Hatchling of the Month: Reckless Exuberance

Our Craft Hatch artist for the month of May is Allysha Coghlan of textiles label Reckless Exuberance. A recent RMIT graduate, Allysha launched her label not too long ago with a range of products including knitted backpacks, hoods, neckpieces and headwear - perfect Autumn accessories! We first came across Allysha's work at one of the loveliest shops in Melbourne, Dagmar Rousset (157 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy) and were bowled over by the knitted backpacks (pictures to follow below!). You'll be able to get your hands on said backpacks through our online shop soon - it'll be up next week!

So without further ado, here's an interview + studio visit for you to enjoy. Enjoy!

Hello Allysha! Please tell us more about yourself and your label, Reckless Exuberance.

I completed a degree in Textile Design in 2009 at RMIT. This was an amazing adventure where I learnt so much about textiles, how to create them and the endless possibilities they have.

I always loved working with textiles, I realized this in high school and experimented with handcrafts a lot. In the textile design course I majored in knitting which I adored from the beginning. Working with yarn, colours and creating patterns and textures excited me so much.

When I finished my degree I moved into a studio with some friends and continued experimenting with my knitting but also focused on creating entire objects, which is something I hadn’t had much of a chance to do throughout the course. The process of gaining inspiration and then taking a journey into creating a functional object is something I really enjoyed.

Through this experimentation I wanted to push the idea of what knitting should/can be used for. I felt as though people use knitting for a finite purposes, when really the possibilities are endless. From this I developed an array of products, which lead me to create my label, Reckless Exuberance.

What it’s like to produce one of your products from start to finish? We’d love to hear what processes and materials are involved!

It begins with an idea., whether this be a colour combination, a product concept or a pattern.

I take this to my knitting machine along with some yarn and we play around for a while. Often I make mistakes that lead me in an entirely different direction to what I had initially imagined. My Passap knitting machine can be temperamental just as I can throughout this process and it can be slow at times but once a product is developed and recorded then I can continue on another venture. This is recreating the same product in varying colours, sizes and patterns as I generally make one-off pieces.

It’s a journey that I love for all its twists and turns. Pieces are made, joined together, embellished and finished. It’s a magical journey that is exciting.

Speaking of materials, please tell us more about the materials that you use. How does sustainability play a part in your practice?

Materials-wise its all about the yarn. I have begun using mostly wool, at least for my winter items. I get all my yarn from a local shop in Coburg called Yarn Barn [CLOG: psst, Craft Vic members enjoy 10% off at Yarn Barn!] who have the most amazing array of colours. I am bewildered every time I go there.

As I was unable to find the buttons that I desired I began making my own buttons from polymer clay. This is also a wonderful process, which allows me to explore shapes and colours combinations suited to my knitted pieces.

In relation to sustainability, aside from using natural fibres my process is a particularly sustainable one. There is barely any waste as each item it made to the right shape for the product rather than being cut and sewn. My knitting machine and linker are both manually run by me which means no power is used. All finishing and embellishments are also done with my own two hands. I value these aspects and think they contribute to the individuality and beauty of each piece.

What do you have planned next for your business in 2011?

I have just committed to working on my business full-time. This is rather exciting, as it has usually come secondary to other commitments. I’m hoping to expand my business significantly by selling regularly at markets, online and hopefully in some more retail stores. I currently stock select products in a beautiful shop on Gertrude Street, Fitzroy called Dagmar Rousset, which I hope to continue.

I am also working on expanding into fashion garments. I hope to always allow my product range to evolve and change.

What other skills would you like to learn?

I have attempted to learn how to spin my own yarn. I tried in high school but I think I would like to return to this. Handspun yarn can have such a lovely organic feel to it. It is a nice process too, taking something from such a raw form into something you can knit with.

The unique handcrafts in traditional textiles around the world offer infinite techniques I would like to learn. The embroidery of India, Thailand and South America are skills I would like to learn.

Being more of an artistic person than a business-minded person I have taken it upon myself to learn how to run my business on a more professional level. I have recently completed a business course and gained many new skills in financials and marketing. Now it is a matter of putting these skills into play.


Who are some artists or fellow makers who been an inspiration for you?

There are many artists and makers that have inspired me but to name a few, the works of Vali Myers, John Olsen, Icelandic Love Corporation, Celia Birtwell and Tamar Mogendorff have all affected me.

In relation to knitwear Jenny Kee, Rodarte and Purl Harbour have all influenced me, and my work. There are so many more but I find it hard to recollect them all.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I often find myself inspired by people and places. One of my favourite things to do is attend festivals deep in the bush where people move and dress with such reckless exuberance. In these places people are uninhibited and free in the way they move, dress and interact. I observe and become very inspired here.

People and their expressions and interactions wherever they may be are things I observe and that I think influence my work.

I find myself particularly inspired by nature too. Looking up close and from afar at the obscure elements, textures and colours that occur naturally is something I always do. Whether in the bush or even in Brunswick, where I live, there is always beautiful plants, creatures and such that present amazing inspiration.

I find the magazine Dumbo Feather with its brilliant articles and photography to be a great source. I like to look in sci-fi illustration books that I have collected and old National Geographic magazines that my father gave me. Books and magazines of all kinds inspire me. I often go to my local library to explore and find information.

And finally, what can we expect to see at the May Craft Hatch market? Any favourite products of yours that we should keep an eye out for?

At the May Craft Hatch much winter warm goodness will be on offer. Long gloves and hoods are key items for rugging up. Backpacks and neck-pouches will be on offer, both of which are functional and yet still fun. Knitted headpieces will also be available which come in all different shapes and are a great finishing touch for an outfit.

Allysha will be at the next Craft Hatch on Sat 14 May at the City Library, 253 Flinders Lane from 11am-4pm. See you there!


All images courtesy of Allysha Coghlan/Reckless Exuberance

Exhibition opening tonight, 6-8pm!

Hello everyone! We hope all you had a happy and restful break over the long, long weekend. We've been busy getting ready for our next round of exhibitions, and it gives us great pleasure to invite to this evening's opening.

Please join us in celebrating the opening of solo exhibitions by Michelle Hamer, Kate Just and Chaco Kato from 6-8pm today. PS, did we mention that there'll be some fine red and white wine courtesy of Baddaginnie Run for you to enjoy?

Keep on reading for information about these shows...

Michelle Hamer, Dangling Carrots
with projections by Cat Wilson
Gallery 1

Dangling Carrots is Michelle Hamer’s tenth solo show in just five years of exhibiting. Her hand-stitched tapestries on perforated plastic explore personal, suburban and urban limits. The works, based her own photographs taken during the Global Financial Crisis, continue her interest in socio-historic documentation through signage.

This new series questions the ‘suburban dream’ ideal. Large tapestries of signage within everyday suburbia are accompanied by smaller tapestries of ‘No Road’ signage. Taken at different suburban edge locations these signs literally mark edges and raise personal questions of how to proceed when life appears to be a series of challenges. Dangling Carrots explicitly questions the contemporary relevance of the ‘suburban dream’ in a post GFC climate. How do we reconcile edges and endless sprawl with environmental ideals of greater density? Do our dreams have limits or is that just reality?

Hamer’s works explore the small in-between moments of apparent ‘nothingness’ that characterise everyday life. She is particularly interested in contemporary societal edicts/ideals and the impermanent and in-between spaces as represented through signage and billboards. The traditional technique of hand-stitching is used to explore an ironic romanticism present between tapestry and the digitalisation of imagery in contemporary society.

To be opened by Stuart Harrison, architect, writer and Triple R broadcaster.

Kate Just, Unearthed
Gallery 2

Unearthed continues Kate Just's sculptural explorations of historical, personal and iconographic objects relating to women's bodily and cultural history.

Responding to her recent research in the Egyptian, Medieval, Greek and Roman collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum in New York City, Just will create a faux archaeological display of real and fictional tools historically used to reflect, probe, cut, mark and sculpt the female body. Modelled in resin-based clay, and later carved and sanded, Just's gently curved objects, comprising interpretations of mirrors, sculpture tools, surgical and gynaecological tools, tattoo tools and domestic tools will, under her nimble hands, be crafted in ways that reflect not just the tools but the bodies that have been altered by their touch.

Presented in two low trays near to the ground, Just's stone-like tools will appear to have been recently 'unearthed', providing clues about a not so long-lost people.

To be opened by Martha McDonald, artist.

Chaco Kato, Pulp Fiction
Gallery 3

Pulp Fiction presents a microcosmic world of plant-based materials shaped into mobiles, weavings, small objects and web structures, with each thing connected to another. Utilising the site itself as an integral component of the work, Pulp Fiction explores the meaning of 'ephemerality' in contemporary practice. The exhibition aims to describe the world we live in: eating and being eaten, the food chain, the life cycle.

Kato's art always emerges from her everyday life, and this work builds on her previous explorations of mundane materials like grass, cotton, string and compost; here she recycles the apparently worthless skin, seeds and pulp of fruit and vegetable into unique, humorous or precious art objects.

Born in Japan, Kato completed a Fine Art degree at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and a Master of Fine Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts in 1999. Kato has been a recipient of a French government scholarship at the Paris Cite des Arts, and was a former studio artist at Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces.

A founding member of The Slow Art Collective, Kato's practice encompasses many genres from process-based installation, to drawing and picture book making.

Profile: Primoeza

The honour of April's 'COUNTER Product of the Month' belongs to none other than Primoeza's Woodgrain Scarf - a delicately constructed merino wool scarf with panels of alternating tension that create a wonderful variegated effect. It's the perfect transitional accessory for chilly Autumn days and it comes in two very eye-pleasing colours: charcoal and ochre.

Other products in this Melbourne-based textiles label include the Flagstone scarf in oxen ($149, pictured above), summery Egyptian cotton scarves in a gelato worthy palette of blue, pink, yellow ($129), linen/wool ruffle scarves ($249) , wool/cotton square snap scarves ($169) as well as a super cosy ceramic wrap in a blend of yarns like wool and cashmere ($229). The best thing is that all of these products are currently available in-store!

Clockwise from top left: ruffle scarf, flagstone scarf, square snap scarf, ceramic wrap. Click the image to enlarge!

To coincide with this feature, this week we're delighted to bring you a mini-peek into the seaside studio and workspace of Elizabeth Rayman Yong, the nimble hands behind Primoeza. Based at home (a stunning1930s apartment), Elizabeth works with the company of her two cats, Primo a red Burmese and Ezra a black Devon Rex (by the way, Ezra means 'helper' in Hebrew).

Knitting machines - where a lot of the work is done.

Primoeza was launched in 2009 with an Autumn/Winter collection and since then Elizabeth has gone on to stock in range of boutiques both locally and internationally.

Ahh beautiful yarn! So envious. And beautiful yarn basket too!!

Recently, and very excitingly, Elizabeth has launched a capsule range of cardigans and sweaters that are available exclusively through her online shop. Each sweater is knitted fully fashioned on a knitting machine (meaning that each part of garment is knitted pre-shaped as opposed to knitting a length of fabric and cutting it, but read a more lucid explanation here) from Australian alpaca yarn.

Pocket sweater in midnight blue ($235)





small shapes cardigan in oatmeal ($285)

In addition to the lovely and very covetable garments and accessories that Elizabeth knits, she also has one of the most aesthetically-pleasing blogs in Melbourne! Seriously, you have to check it out. It's on our list of daily must reads. Click here to visit it.

On a similar note, something we can all keep an eye out on is Olga Bennett's forthcoming book Environments with text and interviews by Sarah Caldwell. It's a collection that captures the energy and personality of 11 creative spaces including Elizabeth's (snapshot pictured above). Olga also recently worked with graphic designer Luci Everett to realise Elizabeth's latest SS11 catalogue, which you can view here. We're looking forward to seeing this lovely publication!

Elizabeth, pictured wearing a very lovely linen blouse which she sewed herself! Amazing! Is there anything you can't do!?!

Finally, long time readers of CLOG may remember this interview we did with Elizabeth almost a year ago to the date when she first started stocking at Craft Victoria. You'll find more images of her studio, a handsome photo of Primo & Ezra, as well as some knitting experiments (whatever happened to the cheeky two-piece Elizabeth? :)

Anyway, click here to revisit it!

Happy Easter everyone, we'll be back on Wednesday!


All images courtesy of Elizabeth Yong

General Assembly at Pin-up, Sat 30 April

General Assembly is back!

Initiated by Blanche Tilden and Phoebe Porter of Studio Hacienda, General Assembly is a participatory activity that invites you to select from prefabricated parts to create your very own General Assembly souvenir brooch (pictured below).

This brooch making workshop is part of The First Show at the new architecture and design space Pin-up. This is a re-staging of their award winning project that was previously seen in Craft Victoria (of course!) and Canberra. By the way, this is your only opportunity to create a General Assembly brooch in 2011, so make sure you book in quicksticks!

Images from General Assembly at Craft Victoria

Want more? Watch a video of the project in action here:

Prices range from $60 – $350 and include all parts to assemble your brooch.

Details:

General Assembly Brooch making workshop
When: Sat 30 April, 2pm – 3pm
Where: Pin-up - Architecture & Design Project Space, 15-25 Keele Street, Collingwood
Bookings: contact Blanche at blanche@blanchetilden.com.au to book your place.

And at the very least, drop by Pin-up anyway (if you haven't already) to check out what looks to be an exciting exhibition! The First Show is on until 30 April.

Final Pan Gallery exhibition

It's sad to hear, but Crosshatched is Pan Gallery's final program. Part exhibition and part charity auction to help raise funds to build an energy efficient kiln in Kumhaar Gram, India, Crosshatched involves 21 ceramicists including Vipoo Srivilasa, Deborah Halpern, Fiona Hiscock, Katie Jacobs and Lene Kuhl Jakobson. Each of these 21 artists have decorated mudka (traditional Indian water pots) made by potters Manori Lal and Dharmveer from India.

The auction will take place on Fri 29 April from 6-8pm with former Craft Vic Director Kevin Murray as guest speaker.

Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the village of Kumhaar Gram under the guidance of SAF.

Crosshatched opens this Tuesday 19 April and as we mentioned earlier, is Pan Gallery's final exhibition. While the gallery will be closing, we're glad to hear that the class and workshop space at Northcote Pottery Supplies will be expanding and that plans are in the pipeline for their shop, Small Pieces!

To read more about the background of this project, click here for more info.

Pan Gallery/Northcote Pottery Supplies is located at 142-144 Weston Street, Brunswick East.


Image from Pan Gallery website

Studio visit + interview: Odds&endS

Our current enCOUNTER exhibition Yarnscape has been quite the hit, with most of the works snapped up already. In light of its success you'll be happy to see that our promised interview + studio visit with Odds&endS is finally ready!

You might remember Odds&endS from Craft Hatch many, many moons ago in 2010 where they debuted their knitted cacti at one of our City Library markets. The label has since blossomed and they've gone on to do many marvellous things - and we must say how glad we are that we were able to contribute to their success in the beginning!

On CLOG today, Andrea from Odds&endS has taken a break from changing the world one knitted cactus at a time to give us a peek into her work space as well as answering a few questions. Yay!

L-R: Andrea's studio, painting by Andrea's sister Renee and Odds&endS co-crafter that hangs in her studio: "I love its intense red color and serene face of the subject."

Please tell us about Odds&endS and how the knitted cactus began! When did you launch your label and what encouraged you to do so?

The label started last year as a outlet for my sisters and my love of vintage textiles and craft techniques. We both have trained in design, Renee in Fine Arts and Printmaking and my own in Industrial and Fashion Design. We are also self confessed hoarders, and really Odds&endS was born out of our want to share our collections of ephemera with others, by incorporating it into unique handmade items.

The knitted cacti are my baby, the concept came from 2 sources the first, my knack at killing just about any plant that enters my home, and secondly a sweet little fabric cacti shaped pin cushion (pictured below) that I collected years ago from a thrift store. It is wonderful to see just how happy the knitted plants make people, I guess there are a lot of well intended gardeners like me out there, that can't bring themselves to bury another cactus... the knitted variety are perfect!

Vintage sewing patterns + craft books + being highly organised = lots of inspiring material!

In between your fashion industry job and being a mum, how do you manage to balance everything while being so excellent? What’s a typical day like for you?

Life is pretty busy I must admit, but I have the best family who support and encourage me every day. I could not do it without them! No two days are the same, and often I find that I am most productive at night. Particularly when the house is quiet with a cup of tea by my side and my knitting/sewing needles in hand. While it is pretty tiring at times, It's so rewarding to finish a project and to see someone else appreciate the time and effort which has gone into a making it. During these moments it really doesn't feel like work in the slightest.

On the topic of making, what’s one thing that you can’t do without while working? And what gets you inspired to create?

I am forever loosing sewing needles...It's like the sock monster has developed the taste for metal sewing needsl! My grandmother gave me this little embroidered pin cushion (pictured below) which she brought with her from Germany, it is so sweet and beautifully made I love it to pieces. What gets me inspired? It really could be anything, a colour, pattern, shape, music. There is no one source. I do however have a weakness for mid century design and the simplicity of this era's aesthetic.

Please tell us more about Yarnscape – how did you plan it, where did you derive your inspiration and what landscapes did you research? It must have also been quite fun (not to mention time-consuming!) sourcing those lovely pots!

My husband came up with the title of Yarnscape, it seemed to sum up the concept perfectly. The landscape is loosely based on the Arizona desert, one of the first cacti I designed was the signature Odds&endS 'Arizona' forked cacti with his 2 bent arms and soft spikes. It has turned out to be the most popular design, and I guess set the environment for the Yarnscape collection.

The vintage pots are very special, and at times I do find it hard to part with them, it's so easy to get attached to the amazing colours and textures, but we only have so much mantle space! It can be very time consuming sourcing them, as I focus on finding good quality vintage ceramics and they are becoming harder and harder to locate. But I have some wonderful friends that help me with the sourcing from time to time, so I do share the footwork.

Some of the pots sourced by Andrea - you may recognise a few of them that are currently part of the exhibition!



A pencil sketch by Andrea for the backdrop of Yarnscape

What can we look forward to for Odd&endS?

When I started Odds&endS, we really wanted for the label to evolve as a business. As I have so many interests, we didn't want to focus on just one medium or product type. If we were enthralled with making jewellery one month we would, and if we wanted to sew garments another we could. I would dearly love for the label to continue on this journey. Of course the cacti have become a real favorite, and the plant collection will certainly keep on growing. I am forever being inspired by new varieties of plants or interesting woollen materials, so who knows what will be next. I have been approached to make some larger-than-life specimens... which should be fun!

Ceramic sticks (for the pots)!



Another Odds&endS product: soft little bears made from upcycled woollen materials like angora, cashmere and mohair.



Sketching and planning expressions

Your blog is such a wonderful source of DIY projects, beautiful imagery and fascinating finds. What’s caught your eye recently?

Gosh, it's hard to pin point just one source of inspiration, there are so many amazing resources available now.

Blogs: I am totally smitten by AM on The Present Tense, Ana Monteil is a Spanish Graphic Designer who posts some of the most inspiring print resources and fascinating objects. The Beautiful Soup is another daily read, lots of amazing interiors... dream worthy!

Objects: Anything by Ray and Charley Eames, their appreciation for form and function is unprecedented.

All photography courtesy of Andrea Bell, Odds&endS