Ink & Spindle photoshoot...

On the weekend we did a little photoshoot for our website & an interview we did recently. We had heaps of fun, lots of giggles and a suitable lunch including yummie things from the local deli. The photos turned out fantastic! Thanks Marcel!







for more photos, visit our flickr page.

Copyright Marcel Lee 2009
Please do not copy or use these photos without written permission from Ink & Spindle.

Shop update...

Are you shopping for Christmas presents?

Well... I have just updated the shop with lots of crafty goodies such as mix packs, fabric basket kits and lace notebook cover kits. Perfect for Christmas!


mix packs




fabric basket kit




lace notebook cover kit

Seeds on Sunday...

We had another productive day in the studio today... Whilst Lara was making an asome Japanese syle bag, Teegs and I printed 3 metre runs of Teegs' Briar, my Bloem, and Lara's Acacia in a very very light green on white cotton. Once it has been heat set, Teegs will turn it into beautiful fashion items.


Seeds in Green Tea © Hollabee 2008

We swapped printing partners and while I was doing our business administration, Lara and Teegs printed a full 10 metre run of the Briar in very light green on white cotton. This will be available in Teegs' etsy shop after heat setting.


Seeds in Green Tea © Hollabee 2008

Time for one more swap... Lara and I then printed my Seeds pattern in a lovely 'Green Tea' colour, while Teegs finished the toile of her wrap skirt pattern.

A very productive day indeed... can't wait till my (and Teegs' and Lara's) fabric is heat set... I want to cut into it ;)

screen printing ... my first print run

Wow, today we printed our first run...on fabric...by hand...our hands.
I'd never screen printed before (gocco-ing doesn't really count) so I was super excited squeegee-ing the ink through the screen.


Tegan & I printing

The result is amazing. We were a little bit worried about our table setup etc, but it seems like we did a fantastic job. I think we might be open for business very very soon :)


Lara & I lifting the screen

For more stories [a very very funny story] on our first print run, please visit our blog.


The result, Lara's stunning Acacia print

my spot @ ink & spindle...

You've all had a peek into Lara's spot in the office...it's time to show you mine :)



very happy with it...check the ink & spindle blog for more updates...

surprise package...

A while ago I sent some scrap fabric to Sherrin and she made badges from the fabric. I love seeing what people make of my fabric and yesterday when I got home from work, there was a lovely surprise package in my mailbox. A thank you from Sherrin. Isn't it gorgeous, I totally love the badges and the big pouch is going to be a pencil case in the studio :)
Thank you Sherrin, I love the surprise!



Now I'm off to the studio...we're about to prepare our table surface...another step closer to our first print run. I popped into the studio after work yesterday and the girls had been so sweet to build my desk chair that had arrived, they're stars! Can't wish for any better business partners. I'll take some pictures of my workspace today so I can show them later.

doodling...

I've never had my own website...only the blog...but a few weeks ago I opened up Dreamweaver for the first time. I have to say, it looked a little scary at first, probably because I have no experience building websites and had never created anything in Dreamweaver.

Well, here is the result (after at least 10 different versions) and although it's not very flashy and super basic...I'm quite proud of myself. At least it works ;)
I still have a long way to go figuring out how to build a fancy website, but that's what I have a book for.



I've also been doodling with fonts...printing it...seeing what it looks like framed etc. Am trying to put some prints together for my little nook at the studio. Etsy has been a great help, but I also want something simple...something with words...

quiet on this side...

...but not on the other


the first white desk is mine...yay! The funky yellow bin will be for recycling and we looove the expedits, especially the one on castors

painting is fun :) I've never painted so much in my life. and oh my...Lara rocks...she's like the Ikea queen. She built every single piece in our office, I didn't do a thing. Well...I painted the window frames while she was building things. We had fun, lots of fun!

Udessi

A few days ago I found another fabulous blog that I would love to share with you. It's a website all about Australian art, craft and design, named Udessi...and the lovely Kim has just posted about ink & spindle...coincidence?...maybe...



Kim, who happens to be Dutch as well, is setting up an online gallery, offering unique contemporary Australian artworks.

She has made some fantastic bowls using materials such as doilies and eucalypt leaves. I'm in love with the doily bowls and hope she'll have the gallery up soon :)



..and obviously I am totally in love with this piece of art...Such an amazing representation of the two cultures and countries...Fantastic!



If you'd like to know more about Udessi, visit Kim's blog to see how things are coming along.

All pictures are from the Udessi blog

bye bye floating...

With ink & spindle on it's way, I decided to do one last run of floating...yes...the last run ever! Once we start printing at ink & spindle I want to start with a clean slate...it's time for something new :)

I got a small quantity printed in three beautiful colours. The first is a deep red on cream, the second a sand on cream and the third a black on cream. I'm planning to use this creamy base cloth more in the future, it's a light weight cotton/linen and it's just beautiful to sew with.


floating in red



floating in sand



floating in black

The shop has been stocked with a small quantity of each colour for the time being...if you'd like a different quantity, please contact me at info@hollabee.com

therapeutic sewing...

I've been absent from blogland for a while now and of course it's all to do with ink & spindle...which is coming along great :)
It's a lot of hard work, but it's oh so worth it. Our floor looks just stunning and with that done, we're onto the horrid blue window sills and doors. We'll be painting them a beautiful green (we've already done one door).

Coming home after many exhausting days and nights of DIY has left me with little energy to do anything else, so it has been very quiet on the design side of things. I've managed to do some sewing...therapeutic sewing so to speak. I just love sitting in front of the tv making things...at my pace that is.



I made some fabric baskets of the new fabric that arrived last week...my last ever run of floating :( The colours I've printed are a beautiful warm red, a sand and a black on creamy linen. I haven't had the time to take any photos of it yet as it's always dark when I get home from work and DIY but I'm planning to take some pictures this weekend.



Till then...take care and keep an eye on the ink & spindle blog...that's where I seem to be spending lots of time now ;)

the big reveal...

After keeping my lips tightly sealed for months, I am very excited to finally share what the three of us (Lara, Tegan & I) have been working on.



It all started in April, when I talked to Tegan (my neighbour and a high school arts teacher) about setting up a screen printing studio. Lara and I had talked about it many times before...we've always dreamed about being able to have full control over the printing process. Mixing our own colours, printing quantities we want, experiment with multiple colours and multiple screens. They were just dreams then...

Both Lara and I found it extremely hard to find a screen printer who prints by the metre on a larger scale, but still not too large, and although we are quite happy with our printer we had a desire for more...and from the many enquiries we know we were not the only ones.

Soon after that chat in April we all met and Ink & Spindle was born...



Ink & Spindle will offer screen printing by the metre to Australian pattern designers and everyone who's interested in having their own designs printed on textiles. So for all of you who have always wanted to print their own fabric…we will be able to do it for you.

We aim to be a studio that focuses on customers needs and we want to constantly improve our services by listening to and acting on your feedback. Our first step will be a website that makes it easy for you to order and design your fabric…



The hunt for properties was fun. Lara and Tegan found our lovely Kensington studio, set in the old Younghusband wool store building, while I was overseas. On my return I visited the space and loved it...it's so cosy. We signed the lease only weeks ago and are very busy to make the space ours.

We're inviting you to follow us on our journey and hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do.