Cloud9 in Australia! Duh!

April 1, 2016

Did you know that you can get yardage from the amazing Cloud9 Fabric Collective in Australia, at shops? I have been a fan for so long but I did not know this. Where have I been, hiding under a rock?!* Yep, and from Spotlight, no less. And maybe other stores too? Please do comment if you know of other shops around Melbourne that are stockists. And yes, I know I could have bought the fabric online but there is something to be said for going into a shop, seeing the colours and feeling the texture (organic and so, so soft!), watching someone cut your order to size and then going home with it there and then. Yep, super old school.

Here's a selection of what I've bought recently:

Leaf Sampler from Eloise Renouf's First Light collection for Cloud9. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

Rows. Columns. Pink. From Sarah Watson's Garden Secrets collection for Cloud9. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald. — Rows. Columns. Pink. From Sarah Watson's Garden Secrets collection for Cloud9. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

Midnight Flora from Elizabeth Olwen's Wildwood collection for Cloud9. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

Escapade from Avril Loreti's Let's Have a Party collection for Cloud9. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald. — Escapade from Avril Loreti's Let's Have a Party collection for Cloud9. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

True Colours from Avril Loreti's Let's Have a Party collection for Cloud9. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald. — True Colours from Avril Loreti's Let's Have a Party collection for Cloud9. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

Now I'm hoping I'll soon be able to get, locally, the Cloud9 collection from Skinny Laminx, called Up, Up and Away, Kindred from Lisa Congdon, Landscape from local superstars Ink & Spindle and the brand-new, amazing TWO collections from Leah Duncan, Lore and Yucca (here's a full list of designers & their collections - pretty impressive). Fingers and toes crossed.

And if you're not familiar with the US-based Cloud9, here's a bit of background, from their website:

Since 2009, Cloud9 Fabrics is the proud leading source for organic cotton fabric for the home sewing enthusiast. Cloud9 Fabrics uses only 100% certified organic cotton in the manufacturing of our base cloths and eco-responsible low impact dyes for printing and dying. We work closely with mills that are committed to ethical and responsible conduct. This includes respecting the rights of all individuals, a devotion to sustained social compliance, and an accountability to the environment. We work with artists who inspire us, so that we may inspire you. Cloud9 Fabrics is committed to bringing beautiful and unique fabrics to the home sewing marketplace and places a strong emphasis on the distinction of our artists, designers and licensing partners.

And why organic fabric? Cloud9 put it so well:

Organic cotton has a low-impact on the environment and handlers. It is grown and harvested by methods that do not use toxic pesticides, herbacides, fertilizers or defoliants. It relies on natural methods which includes (but is not limited to) crop rotation and cow manure for soil fertility; beneficial predator insects; lengthened growing periods for natural defoliation; and hand-picking, which results in less waste. The statistics from various countries on the health issues of the farmers and handlers of chemically treated crops are startling. The health benefits of organically grown cotton are clear, as are the environmental aspects: reduced toxins and pollutants which infiltrate both the soil and water systems and consequently all living things. It might also be interesting to know also that the cottonseed meal, which is a byproduct of the ginning process, including that of chemically treated cotton, is fed to livestock and can come to us in the form of cottonseed oil in our foods.

As an aside, years ago I remember reading co-founder/creative director Michelle Engel Bencsko's new year's resolutions (well, that's what I think it was...) on her blog - an inspiring list of how she was going to expand the business. Well, her hard work really has paid off, it's great to see. Now to find the time to actually do some sewing...

* Disclaimer: I have such a huge fabric stash that I've not allowed myself into a fabric store for a very...long...time. So while I've been under a rock, the entire rest of Australia is probably aware that you've been able to get Cloud9 here forever!

Madeleine and Hug, her cat (if you look closely!)

Studio Space: Madeleine Stamer

February 29, 2016

Madeleine Stamer's studio, complete with custom-built, huge window

Madeleine Stamer, of Little Circus Design, is a Melbourne-based artist, illustrator, visual art teacher and all-round clever, super lovely person. When I stumbled across an Instagram photo of her brand new, custom-built studio early this year, I was blown away. It looked like the perfect little place to work, a stand-alone building in the backyard of the amazing house she shares with her husband Karl and two daughters, Wilhelmina and Ada. I'm so glad she was happy to let me loose in the space and snap away, so I can share it here!

Chatting to Madeleine, I discovered she began her creative life as a ceramicist, producing large-scale sculptural pieces, but 10 years ago she picked up paint brushes and started illustrating and hasn't looked back. She now splits her work time between her new studio and teaching art part-time 2 days a week to primary school children.

Madeleine's illustration work features strong, decorative line work, bold, folk-inspired patterns, Mexican-inspired motifs and quirky Australiana themes. She works on large-scale paper and often starts with a rough sketch, then uses traditional brush and ink work and finally, watercolours, to bring her ideas to life. She then produces small print runs of her work, along with other limited edition pieces, which you can buy from her shop. I asked Madeleine some questions about her work and workspace, here they are.

The view of Madeleine's workspace, standing in the doorway

MADELEINE STAMER: Q&A

How long have you been in the space and where did you work previous to this?

Our builder began transforming our old shed mid-2015 and completed work around September the same year. It took me a few months to properly transition into the studio. A large chunk of my materials and furniture remained in the house where I worked prior. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to share studio spaces with some really amazing creatives but I’ve come to realize that I work best from home, which involves less chatting and procrastination.

How great does this Bride & Wolfe shelf look, and that cactus...

How many hours a week do you spend there?

Not as much as I’d like at the moment but once the kids resume school I’ll knuckle down into a few new projects. It would do my head in if I had to clock on and off but if I have an urgent deadline, you’ll find me in there around the clock. Otherwise, I’m in and out processing orders or bunkering down for a few solid hours here and there, creating new work.

How, if at all, has the space influenced your work?

I’ve only recently moved in but I’m sure the coziness, solitude and sweet tunes will reveal its magic within my work over the coming months. I’m looking forward to working through the seasons, daydreaming and staring out of the big window, taking in the garden - it will all play its part.

What would your dream workspace look like?

I truly have my dream workspace, lucky me!!! It’s been nearly 20 years in the making but I can finally say I’ve hit the jackpot! My husband and I bit the bullet mid 2015 and decided to transform our old tin garage into a studio. We kept the existing concrete slab and internal framework of the old garage. The original garage was longer than necessary, so we chopped off a third to gain more garden. Our excellent builder, Mr. Radbuild, re-clad the exterior, re-roofed it and he custom built a massive square window inspired by a cute little barn style home that I spotted on Pinterest. I rely on natural light during the day and the cool concrete floor is a blessing on super hot days. We’re pleased that we were able to salvage a large portion of the existing structure and introduced a whirlybird for air circulation, keeping the studio as environmentally sustainable as possible. Our liquidambar tree acts as a humongous umbrella in summer, keeping the temp relatively cool.

Which other creatives inspire you (personally or professionally)?

I feel very blessed to be a part of two amazing Melbourne creative families, The Jacky Winter Group and Greenhouse Interiors. The camaraderie amongst the artists is pretty goddamn special and I love seeing what everyone’s getting up to across their respective social platforms. My husband runs Lantern Printing. I am often bumping into his clients, some whom have become good friends. We often plot and plan art swaps, collaborations and future projects, which gets the creative juices flowing! I rely heavily on Instagram to peek into the world of other creative folk. If you take a look at who I follow, you’ll get a good idea of who floats my boat ;o)

Thanks so much to Madeleine for sharing her wonderful space!

MADELEINE STAMER: LINKS

The Jacky Winter Group

Greenhouse Interiors

Lantern Printing

And don't forget to follow Studio Space on Instagram @studiospace_ #hellostudiospace

2010

February 19, 2016

This is what I was doing back in 2010, which is what, SIX YEARS AGO NOW (?!) - taking photos while on holiday in Europe. I always take the same kind of photos - of rusty old things, plants in cracked pots, washing on lines, dodgy shops and buildings that are falling apart. And food. I think it drives Jed, my boyfriend, mad as I'm always stopping...but when I see a fern growing in an old coffee tin I just can't resist. We were away for two months and covered a bit of ground, so I had the chance to snap a lot of pot plants, be prepared. Enjoy!

All the main stops on a bus trip from Montenegro through to Croatia

More pot plants in Serbia. I told you I take a lot of photos of pot plants!

I'm now obsessed with preserving things, probably because I saw this in Serbia

Falling-down pastel buildings in Hungary

Jed and I, smiling like dweebs, proper tourist style

Giveaway!

February 18, 2016

Just a heads up - if you join the mailing list before the end of February you'll go in the running to win a gift pack including fabric mix pack. Woo! And I'll be listing fabric mix packs in the shop soon and am keen to know if sewers out there are interested in small packs of scraps, medium packs for cushion-type things or larger packs with more pieces, for quilts and things like that. And is quilting fabric preferrer over a medium weight? I'd love your feedback, let me know what you think!

X Susan

January

February 12, 2016

I spent a lot of January doing nothing. Here are some pictures I took from the very start of the year, at Lakes Entrance, East Gippsland (where my boyfriend's dad lives) and Sale. We often visit mid-winter, so I was super excited to be going to the lakes and the beach in summer. And then it basically rained the whole time we were there. Oh well, I read a lot. And took a lot of photos, as you can see. I love taking photos of other people's houses. I hope you like looking at them.

Spencer Harrison and his artwork-in-progress. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

Studio Space: Spencer Harrison

January 28, 2016

For the first instalment of Studio Space for 2016 I visited the workspace of Spencer Harrison, a graphic artist, designer, illustrator and educator, based in Melbourne. You might have seen some of his work around - he creates eye-catching patterns under the name Rhythm and Repeat and recently designed the excellent book The Craft Companion. He also sets aside time to work on his art practice and on top of that, he teaches graphic design part-time. Oh, and he's got degrees in both nanotechnology and visual communication and he's not yet 30!

His studio is in a bright, light-filled shared space in North Fitzroy, tucked at the end of an alley you can't even see from the main street. The space seems to suit him well - it's an old warehouse, so he doesn't have to be too precious about spills when he's painting, and he's got enough space to jump around from computer-based work to drawing, screen printing and painting.

Artwork for Spencer's upcoming exhibition covers an entire wall of his studio. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

SPENCER HARRISON: Q&A

How long have you been in the space and where did you work previous to this?

I've been at my current studio for about a year and a half now. Previously I've moved around various shared studio spaces around Melbourne, generally based on my needs at the time. Some were great for more graphic design work, others for meeting potential clients and in the case of this one, more suited for art and making a bit of a mess.

Spencer's studio is at the end of a small number of shared spaces. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

How many hours a week do you spend in your studio?

Ha ha a lot of time! I go there pretty much every working day and treat it just like going to work. The only difference is I hate 9am starts so generally get there around 10.00-10.30 and work until 6.00 or 7.00. When I'm working on an exhibition though I can end up practically living there and spending long days working on my artworks. I do like to change things up every now and again though and spend a day working from the library or from home.

The studio entrance. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

How, if at all, has the space influenced your work?

Like most of the shared spaces I've been in, the people in the spaces have had the biggest influence on me and my work. We often swap tips, have a chat and a cup of tea or even give each other little pep talks when we are in creative slumps. It's given me a lot more confidence professionally and creatively being around other professional creatives and has also lead to lots of opportunities here and there also. On a more practical level, just having the space to have a large amount of various materials and space to create in has given me a lot more flexibility to create and try different things.

Mixing and testing paint colours. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

Colour swatches. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

What would your dream workspace look like?

The space I have at the moment is pretty close to my dream workshops! I would love to have an even bigger studio with a dedicated screen printing area and washout area, a photography setup and maybe a big garden outside that I can hang in and draw. Oh and if were talking dream studio I'd also have a private in-house DJ that would spin my favourite tracks all day and also an in-house chef...maybe one day!

Initial sketches for each piece in Spencer's upcoming exhibition. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

Sketches coming to life. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.

Which other creatives inspire you (personally or professionally)?

At the moment I'm very inspired by a lot of artists from the past and am spending a lot of time reading about them, how they worked, how they found their ideas and who their influences were. I'm interested in what motivated these artists and their creative processes more so than the finished outcomes. Some favourites at the moment include Keith Haring, Matisse, Picasso, Joan Miro, Jean Arp and many others. Another creative that has inspired me quite a bit recently has been David Hockney, mainly due to his constant curiosity and bravery to constantly be exploring and changing the style of his art. I've also been discovering a lot of amazing Australian artists recently, mainly through exhibitions at the NGV Ian Potter and Heidi Gallery. A couple of my recent favourites have been Robert Delaunay and Melinda Harper, both with such amazing work!

A big thanks to Spencer for sharing his thoughts and his space. If you want to see his upcoming exhibition, you've got one chance, as it's only on for one day (which also happens to be his 30th birthday.)

Exhibition:

Synesthesia Friday March 4th 2016, 6.00pm-9.00pm, Work-Shop, 195 Argyle St, Fitzroy.