That's it, you heard right: from now until the end of 2017 I'll gift wrap all purchases, for free, so you can send gifts straight to your giftee. And not just with any old paper, but with my hand screen printed gift paper. Oh, and you can buy from this shop or my freshly updated Etsy shop. This is all. Happy Thursday :)
X Susan
I had this idea yonks ago to make some mobiles, using hand painted porcelain pieces strung from wood with linen string. Like most ideas I have, it sat at the back of my brain and perpetually near the bottom of my ever growing to-do list. But the other week I finally had some time to play around with making the pieces, and it was super fun - I made some different shapes and used colours I don't usually use.
Then after the usual waiting, waiting, waiting for ceramics (for the clay to dry, then to sand it, paint it, then get it to a kiln and fire it and refire it!) the pieces were finally finished and ready to go last week, so I got to bring them to life. And I'm kind of in love and now I can't wait to make some more. The first batch are in the shop, I hope you like 'em too.
Claire Ritchie is a Melbourne-based designer/maker of bright, colourful prints, patterns and textiles. If you follow her on Instagram you'll instantly recognise her work - there are lots of florals, rainbows and great colour palettes. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Claire, her youngest daughter Freya and their very affectionate dog Fox for an afternoon, drinking tea and chatting. Oh yeah, and taking some photos.
Claire is originally from Fremantle, WA and then moved to Geelong, but in the last couple of years she's been in Melbourne's inner north. She works from her home studio, which sits in the middle of the sweet old rambling house she shares with her partner, their two daughters and Fox, the hound.
Claire's work often starts out as drawings in her sketch book and some of her hand drawn patterns are made using Posca pens - what a blast from the past for me! Her designs are then digitally printed onto ecofriendly, sustainable fabric which Claire sews into purses, clutches, hats and aprons. She soon plans launching a small line of clothing - you can see some samples in the photos below. Claire's mum had a big influence on her - she hand printed textiles and worked as a seamstress and sewer. She also had what Claire remembers as being a dream workspace, which I'm sure will be Claire's children's memory of this workspace.
Here are some snaps of Claire's space, which looks pretty dreamy to me. Oh, and I'm trialling putting photos in a slideshow, and you can hover for captions. I'd love to know if you think this works or not - feel free to send through any feedback here :)
How long have you been in your current workspace and where did you work from previously? I’ve been here for about a year. I was working from the tiny, freezing sunroom at the back of our house before this. Then I realised I could take over the formal dinning room! I’ve always worked from a home studio.
Do you prefer working alone or with/near others? I do prefer working solo. I get so focused that I block everything and everyone out. I enjoy having people around though. It's nice to have visitors and to share my space sometimes to get a new perspective or to see how others work. You can get so used to working solo that when you do share your space you think, "Wow! This is fun!!"
How many hours a week do you spend there? Ha ha, every minute I can!! No seriously I find myself floating into the studio at every opportunity. I do have two full days that I can solidly work. I have a six-year-old, Mila, and a two-year-old, Freya, so I’ve had to be smart about how I use my time. I do a lot on the weekends when my partner Dean is home. So it would probably be between about 20-30 hours depending on what's happening that week. Sometime I have to have a whole week off to spend with the girls.
What's your favourite thing about the space? I love my desk! I feel like having the right desk can really change how you work. I have everything I need on it. Computer, drawing materials and I can move close to the window and get really good light or further away and work on the computer. I can stand or sit, which is great for switching between computer work and then cutting up fabric and pattern making. I do love my window too, which I frequently find myself staring out of.
How, if at all, has a workspace (this or previous) influenced the way you work? Having everything I need in one space definitely makes me more productive. It's also got a lot of room to spread out and have everything out where I can see it. If I can't see what I'm working on I'll forget about it! Ha! It's also warm. My last space was freezing so I didn’t want to be in there as much.
What does your dream space look like? I have always wanted an old milk bar as my studio space. I would love to have a shop front with an open studio at the back. I like the idea of opening up my space for people to see.
What inspires your work? (ie: the work of others, a ritual, nature, colours, dreams) Nature, big-time! Whether it's colour, texture, shape I am always the one looking out the window daydreaming or the one collecting all the leaves and flowers in a cute little basket. I get my kids to take a basket with them on our walks and I end up filling it up!
I definitely feel inspired by people around me. I get really excited when I get to talk to other creatives. I feel like having a community of people around you who are like-minded can make a huge difference to your productivity.
I love op shopping and vintage markets. I am really drawn to all the old vintage kitchen wares. The bright colours and pastels pop up in my work a lot.
Do you have any tips for great things to do in your work hood? Walks to Merri Creek are great for getting a big gulp of fresh air. I’ll also pop out to my local op shop on Oakover Rd if I feel like I need some inspiration. And Vintage Garage is just down the road. High St. Thornbury isn’t far either and there are lots of great venues and shops to visit. Think Thornbury is a great little shop supporting local makers. I always pop in for a quick visit and then end up having awesome chats with Maggie or Josh, the owners. If I get coffee, mostly we make our own each morning but I will got to Ampersand or Short Round in Thornbury. Both venues have great plants to drool over. And on the other side of St Georges Rd in Thornbury I’ll head to Pearl Oyster. It is super chilled there and they are always smiling.
Finally, music or no music when you're working, or podcasts? If so, what/which? I have to have music. Especially when I’m drawing. I love how it affects what I’m doing. I’ve been listening to Bonobo a lot lately, and I’ve also gone back to an old favourite the Whitest Boy Alive. Their Dreams Album is ace. I also discovered, earlier in the year, a Fleetwood Mac album, before the girls joined the gang, called Men of the World: The Early Years. It is incredible and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard it before. If you opened my music right now you would see quite the mixture of different artists. All depends on how intensely I need to work! These are some… Flume, Bowie, Hermitude, Kaytranda, Big Scary, The Pharcyde, The Knife, A Tribe Called Quest and Massive Attack. Sometimes I will get up and have a little dance if I’m feeling good.
Website www.helloclaireritchie.com
Shop www.helloclaireritchie.com
Instagram www.instagram.com/claire__ritchie/ @claire__ritchie
Facebook www.instagram.com/claire__ritchie/
Pinterest au.pinterest.com/claire__ritchie/
Email helloclaireritchie@gmail.com
Thanks, Claire! And don't forget to follow Studio Space on Instagram: @studiospace_ #hellostudiospace or sign up to the mailing list below and be the first to find out about new studio visits.
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Words and photos © Susan Fitzgerald.
Today I *finally* visited Fibresmith, an amazing new cloth and yarn shop in Yarraville, and had my mind blown with loveliness. It's run by Leslie, of Maze and Vale, with the help of lovely staff Alison and Kara. The shop's a great edit of yardage and fabric pieces, yarn, buttons, mags, supplies and more and I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area and into such things. It's also the only place you can buy Leslie's amazing screen printed fabric and hand dyed yarn, which is worth travelling for. And of course I couldn't resist taking some snaps. Prepare to SWOON.
Skeins of Leslie's handdyed Fibresmith yarn. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.
Leslie Keating in her shop, Fibresmith. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.
Lots of lovely looking goodies. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.
Wooden buttons. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.
Pinboard of goodness, with lots of Clover products. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.
The whole Fibresmith yarn range. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.
A rainbow of thread. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.
The shop's exterior. Photo by Susan Fitzgerald.
If you're interested in seeing more of Leslie's work, she was actually the very first person I visited for my side project Studio Space, when she worked out of West Footscray (she now has a studio in West Melbourne).
It's nearly September...what?! To celebrate entering the ninth month of the year, all September orders will receive a little Hei Hey Hallo Hi! screen printed postcard. Cute! I'm also working on a little card idea using some multi-coloured designs I've created lately.
Also coming soon - some more art prints, on the best textured paper ever. It's taken me years to find a stock that I like and this is it (below). Hope you like too. Watch this space.
X Susan
If you are looking for a fun craft project for yourself, a gift or the school holidays, why not try making a custom felt pillowcase?! So easy, so fun and they make a great personalised gift. In place of a pillowcase you could use a tea towel, T-shirt, a piece of fabric (then frame or use as part of a quilt) - so many options! I made a few of them recently and here are my very basic instructions.
1-2 hours
Paper and coloured pencils
Sewing machine
Iron
Sharp scissors
Pins
Blank pillowcase (or T-shirt/ tea towel/ fabric piece)
Various pieces of coloured felt
Coloured thread to match the felt (or use a contrasting colour!)
Iron-on interfacing
Take your paper and pencil and sketch out a little version of your pillowcase, and mark up the shapes and letters you’d like to include on it. Think about the scale of the different objects, and what colour you’d like them to be, and mark/colour in any of this detail.
Once you’ve finalised your design, sketch out to-scale versions of the shapes and letters onto another piece of paper. Cut the paper shapes out.
Iron the interfacing onto the reverse of the felt pieces, using a low heat (so you don’t burn the felt!) This will give it a bit of reinforcement, and will also make it easier to sew.
Pin the paper shapes onto the front of the felt, and cut them out with sharp scissors.
Arrange the felt pieces onto the pillowcase, and pin them in place.
Topstich the felt pieces onto the pillowcase, about 3mm from the edge of the felt, backstitching at the start and end. I use a wide stitch and set my machine to its lowest speed. Don’t worry if some of them end up a bit wonky - this adds to the charm.
Admire your handiwork!
If you make one, I'd love to see it so remember to share (tag me on Instagram @hellospinspin) :)
