Introducing... Edwina Bolger

Edwina Bolger is one of COUNTER's niftiest knitters and today, CLOG is proud to feature her label LOOPE.

Since picking up knitting and sewing at the very, very tender age of five when most of us were still flinging dirt in the sandpit, what started out as a hobby turned into a career in 2006 when Edwina launched LOOPE. Naturally, Edwina uses only the best wool and wool blend yarns which she sources from Australia, Italy and the United Kingdom. Consisting of a range of baby accessories, toys and garments, as well as homewares and now womens scarves, LOOPE is a labour of love (and very nimble fingers too).

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! Ooohh superstitious... or should we say 'super-stitch-ous' (wow puns on CLOG just sank to a new low right there).

Quartet of LOOPE egg cosies

About life before and after LOOPE…
Life back then was somewhat different as it was pre-children. I slept a lot more! Since 1990 I have worked in private and public arts organisations and still do. As all artists know, never give up your day job! Knitting is something I have done since I was a young child and starting LOOPE followed on from my women’s label that I established in 2000. Launching LOOPE was something that had been brewing before I had my own kids, as many of my friends and family were always asking me to knit jumpers, blankets and toys for their little ones and so the seed was sown to launch my own range.

And about the name…
I wanted a name that was associated with the knitting process and knitting is making loops. I added the ‘e’ for my name and that was that!

Cotton pinafore

About the first thing I ever knitted…
I clearly remember the first real garment that I knitted. I was in grade three and it was a pale pink hug-me-tight (the precursor to the now trendy shrug!) in rib and garter stitch for little orphan babies. From then on I never really stopped. Certainly the whole process of knitting and the flexibility that the knit process allows, with the thousands of stitch designs and shaping techniques you can master keeps me constantly amazed and I am always learning.

About the tools of the trade…
I have always loved working with wool. It is such a fabulous and versatile material and advancements in yarn production over the years have produced stunning woollen yarns. Wool dyes extremely well and then there are the natural colours from black sheep as well to explore. No doubt many people grew up wearing scratchy uncomfortable woollen jumpers and so it had a bit of an image problem, especially for babies and children, but that has all changed now and woollen yarns are now incredibly soft and luxurious. Over the last couple of years I have moved towards using organic woollen and cotton yarns which are dyed using non-metal low impact dyes. I am committed to eco-friendly sustainable practices.

I don’t really have any nifty devices as such, but collecting vintage and retro knitting patterns and craft books is a passion! And indeed provides unlimited inspiration and laughs! Check out some of the photos – men looking very hip for the day, with hunting guns, cigarettes and brandy glass in hand! The hair-dos on some of the women – just amazing! Oh how times have changed! Apart from the laughs they are a great indication of the fashion of the time, not only clothes, but interiors, architecture and social mores of the day, due to the setting of the photo shoots. Oh and I would say a comfy chair is essential!

I did work from my Fitzroy studio for many years, but with young children to attend to I now have a tiny and overcrowded studio space at home. I hope to soon move out again, either that or my family do.

Teddy bear and hobby horse

What gets you in the mood to make?
I am always in the mood to make. As I said collecting old patterns certainly inspires me. Finding new yarns in a gorgeous colour palette is always very exciting and I am always trawling through online knitting shops and yarn producers all over the world looking for something new. Finding new yarn immediately makes me go for the knitting needles.

Neck warmer and cotton long-sleeve top

Ten years ago I was…
Working full time in a commercial contemporary art gallery in Melbourne and knitting on the side.

…and in ten years’ time I hope to be…
Definitely in a creative space, both mentally and physically. I hope that both my women’s and LOOPE label are going strong and that I have developed a loyal and appreciative following. Moreover I hope to see that the wider audience for all things bespoke has grown dramatically so that artists and crafts people like myself can earn an income from creating something truly special with skill, love and passion.

Chicken egg cosy

Craft Hatch turns ONE!

This Saturday sees our fledgling market turn the ripe old age of one year old... the year really has whizzed by and we'd like to extend a big thank you to everyone (participants and visitors alike) for keeping it going, and also a massive congratulations to ourselves. Well done us!

In celebration of this, we have 8 fabulous new makers and 2 familiar faces participating in this weekend's market, giving you a total of 10 hot makers to check out this Saturday 14 November at the City Library Gallery (253 Flinders Lane) from 11am to 4pm.


Here's a sneak peek at what to expect:

Jewellery by Tara Lofhelm. A recent graduate from NMIT, Tara's necklaces were featured in last Sunday's M Magazine's 7 Days segment. Represent!

Tasy Pixel by Sheena McKinnon brings your digital printing dreams to life (well as much life as they can achieve on a cushion)



We've also limited edition artist prints featuring delicate illustrations of landscapes and everyday products, some fabric covered hand stitched and embroidered notebook covers, and maybe even some zines from VCA graduate Dawn Tan. We're a big fan of Dawn's work and can't wait to see what she has in store for us this Saturday! PS. Dawn was featured on The Design Files a while ago, click here to check out her interview with the lovely Lucy of TDF.



Sarah Faulkner comes from a textiles background but for Craft Hatch, Sarah will be going in a different direction and incorporating lost and found materials like porcelain, opals, animal fur and plant fibers in her jewellery.

Melinda Hawkes' colourful label MimWhimsy features clothing, homewares and accessories made from recycled and natural fibres like felted wool, cotton and silk.

Tamara Watts of Retro Print Revival will be bringing along her vintage fabric lampshades to light up your life. What a great idea! (cue light bulb moment)

Cheeky accessories by labThreeOfive like lasercut plywood badges of fries (yum!), cassette tapes, storm clouds, cars, washing machines, trombones... and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Wooden brooches and earrings by Gemma Johnson

And of course, welcoming back the lovely Sharon Russell with her knitted goodies like lightbulb cosies (which are just for show by the way - you don't want a potential fire hazard!), donuts, fruits, tampons... if you can name it, Sharon can (probably) knit it.

We've missed Sue Manski of Nancygirl, and we're happy that she will also be joining us again with more fabulous leather accessories and printed cards - perfect for the Christmas season.

We'll also have 2-for-1 in-season passes to the new film The Boys Are Back at the market, so come pick one up! The film also stars Emma Booth is directed by Academy Award nominated Scott Hicks (who directed Shine). The film, starring Clive Owen, is about a sports writer becomes a single parent in tragic circumstances.

See you this Saturday!

This evening

This evening, however, I am thinking of things past is twelve page concertina bound artists’ book of Gracia’s and mine. A four-colour lithographic offset print, each page has been reworked in colour pencil, adding detail to the green faces of the pair of Shell masks from Manfredo Settala’s (1600–1680) own cabinet of curiosities. On Fabriano bright white 300gsm paper, the book, an edition of twelve, is housed in a balsa wood case. It sits on a sunlit shelf in the gallery, and these are a few page details from said book.

I hope you like them, and I look forward to meeting those of you tonight attending our bookbinding workshop.





(Please click to enlarge and better see the detail.)

Artist Workshop
Learn how to make a concertina fold notebook with Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison. Materials will be provided.
Date: Wednesday 11 November, 6–9pm
Bookings: 03 9650 7775
Cost: $50 / $25 Craft Victoria Members

LJ

Taking guerilla knitting to the next level

One of Dave's projects from 2005 entitled The Knitting Machine. Picture from artnet.com

How do you knit a gigantic flag using two excavators?
How do you knit a bridge cosy?
How do you catch a moonbeam in your hand?


Visting US textile artist Dave Cole probably won't know the answer to the third question (or he might, we're not sure. You should ask him!) but he'll definitely be able to expand upon his amazing practice as a one of the world's biggest knitters - literally.

As part of the Big West Festival which kicks off on Friday 20 November, Dave will be in Melbourne presenting an artist talk on Wednesday 18 November at Craft Victoria. He'll talking about his various projects, in particular his current monumental knitting installation on Footscray’s historic stock bridge connecting Maribyrnong and North Melbourne. Funnily enough, the project called 'The Big Knit'.

Dave is also the man behind Knitting with Loaded Shotguns (Safeties Off) (2008) using spun statuary bronze with 12-gauge shotguns. So that's how you do guerilla knitting...

Picture from artnet.com

If you'd like to come along and listen to Dave speak, call us on 9650 7775 to make a booking to attend his artist talk. This event is free but spaces are strictly limited, so act fast!

Farewell Katrina and welcome Dani M!

We'd like to say 'Goodbye, and thanks for all the memories/good times' to our Saturday lady Katrina Tyler who will be taking up a position at Studio Ingot. We will miss Katrina, but at least we still have her jewellery stocked at COUNTER.

We'd also like to extend a warm welcome to our new Saturday lady, Dani M. Many of you will know Dani by her gelati-coloured porcelain gems and this lady is quite the gem herself so we're very excited to have her form part of the CV team.

We were going to post a photo of Dani yoinked from her Facebook, but that would be really creepy and strange, so here's a photo of a Dani's latest work.

To hold in the palm of one's hand

On such a day as this the view proved of great comfort.

Thou should not vex a stranger.

Sunday morning and the wonder that is Google earth has me entranced still, and spooked, if I am honest, just a little. In my palm, I have the globe. It sits in other people’s palms too, and this technology is, it seems, doing my head in. I can drop a pin on my next destination; I can see just how very far the French Quarter is from my door (the place I last travelled across the seas to). I can map, track, zoom in and survey places with a tap, swish, stroke upon the smudgy screen of my iPhone. The concept is bewildering and I wonder: what will things be like when I am with grey hair?

Requiring little by way of technology are these postcard collages (some of which you can see in gallery two). Sharp scissors, glue and brush are the only tools needed.

I had always wished to do what was right though it never seemed as such.

It appeared before me now, more beautiful than ever.

Sporadic episodes of shadow puppetry went unseen.

No, I am not fond of this place.

If this place were my own, I'd move it closer to the sea.

(Postcard collages 2009. Please click to enlarge.)

Enjoy your day, G

(Additional postcard and photographic collages, page details and the like appear peppered throughout my blog. Here, friends, is link to but a few,
Look behind you.
There we will sit upon the rocks.
I'll read to you if you like.)

Pottery Expo at Fed Square tomorrow

It's forecast for sunshine and fun tomorrow, so why not pop down Federation Square to check out the Pottery Expo? To be held at the Atrium from 10am to 5.30pm on Sunday 8 November, the event promises 40 of Australia's bestest (yes that is a word) ceramic artists, TAFE courses and organisations. It even includes Craft Victoria COUNTER stockists/exhibitors/darlings Bridget Bodenham, Sandra Bowkett, Elizabeth Masters, Lilach Mileikowski, Kaye Poulton, Kath Wratten as well as PAN Gallery.

For more info about the event, click here.

Introducing... Phong Chi Lai

Following on from Wednesday's post about Phong's studio space, today get acquainted with the lovely man himself!

After finishing his studies in 2001, Phong lived and worked in London for 2 years. In 2003 he moved to move to Paris, and what was meant to be a short sojourn ended up being a one-and-a-half year stay. While there, Phong studied French and through close friends started to assist in the Atelier of LouLou de la Falaise (the personal Muse of Yves Saint Laurent). It was at the end of his tenure that Phong decided to embark upon a new direction and explore the craft of shoemaking.

Upon his return to Adelaide in 2005, Phong enrolled in a shoemaking course and what started out as a whim has now evolved into a full-time career. After graduating Phong moved to Melbourne and started work for renowned Melbourne shoemakers, PrestonZly. Building upon experience gathered during this time, the rest, as they say, is history!

Could you tell us a bit about yourself, where you grew up, what you studied at school?
My family moved to Australia when I was 4 from Vietnam. We settled in Adelaide where I grew up and studied. My parents are in the clothing manufacturing industry and have a factory in Adelaide. So I have always been surrounded by people who make things and from early on I played around with making things as well. I guess it was from this innate feeling of thinking I could make most things myself that I eventually started making shoes. I completed a degree in marketing and then headed overseas to work, travel and live for a while. The idea of shoemaking surfaced after many years of living and working in London and Paris where I landed a job assisting a French designer. Just before leaving Paris I was asked what I ultimately wanted to do with my life and the first thing that came to my head was shoemaking. So I came home and enrolled in a course and from that began my shoemaking journey. I have been practicing the craft for the past three years and have my own business wholesaling handmade shoes.

A pair of Phong's shoes from Shoe Show

You completed a degree in Marketing, followed by a French course and then a certificate in Custom-made Footwear, three areas that don’t immediately share common ground. How has your educational background influenced the way you approach shoemaking, if at all?
Although the three courses do not have a direct correlation to one another, I believe that learning and trying new things is an invaluable experience because you never know what you will do in the future and when it might come in handy. Marketing is an integral part of everyday life. It influences my approach to shoemaking by way of my product presentation, the actual shoes that I produce, and the kind of aesthetics I want to achieve for my business and how my shoes are sold. Knowing another language is always an advantage in my opinion in no matter what industry you may find yourself in. I love France and hope to be living and working there again one day within the shoe industry in some capacity.

During your travels you did some fashion-related work experience. What made you decide not to continue with this and move into shoes instead?
I was young, completely untrained but had the opportunity to work in the fashion industry overseas. Who would say no? All I wanted to do was meet interesting people and have some fun. Fashion is a competitive industry and the competition overseas was incredible. I didn’t want to continue or commit to something that I was still unsure of. It was a very daunting and humbling experience as well. The decision to study shoemaking came at a point when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, it was not something I had always intended to do. The idea had been floating in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t until I was asked (before leaving Paris) what I wanted to do with my life that I verbalised it; I said shoemaking purely for selfish reasons. Once I started telling people that that was what I wanted to do, I knew that it was right.

You mentioned that your decision to make shoes was based on “selfish reasons”. Could you please tell us more about this spontaneous decision? Was it because you were dissatisfied with the state of shoes at the time or was it something else?
It came spontaneously out of my mouth, but I had been thinking about it for a bit and just the thought of making shoes for myself was very enticing. It wasn’t that I was dissatisfied with the state of shoes at the time; it was more to do with the fact that I was dissatisfied with the state of my financial situation when I was overseas. The interesting shoes were generally the expensive shoes and I was continuously broke, hence my desire to make my own.

Phong with studio buddy and fellow Shoe Show exhibitor Emma Shirgwin

Since taking up shoemaking, what are some of the challenges you faced that you didn’t expect?
There have been and I am guessing will be many challenges that I and my fellow colleagues face within the shoemaking industry. Due to off shore manufacturing, the shoe industry in Australia has died and so the sourcing of materials and components is a difficult one. There are limited suppliers for the shoe industry within Australia and what there is cannot compete either in quality or price with the European or Asian market. We have to compromise nearly every step of the way when we design and construct a pair of shoes in terms of the materials, the type of heels and the lasts available to us. However, having said this, the challenge also makes us more adaptable and resourceful in our shoemaking techniques.

Of all the other exhibiting artists at Shoe Show, you are the only shoemaker who is able to be supported by your practice, which is so incredible! What plans do you have your label and where do you hope to take it in the future?
At the moment I am concentrating on my shoes as a full time business and I realise that I am very fortunate to be able to do this, it is a very tough industry. I am a one-man show which means I do the designing, sampling, sourcing, manufacturing and administration all by myself, which does get tiring. I still want to keep the label small and niche, but for a business to grow, operations need to expand. My plan for the future is to have a small production team so that I have more time to concentrate on designing and other projects. Building and nurturing the business is the most important to me right now, especially because it is in its infancy. Who knows what will happen in the future? I would love to have an atelier in Paris or Barcelona, but we’ll see.

And finally, “If I were a shoe I’d be…
…a pair of old op-shop boots.

Opening tonight: PAN Gallery Award!

Tonight is the opening of the inaugural PAN Gallery Award, presented in proud association with Craft Victoria and curated by CV's Anita Cummins & Kim Brockett. We're very excited about this exhibition, it being the first PAN Gallery Award and the first show curated by Kim and Anita. The first of many more to come we say!

The exhibition opens tonight at 6pm at PAN Gallery/Northcote Pottery Supplies and features speeches by the show's judge Jane Sawyer and guest speaker Joanne Ely (former curator at Shepparton Art Gallery). Jane will also be annoucing the winner of the show this evening who will be taking home the grand prize of $1,500.

This group show, themed 'Bottled', features the work from 18 ceramacists across Australia, including Craft Victoria members Zoë Baker, Leah Jackson, Katie Jacobs, Heather May, Robyn Phelan, Christopher Plumridge and Ingrid Tufts.

PAN Gallery is located on 142-144 Weston Street in Brunswick East. See you in a few hours!

At every turn

All memory of that day sparkled right and unchanging. (2009)

Seems an age since we set to installing our show in gallery two of Craft Victoria but the calendar hanging upon my wall tells me otherwise. Seems it has not been that long at all. This is a good thing for we’ve been invited by the ever kind and ever knowledgeable folk at Craft Victoria to pen a few guest posts for the duration of our exhibition, the one with the long name that borrows directly from two sentences featured in the work of a favourite author.

Today we held true to our promise and turned the pages of the collaged books that sit atop the tables. Next week we shall turn them again, revealing a new host of animal inhabitants roaming the grounds of Versailles or traipsing though the streets of Johannesburg.

Here is but a taste, with more to come, of this you can be sure.

Turning the pages, one book at a time.

Page detail from They ate their meals on the grass and danced on the lawns. (2009)

Page detail from Looking only for you. (2009)

Page detail from I chanced upon the unexpected and I found I liked it. (2009)

Until next time, G

(For additional views of the same, swing by elsewhere (Louise) and high up in the trees (Gracia).)

Studio visit: Phong Chi Lai

In the run-up to organising the Shoe Show catalogue, Kim Brockett and her trusty photography intern Richard (a.k.a. Dad) visited each of the exhibitor's studios to document these artisans at work in their element. It was a great experience and a lot of fun (and not just because I got to take a couple of hours off work to do so...) It's always wonderful to be invited into such an intimate space and to be able to legitimately poke around and be nosey! A big thank you to everyone in that respect!

Over the next few weeks till Shoe Show's close on Saturday 28 November, CLOG will be posting photos from these studio visits and first up, we have Phong Chi Lai.


By the way, keep your eye out for this Friday's Introducing post which will feature the full-length interview with Phong (as opposed to the excerpt as published in the exhibition catalogue)!

Phong's workspace. Please note incredible vest hanging casually off the back of the chair...

Several pairs of shoes from Phong's A/W10 collection on their merry way to some stockists (and then on to some lucky owners)

Geta-inspired wedges. Geta are a style of traditional Japanese footwear that resembles an elevated wooden clog/thong sandal. Phong had also made a miniature version of these shoes that are about a quarter of the (grown-up) size!

Photography by Richard Brockett