heavenly hmong

Photograph by Emma Byrnes

One of the aspects of travelling through Vietnam that I was most looking forward to was visiting the ethnic minority hill tribes. The local textiles traditions have fascinated me from afar - these people who live such incredibly colourful lives through their age-old handicrafts and traditional costumes.
Finally this week I was able to glimpse some of the magic at the Pa Co Sunday market (about 45 minutes from Mai Chau) and was able to watch the Red and Blue Hmong locals come together to trade in textiles, costumes and haberdashery. Endless supplies of extraordinarily coloured appliquéd panels, beads, tassels, fringing - being haggled over by women whose outfits are just out-of-this-world inspiring when it comes to everyday fashion.
There is a new blog post up over at our travel blog that has a few extra pics of the market and also includes information about our time spent in the region.

Em x

lantern lowdown

A lantern hanging in the old town of Hoian. Photograph by Emma Byrnes

Living in the historic town of Hoian for the past month I have definitely seen my fair share of lanterns. Hoian is the UNESCO world heritage former trading village on the coast of central Vietnam and I would have no doubt the town boasts the most lanterns per capita in the nation. Their many shapes and colours mean that at nighttime endless strings of candy-like lights hang above the streetscape, lending the town a wonderful ambience. On arrival in the town I was struck by their exotic presence but after a little while they became part of the everyday streetscape and I didn't think too much about them. But then Pete and I were inadvertently drawn into a lantern buying mission by a neighbour back in Australia and we have written about it on our blog - Lifestyle Traveller. 
Em x

lifestyle travellers

Our daughter Arkie taking in a street scene in Can Tho, Vietnam. Photograph by Emma Byrnes

My husband Pete and I have hatched a collaborative project called Lifestyle Traveller. For six weeks now we have been on the road in Vietnam with our three kids in-tow and the whole "working remotely" gig suits us both down to a tee. We love being free of the constraints of everyday life in Melbourne (read: alarm clocks, school, homework, laundry, dishes) and spending our days with our children, sniffing out wonderful adventures and meeting interesting folk along the way.
And the great thing for us is that our journey has only just begun!
Pete is a journalist who writes about food, travel and lifestyle and if you know me then you are aware that I am interested in visual storytelling on anything related to food, textiles, ethical business and family life. Lifestyle Traveller will bring together all of those interests as well as exploring some ideas around education and unschooling/worldschooling, which I'm particularly interested in (if you'd like to jump right in to that, read this post). Pete and I have been together for twenty years and have never joined our skills for anything vaguely work-related, so it is an exciting occasion for us. If you have a moment, please head on over and have a look around - I'd love to hear what you think. 
Em x

space + craft

Photograph by Emma Byrnes

I was recently commissioned by long-standing Melbourne printmaking studio - Spacecraft - to formulate a visual strategy for their brand; produce a bank of images for use on their website; and host in-house training for their staff on maintaining a strong, cohesive style for their daily social media needs. Considering my history as co-founder of Harvest Textiles screen-printing studio; having worked in communications/media for many years; and my love for all things visual - this was a dream brief!
What an incredible small business Spacecraft is and a real life example of small-scale, local production. I spent time getting to know their dynamic approach and running between their print studio and Gertrude Street store, taking photographs as I went. The small team screen-print all of their textiles in their Collingwood studio, then walk the fabric up the road to their beautiful Fitzroy store, where their in-house sewing genius, Rosie conjures it up into homewares or clothing. Then it is ready to place in the store for sale. They also undertake loads of collaborations with artists which keeps things interesting for the whole team. It was an absolute pleasure spending time with such creative and cohesive folk - they have such a strong spirit and a dedication to handmade and locally-made artisan products. 
The image above is of Stewart and Danika from Spacecraft hand-printing a Northern Rosella from their Ornithology series. As part of the studio work process, the table backing cloth also takes impressions from each and every print, slowly unfolding as it's own, stand-alone artwork - layers and layers of labour and love. Just wonderful work.
The results of my strategy job will roll out over the next few months and I am excited to watch the brand begin to truly communicate their elegant aesthetic.
Em x

feeling free

Photograph by Emma Byrnes

Ever since I was a young high school girl forced by curriculum-obsessed teachers to take physics and chemistry electives rather than art and painting I have harboured a burning desire to stand in front of a blank canvas brandishing a brush.
And late last year, after many years of procrastination, I finally took the plunge and started evening oil painting classes. To begin with I floundered about - despite having worked in the visual mediums of design, textiles and photography for many years. It felt like I had waited so long to give my right brain absolute permission to play and be completely free, that I had locked myself out from a true artistic practice. But eventually my logical thought process surrendered. An abstract, gestural style stepped up to the easel and with the help of my marvellous painting teacher, Sarah Tomasetti, I began to find flow.
I still can't quite believe how good it feels to paint. Forget yoga. This is my new medium for deep relaxation. Mixing the colours, scraping the palette knife, feeling the canvas under my brush. Losing track of time and all thoughts...being in the moment as the work takes shape. Standing back and assessing the mark-making. Seeing what translates onto the canvas when the analytical mind is cast aside and intuition takes over.
I sense that this is a new chapter for me and my creative journey. I can't see myself giving this up. Who knows where it will take me but for now I am happy just using it as a dedicated time each week to cast aside my thoughts, preconceptions and fear - to live in the moment.

And just in case you were wondering if this is a photograph of me?
No, it isn't. I haven't quite managed to get to that standard in such a short period of time :-) 
This week I've been documenting the beautiful, powerful yet delicate work of my painting teacher, Sarah, as she gears up for her exhibition at Beaver Galleries in April. A show well worth seeking out.
Em x

knit one, om one

Photograph by Emma Byrnes

An article in Knit Wit Magazine's latest issue features long time collaborator, slow textiles inspiration and dear friend of mine - Clara Vuletich. (I was the photographer on this story by freelance writer Neha Kale.)
Clara is a textile designer, sustainability strategist and yoga teacher. She is one of those treasured folk who greets the birds and flowers in the morning with vigour and fills her life with colour and texture, honouring age old craft traditions in the process.
The article in Knit Wit investigates a link that Clara has been ruminating on for many years - the one between meditation and textile craft techniques. Her belief is that there exist similarities between these simple hand-techniques and meditation, both activities that make us feel calm and relaxed. The piece coincides with another article last week by the New York Times about how craft activities promote the development and maintenance of cognitive health.
Her insights motivated Clara to establish Sutra Stitching workshops in 2013 where she teaches both mantra meditation and hand-stitching side-by-side. Her plan this year is to extend these workshops to a much broader audience - so, if Clara's mindfulness bent piques your interest, be sure to follow her journey. Having spent many hours in her company I can guarantee that you will find nourishment and inspiration.
Em x
 

home sewing élan

Photograph by Emma Byrnes

My friend Nita-Jane always turns heads. Her eye for style and fashion is acute and most of her garments are made from scratch. And when I say 'from scratch' I mean that NJ conceptualises fresh ideas, translates them into patterns and then constructs beautiful one-off pieces. She truly is an original and marches to the beat of her own drum.
And the good news is that she now shares her aesthetic with others as her new enterprise Pattern Fantastique sells sew-at-home digital patterns. The other bonus is that Nita-Jane wants her clients to extend their technique and sewing skills and encourages discussion and problem solving via her blog.
Despite having what at first glance appears to be a fairly limited range of designs available for sale, on deeper investigation you will find that each pattern can be appropriated in many ways with dramatically different outcomes depending on slight alterations and the fabric used. In fact, Nita-Jane is hosting a workshop at Pop Craft Studio in March to explore the myriad of ways the Aeolian tee (pictured above) can be executed and she will guide people through assessing fit, fall, prints and texture. For anyone who wishes to inject élan into their home sewing - this workshop would be for you.

Em x