I have been fortunate enough to have some wonderful publicity in the May issue of House and Garden. Thank you to everyone who has phoned in about the textiles. I am now off to Turkey and Italy for endless inspiration and adventures, then on to India for more exotica.
PATCHING IS CATCHING AND I'M ADDICTED. Join me in such a wonderous pastime and dive into a pile of patchwork heaven at sale prices that a girl can't say no to, Sooooo be there or be square. Made from vintage sari cotton,hand stitched and reversible, all are unique and in 2 sizes....king single and queen. Perfect for throws, beds, sofas, tables and picnics and if that isn't enough they can also be hurled into the washing machine. Shades to suit all, blues, reds, oranges, pinks and greens...all creating a multi coloured minefield of minute patches. Get On Down Now all you textile chicks and have your very own piece of patchwork madness.
April Patchwork Sale........
www.sallycampbell.com.au/collections/featured
A Picnic Of Patchworks Waiting To Be Snatched Up.......
Scarlet Woman
Earth Mammy A Go Go
Blue Skies and Sunshine
A Geometric Bloodbath of reds and blues.....
I thought I would introduce you to the major influences in my passionate textile existence. Exquisite worlds of patchwork and layering upon layering of fabrics using the tiniest of stitches.....only seeing is believing.
Kantha from Bengal in India. A dowry quilt passed through the families.
Patchwork from Sindh in Pakistan and Rajasthan desert areas.
A Gees Bend African American patchwork quilt. Stunning abstract designs.
Another Gees Bend African American patchwork.
Pajogi Patchwork from Korea. Inspired from the monks clothing continually patched.
My Pajogi influenced patchwork curtains....handstitched french seams in finest organdy cotton.
And my total favourite patchwork of all...the Japanese boro made from dearly loved indigo futons and clothing.
How sublime and eccentric is this....different shades of indigo with trails of sublime stitches creating their own path of patches.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF VINTAGE BABY KANTHAS. It had to happen sometime, I was doing kantha quilts for every other sized human. They are too soft for words, 100% cotton, hand stitched and reversible, size 100cm x 100cm. Perfect to throw over the stroller for the shy or fair skinned baby. Ideal snuggle blanket for cots, cradles, baskets, beds, backs or whatever one puts a baby in. I took into account the different types of mothers who like their baby to be colour co ordinated with their latest look. So of course there is pink and aqua (need I say more), blues for the boys and oranges, hot pinks, reds for the more out there single mothers and dads, not to mention the blacks for the goth mums raising the future demonic child. Oh I almost forgot, you can hurl them into the washing machine and treat them mean, they will perk back looking very vintage chic in no time.
Perky Pinks
Beachcombing Aquas
Blueboy blues
Odd child out there
Goth mummies
A boxed set (just kidding)
You have now witnessed the entire range, so girlfriend when your best friend is about to pop a bubba, you know a baby kantha is the answer. Get down!
I've been at it again...this time down and dirty with the mud resist process called Dabu. In Jaipur there is an area called Bagru, famous for it's mud resist technique using wood blocks and natural dyes. It's always such a thrill to watch the printers hand block the designs so perfectly. Then the fabrics are hurled into the natural dye vats, washed squillions of times and laid out on the ground to dry or hung on large bamboo poles. I make it all sound very easy but it is very complex involving many different processes. Natural dyes are very tricky, you never quite know how the intensity of the colour will turn out. I have chosen 5 new designs for my Autumn quilts. Perfect for our neurotic weather, ideal to hurl on and off in heatwaves and downpours.
Pomegranate extract for a delicious muddy gold
Indigo dye vat. The more dips the intensity of the blue. For a navy you need about 20 dips.
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First process of the mud being hand blocked
Wheat Chaff and mud to make the mud resist
Here are the new quilts.............
Indigo Blues
Tangerine Dots
Zigzag Greys
Autumn Geometric
Rust Red Chintz
It all started with a phone call from Dhaka on our last day in India. "Miss Shally Very Bad News,10 people dead, bombs going off and many riots"."Maybe you dont come tomorrow". As we couldn't change our flights we made the very bold step of landing in Dhaka amidst full chaos and curfews. We were met by our lovely contact called Arshad. He came towards us limping with head and arms covered in bandages....on such powerful painkillers he was falling asleep and could barely stand up. A car accident of course. We were to take a 9 hour car journey to the village where Living Blue quilt co-operative run by the charity CARE works. Also to check out the indigo farm, kantha stitching and shibori. All very exciting for me as their work is heavenly and I wanted to meet them all and get on down with new projects in the world of shibori and indigo. We were 6 hours into a crazy nightmare drive when a 2 day strike was called all over the state....which meant we couldn't get to the village or out of the village as no cars are allowed on the road during curfew. There were constant riots and bombings over a war tribunal and islamic terrorists were running amok everywhere. We had to get emergency permission from CARE to drive in the night (as it is so dangerous) six hours back to Dhaka. As the driver put his foot on it in the pitch dark...no traffic rules, 6 lanes of buses, cars, trucks, rickshaws, bicycles. pedestrians all smashing into each other. Everyone covered in dust, dirt and filth. Pollution beyond. Arshad turned to me and said "We are mere insects here"...while Greg (my partner) was wailing "My life is worth more than a textile". Its' a miracle we survived ...the stress factor beyond. All so scary I could not look out the window. At this point I had handed my life over to some superior force.
The next few days we were holed up inside our hotel with bombs going off outside and people scurrying everywhere in panic. Arshad braved a 3 hour walk amongst police cordons to come and discuss business. All topped off by a nerve racking drive to the airport by passing endless road blocks. Three hours of madness later, bitten to death by a plague of mozzies in the international terminal, we boarded the plane. So pleased to be homeward bound.
Rally near our hotel
Nearby Street
War tribunal rally
Dhaka on a quiet day
This was the classic question I was asked by a customer at Avalon. The very idea of putting textiles in a micro wave ( let alone food) was beyond me. She was referring to the heavenly hand embroidered lavender bags designed by Sophie Pattinson. It's always a novelty for me dealing with the public and requires tremendous skill, charm and patience. All I can say is I am learning. And of course very grateful for everyones enthusiasm and appreciation. I have come to realise the world of textiles is certainly not everyones cup of tea and I am improving daily on subjects of sport, politics, art and gossip. Especially round the Xmas break when it all comes leaking out amidst the champagne celebrations.
I am presently packing my bags for India in 40 degree heat, feeling like a tragic exhausted snail. Its a bit of a change for me to go all the way to India to get away from the heat. I am looking forward to having heaps of fun this time as I will be kicking up my stilettos with Sibella Court who is the forever party girl and inspiring travelling companion. Jaipur literary festival here we come. There will be heaps of hopefully exciting work too. This time I am wading into the depths of Bangladesh for yet more adventures into the world of shibori and indigo.
Here are some of the lavender bags hand embroidered on silk. Will go on the web-site when I return from India.
What has just gone onto the website are these handmade organdy curtains, inspired by Korean pojagi patchwork. See them in my online shop at www.sallycampbell.com.au/collections/curtains/products/cream-patchwork
Happy New Year yet again.......I am off to the Northern beaches to tempt all those beach bunnies with my wares. I feel like an urban oddball with my red hair and lily white skin amongst all those bare footed bronzed beauties without a care in the world. Its holiday heaven and time for a new look in your luxury beach shack. Nothing a few vintage throws and cushion madness cannot fix. As we all know you can never have enough textiles, it is a fabulous addiction....so start hoovering all that sand off your tired old couches and get those creative juices raging.....my motto is more,more,more. You have only 6 days to OD and spend, spend, spend.
