An ode to long lost pets of the past....

Do you have a once beloved pet which is no longer with you? Maybe it ran away, got pinched, met an untimely end or simply died of old age?

I'm working on an exhibition on loss and grief and I'm planning to do a embroidery display of pets. Pets are great companions to many of us and I would like to commemorate the role they play in our lives. All pets, whether dogs, cats, bunnies, snakes, rats, birds, whatever!

Do you have a good clear photograph of a departed pet you'd like featured? Email cate@polkadotrabbit.com to find out more.

Review of the exhibition in The Age

As quite a few people have asked for this, here it is!

Blogtoberfest

pic from here

Not much news, I've been recovering from the exhibition, packing things up, working on paperwork, putting things back where they belong, organising things. I'm very tired. Give me a few days, things will be organised.

Last day....

pic by Studio Gingko

Today is the very last day of Home Is Where The Craft Is, with a pop up market with Polly Pratt dresses, craft and vintage goodies and cupcakes!

12-5pm

161 Albion St, Brunswick

Bits and pieces of news

I can make badges for you!

Are you after promotional or fabric 35mm badges in bulk? Get in touch, I can make them for you using Australian sourced materials and recycled plastic, your very own custom design of badges can be in your hands! Email cate@polkadotrabbit.com for discuss your requirements.


There's an interview with me in The Vine this week by the lovely Gemma Jones discussing the current exhibition.
I also wanted to mention that I'm available for guest blog posts, I love visiting new blogs! Email me if you would like me to be involved!

One of my dedications to The Smiths...

You can see this and lots and lots more craft at the exhibition. You can also pick up a copy of Mix Tape Zine!

Things I like today

I've been drooling over these Jane Foster dolls for ages...the catch is they come in a kit and you have to make them yourself! Very cool.


Gotta make me some of Joel's paper owls! Fab tutorial!

Such a stunning example of the power of black and white photography.

The only thing as good as the V&A is the V&A shop.This is 'Pause and Wonder' by Aardvark for the V&A Cherry on the Cake: Paper collection.

Sunday Market tomorrow!

Tomorrow's Exhibition includes a back yard pop-up market with beautiful dresses by
Polly Pratt, cupcakes, craft wares and vintage goodies! Do come, it'll be fun!

12 to 5pm

161 Albion St, Brunswick.

cate@polkadotrabbit.com

When an Idea becomes a reality

Well the exhibition is up and ready for viewing! The launch was held last night and very well attended with lots of lovely people and even some sales! I'll write something detailed with pictures and such over the next couple of days. I've got a bad cold alas (of all the times for it!) and I'm quite weary as I had a tv interview at the channel 31 studio last night after the exhibition and then a phone interview this morning with ABC radio at 6am. Tiring! I managed to go back to sleep, but slept badly in general due to being ill. I made us a full english breakfast (well a vegan version) complete with toast, mushrooms, baked beans, hashbrowns, spinach from our garden and soy sausages. Very yummy and somewhat restorative.

At the moment I'm sitting outside in my backyard watching people walk in and outside my house to look at the work, certainly a strange experience! Somewhere between a open house inspection and a garage sale I think. But definitely fun.

Edit-two minutes after I posted this, one of Louise Francis' burlesque embroideries just sold. Yay!

I'm quite pleased that the Exhibition has come to fruition. Certainly a mammoth effort which I could have done without the help of my husband and some great friends and of course, our lovely exhibitors. So lucky to know so many wonderful people.

Home is where the Craft Is, 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival

Our promo postcards for the exhibition! Yay!

News and bits and pieces...

Did you know I'm curating a craft show at my house from Melbourne Fringe Festival? It starts in about three weeks, very exciting! We're still designing a flyer but more coming soon including pics. Some ace women are in it, including Rayna Fahey, Camille Condon, Clem Bastow and Anna Boyd Dunlop. I hope you'll all come visit us and view all the amazing exhibits!

My website Polka Dot Rabbit is being redesigned and includes a vintage section. It still needs a bit of tweaking so bear with us, but it's ready for a spot of shopping if you like! At any rate, feedback is always appreciated.

I'm working on a bout of healthy eating and less drinking to try and lose some of my thyroid weight. Nothing too exciting and I hired a cross trainer. If you have any tips or favourite healthy recipes, I'd love to hear them.

Have you seen the Frankie Blankie? I was honoured to embroider the Beci Ophin illustration! You can place a bid and have it sitting proudly on your bed! Just email quilt@frankie.com.au with your highest bid. Bidding closes on October 19 and the final winning bid will be donated to The Salvation Army.

Things I like today

Beautifully built books by Jennifer Khoshbin from here.

I've always been a sucker for tin toys, and this one is particularly lovely.

A song lyric by The Smiths, part of an installation for the craft exhibition Home is Where the Craft Is I'm curating for Fringe Festival!


This is such a beautiful image

Australian Crafters: Want to exhibit your work?

Home is where the Craft is

24th September -October 3rd
Melbourne Fringe Festival
161 Albion St Brunswick

I'm curating an exhibition for the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival. The purpose of this exhibition to explore the role of women's crafting as part of and related to one’s home. The items crafted may have a functional purpose at home as opposed to being simply created for artistic or creative purposes.

Crafting is usually carried out in the home, often in a communal area or shared environment such as a kitchen table, living room couch or spare room. The creative process often intersects with other tasks of home life such as watching telly, waiting for the washing machine to finish etc.

Craft as a practice has gotten ridiculously big in Melbourne over the last few years, evidenced by the 60 craft markets for retailers to sell their wares and loads of zines, magazines and newspapers all devoting slabs of column to crafty industries.

Craft's function as a creative practice is somewhat obscured by it's residential location as it is primarily not done in art spaces, studios or collectives. This can mean that it is not held in a high regard as other creative mediums such as graphic design, painting and sculpture.

There are of course a whole load of contemporary about women and home crafting. These include (in no particular order) women’s empowerment in home crafting, crafting and it’s presence in cyberspace. Women as creative directors of small businesses from home, women becoming one woman sweat shops, women underselling their work, it being seen as a poor cousin to graphic and fashion design etc

What Can I exhibit?
Here is an opportunity to expose your home crafted goods in their glory. They can be of any theme related to the mission statement and of any medium. Mediums may include:

• Embroidery/needlework
• Sewing (hand or machine)
• Wool work
• Gocco
• Felting
• Quilting


Works can be for sale or simply for exhibition.

To quote from the site:
Fringe shows are inspiring, shocking, disgusting, surprising, entertaining, challenging, provoking. All of the above and none of the above!

I'm keeping it reasonably small so it's manageable but do have some more space left. Preference and definite priority will be given to work which has been designed and created within the home in a 'traditional' sense. The theme and materials can be quite diverse but preference will be given to work created without use of industrial materials such as industrial screen printers or laser cutters. Paintings and illustrations will not necessarily be considered.

People will be coming to my house to view the work and admire your crafty greatness. There'll also be an opening night and two pop up Sunday markets in my backyard!

Are you interested? Send me an email cate@polkadotrabbit.com and I'll send you the details...
thanks
Cate

Crafters wanted for Melbourne Fringe Festival Exhibition with a difference!

Note: I've reposted this as there was something wrong with the comments enabler on the first post. Apologies to blog feed readers!

Home is where the Craft is

24th September -October 3rd
Melbourne Fringe Festival
Brunswick, Vic Australia

Mission Statement

The purpose of the exhibition to explore the role of women's crafting as something which is very much done in the home, in snatches of time whilst watching telly, waiting for the washing machine to finish etc etc. Craft as a practice has gotten ridiculously big in Melbourne over the last few years, evidenced by the 60 craft markets for retailers to sell their wares and loads of zines, magazines and newspapers all devoting slabs of column to crafty industries.

Craft's function as a creative practice is somewhat obscured by it's residential location as it is primarily not done in art spaces, studios or collectives.

There are of course a whole load of other issues about women's labour being undervalued, women becoming one women sweatshops, women underselling their work, it being seen as a poor cousin to graphic and fashion design etc etc.

Here is an opportunity to expose your home crafted goods in their glory. They can be of any theme related to home crafting and of any medium. Mediums may include:

Embroidery/needlework
Sewing (hand or machine)
Wool work
Gocco
Felting
Quilting

Preference and definite priority will be given to work which has been designed and created within the home in a 'traditional' sense. The theme and materials can be quite diverse but preference will be given to work created without use of industrial materials such as industrial screen printers or laser cutters. Paintings and illustrations will not necessarily be considered.

Fringe shows are inspiring, shocking, disgusting, surprising, entertaining, challenging, provoking.
All of the above and none of the above.

The Venue

The exhibition will be held in my laundry, kitchen and living room. People will be able to wander through these rooms freely to view the work (with some decluttering and basic security constraints)

The backyard will also be open as the entrance to the exhibition and will host the Exhibition launch party and Sunday markets.

Expressions of Interest

If you are interested please email Cate Lawrence cate@polkadotrabbit.com and more info will be sent out to you.