Craft Night :: Brown Owls this Thursday

It’s mid month craft time again Owlies, and we’re going to be at the Frankie and Swiss studio. For anyone in a fabric cutting frame of mind, we’ll have plenty of scissors available to help Fiona cut out 30 aprons for her primary school art fundraiser. Else, bring your own project and chat away!

As usual, feel free to bring any delicious treats, and we’ll provide the tea, coffee and for a little something different this month – a little winter warmer - GLÜHWEIN! Delicious:)

Date: Thursday 13th June 2013

Time: 7:30pm onwards

Venue: Frankie and Swiss, Ground Floor, 199 Toorak Road, South Yarra. It’s the building on the corner of Toorak and Claremont Street. Right on the #8 tram or a 2 second walk from South Yarra station. I’ll also have parking available underneath the building. You’ll need to call me (9826 4261) to buzz you under:)

Craft: BYO a project.
 
Goodies: We will have the usuals, like tea and biscuits, and the not so usual - Gluhwein! Perfect for this getting colder every day weather. Feel free to bring something along if you would like to show off your baking skills!

RSVP: You can leave a comment here, email michelle[at]frankieandswiss.com.au or tweet me! 

See you all on Thursday!

Michelle
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Eat Drink Chic

I’ve long been a reader of Amy Moss’s blog – Eat Drink Chic, years and years in fact. So how excited were we to see that the Hot Pink Kilim cushion in The Leaf Series range made a little appearance. Happy days:) Love Eat Drink Chic, every post is full of gorgeous inspirations and beautiful things. It should be on everyone’s daily reading list! 

Michelle
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Photos from the Star Weaving Workshop

What a lovely afternoon we had on the weekend, a great group of people gathered in the studio to learn star weaving techniques from master weaver Maryann Talia Pau as part of her One Million Stars Project. This popular workshop is being run again in August as part of the Craft Cubed Festival by Craft Victoria.

Here are some photos of the day:)

 

Sat 18th May: Star Weaving Workshop with Maryann Talia Pau

 

:: Saturday 18th May 1pm-3pm :: FREE workshop

Maryann Talia Pau, an artist and aspiring ‘Master Weaver’ is using her weaving skills to bring people together to weave a star for The One Million Stars To End Violence project.

The tragic death of Jill Meagher in September 2012 and it’s profound effect on the community prompted Maryann to start weaving stars as a way to connect and reflect “I hope these stars can help us navigate a way forward with courage, creativity and strength to work for each other’s safety.”

This is her free weaving workshop where she'll teach us how to turn four pieces of ribbon into a beautiful star, a symbol of light and hope. So, get your WEave On and weave a Star for the Million Star project. Join Maryann Talia Pau at Frankie and Swiss 1-3pm on Sat 18 May.

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TO BOOK into this FREE workshop: >> RSVP HERE, email michelle[at]frankieandswiss.com.au or tweet us
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Materials: Star weaving materials provided. You are welcome to bring you own, we’ll have a pot of tea on and biscuits, if you’re inclined feel free to bring a share plate of afternoon tea!
Who: Everyone is welcome. Learn and pass it on!
Difficulty: Medium to advanced weaving technique (suitable for children 8 yrs +)
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The Design Files and Mothers Day Gift Guide

It’s a super exciting day today – and if you pop over to The Design Files and have a close look at the Mothers Day Gift Guide, you’ll know why! Our fabrics are there in the background, yay! Don’t you love all that clash, so so good:) Here’s how the fabrics came into existence:

I love hydrangeas!  It all begins with a photo of beautiful hydrangeas from the garden.

The photo is then turned by magic (aka Photoshop) into multitudes of translucent hydrangeas

And then, after a few colour and contrast tweaks on the printer, “Florence”, the hydrangeas are ready to be transformed into something new!

Voila!

Thanks to Lucy from The Design Files for featuring our fabrics! It’s all very exciting.

Do drop by The Leaf Series store to take a peak at the May/June 2013 artist collections! There’s works by Megan Hess and Martinich & Carran. And upcoming months will see works from some more amazing local talents. Stay tuned:)

Michelle
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Presenting Megan Hess + The Leaf Series

Photo from this months Adore Magazine. Photography: Armelle Habib Styling: Julie Green

That’s Megan Hess, yes that’s her! Isn’t she wonderful! Those stripey pants, STOP IT! The magical mix and match wall gallery, STOP IT!! The pink shirt, the floorboards, the sofa…And…– the CUSHION, STOP STOP IT!!

Last week she was in Paris, this week Melbourne and next week a few days in Sydney. An appointment with Chanel, Dior, Tiffany – oh it’s all in a days work. This jetsetting gal is quite incredible! She is one of the most down to earth people I know and one of the nicest.

We first met Megan last year and we’ve been cooking up this special project ever since. We’ve teamed up to present her “FASHION HOUSE” cushion range. 

Megan Hess, originally a Brisbane girl with a job at advertising agency Mojo, then a London girl with a job as Art Director for Liberty of London fabrics, is now a Melbourne girl with a passion for old world glamour and fashion. I’m most positive that if Audrey Hepburn was with us today, they’d be BFF’s.   

And I’m proud as punch to be launching The Leaf Series with Megan as one of the inaugural artists.

Photo from this months Adore Magazine. Photography: Armelle Habib Styling: Julie Green

See that cushion there – it’s called “The Couture”. And see that other cushion there – it’s called “Chanel No. 5”. There’s also “Monsieur Pug” and “The Coco Chanel Room”. They’re cushions and they’re gorgeous.

Some passionate Hess supporters have even made purchases PRIOR to The Leaf Series shop officially opening!

Photo from this months Adore Magazine. Photography: Armelle Habib Styling: Julie Green

And then there’s Megan’s new book! It’s called “Fashion House” and launched 1st April 2013. Megan SO kindly gave us a copy and I can honestly say that every page is just so pretty it hurts. Available now in all good bookstores! 

So, The Leaf Series officially opens this week and we’re super excited about it. There are amazing upcoming collaborations and we can’t wait to share:)

Leaf Series, Drawing Salon & Weaving Stars

Autumn is the time where leaves fall off trees, first turning colours, often brilliant shades of yellow and red, deep purples and burnt oranges. It heralds the end of warm summer days for another year and warns of colder times ahead. Time to bunker down and hibernate…

NOT HERE though! Things are just starting to heat up! After what seems like a ‘delay’ of a million years (having a baby will do that…), The Leaf Series is finally coming together! It’s all about the things we value and love, fun, happiness, giving and simple times. Working hard, giving back, helping others. Sharing and collaboration! Textile collaborations with Australian artists and designers –limited editions available in The Leaf Series shop! 

This month we’re presenting the Megan Hess and Martinich and Carran collections. Next month we see fruition of the Gretchenmist, Trisha Garner and Kat Chadwick projects!  More on The Leaf Series in the next few days.

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Some other exciting news is that we now share our space with The Patsy Fox Drawing Salon.  Angie teaches class twice a week and a Super Sunday once a month. There’s only a few places left to the next Sunday sesh in fact! Book here.

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Lastly, and I’ll post up proper details about this in the coming days, we’re hosting the fabulous Maryann Talia Pau’s Star Weaving Workshop in May for her “A Million Stars to End Violence” project. More details to come:)

Thats it for now!
Michelle
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Cotton Muslin, testing testing, 1,2,3

This is a super quick pre-picking up kids from school&kinder post >>Testing out a new cotton muslin fabric with a double sided print of beautiful hydrangeas from our dads garden on the Peninsula. 

The result - a nice purpley hydrangea scarf! 

Marija Basic–Unearth.co

Um, what can I say about these cushions? “OMG!” maybe, or “STUNNING” perhaps? Seriously, Marija Basic’s cushions are a tribute to her tendency towards absolute perfection. And that's what these are. Perfection.

Marija, coming from a corporate background, unleashed her creative side and embarked on this new venture – Unearth.co. And quite literally, these works are the result of an EXPLOSION of creativity, a release from the trappings of an uninspired job. Do what you love and have always wanted to do! Great stuff, good news story. Love that…A LOT.

I really am quite excited about this range as the result, printed on an off white linen, is quite amazing. The colours! The saturation! Definitely a MAGIC FABRIC that showcases Marija’s art perfectly. Husk like them too and stock them nationally.

VISIT http://www.unearth.co

Show and Tell

Jacqui and I went with our friends from Mondocherry to The Finders Keepers market in Melbourne on Friday night. And had Tess not forgotten her phone, we would have wandered around the place with her too. It seemed every stall I went to, the first words were “Michelle! Tess forgot her phone, she’s here somewhere, did you see her yet?”. Everyone else found her, except for me…anyway, lots of people there so no wonder…

In amongst chatting away to everyone, I did manage a little therapy – behold the below good stuff!

Ring by Lyndelle Flintoft (she doesn’t have a website yet)

A fave from Catherine Campbell

And this! A three way collaboration between Catherine Campbell, Ingrid Tufts & Craft Victoria

Last but not least, my new bangle from Angus and Celeste. Jac also got a bangle, we bought mum a vase, and last years Christmas presents for the family were all exclusively limited to Angus and Celeste stuff. We LOVE Angus and Celeste!

Speaking of markets, we will be showing at Design Made Trade in July. Yay. Stay tuned for more about that!

Michelle
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