show & tell - ellie beck

I'm so pleased to have another north coast nsw blogger this week for you in Show & Tell. I've known Ellie Beck who writes as petalplum for a few years now, in fact looking back, ever since she won a giveaway on flowerpress way back in 2009!

Over the years we've continued to cross paths on the interwebs and these days she is also one of my favourite instagrammers. I love her tranquil still life photos and covet the crocheted stones she makes, so I was delighted to see her open a new shop recently selling these stones along with her beautiful screenprinted fabrics.

There is a lot of talk online about living simply. While not making a big deal about it, since a tree change a few years ago Ellie lives in a small 6 x 4m house with her partner and two children, but without electricity! They are slowly and carefully building their new house and studio themselves. And yet those restrictions are never what I remember after reading her posts or seeing her photos. Rather it is her delight in her surroundings and her love of creativity, the art and beauty of the everyday.

Ellie is also a community minded artist who helps promote art and craft in her local area, she recently helped set up the Hey Maker collective which reinvigorated empty shops around her local town with art and craft and workshops. She also runs a local craft market at the wonderful Tweed River gallery.

While choosing photos for the post I was again taken with with all the beautiful images on Ellie's blog. If you haven't seen them, or don't follow her instagram stream, do go and spend some time with her in her simple, but beautiful and creative life. You will be inspired.

name
Ellie Beck
location
Crystal Creek, in the rainforest outside of Murwillumbah
blog
petalplum
shop
elliebeck.com.au
flickr
petalplum
instagram
@petalplum
pinterest
petalplum

1. Can you give us a short description of your blog/style/work.
My blog is about my daily life, my family, the things I do and things that catch my fancy along the way. It's ever evolving, but always somehow me. My style is personal and quiet and thoughtful. I like handcrafted pieces that have mistakes, and a story, and meaning; an impression of the maker. Also, very experimental.

2. Why blog? How did you start?
I started my blog many years ago, I think 2006 or so. When my kids were little.

At the start it was about connecting with other young mothers, and having an outlet for showing/sharing my creativeness. The connections are the best part, and why I still blog today. And having a record of things I've done, and occasionally remembering to write about milestones in my children's growing up!

I also like the accountability of having a blog - wanting to keep my blog updated with new things, and things that I've made/making. I know I'm not the only one who'll make and then photograph something for my blog; I sometimes wonder if some things wouldn't get finished if it weren't for my blog.

3. Family taught/Self-taught/Trained?
Oh, family taught and self-trained. I grew up in a very creative and nurturing family; everybody was always making something or doing something in a creative way. I was very lucky to go to a Steiner school for primary, where being creative was part of every day schooling. I also had excellent high school art and drama teachers.

Apart from a short time at TAFE a million years ago ("graphic design" then was not what it is now), everything I currently do/make is an experimental journey. Continual practice and persistence and enjoying the process - it's still about the process for me. {Also, blogs and the plethora of crafty books available have helped me to learn little skills along the way!}

4. Workspace - studio or kitchen table?
Mainly kitchen table. Anywhere really. Crochet and embroidery are so portable (at the creek, at a party, in the car). Screen printing on the kitchen table around life. (Wet fabric hanging everywhere waiting for the prints to dry!). We are currently building our home, and studio - so one day I'll have a real printing table. Oh, I can't wait!!

5. Blog/Shop name, where does it come from?
My blog name, Petalplum, comes from the name my mama used to call us when we were children. One day I heard my Grandma call my nephew Petalplum, and it made my heart sing!

6. Favourite media/style/medium to work in?
I love fabric and texture. Screen printing will always be a favourite, and important to me. I love the fact that all the dirty ink and rambling of my image/design making produces something so crisp and clear. Seeing your own design printed onto fabric is really just one of the best feelings. I also love thread - stitch work, simple lines along textural fabrics, embroidery.

Over the past few years  I've come back to crochet (my mama taught me when I was young), and I'm loving it so much. Small projects normally, that are quick and easy to finish.

I'm also really loving the experiments of natural plant dyeing. Unlike the crisp marks of the screen printing, this produces unexpected, often glorious results - shapes and colours and patterns that really make my heart sing. It's a bit magic, a bit witch like (bubbling pots and such), and also a connection to past skills and crafts; a remembering of how things used to be. Enjoying the ephemeral marks of life.

I'd let to get back into drawing and watercolouring again more this year.

7. Ambitions/future directions/future projects you'd like to try?
At the moment finishing building our house, and having a studio space are big in my life. I'd love to host workshops and gatherings at my home, one day down the track.

Connecting people is important in my life at the moment. Getting together with like-minded creatives; even just for a cup of tea and some inspiration, but making things together is wonderful too. Sharing skills and learning (or relearning) new skills. I have a few big projects in mind for this year that relate to this making, and being creative, and connecting together.

Also, continuing on with my natural plant dyeing experiments is exciting. And a new online shop has giving me a creative burst to fill it with things that represent me, things that make me happy, and bring me joy to create.

8. Are you neat and organised or, ahem, creatively messy?
Just plain messy. As much as I try (and as much as my husband wishes) for the neatness it never happens. At present we are living in a teeny 6m x 4m teahouse/shack with the four of us; so storage and space for spreading out my creative wips and thinking space is super tight. We're all four (my two children and my husband) building creative piles on any spare surface! Thankfully my husband mostly puts up with it, and eventually cleans it all up.

9. Favourite handmade, handcrafted item you own not made by you.
Two things. The tea cup that my mama made, that I am lucky to own. I remember her making it / painting it. It makes me happy to use it. The other thing is a little felt needle case my 8yr old son made me, with the sweetest stitches. He made it to swap with something I'd made that he wanted.

10. Favourite food/recipe?
We make subzi a lot in our family. Subzi (or subji) is the Hindi word for vegetable. So, really it's the meal that most Australian's would call curry. I grew up eating it most every night, and despite whinging as a child, we make now make it at home, and I love my dad making it when we visit him.

We make our own spice mixture, rather than using a bottle thing. Also chai is being drunk a bit around here lately - I gave up coffee a while ago, so needed a replacement (I love green tea, but it's not the same as a milky drink). I never ever use syrup, only ever make our own mixture up.
I'm also getting into raw chocolate - somehow I feel like it's better for me, so we can eat a bit more. Only ever dark chocolate. 

11. Favourite colour?
I think a deep indigo inky blue. Something that might come out of a dye pot (but I also have a screen printing ink colour I mix up that's pretty close). The golden sparkling yellow I dyed this week onto vintage Kimono silk, using turmeric powder is also very amazing!

12. Star sign?
Gemini - hence the fact that I'm so indecisive.

13. Favourite place, landscape (not necessarily Australian)?
I think here where I live. It's pretty magical - in the forest, amongst ancient trees and moss and ferns.
I haven't done a lot of traveling in my life - New Zealand was quite magical. I'd like to visit Morocco.
Actually - standing on the headland at Fingal Head at sunrise is a favourite place.

14. Any tricks for juggling life/work/family with creative pursuits?
Oh, I'm not excellent at this - some days are easy and lots gets happily achieved. On other days, when I see I'm not going to get my own making happening, it's best for me to stop having those expectations. To give into the joy of being in the moment with my children, rather than be annoyed that I can't do what I want. It's better that way as I'm more peaceful, and more connected with them.

We often all end up crafting/painting/making together. If I sit down to stitch or crochet one or the other of them wants to join in. Having little projects to pick up whenever I can (a stitch here or there) is a good technique too.
I do stay up later than everyone, in that quiet time of night where I can think and be and make (or blog - which is creative too). And other times I simply skip off from duties and have a half day of being with other creatives.
My house isn't tidy, though I try to do whatever little bits I can around other things. Multi-tasking.

15. Favourite designers/artists/crafters/writers etc?
Again with the choosing favourites thing... Writers: Lily Brett makes me laugh, Helen Garner makes me nostalgic for a time I didn't even live through, Roald Dahl... Artists: Joseph Cornell, Eva Hesse, Georgia O'Keeffe, Fred Williams, Frank Lloyd Wright. UK stylist Twig Hutchinson (she does all the Toast styling). Photographer Tim Walker. Fabric designer Nani Iro (Naomi Ito).
Crafters / makers - I endlessly love the Ink & Spindle girls for more than their designs. The quilts and little dolls and artwork of Tiel Sievl-Keevers (tsktsk). Everything that my friend, Jo Olive (of Olive and the Volcano) makes. The fine delicate work of (local to me) ceramicist Pinky & Maurice. Kate of Greedy for Colour blog, and Kate of Foxs Lane blog are injections of colour and beauty into my life.
I'll stop there!

16. Your favourite thing you've made/written/done.
A simple tiny painting I made when I was young. It's a purple iris - it's perfect. Still now all these years later it's pinned to the wall in my dad's house upstairs. Also, I'm pretty proud of this skirt that I made a couple of years ago using all the scraps of my screen printed fabric. I loved wearing it, and got so many wonderful comments.

17. Three words to describe yourself?
Muchness, impulsive, dedicated

18. What do you like to do besides creating?
Reading - curled up in bed quietly. Standing in my yard dreaming and talking to the birds. Planning new crazy ideas. Wishing my garden looked beautiful again. Cooking (which is a different sort of creative). Playing at the beach with my family, and my sisters and their children. (and let's be honest here - instagram....)

show & tell - megan kinninment

Megan Kinninment lives on the north coast of NSW, where my parents live. Its a place where I spent time growing up and where we spend Christmas holidays every year. So one of the first things that attracted me to Megan's blog were her beautiful photos of the landscapes around Byron and beyond.

This part of the world has a strong hold on my heart and her pictures immediately conjure for me all that is wonderful about it, the green, green hills and small village halls, the rattly wooden bridges and expansive views of ocean and coast. It speaks to the wonderful mix of farm and new age, tradition and innovation, the markets, the beaches... it's no coincidence that Megan also works as a  journalist and digital producer on the local paper. She manages to show the best and most inspiring parts of this beautiful area.

Like many of my other favourite blogs, Megan's also chronicles a creative and loving family life, lived simply and close to the earth. She shares her ideas and practice for natural and creative living, her successes and challenges alike. Megan is a gardener and a maker as well as a writer. A recent rainbow party was full of wonderful ideas for a colourful, handmade birthday.

There is much to love about The Byron Life and it has a permanent place on my reader, so if you haven't spent time there do go and visit, it's the next best thing to being there!

Thanks again Megan for being part of Show & Tell, especially this week when the local floods kept you so busy at work!

name
Megan Kinninment
location
Byron Bay
blog
The Byron Life
facebook
http://www.facebook.com/TheByronLife
twitter
theByronLife
instagram
@TheByronLife

1. Can you give us a short description of your blog/style/work
The Byron life is a personal blog about living life simply and creatively as a mum to three girls. It’s heavy on photography, a passion I rediscovered through blogging. I make stuff, grow stuff, photograph stuff then write about it. I’m a journalist who has had to unpick her training in objective reporting to writing as “me” on the blog. Liberating, if a bit scary sometimes.

2. Why blog? How did you start?
I started blogging when I was on maternity leave from my job as a regional news reporter. There was never anything strategic about the blogging, I just started for the love of writing and photographing and the ease of being able to publish my own work and connect with other creative women and mothers. Interestingly though, everything I’ve learned through blogging I now apply to my work as journalist/digital producer, so maybe it was a strategic and clever move after all!

What has been amazing about blogging for me is the way it has connected me into a community of creative people and motivated me to do something creative in my life every single week.

3. Family taught/Self-taught/Trained?
Journalism: Uni, then did a traditional newspaper cadetship; Photography: self taught; Craft: mostly self taught, but I also studied fine arts/ceramics at East Sydney Tech (as it used to be known); Gardening: my mum.

4. Workspace - studio or kitchen table?
I have a “special” writing desk that is never used for writing. Instead I write from the living room, with my kids playing and yahooing around me and I sew/craft on the kitchen table because the “studio” aka garage is currently a shambles. Like many mums, I’ve learned to create from the centre of the action while still cooking, talking, rousing on yahooing children etc.

My kids will automatically start making stuff next to me, or else hassle me to get off my own computer so they can watch Peppa Pig and totally not get that I have a deadline… and yet somehow it all comes together, despite the chaos. I also stay up late some nights, when the house is quiet, to get that “me” space for creating away from busy little hands and yahooing kiddos.

5. Blog/Shop name, where does it come from?
My blog is about my life in Byron Bay, so I wasn’t terribly imaginative there!

6. Favourite writing/ photography style? 
I love realism; non-fiction; reportage and photo-journalism.  Blogging was very hard to get my head around at first because I was trained to write in the objective third person. Now many of my paid published pieces are written in a similar style to blogging - first person accounts.

Photographically, again journalism informs my photos. My photos move between being published on my blog, to being published in the print or online edition of the paper. Sometimes I have a go at something more abstract and atmospheric, but I always come back to a photo-journalism style.

7. Ambitions/future directions/future projects you'd like to try?
I would love to have a book published (non-fiction) and I dream of having some photographs exhibited. I’m ever-so-slowly working towards those dreams.

8. Are you neat and organised or, ahem, creatively messy?
Ahem, creatively messy! (I like the way you phrase that, Susie. “Creatively messy”.  So guilt-free. Thank you.)

9. Favourite handmade, handcrafted item you own not made by you
My girls all have crocheted blankets made by my mum and given to each girl when they were babies. I treasure those blankets so much, knowing the hours and hours of work/love that went into each one.

10. Favourite food/recipe?
I love spicy, Asian food and I am trying my hand at growing as many of the ingredients for those recipes myself. I blogged this chilli and lemon grass salsa recipe a year ago and since that time I’ve got to the stage where I can nearly pick all of the fresh ingredients from my own garden: chillis, lemongrass, basil, coriander and ginger. I live in an environment where the Asian-style plants grow well, so I want to keep expanding this aspect of my garden.

11. Favourite colour?
Green

12. Star sign?
Leo

13. Favourite place, landscape (not necessarily Australian)?
I can’t go past my beautiful Byron Bay, but Kakadu also has a special place in my heart. I love the intensity of these places; the sometimes maddening heat and relentless rain of the tropics and the fact that everything grows like crazy in these environments.

14. Any tricks for juggling life/work/family with creative pursuits?
I don’t know the trick for how to juggle these things; I’m still tweaking it. My only advice is to keep on with your creative life, no matter what. Even if it is in small ways, five minutes here or there; an idea written down on a piece of scrap paper; a project that sits on the table waiting for you to come back to it over a period of weeks… it’s important to carve out that time for yourself. And, embrace the mess! Creative work wins over housework at my place.

15. Favourite designers/artists/crafters/writers etc?
Kim Wallace is a new discovery to me (I found her work through Instagram) and I really love what she is creating – very delicate,  subtle ceramics using lace textures. I love her IG feed too.
The other artists listed are all women whose work I have long-admired. They are all strong, passionate women; ahead of the game in their fields.

Favourite writer: Helen Garner; Favourite photographer: Gemma-Rose Turnbull; Favourite designer: Rachel Bending from Bird Textiles; Favourite crafter: ceramist Kim Wallace, from Udessi.

16. Your favourite thing you've made/written/done?
I was happy with this interview I did with Julian Assange’s mother, Christine and my favourite ‘thing’ would be a simple stoneware bowl I made 20 years ago on the wheel at college. I still use it every day in my kitchen for fruit.

17. Three words to describe yourself?
Creative, determined, sensitive.

18. What do you like to do besides creating?
Sleeping is fun and quite novel these days, so I do that whenever I get the chance! Gardening is also my thing. Spending time in my garden, just pottering around, is one of the ways I unwind.

show & tell - megan nielsen

I've been sewing more clothes for myself this year, I like the idea of bypassing the chain stores and having unique one off clothes in interesting and flattering designs. I've been inspired by the blog world which is great at seeking out the really great patterns and making them all different ways so you get a great idea of how they look.

A little while ago I came across indie designer Megan Nielsen via a blog mention. Her brand is quickly becoming an internet favourite for her cute, classic designs. Although new to the pattern world, Megan was a fashion designer before she started selling patterns and many of the designs are based on her previous collections. Her range also includes fashion friendly maternity patterns.

I tracked down Megan's website and bought two of her patterns (Banksia blouse and Darling Ranges dress). I was surprised and pleased to find out she's an Aussie girl. At the time she was living in the US but soon after Megan and family pulled up sticks and came back to live in their hometown of Perth. Since she's been back she's celebrated her one year pattern company anniversary and released two new patterns.

If you haven't read Megan's blog you are in for a treat. One of my very favourite things about her is her generous knowledge sharing. She has done really detailed sewalongs for both the patterns I have, going through the techniques and also explaining how to modify the designs, lengthening, shortening, adding, subtracting and moving sleeves, darts, collars and plackets. She also talks about pressing fabrics, modifying kid's clothes, hemming, machines, threads, fabrics... in short everything to do with sewing clothes.

I can't wait to see the new patterns ahead for Megan. I love her style and I love her generosity when it comes to helping new sewers. Megan is the final Show & Teller for this year, the third year in the series, she is lucky number 30! If you haven't caught up with other interviews you can find them all via the page link above. But in the meantime, read on, thanks again Megan!

Name
Megan Nielsen but you can call me Meg!
Location
Perth, WA
Blog
Megan Nielsen Design Diary
Shops
www.megannielsen.com
Facebook
www.facebook.com/pages/Megan-Nielsen-Collection-Privee/92828109052
Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/megan_nielsen
Pinterest
http://pinterest.com/megan_nielsen/
Instagram
http://instagram.com/megan_nielsen

1. Can you give us a short description of your blog/style/work
Hi there! My name is Megan Nielsen, and I’m a designer. I have a line of clothing and sewing patterns, and I like pretty things. My blog is my design diary – the place where I catalog all the things I design, how I wear them, and lots of DIY tips and tutorials.

2.Why blog? How did you start?
I really love blogging! I started blogging a few years ago, at a time when I was far away from family and friends in a new country. I really missed sharing what I had been designing, so I started a blog as a place to catalog all the things I made. I’ve been pretty obsessed since then!

3.Family taught/Self-taught/Trained?
I’m mostly self taught. When i was about 10/11 I was really dissatisfied with my Barbie’s wardrobe (yes, I still played with Barbies when i was 11, don’t pretend you didn’t too he he), so i started cutting up my own clothing and handsewing outfits for her. When my mom realised I was interested in sewing she gave me a sewing machine (a vintage Elna, that was actually her first sewing machine too!), taught me the basics and then and helped me sew my very first piece of clothing – a wrap skirt! I’ve been addicted ever since :)

As the years progressed I wanted to know more and more, so I began studying pattern drafting and fashion design texts in my spare time. I love learning and I think I’ll be adding to my skills for the rest of my life.

4.Workspace - studio or kitchen table?
I’m lucky enough to have a designated work space. Since my brand takes up so much of our time, we converted one of our spare rooms into my workspace. It works really well because I can work from home and I have everything I need at my fingertips.

5.Blog/Shop name, where does it come from?
My shop name is my name! To be honest, when I was deciding what to call my brand I realised very quickly how fickle I was – so I chose the only name I couldn’t possibly get tired of – the name I had been stuck with my entire life!

6.Favourite media/style to work in?
My favourite medium is definitely fabric! I’m an apparel designer – so I always go to that. Within that, I’m a silk superfan – I would spend all my money on silk if I could.

7.Ambitions/future directions/future projects you'd like to try?
In the future I’m mainly focused on releasing more sewing patterns linked to my clothing line. It’s been so wonderful to witness people making my designs!

8.Are you neat and organised or, ahem, creatively messy?
Hahaha well I’m a bit of a combination actually! When it comes to my home, I’m very neat and organized – I like everything perfect all the time. When it comes to my workspace I’m definitely “creatively messy” It’s very rare that my studio be tidy and when it is I parade around it telling everyone I know hehehe.

9.Favourite handmade, handcrafted item you own not made by you.
Oh gosh. That’s hard!! I think right now my favourite handmade item is a pile of candlewicking panels that my Ouma made when she was still with us – I plan on making them into a nice big quilt that I can use and remember her by.

10.Favourite food/recipe?
I’m a kid at heart I guess – my favourite food is Mac and Cheese and probably always will be!

11.Favourite colour?
Pink! Is that too girl??

12.Star sign?
Oh gosh – I think I’m a Scorpio?

13. Favourite place, landscape (not necessarily Australian)?
My favourite place is the Swan Valley in WA – it’s my absolute favourite for going and getting inspired. To me its just the most beautiful place.

14. Any tricks for juggling life/work/family with creative pursuits?
That’s always a hard one isn’t it? Honestly, I’m not sure I’m particularly good at juggling it all J I tend to focus on my kids and home during the day, and I work, work, work during nap times and at night. I tend to run on a base level of tiredness – but I tell myself it’s for a short time hehe.

15. Favourite designers, artists, artisans, crafters etc?
My favourite indie designer is Merl Kinzie – she makes the most ridiculously awesome jewellery ever and I am developing quite the collection of it. Added to that she is such a sweet wonderful person!

16. Your favourite thing you've made/written/done.
It tends to vary pretty regularly – but my current favourite thing I’ve made is this crop top.

17. Three words to describe yourself?
Happy, bubbly, friendly (basically if I meet you I WILL hug you, no exceptions, sorry).

18. What do you like to do besides creating?
I really really love to read! Its something I don’t get a lot of time to do – but when I get a spare moment to curl up with a book, I just adore it. Such a luxury for me.

the ace blogger list

I was having one of those days yesterday (you know the ones!), when out of the blue I had the most fabulous surprise. I followed a link and came across a list written by the inimitable Pip Lincolne, aka the queen of blogging, on the JustB site. She featured a list of favourite bloggers chosen by Pip and the other JustBers.

Not only is this list, called the Ace Blogger List, full of all the very acest bloggers around, all my very favourites (including lots and of Show & Tellers), but featured there on the list was my blog - flowerpress!

I'm still pinching myself to be included in such amazing company, this list (which appears again in the JustB summer flipbook), is such a testament to the strength of Australian Blogging. I'm very proud to be part of it, and to count many of the other ace bloggers amongst my friends.

In nice timing its my 5 year blogging and Etsy selling anniversary next week! (5 years! Amazing!)

I will be back posting tomorrow for 'my creative space', while I haven't managed to keep up with the instagram prompts this month I'm really enjoying seeing the beautiful photos people are posting tagged #amonthof #mycreativespace.

And don't forget to pop back tomorrow for my wonderful giveaway too!

show & tell - nic james

Nic James of the yardage girl blog recently spent a long sojourn with her family based in Spain and travelling around Europe. It was wonderful to go along with Nic and her camera both via her blog and on instagram, hitching a ride as a virtual tourist as she saw the sites, enjoying them through her beautiful photos. I managed not to be too jealous in the process, well maybe just a little bit!

Nic runs an independent fabric design company based in Melbourne called Yardage Design. She handprints her own original fabrics on natural fabrics and has recently moved into new studio space at the Abbottsford Convent. She also celebrated her third blog birthday a couple of weeks ago so its the perfect time to share her blog.

Like me Nic is a fan of flowers, fabric and food. She also likes to shop vintage and designs and prints her own fabrics, so we have that in common as well. She shares all of this on her blog and also posts about her crafting, her designs and production. She is also an enthusiastic and generous member of the blog and craft communities and was one of the first to join my brooch swap last year.

Nic has always been a great supporter of the Show & Tell series, since it first began three years ago, so its a delight to feature her today, please make her very welcome. Thanks Nic :-)

name
Nic (Nicole) James
location
Melbourne, Australia
blog
http://yardagegirl.blogspot.com.au/
shop
http://yardagedesign.bigcartel.com/
web
http://www.yardagedesign.com.au/
instagram
@yardagedesign
facebook
Yardage Design
twitter
yardagedesign

1. Can you give us a short description of your blog/style/work
Hello! I am a screenprinter and textile designer. I design and print my own fabrics and homewares under the business name of Yardage Design. My style is simple ~ influenced by patterns, geometry and my surroundings. I love fonts and text, and colour.

2. Why blog? How did you start?
I didn’t know anything about blogging or the independent craft scene until 2009 when I accidentally stumbled across the Incubator section at the Stitches and Craft Show. My eyes were opened to blogging, cool crafting and people like me having a go at doing what they love for a living. I “stalked” some of my favourite blogs for a while to find out how it all worked, then took the plunge and started my own.

My blog is really my journal ~ I want to be able to look back on these years at some stage in the future. My blog has been an amazing connection to people who like making things ~ I have so many friends who I have met via this blog ~ both virtually and in real life. Running a business, also means that my blog is a great way to let people know what I’m doing/making/thinking/observing.

3. Family taught/Self-taught/Trained?
My mum taught me to sew at a young age, and I also did sewing at school. Until I had my son 5 years ago, I had been busy with university and a professional career, and I hadn’t really done anything crafty for years. I took a weekend course in screen printing, and so began my passion! The rest of my training is on the job ~ I basically learn as I go!

4. Workspace - studio or kitchen table?
I’ve done both, and everything in between! I have just recently (a couple of weeks ago) moved into a lovely new studio at the Abbotsford Convent.

5. Blog/Shop name, where does it come from?
The name Yardage Design came from a simple circular design (my logo) that was one of the first graphics I created when thinking about starting a textile business. The circle motif represents the end of a bolt of fabric, and that got me thinking about words associated with fabric. I settled on “yardage” because I like its vintage appeal and it was my goal to print fabric by the metre.

6. Favourite media to work in?
Fabric ~ I love printing on it, and sewing with it.

7. Ambitions/future directions/future projects/medium you'd like to try?
My goals are to print more of the ideas I have in my head and in sketch books; and experiment more with printing techniques.

8. Are you neat and organised or, ahem, creatively messy?
I’m mostly organised, but have been known to make a mess or two.

9. Favourite handmade, handcrafted item you own not made by you
Beautiful, handpainted ceramics from Spain.

10. Favourite food/recipe?
I love almost anything French ~ butter, butter and a bit more butter, really does make it better!

11. Favourite colour?
Red

12. Star sign?
The Bull

13. Favourite place, landscape (not necessarily Australian)?
Favourite city (to visit) ~ Lisbon, Portugal. Favourite city (to live) ~ Melbourne, Australia (but I wouldn’t mind trying Edinburgh). Favourite landscape ~ green rolling hills, where ever in the world they are.

14. Any tricks for juggling life/work/family with creative pursuits?
Lists. A glass of wine now and then. Lists. A sense of humour! Lists.

15. Favourite artists, artisans, crafters etc?
So many, but a few that always inspire are William Morris and his peers, the designers at Marimekko, and modern screen printing pioneers like Lotta Jansdotter.

16. Your favourite thing you've made/written/done.
The quilt I made in March this year ~ using my own fabrics for the first time ~ it was a good feeling to see something made from fabric I had designed. It felt even better to give it to a very special person.

17. Three words to describe yourself?
Focussed, persistent, sharing

18. What do you like to do besides creating?
Wandering around taking photos - on my phone (I’m addicted to instagram) and with the big camera; and, pottering around in the kitchen and/or garden.

show & tell - leslie keating

I first came to Leslie Keating's work through her beautiful scrappy quilts a few years ago. She has a great eye for putting fabrics together and I love her often eclectic mixes and the random piecing style she uses. They are still some of my favourite quilts.

I started following her blog (formerly onegirl but now maze and vale) way back then and have followed it avidly ever since. Leslie loves fabric and it shows. Her creative experiments over that time have included many forms of printing, dying and sewing with fabrics. She is also well known for her beautiful soft toy designs, the much loved Oobees and Fleurs.

On top of that she's run two handprinted fabric swaps in the last year or so that have motivated loads of people to print their own fabric, inspiring them to try out techniques and designs on material and swap them with new friends around the world. I've joined up both times, and both times I've loved playing with a block printing technique that I might not have tried without her motivation. Her swaps gave me the incentive to put ink to fabric and have given me some favourite patterns, and I was gifted with many beautiful handmade fabrics in return.

Generous with her process, Leslie shares a lot about her experiments, her equipment which is often inexpensive and homemade, and her methods. Her blog and pinterest is full of handprinting inspiration and technique.

Leslie changed directions creatively a bit last year, her blog and business became Maze and Vale to reflect this new venture, screenprinting her own fabrics in small sruns. Since then she has been producing beautiful and distinctive prints in favourite colours in her small home studio.

Read on to find out what she's going to do next! Thank you Leslie for being part of Show & Tell today.

Name
Leslie Keating
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Blog
http://www.lesliekeating.com
Shops
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mazeandvale
Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesliekeating
Instagram
lesliekeating
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/mazeandvale
Pinterest
http://pinterest.com/lesliekeating

1. Can you give us a short description of your blog/style/work
I'll tackle my blog in the second question and focus on the style/work part here: I'm a graphic designer turned textile designer, avid sewer and mother of two little girls. I'm drawn to muted colours, interesting angles, asymmetry, disarray in patterns, simplifying the most compelling forms of nature and screen printing it all by hand in my wee tiny studio (ahem, the third bedroom).

2. Why blog? How did you start?
I started my blog when I first moved to Melbourne in 2005. It was great to let my family and friends back home in Canada know what I was up and turned out to be a brilliant way to meet people in a new city. I've gone through varying stages with it over the years, where my writing is more personal than others and lately it is mostly about my creative pursuits. There are oh-so many things I want to actually write about, I compose meaningful blog posts in my head daily but entertaining a 2 and 4 year old all day takes it toll on my brain power and usually by the time they go to bed, I can barely string a sentence together, let alone find the energy to type it out. I find the time to share what I'm designing and printing to help build my little hand printed fabric business, Maze & Vale, and just hope that some magical day I'll find the way to string all those other sentences together.

3. Family taught/Self-taught/Trained?
My mom sewed a ton when I was young, making most of my clothes, halloween costumes, Christmas stockings, etc but I would say I'm basically self taught. I was too stubborn to learn from my mother and thought Home Ec was pretty boring in junior high. I used my mom's sewing machine a bit in my teens to hem jeans and turn pj bottoms into shorts (ah, the grunge years) but it wasn't until I moved to Melbourne and bought my own machine that I really started figuring it all out. As for printing, I studied Graphic Design & Illustration in college and did a short and very impractical screen printing course right after I graduated. It was fairly technical and didn't use any materials/equipment that you could easily use at home and so all these years later I taught myself how to do that, too. There are so many amazing books available and clear video tutorials online, I seriously believe you could teach yourself anything you could ever want to learn.

4. Workspace - studio or kitchen table?
I use a spare bedroom as my studio and luckily have a carpenter husband who can outfit it to suit my needs. He's made me a huge tabletop for printing and a narrow desk for sewing (I can always move my sewing machine to my printing table when I need to do quilts or other large projects) and built an amazing amount of storage shelving into the closet.

5. Blog/Shop name, where does it come from?
Maze & Vale is my oldest daughter's nickname and my youngest daughter's middle name.

6. Favourite media to work in?
Can I just say fabric? I loooooooooove fabric. LOVE. Always have really. Sewing is the first craft (and I've done/tried pretty much all of them) that I've been inspired to keep learning and continue to be thrilled by, because it lets me work with fabric and create things that are both beautiful and useful. And now that I can design and print my own textiles, in whatever colours I want, I'm pretty much in heaven.

7. Ambitions/future directions/future projects/medium you'd like to try?
I'd like to get back into making custom quilts, improvisational and unique, using mainly my own fabric. I have dreams about designing a commercial fabric line with Kokka, Yuwa or Cloud 9. I'd love to do some collaborations with quilters and designers that I admire and someday I'll dream up an idea for an exhibition and try to get that happening. For the next couple of years I'm going to stay small and enjoy hanging out with my two kids, printing when time allows and sewing in the evenings.

8. Are you neat and organised or, ahem, creatively messy?
Hmmm, maybe both? When I'm working to a deadline or on a large project, I am messy. I throw scraps of fabric and thread on the floor, make piles of stuff everywhere, shove things on shelves or into boxes, wherever they will fit. But I regularly tidy and organise my studio, especially if I'm about to start something new. I like to know where to find things and remind myself of supplies I'd forgotten I had, projects I'd forgotten I started. I get super inspired when my studio is neat and tidy, all set to get messy again.

9. Favourite handmade, handcrafted item you own not made by you.
Oh man, I have so many... I'll pick three that stand out: a small, dark grey rake vase, resembling a wasp's nest, that a dear friend brought me from Japan, an amazingly beautifully made doll from Sara of A Little Sprout that I purchased while pregnant with my first daughter and more recently, the stunning simplicity of the pod vase and mug from Melbourne local, Shiko.

10. Favourite food/recipe?
It's a bit boring but truly, popcorn. Tried and true, I will choose homemade popcorn over almost anything. I make it on the stovetop with rice bran oil and cracked rock salt and it is AMAZING.

11. Favourite colour?
Grey has been a long time favourite but a muted, smokey teal would be a close second these days. A quick look at my colour board on Pinterest reveals many examples of each!

12. Star sign?
Scorpio. Yep.

13. Favourite place, landscape (not necessarily Australian)?
I have a special connection with Vancouver and always feel immediately at home there. Something in the air, maybe. I enjoyed every minute of the two years I lived there, near Commercial Drive and then right in the West End with great restaurants and shopping, Granville Island, Stanley Park, the beach, the seawall and pretty much anything else you could ever wish for just a hop, skip and a jump away. The whole city, made up of all its varied neighbourhoods, is just amazing, I think plus I met my Aussie husband there so its got a million great memories tied to it.

14. Any tricks for juggling life/work/family with creative pursuits?
Having my own space is hugely important, I think. Being able to just shut the studio door and then go back to what I was working on, untouched, when I have the time. Right now I keep my Maze & Vale work pretty separate from its namesakes. Aside from trips to the post office and checking my email while they eat lunch, when I'm with my kids, I like to be focussed on them. As they get older I hope to involve them more in my creative life, if they're interested. I have daydreams of the girls hanging out in my future, larger, outside-of-the-house studio, doing their own printing or sewing or homework while I do my thing.

15. Favourite artists, artisans, crafters etc?
Again, there are so many... here are the ones that popped into my head first: Ink & Spindle, Skinny Laminx, Leah Duncan, Naomi Ito, Cloth.

16. Your favourite thing you've made/written/done.
Probably the quilt we use in our living room. The front is pieced with different shades of grey, using cloth that I hand dyed, and it's really heavily quilted. I think the quilting alone took me about nine hours but the texture is so beautiful.

17. What do you like to do besides creating?
I'm a huge treasure hunter so I love op shops and those antique warehouse type of places but it also extends into nature. Be it the beach or a walk through the forest, I just can't help coming home with pockets of beauty - shells, feathers, stones, seedpods, leaves… Sometimes if I have my camera, it's enough to just capture the treasures that way instead. I've always loved photography and that has only expanded since having my kids, documenting them as they grow is so important to me.