Category Archives: sewing and craft

HOT: Thread Den, 422 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

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Ages ago I enrolled into two beginners sewing classes at Thread Den (you can read about my experiences here and here). With each sewing class comes 2 free hours of machine use in the sewing lounge, but until now I’ve not had a reason to use them.

Now that Thread Den have decamped from North Melbourne to Fitzroy, the sewing lounge is really convenient for my house. As I’ve been collecting (and spending money on) baby things, I thought an economical way to use some old sheets was to cut them up and use them as cot linens. Sheeting cotton is expensive and a few hours spent against the backdrop of whirring sewing machines seemed like a relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

The new Thread Den store is bigger and lighter than the previous incarnation and I particularly liked the turquoise/gold Art Deco wallpaper behind the counter. Downstairs they stock clothing and accessories from independent designers, including previous HOT Chat-er, The Rabbit and the Duck and my favourite Thread Den stocked label, Side Show Designs.

Upstairs the airy sewing lounge houses eight machines and two big cutting tables and is supervised on Tuesday and Fridays 1-5pm by Juliet, a bespoke clothing designer for her label Dress That Rustle whose studio is right next door. Juliet was very friendly and helpful as I’d pretty much forgotten everything I’d learnt in my sewing classes. She gave me advice as to how to hem the sheets and set up my machine for me, so all I really had to do was put my foot on the pedal and try to guide fabric in a straight line.

An hour later and to the tones of Regina Spektor and the 112 tram, I had two sheets hemmed and finished. For seasoned sewers, no big feat, but for me a real sense of achievement and a sense of housewife-thrifty satisfaction. Sadly they don’t run any mums-and-bubs sessions, but their range of classes has expanded since my first visit to include all sorts of interesting projects, so no doubt I’ll be back.

HOT: Little Salon, 71 Gertrude St, Fitzroy

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Little Salon is a cute shop in Fitzroy (and the CBD) which stocks a curated a selection of lovely designer things for you and your house. There’s a little range of sweet, muted and draped womens clothing, a little bit handmade jewellery, a little table filled with pretty stationery and a little sprinkle of quirky homewares and decorations. Everything just makes you want to go out and touch it.

My reason for visiting Little Salon is because they stock articulated wood veneer wall decorations made by Melbourne artist Geneine  Honey under the label Love. I had my heart set on the classic storybook style girl in the red dress ($75) and the bike ($60), perfect additions for a little girl’s room and my bike business’ office.

Other lovely things I spotted on my recent visit…

Chalkboard hangings – a customer before me had bought my favourite, a big umbrella, but I still liked the little girl and the bunny rabbit shapes.

Clutch purse in the shape of an old-fashioned airmail envelope.

Plus at the moment all of their summer clothing stock is on sale, with 30% off Love and 20% off everything else. A good excuse to pop into Little Salon methinks.

HOT Chat: Alyssa Milton of Lyssy May

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I recently received a wallet made from an old Melways map (it covers the area of the CBD) and I was so thrilled with it that I contacted the maker, Alyssa Milton. Alyssa runs a craft label called Lyssy May from a studio in Kensington and today’s HOT chat is with her. Thanks Alyssa!

Alyssa, tell me a bit more about your background and how you came to start your label Lyssy May?

I have always been interested in crafts and started selling things I had made from the age of 17 at local markets which I continued to do as a hobby for a number of years. After studying business and working in marketing I travelled and lived in London for a couple of years and whilst living overseas I was inspired to start creating handbags.

Upon my return to Australia I started to make bags using vintage fabrics I collected. They proved popular with friends and colleagues which eventually built to the point where I owned and operated my own store in Brisbane selling my designs and other handmade goods. I moved to Melbourne 2 years ago to soak up the local fashion scene and to expand my business.

Your bags and accessories are all produced using distinctive fabrics and papers. Where do you source your materials?

Everywhere! I am always on the look out both when out and about and also online. I have hundreds of fabrics I have collected over the years and often use basics like denim or corduroy which I team with special prints. I have also been collaborating with a textile designer for my latest range which features natural fibres.

Where do you turn for art and craft inspiration?

Vintage stores are a favourite haunt for inspiration. I also have a huge library of craft books dating back to the 1950’s which was passed on to me by my Grandmother. This is a real treasure trove of ideas for me.

What has been the most challenging thing you’ve faced in starting up your own business? What advice would you give to a small business owner?

I think the most challenging thing is to continue to look at the bigger picture as day to day there can be many disappointments and lots of exciting moments which can be very draining. So over time I have learnt that things generally even out as long as you keep working hard and being focussed. Holidays are also a hard thing to manage but you need to try and make time to rest and recharge (although that is often easier said than done).

What are your next plans for Lyssy May?

The first thing is to make it through to Christmas as this is always my busiest time of year when the sewing machines are going nearly around the clock. The longer term plans are to continue to develop a reputation as delivering quality handmade Australian products and to one day open a concept store.

Finally, where are your HOT places to visit or things to do in Melbourne?

My studio is based in Kensington and I just love the community vibe of the suburb. The Luncheonette (173 Rankins Road, Kensington)  is a lovely little spot for coffee and Tonik (524 Macaulay Rd, Kensington +) is perfect for a meal with friends.

In Richmond I love go to Bridge Road Florist (597-599 Bridge Rd, Richmond +) who I rely on to always have fresh flowers in my house and the Bridge Hotel (642 Bridge Road, Richmond +) is a great place to take advantage of the local specials on a weeknight when catching up with friends.

Fridays at the Mountain Goat brewery (North St & Clark St, Richmond +) is also a great time to grab a sample tray of their beers.

HOT: Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar, Swedish Church, 21 St Georges Rd, Toorak

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Even though I’ve spent most of my Christmases in the Australian summer, I have to admit that I don’t think I’ve ever felt more Christmassy than my time spent in the Northern Hemisphere. Maybe I’ve been indoctrinated by Christmas cards featuring reindeer in snow and songs about a white Christmas, but it just feels more right to be spending Christmas in the cold.

The closest we get to a White Christmas in Melbourne’s 30+ degree heat is the Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar held at the Swedish Church in Toorak. The church is actually an elegant white mansion (reminiscent of Tara in Gone with the Wind) tucked away in a residential tree-lined street of Toorak. Every year Melbourne’s Scandinavian community welcome visitors to its pretty grounds, which hosts all manner of stalls selling Scandinavian goodies.

I haven’t been in a few years and the market seems to have gotten bigger in that time. Stalls varied from the fabulous Swedish inspired stationery shop Kikki K, Danish Christiana bikes from PS Bikes and cute Christmas decorations and Marimekko serviettes from Scandinavian homewares shop Nordliving.

Inside there were wooden Christmas decorations galore and a Scandinavian deli selling things like knackerbrod (rye crispbread) and tarama (cod roe spread).

The atmosphere was friendly and festive – there are musical and dance performances throughout the day, lots of blonde tanned people lounge under trees chatting away in their native language and a popular day out with families as there was a petting zoo and jumping castle for the kids.

Always a sucker for Christmas decorations, I purchased four that day, in between munching on a Danish hot dog (the crunchy fried onions and sweet mustard are a must) and a cinnamon roll (I lived on them when in Norway). The only thing missing was a herring van.

The Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar is held every year in the first weekend of December – so sorry if you missed out. Keep it in mind for next year!

HOT: Melbourne Bikefest Opening Party, 1000 £ Bend, 361 Lt Lonsdale St, Melbourne

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As you’ve no doubt noticed from the blog, I like parties and I like bikes. So there was no way that I was going to miss the opening party of Melbourne Bikefest, Melbourne’s celebration all things bike-related for the next 4 days based at 1000 £ Bend (note that my business CycleStyle is also a sponsor of Bikefest, but even if this wasn’t the case this is so my thing).

Bike valet parking – a great idea thanks to Crumpler for when you have that many bikes all congregating in one place. Look how many more bikes you can fit in the same space in a carpark.

Crazy bike riding antics in the carpark!

Hear a story and/or share your story about your experience with bikes at Bike Story. Stories collected at Bikefest will be posted at the conclusion of the festival.

Some of CycleStyle‘s products on display (and for sale) in the Bike Shop – colourful bells and skirt garters.

More Cyclestyle goodness – French bike satchel, reflective legwarmers, floral helmet and all sized bags for fitting on your bike.

Two of my VIP guests for the evening, Cheryl from Business Chic and Kealey from Thelma Magazine.

Cute Bikefest badges – I like the presentation too, using an old wheel.

There is so much more stuff happening in the next 4 days that I can’t list or describe them all here – so I suggest you go check out the program for yourself. And if you don’t ride a bike, no big deal – there’s something for everyone at the Bikefest. To read an interview with Pip Carroll, the director of Melbourne Bikefest, click here.

HOT Chat: Shannon Heitmann of The Rabbit and the Duck

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I first met Shannon Heitmann when I came across her cushions, wallets and notebook covers, sold under the label The Rabbit & the Duck, at the Magnolia Square Market back in August. If you were at Finders Keepers market last weekend you may have seen Shannon’s stall as well.

Today’s HOT Chat is about Shannon and her lovely business. I’m inspired to hear that she trained to do a ‘proper’ job but then found a much more satisfying creative outlet through her business. Thanks Shannon!

Shannon, tell me a bit more about your background and how you came to start your craft business The Rabbit & the Duck?

I’ve always been a crafty girl; from as early as I can remember there were either knitting needles in my hand (thanks Mum!) or some other project on the go. My first experience with sewing was with my Grandma, we made a pencil case that I still use today!

Despite this crafty upbringing I ended up in a town planning course at university and after graduating worked in various offices for a few years. It was not a good fit at all and I soon felt the urge to do something more creative. I then moved to retail and sold kitchens, homewares, and then stationery – the list goes on! But still something was missing…

One day I decided to take up sewing again and bought myself a second-hand machine. Soon there was fabric taking over the house and a big pile of finished projects that I didn’t know what to do with. I had heard about Etsy being a great place to sell handmade things so I opened a store and haven’t looked back!

From these small beginnings I now have over 20 stockists across Australia and run my business pretty much full-time – I sometimes have to pinch my arm to remind myself that this is my job!


The first thing I noticed about your products were the beautiful printed fabrics you used. Where do you source your materials?

I love hunting out unusual fabrics. Most of the fabric I use comes from Japan, but I also use a lot of local hand printed fabrics, such as those from Ink and Spindle. I’ve also started a collection of vintage fabrics for an upcoming project!

What’s your favourite The Rabbit & the Duck product?

Definitely the snap to it! wallet. I love the simplicity of its design – it can be used as a coin purse, passport holder, business card pouch, or for many other things. I have about 3 of them in my handbag right now!

Where do you turn for art and craft inspiration?

Inspiration is everywhere! I love getting out to the countryside around Melbourne – the open space clears my mind and I am always in awe of the beauty of nature. I also find inspiration in my favourite magazines (such as Frankie and Peppermint) and love seeing what other designers are up to. And sometimes just a pretty piece of fabric will inspire me!

What has been the most challenging thing you’ve faced in starting up your own business? What advice would you give to a small business owner?

It can be quite daunting when you realise that as a small business owner you are now fully responsible for generating your income! The highs and lows from month to month can be tricky and can also be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.

My advice is to surround yourself with a network of like-minded people – I have found the craft / handmade community in Melbourne to be a wonderful support, both in terms of offering advice and providing a social outlet (I work from home so it can be isolating at times!).

And don’t give up! Building a business takes time. Set your goals but be flexible – things can change (and they will!) but the beauty of running your own business is that you can change with them.

What are your next plans for The Rabbit & the Duck?

I would love to see The Rabbit & the Duck stocked overseas, perhaps in each of my favourite cities so I can plan ‘business’ trips to them! I also have other plans for a new venture, but that is all I can say at the moment, as it’s still top secret….

Finally, where are your HOT places to visit or things to do in Melbourne?

CERES Environmental Park (Cnr Roberts and Stewart Streets, Brunswick East +) Just like visiting a farm but in the middle of Melbourne! They have a great café and a twice-weekly organic farmers market.

The Vintage Shed (93 Mornington Tyabb Rd, Tyabb +) If you love all things vintage then it’s worth a trip down the Mornington Peninsula to visit The Vintage Shed. They have the most amazing collection of vintage clothes – I never leave empty handed!

Gertrude Street, Fitzroy – My favourite shopping street with a great collection of small boutiques, cafes and galleries – the perfect way to spend an afternoon! (Joyce – the Gertrude Street Shopping Guide from The Design Files may help you).



HOT: Tokuya, Basement 236 Bourke St, Melbourne

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Whenever I visit Tokyo I have a couple of places on my shopping must-go list (1) La Foret for six floors of cute designer fashion (2) graniph tshirt store for RM; and (3) Tokyu Hands department store for all manner of useful and cute Japanese household goods.

I don’t think that I’m going to have to opportunity to head to Japan any time soon and sadly Melbourne doesn’t offer the same kind of shopping experiences. The closest we get is Tokuya, our version of a Japanese 100 Yen shop hidden in the basement on Bourke Street.

To the dulcet tones of J-pop you can browse through aisles of stationery, storage solutions, giftwrap, suction hooks, makeup, hair accessories, kitchenware and the largest selection of plastic microwave containers outside of IKEA. Better still, everything is priced at $3.50, although some more luxe items (like the bike rear view mirror) are $4.50.

Things that caught my eye:

Colourful paper! Glitter pens! Pastel sticky tape! This is the kind of stuff that I used to play with as a kid. They also have postcards and letter-writing sets emblazoned with Japlish phrases like ‘We are happy times!’. And yes, origami is fun!

Pregnancy sign so that people will offer their seat to me on the tram.

Gingham gift wrapping paper. Adorable. They also have a good run of nice looking gift bag sets, perfect for gifting those odd-shaped items.

The cutest cupcake wrappers I’ve ever seen.

A range of nursing products. I thought they were funny but also quite sweet. The young cartoon woman looks so happy caring for her elderly relative.

A fabulous range of bike products, from reflective bits, lace handlebar covers (can’t work out whether they’re for warmth, aesthetics or to protect against rain), spoke reflectors, net basket covers and my favourite, the umbrella holder which screws onto your front fork.

I think Tokuya is worth an hour of dedicated browsing – everything is seriously kawaii!!!!

For more Tokuya stationery love, check out love you big.

HOT: Little Shop Of Handmade, 8 Woorayl St, Carnegie

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Today we have a guest post from Celeste from Travelling in Mary Janes, who’s here to share her love and passion for handmade crafts with you and her favourite littles shop, Little Shop Of Handmade. Thanks Celeste!

Hi everyone! A quick background on myself. I am a Music Teacher by day, and a Jewellery Maker by night. I make little accessories for children and classic jewellery for adults from resin, acrylic, swarovski crystals and so on. Handmade items surround me all the time and I am currently on a year-long challenge in which I try to buy only handmade or 2nd hand items. So my love for crafts is pretty huge.

I Took The Handmade Pledge! BuyHandmade.org

Now, I do understand that not everybody is into making things. But have you ever thought about supporting the handmade movement by simply choosing to buy handmade? Say you have a mate’s birthday coming up, would you rather pick up something that was stamped ‘Made in China’ or would you rather buy something that was unique and lovingly handcrafted for them?

I know it’s the latter for me. Always was and always will be. And it’s not just that it’s unique. Many crafters opt to go organic and environmentally friendly by using organic cotton or by upcycling unwanted materials and junk into beautiful practical items once more. The possibilities are endless, and by supporting handmade, you not only support the handmade movement, the small businesses, you are also going green and playing your part in being eco-friendly. What’s not to like about the handmade world?

But don’t know where to buy handmade?

I have just the place. Little Shop Of Handmade is a beautiful little store next to Carnegie train station. Stepping into its threshold is like stepping into a magical world of beautiful creations and breathtaking talent. It is a little shop that supports Australian handmade in every spirit, as it not only houses the owner’s own creations, it also plays home to 60 other crafters from all over Victoria.

Bec Albinson (pictured) is the owner of this lovely little shop. A graphic designer of over 8 years, she used to design luxury gifts and personal care items from Chocolate Bar Soaps to Lip glosses for other big companies. It was mass produced, and lacking in the personal touch. Bec felt no actual attachment to her craft so one sunny Sunday afternoon, Bec decided that handmade was the way to go; resigned from her job and started up Little Shop Of Handmade .

The original idea was to be a studio/showroom for Bec as she had completely outgrown the spare bedroom at home (where many crafters originate from, myself included!). Living in Carnegie made Bec realise that there was potential for a handmade shop in the area, and when the perfect little shop front came up, she pounced on it.

The magic of discovering such a shop is not something that can be described by words. Many a times when I’m in the shop chatting with Bec (it’s really easy to spend a whole afternoon with this lovely lady!), a passerby would walk by, backtrack and then come in with this amazed look on their face.

“Why have I never seen this place before?” they’d ask in wonderment. And it’s so heartwarming to watch as their faces light up at the sight of all the endearing and heart warming creations that populate the shop. Equally heartwarming is hearing the stories that Bec tells of her customers. My favourite is of the lady who told her boyfriend that he was welcomed to “buy anything from this shop” for her.

Shopping handmade may not be the first thing you think of when you have a gift to buy. But change that thinking today, and support the handmade world. “Made in China” doesn’t need more support, neither does “Made in India”. It is time we support “Made in Melbourne” or even better yet, “Made in Australia”. Support handmade, the local little businesses and play your part in encouraging the growth of a beautiful heartfelt movement, not to mention the local economy!

HOT: Magnolia Square, Malvern Town Hall, cnr Glenferrie Rd and High Street, Malvern

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Magnolia Square is a pop up market that comes to Melbourne a few times a year (and goes to other Australian cities) and it’s full of stylish goods aimed mostly for women. It’s mostly babies/kids stuff, with really ups the cute quotient, but there’s also handmade crafts, jewellery, clothing and gourmet food.

On my most recent visit to Magnolia Square I encountered some of the same stalls as my first visit, but happily also stumbled across some other new goods. Here’s what caught my eye and what went into my shopping basket this time:

Clucky handmade babies’ toys, blankets and clothing. I fell in love with the crochet rattle (more chewable than plastic presumably!) and the baby duck. Luisa, who handmakes all of the products, also told me that she’s about to start ‘Clucky Cravings’, a line of food to meet the cravings for mums-to-be.

Rabbit & Duck. Shannon handmakes all of her cushion covers, notebook covers, wallets and cases from pre-washed fabric. Being a cycling fan, I was immediately drawn to her bike-bedecked A5 notebook ($45) and told her that she should considering making tote bags for cyclists :–)

I spotted the last red polkadot raincoat made by Suzy Allen ($65) and kept circling around it for a bit before deciding to buy it. Suzy is from Brisbane and stocks a couple of stores on the East Coast with her girl’s trenchcoats, dresses, skirts and t-shirts.

Make Me Iconic. Natasha Skunca uses young local students from Sydney and Melbourne to design iconic city images and prints them on posters, cushion covers, tea towels and mugs  – from the Nylex sign to vintage Melbourne tram rolls. For a gift I bought a Skipping Girl mug ($20) and matching tea towel ($25). In about 2 months’ time she’ll be launching the wooden W-class tram complete with colourful passengers and a tram conductor!

Chook Leaf leather children’s footwear and accessories from Mornington. My camera ran out of battery at this point, so here are some images of their adorable shoes.


via Chook Leaf

I have a bit of a fixation on French kids’ clothes (well, French clothes generally), and whenever I got to the Paris sales I’d buy beautiful items for my god-daughter. Now that Paris is far, far away, I can shop at Castlebox, a new Melbourne-based range of vintage French-inspired fashion for kids aged 3-10 years.

via Castlebox

Finally, from Black Eyed Green, the Eco Cradle made of corrugated cardboard and flat-packed for easy travel. I also liked the other items from the range such as the flat-packed bench and table and Feedaway high chair.

via Black Eyed Green

If you missed out these markets, mark the following dates in your diary for the next Melbourne markets – 21, 22 and 23 October at Malvern Town Hall and 2, 3, 4 December at St Kilda Town Hall.

  • Magnolia Square, Malvern Town Hall, cnr Glenferrie Rd and High Street, Malvern

HOT: Design Made Trade, Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson St, Carlton

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Design:Made:Trade was a 4 day exhibition (2 day trade, 2 day public) set up in the beautiful heritage listed Royal Exhibition Buildings and a keystone event of State of Design 2010, Victoria’s annual design festival.

The grand vaulted space was segmented with 3×3 metre VISY cardboard booths, each containing fabulous furniture, fashion and industrial design brands. It was inspiring to see how the designers transformed the same space to reflect their brand, for example by using felt circles, drawing silhouettes of gabled windows or turning it into a 50s lounge room.

A ‘no photographs’ sign was prominently displayed at the entrance so I felt a bit shy about asking permission from individual stallholders for photos unless I’d bought something from them. So unfortunately I can’t show you some of the absolutely drool-worthy lighting and furniture I spotted for my dream designer home or some of the more inventive stall decorative ideas.

Here is what ended up in my shopping bag:

Buro North Christmas tree. I’ve been eyeing the sustainable plywood Christmas tree from multidisciplinary design studio Buro North ever since I read about it in The Design Files and saw them on sale at the Melbourne Design Market. It’ll make a great hanging space for my Christmas ornament collection and for the rest of year, a nice place to hang my keys and other sundries!

Cycle Signs. Being an owner of a cycling accessories business, I’m always on the lookout for innovative bike products. Thanks to a tip from Miss Kish, I went hunting out Sydney industrial designer Trent Jansen‘s stall where he was selling Cycle Signs, reflective discs attached to spokes or the front shaft for extra visibility. He uses a water jet cutting method to fashion circles from old reflective road signs salvaged from scrap metal yards – a truly upcycled product.

Letterpress cards from Vince. Graphic design Meaghan Barbuto was part of the Craft Victoria stall. Her background is in graphic design and she’d always dabbled in letterpress as a hobby, but she’s now focusing full-time on her letterpress business Vince. Given the number of babies being born in my circle of friends, I bought a be-ribboned box of gorgeous creamy stock printed with a motif of three yellow ducks.

On the weekend public days the Australian Graphic Design Association also held the ‘Design Fete’, a contemporary take on the traditional fete by leading and emerging Melbourne designers. Here’s Stuart from design studio Chase & Galley, very convincing as the role of the Mad Scientist as he made crystals and slime, and the Psycho Tatt Parlour (something about reacting psychically to certain signs and having them inked on you – bizarre).