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Its fun to buy things that are just to have around.

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Today we bought a clock. Its a cherry red school clock and I’m really really excited!! It will look great in the (still hypothetical) new house in January.

We also bought a mechanical tin rocket, a book about making things and some Able & Game gift tags. The gift tags are possibly the only thing I’ll be giving away at Christmas… but sometimes its fun to buy things that are just to have around. We got these things at The Design Files Open House this morning… Oh wow. They did a great job of the house, I really just wanted to have everything!!

 

So on that note I thought I might link-share a number of places that have sprung up around Melbourne that are perfect opportunities to gift-shop and likely places where you will find things you ultimately just want for yourself. First up is Melbournalia Fancy Goods & Postal Service. They call themselves the home of Melbourne’s design talent & I agree. They have four shops around town and if that’s not enough for you well there is also one online! They send out beautiful Melbourne-made things all over the country in the name of Christmas.

Tomorrow is the next Melbourne Design Market in the carpark of Fed Square. The best bit about going along to design markets is having the opportunity to meet & chat with the lovely people who make the things you fall in love with. There isn’t a soul on earth who doesn’t love being told that they things they make are great so don’t be shy! On that note – facebook tells me that there is a Xmas Pop-Up next week at the Nicholas building on level 2 on the 8th-10th of December.

If you’re busy/lazy/don’t get out much – then there is always online shopping to get some goodies (for your friends too). The clever people that came up with the gift tags I purchased today also have a fairly great collection of illustrated teatowels, notecards/birthday cards/valentines day cards/mothers day cards that you can buy at the Able & Game etsy store.  Or there’s the Vintage & Nostalia Co. for lovely ol’ school bits & pieces. Also the design duo Daniel : Emma make great things that you didn’t know you needed until you realised that you did, and that you can have what you have always needed. Just like that.

…I have a daydream of filling a room with Mosey mobiles. But it might just be because they are mostly blue. Mine would be blue anyway (please note.)

Heirloom series by the Significant Others collaboration is really really lovely. I’m not sure I can do them justice with words – you might need to hold the wooden toys in your hands to appreciate the craftmanship that makes them so special. And on that note!! the NZ Father & daughter team behind Workroom Design blew me away this morning with their effortless/elegant/smart/quirky standing and table lamps. When I grow up I hope I make things that good.

…One for you, one for me anyone?

Merry Christmas!! S

 

 

That craft(?) time of the month

Posted on by Simone
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It’s that time of year where we are starting to look back on what we have achieved with a slight sigh of relief. But before we can get too comfortably into the (almost) summery/holiday season and allow 2011 to draw to a close we at The Scale have realised we have a few important snippets from the year that we need to share with you before its too late!!

I’d like to take a moment to talk about Periods. It’s one of those things that no-one really talks about much right? – Well not us!

Questions, questions… such as ‘What is the future of menstruation?‘ and ‘Is the end of menstruation nigh?‘ We discussed all of this and more at DIY PADS – a satellite workshop that The Scale of Things coordinated for the Craft Cubed Festival this year.

At the cutting table

Together with Carla Pascoe, whose thesis topic was on the history of menstruation, and Soumitri Varadarajan, who works on maternal health issues across India and Australia, we guided two delightful workshops where women could learn to craft their own re-usable cloth pads and discuss the usually social taboo subject of one’s period.

Thread Den sewing machines

Both craft workshops were held upstairs at Thread Den. The workshops begun by kicking back with a glass of wine to watch Period – The movie. The movie tells a number of stories of different women, how they feel about their period and how they choose to (or not to) deal with it. Afterwards we talked about the choices available to us as women in Australia and the health and environmental concerns of using disposable chlorinated tampons and pads that factor into these choices. Just thinking about how many of these end up in landfill each month is a worry, but what about tampons that get flushed down the toilet, end up in the sea and into the belly of an unsuspecting creature?!The conversation was intense!

It’s easy to forget that reusable pads are not a new phenomenon. Unsurprisingly women have been using them long before your could purchase disposable ‘sanitary napkins’ from supermarkets and pharmacies. You can even buy reusable cloth pads online as well as menstrual cups as alternatives to tampons from companies such as Moon Pads and Glad Rags. It’s clear that there is a true migration towards healthier and environmentally responsible product consumption and when it comes to looking after our own bodies most women have their ear to the ground.

Cutting the DIYPAD pattern

One of our crafters with her fantastic Polka Dot pad!

SO! A solution? DIYPADS (you can click the link to download the easy to use pattern and instructions). We would like to extend a BIG thank you to the women who came along to the DIYPADS workshops. They were a diverse and interesting group who all jumped at the idea of some girly/craft time and definitely left that ‘yuck’ mentality outside. We talked about the best types of fabrics to choose for your pad (some women like cute patterns, some like bright colours, some prefer white, but all agree natural cotton/flannel, hemp or silk is best) and how to care for them (leave to soak in cold water after use and throw into the washing machine with the next load). Another BIG thank you to Carla Pascoe and  Soumitri Varadarajan who brainstormed this workshop long before The Scale was involved and graciously gave us the creative reins and to Joe Pascoe and Craft Victoria for allowing us to be a part of the fantastic Craft Cubed Festival of 2011.

The friendly/chatty/crafty atmosphere at the sewing tables. (Thanks girls!)

PAD pride! (I'm loving the two-tone fabric choice)

A masterpiece!

Having a read of one of Carla's zines. They are FANTASTIC in a fairly out-there-feminist-kind-of-way.

 

Thanks to Imran Shamsul for the the lovely Photographs! (You’re our hero.)

Mobi Des at the launch of Look.Stop.Shop.

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The Scale of Things made an impact at the launch of Look.Stop.Shop 2011 at Melbourne Central on Monday 18 July. Here’s some of our quick snaps and behind the scenes moments, taken by our very own photographer Imran. We were also on of six “shops” interviewed on the day and the video can be found here in this post.

It was a real grown-up moment for us here at The Scale, and the start of hopefully many more events as part of the State of Design festival.

Simone is interviewed by Melanie Hopgood-Bould of the City of Melbourne about The Scale of Things and Mobi Des at Look.Stop.Shop.

” Look.Stop.Shop is an around-the-clock exhibition that takes you on an exploratory journey around Melbourne’s city centre. You’ll experience a series of installations by 29 design-minded businesses.

These are the stories of six participants who’ve created installations for this year’s Look.Stop.Shop theme ‘Design that Moves’.

‘The Scale of Things’ is a collective group of design-savvy entrepreneurs. They’ve created ‘Mobi Des’, two innovative mobile units and one stationary unit featuring handmade designs by emerging Melbourne artists. These units will be popping-up unexpectedly around the city during Look.Stop.Shop.

Paper bubbles overflow from Geyer’s creative studio into the bustling Centre Place laneway. Bubble decals flow onto the pavement and shop windows. This eye catching display has already caught passers-by as they explore the laneway, dine and shop.

Pieces of Eight Gallery in Russell Place is showcasing contemporary jewellery and small art objects made by over 50 Australian and international makers. The installation has been created from recycled cardboard boxes with the theme ‘We are family’, depicting Melbourne’s close knit design community.

Little Mule is just off Little Bourke Street in Somerset Place. There you’ll discover a bike shop voted as one of Melbourne’s best places to enjoy a brew. Little Mule have transformed their cafe and shop with an exhibition featuring ‘high-brow low-brow’ fine art.

In Little Lonsdale Street you’ll find the Design Dispensary, a quirky store selling home wares and gifts. RMIT visual merchandising students have created a installation which features miniature hot air balloons, with Crumpled City maps. They’re handy, lightweight, 100% waterproof maps which can be easily crammed into your pocket or backpack.

Some of the most interesting cities around the globe are available. Design Dispensary owner Samantha Sivarajah has commissioned a Melbourne map and will be asking customers to nominate their favourite spots in Melbourne which will be considered for a list of ten ’soulsights’ on the map.

RMIT Interior Design students searched the city high and low to gather 8,000 ping pong balls, 3 kilometres of fishing wire and other materials to transform the Euroluce logo in their Russell Street store.

This is merely an entrée to what you’ll find during this year’s event. So grab your Look.Stop.Shop map, walk or run the trail. View more about Look.Stop.Shop on What’s on.

The event is presented by the City of Melbourne and is part of the State of Design Festival from 20-31 July 2011. “

A small foray into millinery

Posted on by Simone
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I took a short elective class in Millinery while at RMIT. The class was taught and supervised by acclaimed Melbourne milliner Richard Nylon.

I am attracted to the theatrical element of hat-making. I feel at home with a needle and thread after years of sewing costumes for dance concerts and stage performances. Wearing a hat is about making a statement and projecting an identity, much like wearing a costume is to acting.
During that 12-week course I fell in love with the neatly assembled Bowler hat block and made a series of Bowler Hats in Felt and Straw, as well as a fascinator in the same story of colours and fabrics. I have been itching for the chance to make another one ever since.
1. Fascinator

Fascinator #1 by Simone Steel

Fascinator #1, top view

2. Straw Bowler

Straw Bowler by Simone Steel

Straw Bowler

3. Green Felt Bowler

Green Bowler by Simone Steel

Green Bowler, right side view

Making shots

 

Photographs are by me. Thanks to Xisca who was my model.

Atmosphere & Attrition: Crossing the invisable line

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Casting is messy, messy work

This was a group project. We designed a public Library, where the building and environment would improve with age and atmospheric attrition.

What I am showing here is a four week project that made up part of a larger body of studio work in semester two of my 2nd year at Uni. The studio projects were a cross-disciplinary collaboration between Industrial Design, Architecture and Landscape Architecture design students. In the final four weeks of the semester we were thrown a major curve-ball. Our project of six weeks was taken away from us and was replaced by another group’s project, of which we were told to work on it like it were our own.

Our brief, was to a) improve on the other group’s original Library concept and b) produce a 1:1 scale model of a small section of a the building and environment. The outcome had to be sympathetic to the eventual ageing of the build materials and would romanticise the nature of attrition.

Coastal winds erode at the rendered wall to reveal a bespoke tile tessellation

The Concept: A bespoke tiled wall surrounding a Port Melbourne beach-side Library. Over time the sand-cement render would wear away with strength of the coastal winds and reveal a tessellating Sand Rose facade.

The Best Bit: Model making!! After all the pretty renders were out of the way we got to get our hands dirty playing with a range of materials and working out how to produce the bespoke tiles. Processes and materials included laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC routing, ceramics & clip casting, silicon molding, plaster casting, concrete casting, resin casting and sand-casting aluminum.

Casting tiles with Porcelain clay slip

Laser Cut: the layered section profiles of the tile

3D Print: the bespoke tile, modeled in CAD, printed and covered in shellac ready for mold making

A successful silicon mold to be used for casting the tiles

Releasing the first cast

A clear resin cast

One of the tiles cast in plaster

Cross-disciplinary projects are great. Once in a while it’s not only lovely but essential to branch out a little from one’s personal design world and it’s even better if you can get an Architect to do the same! Saying that, for me this project was really about self development. In a such a short space of time I learnt many ways to make things, and realised just how much I loved the making process, whatever it may be.

Linky time

Posted on by Simone
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Lost & Found (part publication, part hotel room)

It’s a little bit (very) hipster, but oh-so nice. and it’s all that is pretty in Melbourne in one attractive website (with a random mention of a free hotel room..?) I feel like I should be riding my bike and wearing a vintage helmet while reading this website on my mac. always.

and its really lovely so sign up.

Also I’ve been wondering if I should start screen printing. It seems there are two ways to do it (photo printing or stencil printing) and then there is probably the option of laser cutting stencils as well to keep things simple. I’ve been reading these ones…

How to screen print t-shirts at home

Screen Printing: Cheap, Dirty, and At Home (oh yeh.)

Tabitha Emma is a designer/illustrator. I’ve only just realised she has her own website, (I only knew of her wordpress blog) she does really nice illustrations and the photos on her website are beautiful..

Tabitha Emma

If you need a laugh read this you are guaranteed to get lost in the moment and you will read many many more. Jess, Xisc and I lost our shit the other day reading these!

Mercator Studios

In a slightly more productive vibe I went along to an open studio night for Mercartor Studios at Abbotsford Convent last week. The ceramics crew Cone11 were really really nice to talk to, they had some great stuff on show and they rent space in their kiln which made me really really happy! Their website says the space has no vacancy right now and in the foreseeable future, which is sad… but I can dream right?

Convent Community Website

Phoebe Porter makes her jewellery at Mercator

Well I’d better not give everything away at once so that’s me. Until next time..

Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do somethingsomething.

3 O’clock

Posted on by Simone
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3 O’clock are a set of three progressively sized, wood framed clocks. They are made of steam bent and hand finished American Oak and a CNC-machined 3mm Aluminium clock face.

These were a personal project made for a 3rd year Industrial Design studio class lead by furniture designer Kjell Grant. The project brief was to design a piece of contemporary furniture that was made using the traditional technique of Steam Timber Bending. At the time I was only beginning my research and interest in the future of craft and handmade objects, and this was a perfect project to merge my passion for ye-olde hand-crafted products and my knowledge of modern machinery capabilities.

The absolute highlight of the 3 O’clock project was the time I spent with the timber craftsman Geoff – particularly walking around the workshop space he shared with string instrument makers, a stain-glass artist and a theatre set designer. It was the type of creative space I knew I had to be a part of someday soon.

Big thanks to Geoff, Paul and Ronnie for their assistance with 3 O’clock.

Bending the timber into place