These Scandi-style Christmas decorations are the rather charming result of a collaboration between Australian illustrator Andrea Smith and Candy Stripe Cloud. There is a menagerie of animal decorations to choose from (including a sweet mouse and handsome fox), and they are also available in white and wood. You can also custom-design your own decoration.
Red pear bird decoration and red bird on a bon-bon, AU$12.95 each, from Candy Stripe Cloud.
I first discovered Sydney fashion label Milk From A Thistle while I was browsing Funkis Swedish Forms in the Strand Arcade recently. Of course, the rather dreamy but distinctive seagull digital print caught my eye, as well as the busier monotone aviary print. I love the seemingly borderless use of the large-scale seagull print on the voluminously-draped cotton maxi dress (AU$295), which is quite perfect for Sydney’s humid summer. The silk harem pants also make a great summer staple. Available from Milk From a Thistle’s online shop as well as Funkis Swedish Forms.
Does this look familiar? While Follow Store is the relatively new addition to the Cleveland Street independent retailscape, the charming heritage-listed shopfront is actually the former home of Bird Textile, the first (and ahem, only) Sydney store I reviewed last year before The Pregnancy of Terror commenced.
When Bird moved on to fresh (online) pastures earlier this year, the former 1890s chemist was snapped up by Brooke Johnston and Sarah Thornton, the clever ladies behind the hugely successful Finders Keepers Markets (read my review of the Sydney market here).
A big part of Finders Keepers’ success is down to Brooke and Sarah’s artful skills as curators. So many craft and design markets are a bit ‘samey’ and become ho-hum with the usual suspects and copycat products. But Brooke and Sarah keep the line-up fresh, original and clever – and Follow Store is the exciting (and permanent!) new home to some of Australia’s best design and handmade goodness.
Highlights include the rather special line-up of jewellery, including the genius pencil shaving necklace by Victoria Mason, vitreous enamel hexagon necklaces and brooches by Megan Perkins and animal rings and earrings by Momoko Hatano. There is also an excellent range of art prints by Naomi Murrell and Gretchen Mist starting at $33, and original watercolours by Emma Leonard.
Other stand-outs include intricate papercut artwork by Hardwick and Cesco and beautifully made leather bags by Oktoberdee. Add to that an array of homewares, stationery and a small range of clothes, as well as an in-house collection of lamp shades and jewellery (with more on the way).
It’s all a wee bit exciting – like the markets have come to town and set up permanent residence in Surry Hills. And with neighbours such as Garden Life, David Met Nicole and the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide’s best new restaurant, Porteño, this wee stretch of unlovely Cleveland Street is fast becoming Sydney’s hottest little spot.
My top five picks:
1. Candy Stripe Cloud garden chalkboard bird stakes, $24.95 for a set of four.
2. Erin Lightfoot porcelain bangles, starting at $55.
3. Minnen geometric timber brooch, $40.
4. Gretchen Mist art print, $33.
5. Bespoke Press vintage map envelopes, $14 for a pack of five.
Click here to look at the full set of pics.
Follow Store (The equally terrific online shop is now live)
380 Cleveland Street
Surry Hills, Sydney
Tel. 02 8068 2813
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Friday: 11am-6pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10am-4pm
Follow Store are also on Facebook and Twitter.
And they have a good blog, too!
Refuel at Twig Café (inside Garden Life) for coffee, Mint for breakfast and lunch, and at the Norfolk for drinks (and their delicious tacos).
{Photography by Lucas Boyd}
Phew. I'm a bit puffed. We moved into our new place last weekend and I've been trying to conquer the seemingly expanding mountain of boxes (I think they're breeding) while dealing with a 27-week baby bump and an ever-growing list of utterly mad pregnancy maladies.
But I was so delighted to take a break on the weekend and finally delve into some Australian independent design, in the form of the brilliant Finders Keepers market at Eveleigh's CarriageWorks.
It was my first visit to CarriageWorks and my first real foray into Australian independent design since returning from London. And after covering so many design markets in London (including Bust) and seeing the best of UK talent, I wasn't really sure what to expect. After all, when I left Sydney in February 2007, there wasn't an awful lot happening with local design and craft, but the scene has really taken off since then.
And joy, oh joy, Finders Keepers was an absolute treat! I was not only impressed by the high standard of work but also the diverse and beautifully collated line-up of 75 exhibitors, spanning furniture, fashion, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and stationery. The carefully considered mix of designers offered a new surprise at every turn (my head was just about spinning), neatly avoiding the trap of 'samey-ness' that can sometimes plague design markets.
CarriageWorks itself is a wonderfully cavernous and light-filled industrial location to hold a busy Christmas design market on a humid Sydney weekend, complete with an excellent bar and cafe.
Here are some of my Finders Keepers highlights, with more posts to come over the week. Overseas readers can also purchase some great Australian design by clicking on the websites, which link through to contact details, blogs and online stores.
Super-sweet rabbit characters adorn The Storybook Rabbit's collection of vintage plates.
Loved the 'Noice' biscuit tea-towel at Materialistic's stall.
Sophisticated simplicity from Mr & Mrs White's range of homewares and furniture.
Charming handprinted stationery at Write to Me features adorable vintage motifs.
Cory Child's beautifully pleated fabric necklaces.
Loving Bride and Wolfe's Scandi-inspired circle wall shelves – perfect for collectables and displaying children's figurines.
Vintage fabric and a whimsical timber panel illustration combine to make a gorgeous and unique handbag at Oktoberdee.
The Missing Piece's handcrafted stools feature beautiful organic design and unexpected pops of colour.
The most splendid pre-loved vintage books have been repurposed as journals, photo albums, diaries and sketchbooks at Rebound Books.
'Scratchie' cards, advent calendars and beautiful graphics at TMOD.
Adorable handcrafted creatures (think pugs, owls and foxes) and whimsical embroidery at Cat Rabbit. (Nice website, too.)
Lox+Savvy's brilliant installation of a paper metropolis and eye-popping collection of stationery.
Finders Keepers markets are bi-annual events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Visit their website (and check out their brilliant blog) for more information about the next event.
For more photos, click here for my Flickr set.
I loved putting together this crafty gift guide – and it's an extra big one because there was so much GOODNESS out there. You'll notice that there's a mix of some of the best Aussie and British designers – some old favourites (can you guess who?), and some new ones, too. What takes your fancy?
1. Sew La Tea Do by Pip Lincolne, AU$49.95, from Readings (ships internationally).
2. Rob Ryan ‘Give me Work’ tapestry kit, US$110, from Misterrob’s Etsy store.
3. Make your own monster kit, £15, by Donna Wilson (ships internationally).
4. Yasmin Ellis rain cloud tape measure brooch, AU$66, from the Portrait Gallery Store (ships within Australia only. Shipping is free if you have five or more items).
5. Wooden apple stamp, AU$8.95, from Kikki K (ships internationally).
6. Amanda Fatherazi 'Mary Swinging Sixties' hand-finished brooch, £50, from Liberty (ships internationally).
7. Sara Carr large Monty the Fox lambswool plush, US$66, from Sara Carr’s Etsy store.
8. Connections Twin Lid Sewing Basket, £35, from John Lewis (ships only within UK). Smaller baskets also available.
9. Rob Ryan Button tile, US$36, from Misterrob’s Etsy store.
10. Sara Carr lambswool petrol blue pencil scarf, US$60, from Sara Carr’s Etsy store.
11. Victoria Mason sterling silver and enamel granny square necklace, AU$220, from Lark (ships internationally).
UPDATE: This shop has now closed, but the Bird Textile website is still going strong. The shop is now home to Follow Store.
Read my review here.
In the first of my Sydney shop reviews, I decided to head back to my old stomping ground of Surry Hills, where we lived for three happy years before we moved to London. It’s changed a wee bit since then – most significantly, we can’t afford to live there any more. And like Shoreditch in London, this inner-city suburb has not only ushered in a new class of residents, but a new direction in retail with the likes of posh grocers and upmarket butchers lining Crown Street.
But head down to Cleveland Street and you’ll find a bit of the grit from days gone by, even if the retail scene has vastly improved. In fact, the line-up of unique and eclectic shops, cafes and restaurants call themselves The Cleveland Cluster, and include the likes of David Met Nicole (review coming soon), Dinosaur Designs Extinct and Garden Life.
I couldn’t go past Bird Textile Emporium for my very first Sydney shop review (not with a name like that, anyway). The brainchild of creative director Rachel Bending, Bird produces a range of hand-printed organic fabrics, which have been developed into over fifty product ranges spanning fashion, homewares and craft. The whole business has solid eco credentials with a commitment to sustainable design.
Housed in a heritage-listed former pharmacy dating from the 1890s, the shop is a delightful space and rare example of Sydney’s retail history, featuring old Australian tiles, the original cabinetry and fittings. It’s a fitting platform for Bird’s range of retro-inspired textiles, which are influenced by mid-century Scandinavian and Japanese design.
Fabric is sold by the metre in three different weights, and there is also an in-house upholstery and curtain-making service. The fashion range has been recently pared down to a tidy capsule collection of five classic designs, which are available in a host of fabrics.
But it’s the homewares and crafty ranges that are the main attraction, with made-to-order lampshades (starting at AU$220) amongst the store’s best-sellers. Equally popular is the chook doorstop (AU$75), packets of buttons and fabric remnants at $25 each.
Crafty girls can pick up an organic patchwork kit for $30, and a DIY chook doorstep kit for $35 . Don’t miss the sales catalogue online for updated reductions in fabric, homewares and fashion.
UPDATE: This shop has now closed, but the Bird Textile website is still going strong. The shop is now home to Follow Store. Read my review here.
Bird Textile Emporium
380 Cleveland Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel. 02 8399 0230
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday 10am-6pm
Saturday 10.30am-5.30pm
Refuel at Tea Parlour
Take tea and nibble on dainty scones and sandwiches. Prices are very reasonable, too.
579 Elizabeth St
Redfern NSW 2016
Open Thursday to Sunday 1pm-8pm
Tel. 0414 335 224
Photography by Lucas Boyd Photography.
Click here to view the full gallery.
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