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indie art & design blog
winter wear: me and tex
Pink Bobble Hat (left, USD $35, less 20% for Aust. buyers) and Grey Cable Wristwarmers (right, USD $30, less 20% for Aust. buyers) by Me and Tex
The pink bobbles around Me and Tex's winter hat (above) are the cutest! Designer Judith Macrae is a Sydney-based visual artist who loves painting & drawing, good design and is excited by the many different ways to express creativity - including knitting!
Blue Aviator Helmet (left, USD $40, less 20% for Aust. buyers) and Pink Bow Cotton Beanie (right USD $30, less 20% for Aust. buyers) by Me and Tex
Judith leant to knit as a child & remembers her first experience of creating something with her own hands. Her range of unique hand-knitted accessories reveal her love of different colours & textures - especially natural fibres like wool & mohair.
Skinny Red Stripy Scarf (left, USD $38, less 20% for Aust. buyers) and Black Glamour Headband (right, USD $18, less 20% for Aust. buyers) by Me and Tex
By carefully adding little details and playing with colour combinations, Judith weaves her personality into the Me and Tex range. Each piece is equally cute & cosy! You can find more of Judith's knits at www.meandtex.etsy.com.
winter wear: lyptis
Unbrushed Tunic Dress Short (left, USD $52) and Black Circle Dress A-Line (right, USD $62 sizes XS-XL, USD $64 plus sizes 1X, 2X & 3X) by Lyptis
A cute dress which is cosy, cosy, cosy! Quite a find... Melbourne designer Franziska Ringel named her label "Lyptis" after "euca-lyptus" because "they smell so nice and are always green". Originally from Germany, she used to do drawing, photography and worked as a sound technician at punk/hardcore concerts in Berlin. Last year, she started sewing, and loves being able to make something that she and her customers can wear and use everyday.
Winter Blossoms Top (left, USD $45) and Grey Circle Dress (right, USD $64 sizes XS-XL, USD $66 plus sizes 1X, 2X & 3X) by Lyptis
The garments pictured here are made from warm, soft fabrics such as double knits and unbrushed fleece. Many Lyptis designs are also available in plus sizes, so nobody need miss out. Franziska is happy to accept custom orders too! I think my favourite is the Grey Circle Dress. Which would you choose?
You can view many more Lyptis designs at www.lyptis.etsy.com and keep up-to-date through the Lyptis "The Rant" blog.
winter wear: heidi and seek
Upcycled fun green top - 'prarie' (left, was USD $55, now USD $41) and ethical cotton knit striped winter dress / jumper - 'tommy' (right, USD $80) from Heidi and Seek
I really love Heidi and Seek's motto, "Saving the world, one cute garment at a time". It speaks volumes about the passion Melbourne maker Hayley Lau stitches into her designs. The Heidi & Seek range is comprised of one-of-a-kind handmade garments which have been upcycled and reconstructed using quality second-hand items. They are wonderful combinations of colours, fabrics, styles and details. Hayley gives each piece a "unique sense of fun and colour".
"DIY" and "we are not sheep" badges (USD $7 each) from Heidi and Seek
Heidi & Seek aims to counter the disposable nature of today's fashion industry, which relies on exploited workers to bear the cost of the low prices offered to customers. She strives for fairness and eco-friendliness in every aspect of business. The Ethics page on her web site describes her views, and the problems with common production practices within the fashion industry.
In upcycling pre-loved garments, Hayley really mixes things up - creating combinations that might not have otherwise come about. In that sense, her philosophy also contributes to the design appeal of her garments, which are often surprising, and always super cute. I love the large collars on the tops featured here, and especially the sweet gathered short-sleeve + slender long-sleeve combo. For these pieces, comfy clothes have been dressed up by the detailing!
Ethical brown blue oversized collar winter sweater jumper - 'gabbie' (left, USD $75) and upcycled red brown bow pocket winter shirt - 'paper doll' (right, USD $55) from Heidi and Seek
I just had to include pics of her fabric-covered button badges too! How gorgeous are they? Especially the pink "we are not sheep". Love it.
Heidi and Seek can be found at:
the web site - www.heidiandseek.com
the blog - Heidi and Seek and Ethical Fashion
Heidi and Seek's Etsy Store heidiandseek.etsy.com
This lovely label is also stocked at the following retail stores:
VIC: Lulu (Balaclava), Rude Health (St Kilda) and Pink String (Woodend)
ONLINE: Leeloo
winter wear: sheeps clothing
Pure Wool Beanie with Detachable Flower (was USD $27, now USD $19 for a limited time) from Sheeps Clothing's Etsy store
Since I've spent the last couple of days shivering & freezing, I decided to put together a wish list of winter woolies and cosy clothing that I would like to wear right now, all at once! (As well as a bundle of knits for the whole family - like the sweetest little girl with the cream woollen beanie above.) I went 'virtual shopping' at Etsy and spied treasures from six different Australian sellers: Sheeps Clothing from Melbourne, Heidi and Seek from Melbourne, Me and Tex from Sydney, Lyptis from Melbourne, melpdesigns from Perth and Gaye Abandon from Melbourne (I love her motto, "Remember: belly warm = body warm").
Throughout the next week, I'll be posting my favourite winteries from these lovely labels, so make sure to stay tuned!
Vintage Button Scarflette in Pure Wool (left, USD $36) and Pure Wool Scarflette (right, USD $30) from Sheeps Clothing's Etsy store
Sheeps Clothing offers a gorgeous range of hand knitted accessories in colours and sizes to suit everybody. Each one is slightly different and made to order, specially for you. I really love the vintage button detail on the scarfette above left - and the design looks particularly warm too!
Every item in the Sheeps Clothing range of hats, scarves and hair accessories is lovingly created using 100% Australian pure wool. If you don't see the size or colour you are looking for, just contact them with a custom order...
Set of Two - Sweet Knitted Flower Hair Clips with Fabric Backing (left, USD $7) and Pure Hand Dyed Wool Beanie (right, USD $27) from Sheeps Clothing's Etsy store
When Stacey's boys were babies, she began searching for high quality, great looking knitwear for them, with little luck. Since she comes from a long line of knitters, she began knitting beanies and scarves herself, and experimented with different types & styles. The comments & compliments convinced Stacey to take the next step and launch her own label - and so, in 2007, Sheeps Clothing was born.
Since then the range has been expanded to include adult sizing and a beautiful new range of vintage button accessories. We're excited to hear that the label will be expanding and even exporting to the USA this year!
Pure Wool Open Knit Hat with Flower (left, adult size, was USD $29, now USD $20 for a limited time) and Pure Wool Beanie with Detachable Flower Feature (right, child/teen sizes, USD $27) from Sheeps Clothing's Etsy store
Stacey is passionate about teaching young people to knit and has a series of workshops planned for 2009 to hopefully introduce a lifelong love of the craft.
Find out more about Sheeps Clothing at:
the web site www.sheepsclothing.com.au
the blog www.sheepsclothingknits.blogspot.com
and of course, the store www.sheepsclothing.etsy.com
Sheeps Clothing is stocked in the following retail stores in Australia:
VIC: Kids in Berlin (North Melbourne), Little by Little (Black Rock & Hampton), Meet Me at Mikes (Fitzroy), My Poppet (Caulfield South), Noah's Aeroplane (South Yarra), The Owl and The Pussycat (Sandringham) and Scadoodle (Southgate & Melbourne)
SA: Bimbo (Adelaide)
WA: Red Feathers & A Hula Skirt (Melville)
ONLINE: Leeloo.
new from shonah
NEW BROOCHES: Cream Ladder, Chocolate Giraffe, Plum Elephan & Cream Flamingo Brooches from Shonah Jewellery Design (AUD $32 each)
Having just returned from Spain & Italy, I couldn't resist posting these gorgeous new designs from Shonah Jewellery Design... We saw so many hand painted patterned tiles, and mosaics featuring mythical birds & beasts. Of course, in Rome, you barely need a handbook - there is something of historical significance around almost every corner.
Spanish Tiles Pendants from Shonah Jewellery Design (AUD $49 each)
I love the gentle colours in Shonah's Spanish Tiles Pendants - particularly the pale blue & tan combination.
European Monuments Pendants from Shonah Jewellery Design (AUD $49 each)
We first featured Shonah Tomkin's jewellery pieces back in May last year. Since then, this Melbourne-based designer has been developing new collections to add to her impressive line-up. As well as pendants and earrings, Shonah now offers brooches. The animal & object shapes really stand out, as do the fabric textures - simply dyed with warm hues of chocolate, cream, red, plum & black. Isn't the step ladder cute?! (Selected styles pictured at top.)
In The Woods Pendants from Shonah Jewellery Design (AUD $49 each)
Shonah's jewellery pieces begin life in the hands of her father, who hand crafts pieces of Tasmanian oak in a quaint country town. Shonah then combines them with resin & fabric, and has them laser cut to shape. She uses a blend of her original screen-printed fabrics, patchwork and vintage fabrics, and more recently, has sourced gorgeous fabrics from local designers such as Ink and Spindle and Shannon Lamden. The pendants above and below are from two of her new collections, "In The Woods" and "Eclectic".
Eclectic Pendants from Shonah Jewellery Design (AUD $49 each)
For more info & designs, beautiful photos, or to place an order, visit www.shonah.com, or find Shonah's pendants, brooches & earrings at one of the following stockists:
VIC: Allure of Alexandra (Alexandra), Antipodes Bookshop & Gallery (Sorrento), Arbor Redux (Brunswick), Body (St Kilda East), Five Boroughs (Brunswick East), Honey (Echuca), House of Balaclava (Balaclava), i like you (Fitzroy), Just Planet (Sunbury), Love It (Melbourne City), Queen Clothing (Collingwood & Windsor), Souk Lifestyle (Northcote & Armadale), Sentient Being (Eltham), Spoilt Gift and Homewares (Melbourne), Watermark Clothing & Lifestyle (Point Lonsdale), Wild Jam (Flemington), Wilkins and Kent (Melbourne), Wolf at the Door (Daylesford), Zinc Lifestyle and Gifts (Camberwell)
NSW: Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, Honeybee (Newcastle), Morrison (Sydney), Mushu (Balmain & Surry Hills), Precious Fusion Contemporary Jewellery & Metalwork Gallery (Stanwell Park & Cronulla), Sturt Gallery (Mittagong)
Portrait Gallery Store (Parkes), The Style Emporium (Nicholls)
QLD: D’Pinga (Noosa), Lavish Essentials (Wooloongabba), Sunnibel (Currumbin), The French Door (Paddington)
WA: Eshe (Bunbury), Lotus Accessories, Method Clothing, Morrison (Fremantle & Claremont), Spoilt (Subiaco)
SA: Ikeguchi Creative Life (Adelaide), Red Poles Gallery (McLaren Vale)
TAS: Homebody (Launceston), Luxe
ONLINE: Georgie Love, Miss Koo, Moose: Art for Living
Eclectic Fabric Pendant (AUD $49 each) and Antique Keys 2 (AUD $54) from Shonah Jewellery Design