Creative gunning
Wearable art exhibition
Nuno slippers
Made by Melanie Knowles, these slippers are nuno felted using a base of natural cream alpaca fibre embellished with a variety of silks and trimmings. The alpaca fibre is hand dyed with natural and commercial dyes to produce these rich blues and greens. After the slippers are felted and dry, the leather sole is hand stitched in place. Each pair of slippers take about 3 to 4 hours to complete.
About the maker
Melanie Knowles has been a fibre artist for ten years. Her first foray into felt making grew from a need to "get creative" with the fleece from the sixty plus alpacas run on her property just out of Gunning, NSW. Melanie says ‘it is the natural world which is always at the core of my inspiration - bark textures, leaves, seed pods, spirals and rock formations.’
‘I tend to work in an intuitive way so I don't always know what the end result will be. Designs tend to evolve as I begin to interact with the fibres. Felt slippers were the first thing I created and although I have made clothing and scarves, it's slipper making that I find most fulfilling.’
Melanie embellishes her creations with beautiful silks and other fibres gathered from many sources, including op shops, to compliment the alpaca fibre that forms the basis of her work.
Melanie Knowles
BBOHE Artisanal Felt
https://bbohe.com/
Facebook: Bbohe - artisanal felt
Winterveld Boots
The inspiration for the Winterveld boots came from travelling in Canada in the wintertime. The stark whiteness of the frozen glaciers and waterfalls were truly amazing. The boots were felted using the nuno felting process from merino and silk. They are embellished with a running stitch and spirals in natural wool yarns.
About the maker
Melanie Knowles has been a fibre artist for ten years. Her first foray into felt making grew from a need to "get creative" with the fleece from the sixty plus alpacas run on her property just out of Gunning, NSW. Melanie says ‘it is the natural world which is always at the core of my inspiration - bark textures, leaves, seed pods, spirals and rock formations.’
‘I tend to work in an intuitive way so I don't always know what the end result will be. Designs tend to evolve as I begin to interact with the fibres. Felt slippers were the first thing I created and although I have made clothing and scarves, it's slipper making that I find most fulfilling.’
Melanie embellishes her creations with beautiful silks and other fibres gathered from many sources, including op shops, to compliment the alpaca fibre that forms the basis of her work.
Melanie Knowles
BBOHE Artisanal Felt
https://bbohe.com/
Facebook: Bbohe - artisanal felt
Freeform sleeveless jacket
Constructed using the freeform technique, the inspiration for this sleeveless jacket struck after a visit to the Canberra Quilt and Craft Fair. Maker Ros McLoughlin says “at the fair I saw a magnificent wall hanging of a coral reef made by fibre artist Prudence Mapstone, from Queensland. Inspiration, my desire to create using the freeform technique followed.”
Each motif in the jacket is made from fibre from an extensive stash accumulated over many years of crafting. Fine alpaca, mohair and other fine fibres added ‘bling’ without sequins. The motifs grew into ‘scrumbles’ which were pieced together to construct the garment.
About the maker
Ros McLoughlin was taught to knit as a seven-year old by an aunt. Her mum, a skilled maker, crocheted clothes for her but Ros still needs the Patons Woolcraft ‘How To’ book to get by. ‘I have tried many varied crafts and creative pursuits but have settled on this as I love the portability of little motifs made in freeform.’
Ros is a founding member of Creative Gunning and through this group has “met a whole network of other creative people with the same passion as I have for contributing to the small country town of Gunning and now the Gunning Arts Festival.”
The renewal dress
Inspired by the colours and shapes of the forest regrowth following bushfires, this dress by Terry Nash is an example of nuno felting onto a pre-printed silk gauze. The waist tie can be unfolded and used as a matching wrap.
About the maker
Terry Nash says ‘the natural world intrigues me and I find myself experimenting with ways to try and capture the feeling it evokes in me. I take numerous photos of bark and leaves and the light play. These inspire my work. I love felt making because of its wonderful tactile qualities and each piece is in some way experimental. You never quite know how it will turn out. Much like nature really.’
The Banksia Dress
The maker of this knitted dress, Helen V said ‘creating this dress was a lot of fun but for a while I thought I would never get to the end.’ ‘I was inspired by the spent flowers of the Bull Banksia from WA and I wanted to construct something that reflected their shape, colour and size. I had seen images of a dress by US knitwear designer Brandi Harper and knew that this pattern gave me a starting point for how I was going to put it all together. ‘
Never one to slavishly follow a pattern, Helen used a yarn normally used for felting to achieve the texture she was after. The motifs representing the seed buds were crocheted across the skirt once the dress was completed.
About The Maker
Helen V is local crafter with a passion for the yarn crafts. She describes herself as a time poor spinner, knitter, hooker and dabbler in lots of other crafty pursuits.
Vintage italian button necklace
This beautiful piece by Vintage Caterina was inspired by the treasures found in Italian antique markets which were too beautiful to be kept hidden away in dusty boxes. They begged her to put them out on display and so this necklace was formed. It features a large vintage resin coat button surrounded by vintage resin and mother of pearl buttons at their subtle best.
About the maker.
Cathy Hutton makes under the label Vintage Caterina. As well as making unique pieces of jewellery she loves the challenge of dressmaking and is always on the lookout for unusual fabrics and vintage clothes that she can adapt to something unique
Stormy sky dress & ocean ripples wrap
This dress was inspired by a dark night filled with purple and grey storm clouds. Various silk, synthetic and wool fibres decorate this nuno felted dress. The ocean inspired wrap with handstitched ripples is enhanced by the felting of hand dyed silk and cotton fibres, and the creation of felt calamari circles.
About the artist
Nina Pham fashions her memory of experiences of places and locations in a range of mediums: felt, textiles, glass, enamel and jewellery. Her works reflect the visual impact and influence that the exciting, beautiful and sometimes dangerous Australian landscape has upon her and her love of colour.
The Crimson Brooch
The Crimson Brooch was made using a vintage belt buckle with vintage buttons and embellished with beading.
Designer and maker Glenis Thomas grew up in Bangalore, India where she developed a love for anything that links her to a bygone era.
Glenis creates a range of accessories including bangles, brooches, earrings, necklaces and fascinators. She has accumulated a vast collection of antique and vintage elements from all over the world that she uses in her work. She finds her inspiration in many places.
Her pieces are sold at Creative Gunning and at the Queanbeyan and other regional markets. She has also exhibited at the Queanbeyan Q Theatre and the Cranleigh Art Show.
Glenis Thomas
Glenis’s Vintage-Style Goodies
Slinky Evening Stole and Crochet Flower Brooch
I have been a clothing designer for about 30 years now, working with my own machine-knit fabric, under the name Nullarbor Nights Knitwear. The name arose from a 5-year stint living on the Nullarbor, near Eucla, on the WA/ SA border in the early 1990’s.
I love the versatility and flexibility of knit fabric; it is very forgiving and I like the fact that one does not have to be so precise with knit fabric as with woven fabrics and sewing.
Although I work mainly with natural fibres, wool, cotton, alpaca, mohair, silk, linen, and recently hemp and bamboo, I also enjoy the fun of combining the textures and colours of synthetic novelty yarns.
This is what I have used to produce the Slinky Evening Stole. It has a variety of yarns knitted lengthways, and has great drape and handle.
I have hand-crocheted a flower brooch to pin it together at the front or on the shoulder. The fabric has depth and a luxurious look, the grey tones make it versatile and able to be worn with many colours, just the thing to drape over bare shoulders for an evening’s soirée.
This item is available for purchase.
Alice Leda Pettirosso
Nullarbor Nights Knitwear
Email
Website
Strawberries and Cream with a Mocha Wrap
The red wool prefects were stitched onto the white cotton cheese cloth which was then felted to make the wrap. It is partnered with a skirt was made from four separate silk nuno panels which were felted together to form a full skirt.
About the maker
Terry Nash says; ‘The natural world intrigues me and I find myself experimenting with ways to try and capture the feeling it evokes in me. I take numerous photos of bark and leaves and the light play. These inspire my work. I love felt making because of its wonderful tactile qualities and each piece is in some way experimental. You never quite know how it will turn out. Much like nature really.’
Renewed Zest for a Vest
Breathing new life into my Autumn Blaze nuno wool and silk wrap from a Katia Mokeyeva workshop was a joy with textile artist Sachiko Kotaka. We explored new ways to transform and recycle felt and fabrics. We became braver with colour, folding origami forms, cutting and weaving the felt fabric to create greater form and texture, capturing the essence of a beautiful Canberra autumn.
About the artist
Nina Pham fashions her memory of experiences of places and locations in a range of mediums: felt, textiles, glass, enamel and jewellery. Her works reflect the visual impact and influence that the exciting, beautiful and sometimes dangerous Australian landscape has upon her and her love of colour.
Canberra beneath autumn splendour
This work was inspired by the idea of buildings peeping through the rich autumn trees in Canberra.
A dress redesigned from upcycled felt items (vests, scarves and hats made by a collaborator: Sharyn Dyer) to form a new garment that celebrates a gorgeous season in the capital region!
About the artist
Nina Pham fashions her memory of experiences of places and locations in a range of mediums: felt, textiles, glass, enamel and jewellery. Her works reflect the visual impact and influence that the exciting, beautiful and sometimes dangerous Australian landscape has upon her and her love of colour.
Bollywood Magic Brooch
The Bollywood Magic Brooch was made using a Bakelite belt buckle with head embellishment. The leaves are made from green pressed glass. Designer and maker Glenis Thomas grew up in Bangalore, India where she developed a love for anything that links her to a bygone era. Glenis creates a range of accessories including bangles, brooches, earrings, necklaces and fascinators. She has accumulated a vast collection of antique and vintage elementsfrom all over the world that she uses in her work. She finds her inspiration in many places.
Her pieces are sold at Creative Gunning and at the Queanbeyan and other regional markets. She has also exhibited at the Queanbeyan Q Theatre and the Cranleigh Art Show.
Glenis Thomas
Glenis’s Vintage-Style Goodies
White poncho
This soft white silk nuno felted poncho was made from superfine merino wool which was overlaid with silk cocoons and a silk lap. These elements combined to build a soft lightweight fabric that still has lots of movement.
It is displayed over another of Terry’s works - a merino wool felted skirt embellished with silk cocoons and muslin.
About the maker
Terry Nash says ‘The natural world intrigues me and I find myself experimenting with ways to try and capture the feeling it evokes in me. I take numerous photos of bark and leaves and the light play. These inspire my work. I love felt making because of its wonderful tactile qualities and each piece is in some way experimental. You never quite know how it will turn out. Much like nature really.’
Cat on the hat
The Cat Hat started many years ago as the front of a jumperfeaturing cat motifs. Working the intarsia and stranded fair isle techniques proved too much of a challenge at the time to finish jumper. Recently I found that it would be the right size for a slouchy hat or snood completed without shaping. The white cats were knitted back and forth using intarsia and the black cats were knitted in the round.
It may be worn as a beanie or a snood with the crown draw-string pulled tight, or as a hood or a cowl with the draw- string loose. The garment is knitted in pure wool.
About the maker
Margaret Hindley is an active member of Creative Gunning. She enjoys knitting hats and has been exploring fair isle techniques especially when knitted in the round.
Sunset Blaze Skirt and Necklace
“Sunset Blaze” skirt and necklace have been made by combining stunning hues of merino wool, silk and mohair fibres through the felting process. Embellished with fancy yarns, fibres and hand stitching, this outfit was inspired by the spectacular range of colours of a sunset.
About the artist
Nina Pham fashions her memory of experiences of places and locations in a range of mediums: felt, textiles, glass, enamel and jewellery. Her works reflect the visual impact and influence that the exciting, beautiful and sometimes dangerous Australian landscape has upon her and her love of colour.
Wonderful water dress
Sparkling sea inspired fine merino and silk dress made in a Charity Van der Meer workshop. Textured patterns were created by the inclusion of woollen shapes, yarn. silk fibres and mohair curls. This garment is matched with a “Sydney seaweed” hand felted scarf embellished with sequins.
About the artist
Nina Pham fashions her memory of experiences of places and locations in a range of mediums: felt, textiles, glass, enamel and jewellery. Her works reflect the visual impact and influence that the exciting, beautiful and sometimes dangerous Australian landscape has upon her and her love of colour.
Echidna Beanie
This little fellow was made by Terry Nash and was an entry in the Alice Springs Beanie Festival. It was made using natural coloured wool. The spikes were made first using some gold silk throwsters to create the tips. A hat hood was perfected and the spikes stitched on to hold them in place whilst the felting was completed. Eye buttons were added to complete the creation.
About the maker
Terry Nash says ‘the natural world intrigues me and I find myself experimenting with ways to try and capture the feeling it evokes in me. I take numerous photos of bark and leaves and the light play. These inspire my work. I love felt making because of its wonderful tactile qualities and each piece is in some way experimental. You never quite know how it will turn out. Much like nature really.’
Woodland nymph dress
The colours and textures of bark inspired this felted dress by Terry Nash. Superfine merino wool tops were nuno felted over white silk gauze which was felted into the dress in one piece. It was then dyed using leaves from the bush. The leaves are placed against the fabric which is tightly rolled and boiled to draw the colour from the leaves.
About the maker
Terry Nash says ‘the natural world intrigues me and I find myself experimenting with ways to try and capture the feeling it evokes in me. I take numerous photos of bark and leaves and the light play. These inspire my work. I love felt making because of its wonderful tactile qualities and each piece is in some way experimental. You never quite know how it will turn out. Much like nature really.’
Sunset blaze skirt & necklace
“Sunset Blaze” skirt and necklace have been made by combining stunning hues of merino wool, silk and mohair fibres through the felting process. Embellished with fancy yarns, fibres and hand stitching, this outfit was inspired by the spectacular range of colours of a sunset.
About the artist
Nina Pham fashions her memory of experiences of places and locations in a range of mediums: felt, textiles, glass, enamel and jewellery. Her works reflect the visual impact and influence that the exciting, beautiful and sometimes dangerous Australian landscape has upon her and her love of colour.