the red thread: August 2012

INSPIRATION :: Shades of Grey

30 August 2012

Grey is such a versatile colour which you can safely pair with anything from pastels to brights and those of-the-moment neons. It also works beautifully tone on tone - charcoal to mist and all the shades in between. Both of these bedrooms are beautiful in their celebration of grey and although I'd usually lean towards white anything I adore the dark moodiness of the top image. What do you think?

There is an abundance of grey home wares around to complete the look.
These are a few of my faves.

1. Ferm Living basket 2. Pony Rider wall dot 3. Aura by Tracey Ellis cushion 4. uimi blanket 5. Bonnie and Neil cushion

Image Sources: Dark bedroom via vtwonen. Light bedroom via Trendenser. All product images from the online shops, as linked above.

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Meanwhile... on Instagram

29 August 2012

Since joining Instagram just over a week ago I've found myself taking lots of photos around my home of the varying nuances of white. Here's a few of my faves. I'm theredthread on Instagram if you want to see more and/or follow me.

LOVING :: uimi

28 August 2012

I blogged about uimi way back in early 2010, when I met Feeona at a trade show and bought one of her lovely Lola wraps. I'm still wearing and loving it two years later. It's such beautiful quality merino wool that despite lots of wear it still looks new.

At that stage the beautifully textured uimi products were all in a lovely soft neutral colour pallet of almond, charcoal, cream and steel. Since then the uimi range has grown from scraves and wraps to include blankets, cushions and clothes in on trend patterns. And the colours! Lush raspberry, turquoise and ginger sit alongside lime, buttercup and mint.

The solid brights are stunning for simple fine merino wool scarves and children's wear.

I know I use the word love a lot, but I really do love the uimi range. Are you with me?

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SHOP :: Gypsy River

Melbourne based Kerrie Nelson is the seemingly tireless hunter and gatherer behind Gypsy River. Bright and colourful pieces of ethnic homewares, jewellery and accessories are sourced from far flung places and curated into an exotic collection.

The combinations of colours and patterns of these global treasures are just beautiful.

I just checked in on the Gypsy River blog and found some lovely new additions to the shop, including some fabulous rugs and bright and detailed umbrellas.

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My Home :: Bathroom Makeover Sneak Peek

27 August 2012

I have almost finished my bathroom makeover and I've accomplished it for under $200. I got busy one night last week and painted the entire bathroom including the tiles and now I'm just getting together some things to style it up. I can't wait to share it with you here, but in the meantime here's a little sneak peek.

All went well with the tile paint undercoat. I let it dry for the required 6 hours then got to painting the tiles. I was finished by 11.30pm... paint all over my hands and clothes and splashes on my face and in my hair! It was then that I realised that the paint, unlike the undercoat, was turps clean-up. I realised it after rubbing my hands with a wet rag and spreading the paint so it literally covered both my hands and writsts. No turps! I headed downstairs to my garage and rummaged around with a torch. No turps. I made an 11.45pm dash to the supermarket - covered in paint and looking like a mad woman - running in the door at 11.57 just before their 12 o'clock closing time. Luckily Roxy was on a school excursion sleepover that night or I would have had to go to bed with paint all over me.

But I'm so happy with how the bathroom has turned out. It's so light and bright now and I don't get depressed every time I open the door. I did however get depressed when I realised that I had to cut the paint out of my hair.

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INSPIRATIOn :: Dane Lovett

24 August 2012

Australian artist Dane Lovett - beauty in the everyday.

Genius way to exhibit!

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Sydney abcd winter wrap up

22 August 2012

Our abcd bloggers meet-up was held last week and judging from the feedback it was a huge success. I think it's so great that all these wonderful women who blog about art, craft and design come together to meet and share. Sharing was our theme this time and we had some great and lively small group discussions where ideas, experiences and thoughts were offered and exchanged. It was really enjoyable and enriching to hear everyone's input on the various topics.

Our goodie bags were also based on the theme of sharing for this meet-up, and the contributions were thoughtful and creative. They included some delicious recipes, gorgeous stationery and even a stamp from a thoughtful lass, lots of lists including great tips and links, fabric, and a vintage hanky with a little note saying "Do share your happy tears. Don't share your sniffles". So perfect for our winter 'sharing' meet-up!

The goodie bags are always a highlight, but the best part is making connections and creating a community amongst like minded women who we usually only know through our online lives. We had a lot of new faces at this meet up which was lovely. Unfortunately neither Steph or I managed to snap any photos of the actual event - a terrible oversight! Next time we plan to get that organised. You can see photos of our last meet-up - our Saturday Soiree - here. A big thank you as always to Steph of Bondville who spends time planning and organising with me to make the abcd meet-ups happen. Stay tuned for our next abcd meet-up in a few months.
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INSPIRATION :: Sydney Biennale on Cockatoo Island

21 August 2012

Way back at the beginning of July we spent a wonderful day on Cockatoo Island seeing the 18th Biennale of Sydney. It's on until 16th September, so if you're in Sydney I'd highly recommend a visit for a great family day out. For a start the ferry ride across the harbour is a fun treat for the kids, especially on these glorious winter days and Cockatoo Island is worth a visit even when there's no art to be seen. There's tunnels and old buildings to explore and lots of climbing to be done, and the bar and cafes are a drawcard too.

My favourite work from the Biennale is Philip Beesley's interactive kinetic environment. We could have spent all afternoon looking at this one work and come away happy. Beesley's work incorporates lightweight digitally produced textile structures with touch sensors and LEDs that respond to the actions of the viewer. Walking in the interactive installation felt like you were part of a beautiful ethereal living organism.

I've blogged about Cal Lane's work before, so I enjoyed seeing her 'industrial doilies'.

And I particularly loved this collaboration between polish artist Monika Gryzmala and Euraba Artists and Papermakers, who are a group of northern NSWAboriginal artists specialising in handmade paper art. Breathtaking.

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LOVING :: Instagram

20 August 2012

I know I'm so late to the party (so what's new?!)... on Saturday I finally joined Instagram. Do you do it? Do you love it? I'm hooked already. Below are some of my photos taken on Sunday. If you'd like to follow me I'm: @theredthread. See you there?

Watch out, I'm becoming more social media savvy (thanks Steph for the encouragement!), you might even find me on Pinterest soon... maybe even Facebook. But, um, don't hold your breath!

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NEW from the red thread :: Super Ooshkas

Super Ooshka has just joined my Ooshka Boys and Ooshka Babushkas - it's not just the boys who can be superheroes! You can find my sassy superhero in the red thread online shop now.

I spent some time over the weekend updating the content and tweaking the design of my website to reflect what has been a gradual change of direction for me. For a number of years I've been spreading myself thin working in lots of different mediums. When I started the red thread in 2004 I was creating art for (mainly) children's spaces, but I now find myself wanting to concentrate on my sewing patterns and kits as well as an exciting new direction: fabric design. You can still see some of my previous work on the gallery page of my updated website.

As a result of this change - or rather of me acknowledging and embracing the change - I am going to have an online sale of all my remaining art. Everything will be at least 50% off: SushiBird Tiles, Heart Boxes, Vintage Storybook Tiles, etc. Take a look at my gallery page for examples. I don't have a lot of stock, so it will be first in first served. The sale will be at an online pop up shop for the red thread, so if you're interested in scoring a major bargain sign up to my email mailing list and you'll be amongst the first to know.

It feels like a bit of a relief to have streamlined what the red thread is all about. I do love change!

A note about my email mailing list. I promise I will never share your details with anyone, for any reason. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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LOVING :: Harvest Textiles Totes

16 August 2012

The images say it all... gorgeous new totes from Harvest Textiles. White. Black. Neon. Where's my credit card?

* Sorry about the "totes awesome" thing... that's so not how I speak, but I couldn't resist.

Images: Harvest Textiles.

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Yarn Bombing at the New cloth Shop in Sydney

13 August 2012

Are you up for some yarn bombing in Sydney on the weekend of 25th August? The shop and headquarters of cloth (makers of gorgeous fabric and homewares) has recently moved to Darlinghurst. In preparation for the official launch they are - in designer/director Julie Paterson's words - "calling all pom pom makers, crafter folk, knitter friends and crochet queens" to help "craftify the cloth corner". The new shop will be opened by Clover Moore at the end of the month and the cloth team want to put on a crafty show for her. The plan is yarn bomb the trees, bike racks and bench seats outside the shop on the corner of William and Palmer Streets, turning it into a visual feast and crafters heaven.

Image: cloth

So, what do you think? Would you like to help out and be part of this fun public art event? Julie is holding a short meeting at the shop this Wednesday night, 15th August, to discuss the event and so people can see the space and choose what they'll be decorating. But even if you can't make the meeting you can still participate. Start knitting, crocheting, and pom pom making and take your finished pieces along, and/or make them in the community event on the weekend of 25th. If you're interested and would like more info, you can email Julie.

Some images for inspiration...

Potholes! Image: Juliana Santacruz Herrera. Via: Apartment Therapy

Beautiful tree. Image: Ute Lennartz-Lembeck

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INSPIRATION :: Stuart Frost

10 August 2012

Environmental artist Stuart Frost makes a bold and unexpected statement with his site specific art. The hard edge patterns scorched into dead trees are such a wonderful contrast to the softness of the surrounding natural environment. Beautiful.

Images: Stuart Frost

Found via Poppytalk, via StudioBlog

MAKING :: A Lap Quilt

In an attempt to brighten up our lounge room and to have something extra to snuggle under I actually made a lap quilt. I know, it's hard to believe given that my first quilting attempt still remains unfinished. Our living area is mostly white and neutrals with a few pops of colour, so I chose fabrics that would add to the 'pop'.

the quilt top before backing and binding

I did face a practical vs aesthetic issue when making this lap quilt. I wanted the design to be made up of large shapes, and I know that quilting lines should be no more than 2 inches apart, but I just couldn't bring myself to have any lines breaking up the clean triangles. So I just 'stitched in the ditch' (well, to be truthful, I stitched next to the ditch), and will have to see what happens when I wash the quilt... I know, I live dangerously don't I!

finished and rumpled from use

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LOVING :: Empirical Style

09 August 2012

In our apartment we have very high ceilings and picture rails, which are perfect for hanging pendant lights. Some of the best around are these cage lights from Empirical Style. I first spotted them when the home of Empirical Style owners Steve and Helena Trupp was featured on The Design Files.

We now have two in our apartment - a yellow one above my desk, and a hot pink and aqua one above Roxy's loft bed.

Top images: The Design Files.
Bottom image of Roxy's room: the red thread.

Empirical Style also sells wonderful vintage wares sourced from all around the globe. I am absolutely in love with this vintage Japanese wooden school locker. Oh how I wish I could afford it! To die for.

Images: Empirical Style

And lovely old botanical prints and maps.

Images: Empirical Style

I have my eye on these gorgeous glass fishing floats. Love them.

Images: Empirical Style

If you're in Melbourne Empirical Style are having a pop up shop which opens August 17th. Check it out at 1114 High Street Armadale. Wish I could visit but I'll have to be content to continue browsing their online shop.

Did you watch Top Design on Channel Nine? Steve of Empirical Style was a contestant and finalist. I loved that show, but I don't think it rated well because the scheduling was so bad and all over the place. Did you watch it? Did you love it too? Do you remember Steve?

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MAKE IT :: Decoupaged Wooden Bangles

08 August 2012

How great are these DIY bangles from the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living? So cute and clever.

You can find the how-to and the clip art for this project here, at Martha Stewart.

Images: Martha Stewart Living

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