set draped pale crimson chiffon sleeves, a train with appliqué pleated crimson taffeta rosettes and red strass crystals in their centres, and pink and grey taffeta rosettes in its lining; fabric: Buche-Guillaud; embroidery: Marabitti | Collection: Valentino Archives | Photograph: Jean Tholance

This weekend was spent in Brisbane so we could see the Valentino show at GOMA Brisbane. It was a fantastic show but the crowds were unbelievable. I could have spent the whole weekend in there if it wasn't for the crowds. So now to pour over the catalogue and wish I was sewing again. We stumble on 2 great fabric shops in Brisbane which were little gems and I didn't get any details as they were both shut when I saw them. So I guess I have to go back to Brissie to find them. I remember one was in an arcade best google it, found it, and it  is called  Beth-Wyn Couture Fabrics in the Brisbane arcadebut the other eludes me.

Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future
Belly :)

From Design Concept to Weave Structure

This was a bit of fun from some of the work I did during my holidays. The starting point was an idea from a book called Caffeine for the Creative Mind - to take photos of as many round objects as possible. That was it really. At the time I had just bought a beautiful Moelskin grid book (*sigh* i do love stationery...) and was discussing design exercises with an architecture student friend of mine. So this is the progression - quite a few leaps in between but that's how play works for me..

 The initial round image.

Design play on graph paper.

Weave draft.

This was definitely a fun little exercise - I can think of about 5 other different variations of this draft - was very good for brain exercise!

--mel

Architectural Ornament

These are a few photos from my ramble around Sydney. I became quite obsessed with photographing these little details - they're everywhere if you look. I do have problems with the style - most of these buildings are built around 1850ish so what is this style? Neo-Greek? Very flourishy.

A few things like this are really making me look at a lot of historical ornamental design. I think it was sparked by reading some of Lacroix's historical influences..

--mel

Great Storage

I have to say this is a great piece of art and storage all in one. May be this could be a solution for the studio but not to sure how you would keep bugs away. Being out in the country has it's drawbacks. I wish my studio looked like this as well, but how can you be a fluff bunny and have a studio looked this glamorous? Belly
Image came fromover at  Table Tonic

Developments in craft and design

Developments in craft and design

Rugs and Spring and Things

This post is a little overdue, but I'm trying to catch up on a few things over the holidays.

Most importantly, I have started my rug! I'm enjoying it so much - I'm using colours from our Lacroix exhibition ideas, so I aiming it for that - it may or may not suit the exhibition but either way I'm having fun!

 Sprintime at Sturt is always beautiful! This is an exercise I set for a student in my class - a garden colour wheel.

 This is a simply enormous peony that somebody picked - so beautiful - about 30cm in diametre.

 A wonderfully inspirational Vogue issue - perfect!

 These are just some adds from the same issue - inspired me to do some scarf designs from the textures. I'm thinking next year's scarves might include some bunny fur!

--mel

Colour sampling

A Weekend at Bundanon

Well here I am, finally writing another blog entry! I took my time!

On the weekend I visited Arthur and Yvonne Boyd's property 'Riversdale' and 'Bundanon' on the Shoalhaven River about 20mins from Nowra, NSW. I organized a group visit with the Friends of Sturt for an overnight stay and play. The 'Riversdale' property is one of the most inspirational places I have visited for a long time - I have been looking forward to it for ages!
So here's a quick tour of how I spent my time...

I started with some spinning looking out over the amazing view, because I hadn't spun for years and I was really missing it. The photo is of some of the other FOS gals.

But what I really loved was going for walks. I followed the creek for a while...
And found some natural weaving!
And settled down under a palm leaf.Where I started noticing the micro-world... as I usually do! - Beautiful, lucsious different types of moss.

And I do love the beautiful details of lichen. This is a great illustration of L-systems which I have been investigating lately.
And beautiful buttons of fungi - I find the different browns in this stunning!
And cute little orange buttons...
And this little stunner in reds - never seen it before.
And I did actually do a little bit of sketching - just some quick linework of the shadows falling on the page.
Had a very rejuvinating time!
--Mel