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As winter comes around [in southern parts], thoughts turn to indoor activities. At Living Creatively, some of our most popular indoor activities are stitching, sewing and knitting. So you’ll find a lot of stitching, sewing and knitting in this issue.
In Creative Uncovered, we have a chat to Jenny Kingwell, from sewer's heaven, aka Amitié. Jenny's Melbourne fabric store is a leader in the field, and even impressed a recent visitor from Liberty of London! Selling the latest gorgeous fabrics, running classes for beginners through to experienced sewers and quilters, and encouraging camaraderie among like-minded women – increasingly younger women – is the secret to Amitié's success.
We also take a look at a truly inspiring community based, not-for-profit organisation called Knit For Life. Founded by Zimbabwean born, Australian-based twins Jacqui and Mally Ellis, it teaches rural Zimbabwean women knitting skills to make clothing and toys for export, it allows the women to earn an income whilst caring for their children. And in a country with over 80% poverty, poverty that increases almost daily, the program's successes are extraordinary and worth celebrating.
In keeping with our theme, stitching queen Jenny Hart is interviewed In Person. Jenny is the creative whiz behind Sublime Stitching, which "Ain't Your Gramma's Embroidery!" Sublime Stitching is known for its quirky, fun, modern and thoroughly hip range of alternative embroidery patterns. Want to embroider tattoos, Mexican wrestlers, a roller derby girl, rocket ships or pirates? Sublime Stitching has a pattern for you.
And if we haven't convinced you yet that sewing is, ahhh, sew hot right now, then read our piece on the resurgence of sewing as a pastime. Inspired by increasing economic and environmental issues, the desire for more individual fashion statements and by shows like Project Runway, which throw the spotlight on fledgling fashion designers, younger generations are picking up the needle & thread as fast as their counterparts a decade ago put them down.
But just because sewing is back in vogue doesn't mean it's our sole focus this issue. We review the recent I Saloni in Milan, one of the world's biggest annual celebrations of furniture design, where the remarkable and the functional collide in brilliant and exciting ways.
Speaking of things brilliant and exciting, we also take a look at one of Andy Warhol's less well known works of art: his own life. Collected into cardboard boxes he called his Time Capsules, the ordinary and extraordinary detritus of Warhol's life paints a fascinating picture of the man and his motivations and inspirations.
If you're looking for your own inspirations, we've gathered a new collection of books in Library+, including Warhol's Moderna Museet in Stockholm book. If you'd rather be doing than reading, there are plenty of new projects in Create Now, from a laptop sleeve to a girl's pillowcase dress. And our clever creative team is always busy working on new projects, so don't forget to check back regularly.
We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we do. |
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