Woven Stories Textiles in Myaree, Western Australia | Fashion designer

Woven Stories Textiles

Locality: Myaree, Western Australia

Phone: +61 405 433 046

Address: 3/89 Norma Rd 6154 Myaree, WA, Australia

Website: http://www.wovenstories.com.au

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• Commercial and industrial
• Fabric shop
• Fashion designer
• Textile company

25.01.2022 Todays post comes to you from the bottom of my heart. While I have many things to be grateful for in my life, things happened today that have restored my faith in human nature. My shop landlord rang me this morning. Hes always been a kind and generous man, very free with rent-free months when I was setting up the shop. He and his wife are well into their nineties but he still insists on fixing everything himself. He told me today that he doesnt want to lose any tenants, s...o hes only going to charge us what basically amounts to a holding fee for the foreseeable future. I cried a bit, I thanked him profusely, told him to stay indoors and I think I may have offered to do his shopping for him! Secondly, a huge thanks to everyone whos been shopping online. I know everyones having to tighten the purse strings at the moment but this conscious and continued support of small businesses everywhere is vital to our survival. Dont stop now, you dont want to run out of fabric. Lastly, to the bloke in the petrol station who got out of his car to marshall all the other drivers so I could back out after being blocked in by a petrol tanker, thank you, I would offer to have your babies if I was still of childbearing age. The pic? This was painted on the wall of a temple in Who Knows Where, India. I loved it because to me it looked like a beautiful abstract painting. I was told that if you press a coin on its surface and it sticks, it will bring you good luck. Obviously mine stuck See more

25.01.2022 On a day of reflection, you can now all ponder my idiotic optimism. Let me start the story from the beginning...last time I was in Jaipur, I visited this divine shop full of beautiful handmade items. A top caught my eye - a very simply shaped indigo piece, double layered and kantha stitched all over in both directions. It was way out of my price range. You can see where this is going right. Yep, I thought, I could do that!, despite the fact that Ive only ever stitched one... thing before in my life and it was a sample piece I never finished. So I made a top, French seamed, reversible and sewn together except for the side seams (to be resolved later). After auditioning needles and threads for a week, I finally started stitching it yesterday. This is when I realised the enormity of my task and it gave me plenty of time to crunch the numbers. Its roughly 1000 rows of stitching, Im doing 10 rows a day which takes me an hour, so in as little as 100 days, Ill have it finished. Sadly, Ive fallen short two days in row so dont hold your breath. See more

25.01.2022 Let’s talk haberdashery, shall we? I love the word, haberdashery. I love it’s mouthfeel, it’s multiple syllables and it’s connotations of walls full of delights like the ones in these photos. Well I’m here to tell you that we now have haberdashery items in-store and online! Yes! And all because our local Spotlight burnt down, and you asked for it. Before you get excited and rush down here for your multi coloured 100% polyester laces and braids, as pictured, know this...I have... zips, buttons, interfacing, elastic and some thread. None of these make good photos, but they will make you happy next time you buy fabric and you need a few essentials to get sewing. I’m calling them ‘Sewing Supplies’, lest I get in trouble for misrepresenting the word ‘Haberdashery’. I do not have the stuff in the photos, sorry. And now, I want you to say ‘Haberdashery’ in the best Scottish accent you can muster. If this doesn’t conjure up visions of a young Sean Connery crashing through the heather, speaking of love and sewing accoutrements, I don’t know what will. Shop is open Friday and Saturday 10-2. See you then. See more

23.01.2022 Why is it that some fabrics only suggest pyjamas after you’ve cut them? Why can’t they tap you on the shoulder before you apply the scissors and say, Hey, stop right there, it’s going to look like pj’s, choose something else, fool. So, this top is hanging on the rack with all the other boxy tops I’ve made recently, maybe I’ll feel differently about it in the morning. Yes, keep scrolling and you’ll see I’ve turned sewing boxy tops into a full time occupation but huzzah (!!!...) I finally finished the handstitched, reversible top of torture. I don’t think I’ll ever wear it because I can’t bear the sight of it, but perhaps I’ll feel differently about it in 2025. And lastly, for those of you who accused me of secret quilting, I can reveal that it was actually...a boxy top. It’s hanging on the rack, it’s not my colour and the sleeves are too short for the elder, decomposing upper arm so I guess I’ll never feel differently about this one. Here’s a couple of unhelpful facts - the patterns are all self drafted and all the fabrics were remnants and no longer available. I know, don’t give up my day job to go into marketing, right? You can come and remonstrate with me Friday and Saturday in the shop 10-2, or send me a stern email if you’re far away. See more

23.01.2022 Well they told us not to go anywhere over the Easter weekend, but let me tell you, Ive been on an epic journey Im going to call The Cornell Voyage. It all started when I broke my overlocker on Thursday. I broke it good so it had to go to hospital. I had planned to get stuck into some sewing over the long weekend, this threw a serious spanner in the works. Let me explain, Im a lazy sewist. I dont do it for the process, I do it for the extra garment in my wardrobe after a...n hour of sewing. I like patterns with 3 or 4 pieces...front, back, sleeves and pockets. I try to keep fancy things to a minimum and I love my overlocker. What to do? Ill make @elbe_textiles Cornell shirt because I know she will have worked out the tricky bits and I just have to do what she tells me. Its all cut and ready to go. I decide to bring my sewing machine home to work in the aircon because its sweaty hot in my studio. I rig up an electical highway of extension leads and powerboards that snake dangerously across my loungeroom floor. I plug everything in and then discover the lights not working on my machine. A trip to the garage eventually unearths a clampable IKEA lamp with virtually zero wattage. I feel like a Victorian seamstress working in the attic by candlelight but soldier on. And on. I French seamed, I placketted, top stitched, burritoed and roll hemmed just like I was instructed. Hey presto! Two days later an almost finished shirt emerged from the chaos. This is it, waving hello from my loungeroom floor. I just cant face doing the buttonholes right now partly because I feel a bit blind from sewing in the dark. So, LB, youve done it again. Super pattern, great instructions, love the shirt. Looking forward to making another one when Ive recovered. The second pic is part of the reason this took so long. Kept distracting myself with some calming hand stitching and hot cross buns. Hope you all had a relaxing but fruitful Easter. See more

23.01.2022 Hello people, first post back home after India and Im going to try not to make this about me (too much). Lauren from @elbe_textiles has released her Page dress pattern, in all its glorious forms, today. Im going to talk her up a little bit, even though I know it will make her cringe...if youve never made an Elbe pattern, do it now, they go together like a dream, the fit is fantastic, and well, theyre just great clothes to wear. Being a thoughtful and conscientious person, Lauren goes the extra mile to be inclusive when choosing models for her photo shoots. For the Page dress, she chose me, the person in the world who least likes having their photo taken, to represent the mature woman. I have to be honest, it was confronting and I cant imagine ever doing it again, but here I am - a silver She-devil in a beautiful blue dress.

21.01.2022 Hello, my name is Field Mushroom. Im one of the seven linen siblings currently being fostered at Woven Stories. Im the quiet one, often overlooked by people whose eye is caught by one of my more vivacious sisters or assertive brothers in the range. Im quite shy and difficult to photograph because of my unusual colour, but my black warp and grey/brown weft give me the ability to play well with so many other fabrics that Ive become a reluctant star. See how I compliment all these other fabrics in the photos - earthy tones, a splash of turquoise or chartreuse as well as indigo, navy and black. I am the neutral fabric thats been missing from your life and Im looking for my forever home. Stop thinking about me and just buy me. I would love to be a part of your wardrobe.

21.01.2022 Heres a couple of photos of this weeks fabric I cut up and stitched back together while I talk about nothing. Like many other people born in Australia, I speak no language other than a passable version of English. Sure, I can ask for three beers in Turkish, get the sugar in my chai dialed down in Hindi, shout with confidence, lift your leg and fart in Macedonian and have an excellent command of Kitchen Italian, but fluent in any language, afraid not. This, of course, d...oesnt stop me from giving it a red hot crack whenever I get the chance. During the week I had a customer visit the shop to pick up their online order. She had a suspiciously Scandinavian name that I hoped was Swedish. It turns out she was Finnish but was kind enough to understand my one Swedish phrase when I blurted it out...I dont speak Swedish. Forgive me SusanYep, its been that kind of week. Oh heres something if youre still with me. Postage to Melbourne is free until lockdown ends or Armageddon begins, whichever first. Just add the code FREEMELBOURNE at the checkout but just give it a minute because the websites on US time you know. See you in the shop Friday and Saturday 10-2.

20.01.2022 Heres something for the quilters today. I didnt have to go far to find this one. Its the quilt on my hotel bed. Im not sure which is the back and the front but I was rather taken with the handstitching in white on these beautiful Ajrakh prints. Good news. Despite the chaos caused by the arrival of Trump in Ahmedabad some time today, my meeting with Osama went smoothly once I got to his place. We had arranged to meet at 11.30, which is considered an early morning appointm...ent in India. While in the tuk tuk enroute to his place I received frantic messages that went like this...WHERE ARE YOU MADAM YOU SAID 11.30. It was 11.25. I AM HERE WAITING FOR YOU. I replied, 5 MINUTES! Another message, I CALL YOU, and then he did. WHERE ARE YOU MADAM ARE YOU LOST I TALK TO DRIVER. Quick convo with driver then he gives the phone back to me, WHERE ARE YOU I AM WAITING. Me, I AM HERE. Him, WHERE? This went on until I was standing right in front of him. Then we had chai, then he threw all the fabric on the floor for me, then I bought too much and that was pretty much that. Oh, except for the message he sent me after Id left. WHEN YOU COME BACK MADAM WHATSAPP ME BEFORE YOU COME MADAM SO I KNOW WHEN YOU COME RESPECTFULLY OSAMA. Word for word, I swear. See more

20.01.2022 And so, after stitching my way to insanity during lockdown, I finally learnt something...dont embark on another epic stitch adventure before doing some sampling. You know, just in case you dont want to spend the next three months laboriously French knotting your needle turn appliqu that you decided to do on an entire garment. Behold this afternoons efforts. If you find me still doing this on the weekend, perhaps stage an intervention. The shop is open Friday and Saturday 10-2. Come visit.

19.01.2022 Finally made it to Jaipur after a tuk tuk ride, a taxi, plane and lastly, a bus. After a short lunch and shopping break we had a visit to the divine Nila House, shrine to all things natural and handmade. The current exhibition includes ethereal pieces in natural dyes and khadi cotton - resist dyed pieces by the Ajrakh masters of Bhuj, and some delicate weaving by Gujarati artisans. Resisted a floor length indigo kimono, kantha stitched top, and unflattering drop crotch pants. I have 5 stylists with me with very strong opinions! Tomorrows main event is our final workshop of the tour - shibori and natural dyeing. Keep your eyes peeled for the results, I have high expectations for this bunch.

19.01.2022 A brief post about a mixed bag of new fabrics just listed on the website because I have to make a birthday cake and yes, I have left it rather late. The birthday boy was a little disappointed when I arrived home with a rather handsome, medium sized zucchini in my hand and announced it was for his cake. Yes, chocolate zucchini cake, its a thing, at least it was twenty years ago which was the last time I made it. So, the fabrics...four slightly heavier weight blockprints now that youre all thinking about winter sewing (arent you?) and two new ikats. I think Ive got it all covered here - pants, jackets, tops, shirts and dresses, preferably not worn together. As usual, stocks are limited, so crack on wont you.

19.01.2022 Why is it that some fabrics only suggest pyjamas after youve cut them? Why cant they tap you on the shoulder before you apply the scissors and say, Hey, stop right there, its going to look like pjs, choose something else, fool. So, this top is hanging on the rack with all the other boxy tops Ive made recently, maybe Ill feel differently about it in the morning. Yes, keep scrolling and youll see Ive turned sewing boxy tops into a full time occupation but huzzah (!!!...) I finally finished the handstitched, reversible top of torture. I dont think Ill ever wear it because I cant bear the sight of it, but perhaps Ill feel differently about it in 2025. And lastly, for those of you who accused me of secret quilting, I can reveal that it was actually...a boxy top. Its hanging on the rack, its not my colour and the sleeves are too short for the elder, decomposing upper arm so I guess Ill never feel differently about this one. Heres a couple of unhelpful facts - the patterns are all self drafted and all the fabrics were remnants and no longer available. I know, dont give up my day job to go into marketing, right? You can come and remonstrate with me Friday and Saturday in the shop 10-2, or send me a stern email if youre far away. See more

19.01.2022 An early post today as I abandoned my group at the City Palace and have some time up my sleeve. I was as nervous as a new mother sending them on their way, but Ive trained them well (walk single file on the edge of the road, dont step in any cow shit, and bargain hard) and theyre grown women after all. Also, we have a Whatsapp group so I can see the distress messages theyre sending to each other. Im trying not to intervene, so when I get messages through that say, Where... is breakfast? I just shout at the phone, Ask someone, for Gods sake! Anyway, I put my spare time to good use by buying more embroideries. The first two pics are Things I Didnt Buy Vol 12, the rest are Things I Couldnt Leave Behind Episode 3587. You can see that Im very weak willed. As punishment for all the shopping my group has been doing, Im making them cook their own dinner at a cooking lesson tonight. At the very least, Im hoping to get some action videos for my Stories and a decent chapati out of them. See more

19.01.2022 Back to blue again but I couldnt resist posting this. A shipment of beautiful blockprinted khadi indigo jackets has finally arrived after spending two months holidaying at the courier depot in Delhi. I have many and they come in sizes S-XXL. You can rush in a buy one from the shop because well be open Fridays and Saturdays 10-2 from now on, unless of course some other disaster befalls us. For those of you far away, be patient, I will get them online soon.

18.01.2022 Forgive me followers for I have slacked off. It has been 12 days since my last post. Let me confess to you my slacknesses... 1. I have not provided you with colourful, inspiring photos accompanied by humorous or educational captions, long or short. 2. I have not produced anything attractive enough to post from my long hours beavering away in my studio but simply made more mess. 3. I have neglected to post new fabrics online to entice you to purchase something delicious tha...t you probably dont need. 4. I have not yet reopened my shop to enable those of you who are nearby to come and get your fabric fondling fix. 5. I am also guilty of staying home while eating, drinking and baking too much and eventually hand stitching myself into a catatonic state by late afternoon. For my penance, I agree to reopen the shop on Fridays and Saturdays 10-2 starting on June 5, with social distancing and hand sanny of course. If you need me before then, get in touch. If youre shopping online, Ive just loaded 25 new prints and lots more remnants onto the website. I also commit to giving up drinking, going on a diet and training for a marathon. No of course not, just wanted to see if youre awake! Quick question that Ive asked before but didnt like the answer...if I was to open another short day, what day would you like? No, not Sunday. And now, back to the stitching. See more

17.01.2022 Well, whats a girl to do these days but tirelessly load things onto their website, hour after hour. Whos got a Shopify website and would like to heft their desktop Ganesh statue through the screen from time to time? If you were on my website today and you were slightly confused, well so was I. Thanks helpdesk, you were a mine of useless information. Good news though, I didnt delete half my website as I thought Id done, so theres now a whole lot of new goodies including ...FQ bundles and a small tribe of embroideries. Shop news...Ill be open tomorrow and Friday 10-2 for you languid shoppers who dont have their lockdown projects organised yet, but its better for all of us if you shop freely and abundantly online. Locals - add the code SHOPLOCAL at the online checkout and Ill throw it through you car window as you speed through the car park. In other news, this morning I attempted to remove my toenail polish with what turned out to be mouthwash. Am I losing it already? See more

17.01.2022 I was just supposed to be doing the rounds of some suppliers today while my flock dispersed themselves across Jaipur having their own adventures. All was going well until I just popped across the road to check on some jackets Im having made. A pile of vintage silk saris caught my eye and the canny salesman kept bringing stacks of gorgeousness to look through. I managed to whittle it down to about twenty and he seemed a little disappointed. He perked up a little when I adde...d some recycled sari kantha shawls and scarves to the pile. I swear I only did it to keep him happy but I think they might make you a little bit happy too. Something that might make you unhappy...the shop is closed this Friday and Saturday, sorry if I missed you but Ill be back at the end of the month. Sadly, our tour ends tomorrow as my group of fabulous women and I pack the bus to the roof and head to Delhi. Im going to try not to cry this time, promise. See more

17.01.2022 Many moons ago, when I made clothes for a living, I stashed away several boxes of printed linen scraps - waste from a long dress that Ive made hundreds of. A week ago I decided Id get them out and make a few tops that I could fancy up with some hand stitching, made a couple, sold a couple. Its seems Ive now become obsessed with this task and produced twelve this week. At some point I realised I dont have a label to put on them which is why theyre still wearing their tap...e n sharpie sizes, classy huh. So yep, there was a bit of French seaming going on, hence the note on the Bernie 1010 which Im pretty sure I havent looked at since I stuck it there. What it really should have said was, Wrong sides together to stitch the selvedges and then right sides tog for the shoulder and sleeve seam so its not so lumpy and THEN wrong sides tog, you fool. Unpicking is not my thing. Obviously I think its a great idea to keep going with this because the mess on the table is the next batch sorted ready to cut. I have six more colours to go. The last pic is the lost and found section. Lost them all at pivotal moments, found them again when I gave it a proper girls look. See you on the weekend. Were open Friday and Saturday 10-2. See more

16.01.2022 I knew someone would drop me in this eventually, so challenge accepted @heartfeltdesigns Thanks for being my friend Janet, for the laughs, the adventures, the gin drinking, the debriefs and the restaurant reviews. To all the other magnificent women in my life, I thank you. If all I ever did for you was make you laugh then my job is done. #challengeaccepted #womensupportingwomen

13.01.2022 So many photos from Bundi I thought Id show you some more. We stayed in a 300 year old Haveli there last night. The owner of the building was kind enough to take us for a tour through the rooms that the family live in. The Haveli has been lovingly maintained by many generations of the family and I was thrilled to see the art and frescoes still in original condition. The view of the fort at night was taken by one of my group from the back terrace of the house. We had a long ...drive to Udaipur today, accompanied by the usual palaver of getting to the hotel. The bus cant be driven into the old city, so we had to unload people and luggage into tuk tuks to be transferred to our destination, all seamlessly managed by our head of logistics, Kailash. I feel that after a week of training, my women are ready to be let loose without me. Tomorrow Ill deliver them to the City Palace and then theyre free to wander on their own for the rest of the day. Our trusty driver has told them NO MORE SHOPPING! because we cant fit anything else on the bus. As long as I get the correct number of women back tomorrow night, Im happy to squeeze in the extra baggage. See more

11.01.2022 No, I have not been whittling teak versions of C......V....bacteria to amuse myself in isolation. This is one of many blocks that arrived last week in time for me to start my Autumn blockprinting classes. Obviously theyre not happening now. Other sources of income also not happening...the May Craft and Quilt Show, my November India tour. The shop is open this Friday and Saturday with hours reduced to 10-2, also only one customer at a time can come in. I am aware of the sheer... ridiculousness of this, so I guess it might be the last hurrah. So, good news, this leaves me extra hours in the day to put lots more products on line. Today 24 lovely bright blockprints found themselves launched webward, tomorrow it could be anything - bundles, embroideries, felted Covid mobiles, intricately spun and woven cat hair gloves, carefully smocked masks made from old underpants, or even the aforementioned blocks. Just tell me what you want, Im prepared to hock anything really to stop me from having to join that dole queue. Anyhoo, all that was a distraction from getting to the point...you can shop online all day, every day, forever, because I have enough fabric to last till the Apocalypse or Covidiocy ends, whichever comes first. I will outwit, outlast and outplay, but only with your help. If youre in Perth and youd like to pick up your goodies, enter the code SHOPLOCAL at the checkout to get your postage refunded. And stop touching your face! See more

11.01.2022 What a fabulous day! Everyone produced such a beautiful piece of cloth at the dabu workshop today, except for me. Mine looks like something a stone aged tribeswoman might bang out with a rock, Im most unimpressed with myself. We just arrived home very tired and ready for our G&Ts but I think its the two boxes of Indian sweets that will really get them revved up. Were hitting the road again tomorrow to spend the night in Pushkar before heading to Bundi. Stay tuned, theres got to be a story in there somewhere. Btw, dont forget that Shelly will be waiting patiently in the shop for you, Friday and Saturday 10-4. Sorry to say, well be closed the following weekend, as Shelly has another work commitment. Dont be disappointed, order online!

11.01.2022 Well this is the time of the week I usually post to remind you that the shop is open on Friday and Saturday. Today Im posting to tell you that the shop is now closed for our regular days so we can all limit our exposure to other folk. If youre really hankering for the sight and feel of fabrics, and a dose of my acerbic wit, Im happy to take appointments. Im usually in the shop at least 10-12 every day, unless of course my online orders dry up, in which case youll find ...me drinking tea and sobbing quietly at home. Feel free to shop abundantly online, mercy orders welcome. Dont forget if youre a local and youd like to pick up your order, add the code SHOPLOCAL at the checkout to nix the postal charge, and if youre close by, Im happy to drop it off for you. And whats the pic? What started as a pointless bit of stitching on a leftover piece of indigo fabric one quiet afternoon in in the shop, has turned into whats known in my house as the Covid Crossroads Contemplation Cushion. I never really got hand stitching before. People told me it was relaxing (no), meditative (no) and soothing (no) but after stitching 200 lines I finally get it and now Im all yes, yes, yes! So, three more rows and Im finished, then tomorrow Ill whip the cushion together. I told you something good would come from this Covid bizzo See more

11.01.2022 No, it’s not a quilt, unless putting together a quilt on Layout counts? It’s a mashup of some panels I did today for new tops. I was hoping to have a top ready but alas, I was distracted by pic two. The scraps get tinier by the day and I just can’t leave them alone. What I really wanted to talk to you about is studio snacks. When you have a studio in a light industrial area and there’s no edible food for miles, it’s a good idea to have some emergency food around. I like to h...ide it somewhere difficult that requires the step ladder to access. On Monday I was deeply disappointed to discover that my lunchtime avocado looked like a thousand tiny, sharp thumbs had pressed it. I threw it out, ate two dry rice cakes, positioned the stepladder and smashed the glass on the emergency food stash. This brings us to pic 3. Energy mix, ingredients: almonds (good), pepitas (good), sultanas (fruity sugar), cranberries (more of that), yoghurt (in some parallel universe) (fat, sugar) and an unidentifiable small, whitish cube which could be dried pineapple but tastes like (sugar). Things I discovered while eating this: 1. I cannot multi-task. It’s seems impossible for me to chew this mix and sew at the same time, so I just hold it in my mouth for the length of the seam. 2. Said mix should not be used as a meal replacement though I’ve given it a redhot crack over the last few days. 3. The suggested serving size is 25g. That means there’s 19 serves in the packet. It could have lasted me a couple of weeks or I could have shared it with 18 other people. I measured 25g to see how big it actually was. You may be surprised to know it fits quite easily into my mouth. 4. The energy (sugar) lasts only long enough for me to cut up the tiny squares of fabric. By the time I’m ready to sew them back together I’m just wandering vacantly round the studio wondering what sugar filled dervish cut up all this stuff. It’s all there waiting for me tomorrow. Shop’s open Friday and Saturday 10-2 and I’m having a sugar-free weekend. See you then, then. See more

10.01.2022 No, its not a quilt, unless putting together a quilt on Layout counts? Its a mashup of some panels I did today for new tops. I was hoping to have a top ready but alas, I was distracted by pic two. The scraps get tinier by the day and I just cant leave them alone. What I really wanted to talk to you about is studio snacks. When you have a studio in a light industrial area and theres no edible food for miles, its a good idea to have some emergency food around. I like to h...ide it somewhere difficult that requires the step ladder to access. On Monday I was deeply disappointed to discover that my lunchtime avocado looked like a thousand tiny, sharp thumbs had pressed it. I threw it out, ate two dry rice cakes, positioned the stepladder and smashed the glass on the emergency food stash. This brings us to pic 3. Energy mix, ingredients: almonds (good), pepitas (good), sultanas (fruity sugar), cranberries (more of that), yoghurt (in some parallel universe) (fat, sugar) and an unidentifiable small, whitish cube which could be dried pineapple but tastes like (sugar). Things I discovered while eating this: 1. I cannot multi-task. Its seems impossible for me to chew this mix and sew at the same time, so I just hold it in my mouth for the length of the seam. 2. Said mix should not be used as a meal replacement though Ive given it a redhot crack over the last few days. 3. The suggested serving size is 25g. That means theres 19 serves in the packet. It could have lasted me a couple of weeks or I could have shared it with 18 other people. I measured 25g to see how big it actually was. You may be surprised to know it fits quite easily into my mouth. 4. The energy (sugar) lasts only long enough for me to cut up the tiny squares of fabric. By the time Im ready to sew them back together Im just wandering vacantly round the studio wondering what sugar filled dervish cut up all this stuff. Its all there waiting for me tomorrow. Shops open Friday and Saturday 10-2 and Im having a sugar-free weekend. See you then, then. See more

10.01.2022 Here’s a bit more Spring sewing inspiration - eight new prints hit the store today as well as a restock of some favourites. Finally, my Preparing For The Apocalypse strategy has paid off and we all get to see what I’ve been hoarding ‘just in case’. We should be good for the next year but I’m not sure what’ll happen after that. Perhaps I’ll go and stack the shelves at IGA if they’ll have me. Anyway, hand made fabrics. They’re not for everyone. Check out pic 3 and you’ll see h...ow visible the block marks are on this particular fabric. Some customers love to see the evidence of the artisans hand, and some see it as imperfections or faults and hate it. I totally understand this, so I try to photograph the fabrics, warts and all. If you’re uncertain whether you’re going to love or hate your fabric, please ask me to send you a photo of the fabric unrolled on the big table. It can sometimes be a better indicator than a postcard sized swatch. Nuf said. This particularly unfunny post was brought to you by 37 days in a row of insomnia See more

10.01.2022 My obsession with fabric started very early on. I remember hand stitching my Barbie into a series of strapless gowns at age 4, and around that time, sewing my thumb into my mothers cranky old Helvetia. It may not surprise you then, that apart from a shop full of fabric, and about 200 rolls of ex-production fabric under my studio table, I also have a deep, deep stash. Thats where Ive been for the last two days. The captions and photos will give you some insight into what go...es on in my head... 1. Look at all the colours! Im going to get them all out and make up all the fabric into some stuff. I can see it now, its going to be fantastic! 2. But before I start cutting it all up, Ill just play around with some colourways. This is fun. Im going to spend the next three hours doing this. 3. Better arrange them as theyll look in the pattern thats still inside my head. Front. 4. Back. This is good, cant get confused now. 5. The pattern now made, I proceed to cut. Despite all the planning, Im deeply confused and when it comes time to sew, I realise all the pattern pieces are ass-about. No matter, we carry on. Cant decide on the colour of overlocker thread and too lazy to rethread so decide to French seam the whole thing, chanting, wrong sides together as I go. What feels like many hours pass but probably only one. 6. Terrible photo of the front of the giant top, finished but for the neck binding, followed by: 7. Terrible photo of the back of giant top. 8. And then I played with the scraps. 9. Again. I have five more colourways. Should I keep going?

10.01.2022 Im so embarrassed to admit that I have so many clothes that they no longer fit in my double wardrobe + auxiliary cupboard in my bedroom. Now when I do the ironing, my high rotation clothes just stay on the extra extra rack in the loungeroom until they get worn again. Clearly Im not a floral person, check out all those geometric prints. Im intrigued by all the sewists I see churning out clothes at an astonishing rate (no names, you know who you are). What I want to know is, do you wear them all? And where do you put them???

08.01.2022 Im a summer person, I hate the cold and after two days of hideous winter weather, Im over it. Im also displeased with the way my feed has gone dull and blue so heres a bit of colour to brighten up your day. Also, an online customer asked for an India story, and since none of us will be visiting there any time soon, I thought Id indulge myself. Its a story about rugs, the ones in the pics, Ill try to keep it as short as possible... Twenty minutes later...I just delete...d a very long story about rugs because it was really not very amusing. Maybe Ive lost my story mojo. Maybe Im just a summer storyteller? Good news though for all the online shoppers who complain that they never get a look in at the sale stock. Ive spent the afternoon loading a whole lot of remnants in the new Sale collection. Lots of offcuts, end of rolls and discontinued bits and pieces ready, unloved fabrics coming soon. In order to fit this in, I had to hide and squash up some other things, promise Ill fix it soon. Theyre nice rugs though.

07.01.2022 Read to the end if you know what’s good for you... I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this for a while, but all my fabrics come to me folded. Do I have a rolling machine you may ask? I am that machine, lady and today was an ikatfest at my place. It’s really not much fun rolling fabrics, it requires good snacks and music, thank dog for Spotify. Started the day with Latin Jazz but got distracted by salsa moves (mine)and the occasional shout of ‘Caliente!’ (also mine) and so I moved... onto Lazy Jazz Cat. After listening to one song (‘Little mouse, take your piece of cheese and be happy like that’ wtf?) I moved on to Soul Grooves and learnt that, ‘Blood may be thicker than water but nothing’s thicker than LOVE’ and I might just add here that the only thing thicker than pig shit is D Trump. I also learnt that if you’re going to have a Stevie Wonder song and dance moment, lock the front door so the bloke from next door doesn’t get a fright. No es muy caliente I assure you. And so, five ikats were rolled - two restocks of favourites and three new ones all online now. ALSO, blocks are now live, don’t waste any more time reading this, just go to the website. Shop is open Friday and Saturday 10-2, come dance with me. See more

07.01.2022 And so, in 2020, and probably for quite some time beyond, this is the reality I face - I can’t go to India twice a year to choose fabrics, I now have to choose from photos. Fortunately, I’ve built lasting relationships with most of my suppliers so they’re more than happy to bombard me with photos at every opportunity. Still, the communication can be a bit haphazard at times. Verbatim conversation from this week... ME: Hi Osama (remember him?) can you please send me some photo...s (and a detailed explanation of what I want). HIM: ESTEEMED MADAM HOW ARE YOU IS YOUR FAMILY WELL DO YOU NEED MASKS WE HAVE THEM. (Followed by a page of Covid lamentation). ME: All good here, back to normal, no masks required, just fabric. HIM: OK SENDING PHOTOS 74 really terrible photos arrive via Whatsapp. I start sending them back one at a time to ask questions like... ME: Is this pink or purple? HIM: YES MADAM ME: Pink? HIM: YES ME: Purple? HIM: YES Then he messages me and suggests we do a video call, at least that was my interpretation of DON’T WORRY MADAM I’M COMING TO YOU EVERYTHING WILL BE OK PLEASE RECEIVE ME OSAMA. Words cannot express what an utter disaster this was, I’m really too traumatised to go into much detail, but after Salaaming the entire male side of his family and giving them a video tour of my shop I pretended we had a bad connection and pressed the red button to end the call. I sent a message, Sorry, disconnected. No more photos please. Order to follow. He then sent me 59 more photos with a message, WE HAVE VERY NICE MASKS, SENDING PHOTOS. Nooooooooooo!!! This is a photo I took the last time I visited Osama in Ahmedabad back when face to face communication made life a little easier. The shop is open Friday and Saturday 10-2 and we’ve still got plenty of fabric. See more

07.01.2022 So Mercury is definitely retrograde in my international freight sector at the moment. Every single supplier I have (and many Ive never heard of) has been in contact with me over the last month, desperate for me to order from them. I try to explain that times are tough here too but they just dont believe me. Anyway, I decided to get a small order from each of my three ikat suppliers so it would be here in time for summer. Sounds pretty simple right? Unfortunately freight f...rom India is very backed up so their solution is to double the freight price to discourage anyone from sending things. Yes, welcome to my life. Current state of affairs - one shipment arrived today (see sneak peek in last pic)packed in a way that can only be done in India, wrapped in newspaper, strapped, encased in plastic, stitched into bag, in a box completely covered in tape and including seven invoices! Second shipment leaves tomorrow apparently but Ive been hearing that for two weeks, and third guy is still trying to find a courier to take the shipment. Phew! I the meantime, Ive loaded lots more remnants online including several tasty ikats. The shop is open tomorrow and Saturday 10-2, see you there and then. See more

07.01.2022 Wouldnt it be nice if your unemployed, stay at home partner was a whizz with all things domestic, saving you heaps of time and stress and Sundays filled with cleaning? If that wasnt his superpower, wouldnt it be fantastic if hed fixed the reticulation youd asked him to, seven years ago, when you first moved into the house, so you had a fully functioning garden, enabling both of you to go away at the same time instead of one staying home to water the garden? Instead, we h...ave a filthy, disheveled house, and a backyard that looks like the Battle of the Somme is in progress. In this house, things are fixed with sticks and string and gaffer tape. Mostly I just adapt to this situation, but on my return from a trip to India, Im appalled at our hovel the minute I walk through the door. So quickly, before domestic blindness set in once again, and in the interests of home beautification and my own sanity, I whipped up a few cushions...ikat and indigo blockprints took my fancy this time. Apologies for the awful photos, I realise its not quite Design Files standard but I had to act quickly before the cat covered them with hair or my bloke put his feet on them. Just so you know, cooking, cleaning and home maintenance might not be his forte, but he does make me laugh! See more

06.01.2022 Greetings of the day Osama, thank you for the speedy delivery of fabric. I feel I may owe you an apology. I thought perhaps you were being obtuse when you answered YES to all my colour questions. On receipt of the fabric, I now realise that YES, the blue is both dark and light, YES, it is in fact blue and green together, it is also grey and green, pink and purple, YES, YES, YES. What I’m now hoping is that we can give these mixed up colours a name. I realise that you’ve neve...r seen the sea, couldn’t identify a peony, don’t consider sage a culinary staple, your sky is never a clear cobalt blue and that your limes are yellow, not green, but don’t you think that agreeing on these colours will make our lives easier? I know we don’t agree on a lot of subjects (religion, politics, the role of women and how many centimetres are actually in a metre) but can we agree that these colours are (from the top) Limefresh, Sea green, Peony and Cobalt (with Sage and Menthol coming soon) from now on? Just say YES. May the Prophet warm your spirit as the rays of the sun warm an upturned face. Sincerely your ESTEEMED MADAM LIZ. Twelve new prints online and in-store. Shop is open Friday and Saturday 10-2.

06.01.2022 A gentle let down for me yesterday as my group made their exit in ones and twos. I decided that continuous weeping over a period of twelve hours wouldnt do the eye wrinkles much good, so I stoically kept it all inside. My last two ladies accompanied me on a visit to the Craft Museum. Always well worth a visit, and this time I managed to take a couple of photos (with permission) of some of my favourite pieces. These are kantha quilts from Bihar, but almost identical in style... to the quilts made in West Bengal. Very fine stitching and beautiful colours, all natural dyes. Unfortunately theyre all encased in glass so you got a reflection of my head too. Im heading to Ahmedabad later today for one final meeting with a supplier. How could I resist when he sent me this message...ESTEEMED MADAM WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT YOU RESPECTFULLY OSAMA. Yes, all in caps, no punctuation, like a telegram really. I sent one back, SEE YOU 22 FEB MADAM LIZ, just to see what hed make of that. There was no reply. See more

05.01.2022 Yes. To the last 43 people whove asked me in person, messaged, emailed and DMd me to ask if Ill be doing more blockprinting classes, the answer is YES. Heres the thing though...the new blocks I ordered for classes have been sold, so youll just have to be a little patient while some new ones get whittled and dont forget, this is being done on India time. Yes, I got extra this time. Yes, lots of new designs as well as some weve had before. Yes, multiples of every desi...gn. And yes, the little houses that everyone wanted last time have been ordered. Ten sets, ok. Before you ask, Ill be doing classes on a weekday or a Sunday, no, not Saturdays. Ok, I think Ive preempted all your questions but feel free to ask me another one. No, it doesnt have to be about blockprinting. See more

05.01.2022 Ok, so Thursdays are the day I usually post so I can remind you that the shop is open for the next two days. This week I thought Id do something different, because guess what...the shop is closed this weekend. Yes, I said CLOSED. Online orders will be sent as usual. Quickly moving on, Ive made a few clothes this week. Apologies for the sad, back-of-the-door shots but see here what colourway 3, from a couple of weeks ago, looks like at full size as a top. I have one out of ...six colourways to go. But wait, theres more - last weeks panels have now been made into tops, here are some of them. I had no plan when I started making these so Ill probably just keep working my way through the colour spectrum until someone organises an intervention. No, I probably wont be making a quilt but thanks for suggesting it again. Normal shop service will resume the weekend after this one. Try not to miss me too much. See more

05.01.2022 I said I wasnt going to do a post tonight, I said I was going to have a night off, I said. Then I did a little bit of shopping. Well actually, a whole bag full. I like to think I was egged on by one of my group but I only have myself to blame. It was touch and go whether Id have enough cash for dinner after using the tour funds to pay for my booty. In the end I did, but just so you know, I would have made them go without, to bring this treasure home. These are skirt hem panels - a little patchwork, a smidgen of stitch, and the odd mirror here and there. Also shown, the recycled sari bags they put them in. Ive written the group an IOU, they know Im good for it.

05.01.2022 In March I ordered blocks, today they arrived. Many of them were not the ones I ordered, I dont care and neither will you. But wait, good people, dont rush to the website hoping to claim your very own, because it will take me a little while to photograph and price them all. In the meantime I arranged this bucolic scene of bunnies, both leaping and contemplative, in a field of flowers, for your amusement. Yes, we will be doing classes. No, hopefully there wont be a stampede like last time and everyone will get the block of their dreams. The shop is open Friday and Saturday 10-2. Im fresh from yet another birthday and a few days in the forest, come and visit.

04.01.2022 I’m not sure what I was thinking when I bought this fabric last time I was in India. It could have been, I think this blue paisley will work really well with that other blue paisley I bought a couple of weeks ago from another printer. And also, I don’t like the sound of this Coronavirus, just buy the fabric and get the hell out of here! Swipe to second pic to see that they’re basically the same design. Blue King has sold out, so now we have Blue Queen. Go forth and order ...so you too can see what it looks like rolled out on your table like pic 3. In other news, if you’d like to print your own fabric, we still have plenty of wood blocks available online and in-store. If you’re a local, blockprinting classes are online and ready for your booking so you can all stop harassing me now. Lastly, I just put 11 new handlooms online. Mmmm, lots of pretty colours. I’m eyeing off the hot pink one to make a dress if the sun ever comes back to stay. I discovered today that I’m while I have the bone density of a twenty year old and a cholesterol level anyone would be envious of, I’m Vitamin D deficient, so I’m not kidding, hurry up summer! Just a reminder that the shop is open Friday and Saturday 10-2. Blink and you’ll miss it! See more

03.01.2022 Dare I mention the C word? Lets just say, in these uncertain times of empty supermarket shelves and cancelled events, the WA quilters have vowed to carry on. Yes, its WAQA Shophop time again, and today Ive been madly fat quartering these new beauties so they dont complain that theyve seen it all before. For all the non quilters near me, this means well be open on Thursday as well as Friday and Saturday this week. For all my online customers, those who are self-isolating and anyone whos too busy queuing for toilet paper to come to the store, theyll be on the web next week after the quilters have finished pillaging them. No filter on these babies but just the thing to brighten your day.

03.01.2022 Ive decided to designate today Textile Tuesday so I can share a little curio with you. It all started at the dentist yesterday. Ill spare you the story of my ordeal at the hands of the charming but unassertive Henry The Dentist and his overzealous-with-the-spitsucker-wand assistant and cut to the chase... As I staggered traumatised, and numb from the neck up, to the reception desk to part with my life savings, I noticed a basket full of tea bag tags on the desk. Via the m...ediums of sign language and dribble, I indicated to the receptionist that Id like to know the meaning of this. She launched breathlessly into this story, An elderly patient, Mike, whos wife died three years ago brought this into show us. She asked all the women in her art class to save their teabag tags and strings for her so she could knit them into a scarf. I just knew youd want to see it! So, even at the dentist my reputation precedes me, Liz Dawes, textile enthusiast and drinker of gin and other clear spirits. Im not sure if Mikes wife died of old age while attempting to knit her dream or just gave up on life after realising the futility of the task at hand, I guess well never know. So heres the question - after three years without his wife, Mike still cant bear to part with any of her possessions, just wondering if anyone would like to finish this for him? See more

02.01.2022 I lied. It’s the truth. I straight up, bald-faced fibbed to someone today and I did it for you (well, some of you anyway). You may notice in the visuals that a bit of blockprinting has been going on at the studio. This requires a reasonable amount of Permaset ink to achieve. The order I placed 5 weeks ago is yet to arrive from Melbourne. I lie in bed at night wondering what has befallen said order. Quite likely, the folk stuck at our state border, forbidden to enter, have gon...e to town with my twenty litres of assorted colours of printing ink. There are truckies, backpackers, grey nomads, travelling insurance salesmen and escaped convicts out there in the red dirt, surviving on roadhouse hot chips and cans of lukewarm coke, festooning themselves in riotously coloured clothes as we speak. Either that or they’ve painted LET US IN YOU BASTARDS! in rainbow colours on the road, the possibilities are endless really. Anyway, I have another workshop on Saturday for which I required more ink. I went to the local art supply shop and bought eight teeny weeny pots of Permaset at a ridiculously inflated retail price. The assistant said she could offer me a sizeable discount if only I was a member of a local Arts centre. So I lied. No, I don’t feel better now I’ve confessed and yes, I do realise I’ll probably go to craft hell. In other news...I’ll be at WAQA on Tuesday and Wednesday, last pic is proof I’ve got some new FQ’s for you because it’s true, we did see each other just last weekend. The shop is open Friday and Saturday 10-2, please come and distract me from my guilt. See more

02.01.2022 In March I ordered blocks, today they arrived. Many of them were not the ones I ordered, I don’t care and neither will you. But wait, good people, don’t rush to the website hoping to claim your very own, because it will take me a little while to photograph and price them all. In the meantime I arranged this bucolic scene of bunnies, both leaping and contemplative, in a field of flowers, for your amusement. Yes, we will be doing classes. No, hopefully there won’t be a stampede like last time and everyone will get the block of their dreams. The shop is open Friday and Saturday 10-2. I’m fresh from yet another birthday and a few days in the forest, come and visit.

01.01.2022 Some happy news for the day...after months of waiting for the choosing, the dyeing, the weaving, the shipping and the rolling, our brand new linens are online and ready to go to their forever homes. Six gorgeous autumnal colours + classic black in 170gsm, yarn dyed linen, made from long European fibre to give them that extra slinky drape. The most important word for the day, people, is pants. Yes, before you ask, these linens are perfectly suited to pants as well as jackets..., dresses and tops. In fact I cant think of anything you cant make from them except maybe tonights dinner. You will find them on the website under New Fabrics, well because theyre new, and I need to reorganise the online store to make room a new collection. Thats what Ill be doing over Easter. Im guessing youll all be sorting out which patterns youre going to make from these beauties, and then ordering like theres no tomorrow, because who knows? Of course, for the nervous or indecisive sewer, we have swatches at the ready. Theyre free, just send me a message. Chocks away! See more