Our January 2012 designer-in-residence Clara Vuletich (UK based Australian textile designer, Bricolage Project member and researcher at Textiles Environment Design) has arrived in Melbourne.
The residency will explore the concept of 'local textiles’. Clara hopes to combine her knowledge of sustainable textile print and dye processes with her interest in new forms of design and community activity that promote ‘home-grown’ knowledge/skills and encourage well-being.
Clara will document her residency with daily blog updates and host Local Cloth - a presentation of her residency findings on Saturday January 21st from 10.30am - 12pm to be held at Harvest Workroom, 512 Lygon Street, East Brunswick. She is a charismatic speaker with a great depth of information and enthusiasm for her subject (as her seminar last year attests). An event not to be missed.
Bookings here - only $15.

Our Screen Printing Summer School is filling up so if you are keen to get extremely busy with a squeegee for 4 days in a row in our professional studio environment over summer (while the cats are away the mice can play!) then you may want to consider booking yourself a spot.

We will take you through the steps of creating multi-colour placement prints and repeat patterns. You will learn how to draw motifs, make hand drawn repeat patterns and create registered placement prints.
You will be printing your patterns onto lengths of fabric and 100% linen tea towels, while learning about screenprinting, stencil cutting and how different types of ink can dramatically change your designs.

Sign up with a friend and start the New Year off with your creative juices flowing.

Book here.

Be sure to mark December 18th in your diary as a day to avoid last minute xmas shopping mall madness by heading to the Harvest Xmas Market.

We have a fantastic line-up of designers for you this year with talents such as Beci Orpin, Douglas and Hope, Sunday Morning Designs, Miniscapes, Dani M, Inklet...the list goes on.

There will also be a Harvest Workroom ex-student's stall, a kid's craft stall, gift wrapping and craft activities plus yummy food will be brought to you by the infamous Taco Truck and local staple Each Peach.

Judging by the success of last year's xmas market this is definitely an event not to be missed...so we hope to see you down there.

Harvest Workroom, 512 Lygon Street, East Brunswick 10am - 5pm December 18th.

Keep an eye on our blog over the coming weeks to see interviews with some of the makers who will be featuring at the market and view the stall holder profiles here.

Shelley Panton is one of those marvellous people who imbues everything they do with absolute grace and polish. And that is why we are so honoured to have been asked to provide bespoke table linen for her November Studio Dinner series.
Set in the century-old butcher’s shop that houses her home based studio-come-store Shelley will collaborate with foodies to celebrate all things artisan for the table from the produce, to the plates, to the linens and the wines. The dinners will feature 4 courses plus canapés created by chef Daniel Schelbert of Eat Drink Man Woman and wines by Dave Fletcher of Fletcher Wines & Maddens Rise vineyards.
Meals will be presented on stoneware clay plates made by Shelley especially for this dinner and the table linens we produce will be for guests to use at the dinner table - to then take home and enjoy.
The dinners will be hosted from 7 - 11pm November 14 & 15 at Shelley's Store in Middle Park. Email Shelley to find out more.

Every day is printing day at the moment around here at Harvest Workroom as we ready ourselves for market season. Our giant squeegee is working overtime!

The first market in a string of many we will attend over the coming months is Adelaide's Bowerbird Bazaar to be held at Queen's Theatre from 28th - 30th October

In the words of the market team: "Bowerbird Bazaar provides a dynamic and upmarket environment where local and interstate designers, artists and craftspeople are proud to showcase and promote their work. With over 75 selected stall holders Adelaide's Design Market brings together the latest in Australian design."

Come and say hi if you are anywhere nearby that weekend as we present our Totem Collection for the first time to the South Australian crew.

We are very excited to announce that our new collection recently launched at DESIGN:MADE:TRADE is now available for purchase online.

The range is called TOTEM COLLECTION and it features homewares, accessories, DIY kits and fabric by the metre in bold contemporary designs.

Check out the products here and for a really comprehensive insight into all of the products available view our lookbook here.

And for those nifty and thrifty folk who like to sew - take note that all of our cushions and totes are available either as ready made product or as D.I.Y makeKits

This week we are showing off our new range at the State Of Design 2011 DESIGN:MADE:TRADE.
The event is held at Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton and is on 21-22 July (trade only) and then open to the public on 23-24 July from 10am-5pm.
We are appearing at stand 46 alongside Shelley Panton and And O Designs who it will be an absolute pleasure to spend the long hours on our feet with. The stand is sponsored by Craft Victoria who once again we would like to sing the praises of for their incredible support.

Our new range of goodies includes cushions, and totes - in ready made form & as contemporary D.I.Y. kits. Now that we have our print table properly set up we are also able to offer our fabric by the metre - yay! It is a super happy and vibrant range that should rid everyone of the mid-winter blues. Check back here soon for details of the new products at our online store.

And don't forget to pop into the MakeSHOP that will be open between 12 - 3pm at Harvest Workroom over the last two weekends of July. More info here.

We have been having a great time as guest bloggers over at The Design Files.

Lucy Feagins (pictured left) is the mistressmind behind this fabulous blog that keeps us in the loop with all design related amazingness around Melbourne and beyond and was kind enough to invite us to have our say for a week. We chose to feature the marvellous designers (Liz Jones, Maryann Talia Pau, Nikki Gabriel, Greg Hatton & Leila Sanderson) who will host workshops at our up coming event makeUp to be held at Harvest Workroom.
It was a good excuse to go and have a nosey at everybody's studio spaces...and what inspiring little corners of the world they have created.

Thanks Lucy for the chance to appear on your fantastic design forum. We have really enjoyed ourselves.
(images courtesy of The Design Files).

The recent MARKit at Federation Square saw us producing a limited run of products before we have our next big official product launch at DESIGN:MADE:TRADE at end of July.

We sold a whole lot at MARKIT but did come away with some extra stock that we have put up for sale on our online store for general purchase.
All items are limited edition and won't last long so get in quick.

We also still have stock available on our Dawn Tan and Harvest Textiles collaboration - take a peek here.

Craft Victoria has once again asked us to join them at State of Design's annual DESIGN:MADE:TRADE event to be held at Royal Exhibition Buildings in Carlton.

We had such a great time last year and got inspired by all sorts of interesting folk. We wil be launching a brand new range at the event which will keep us busy right up until the opening night - be sure to come and check it out.

While Thursday and Friday are open only to trade visitors, on Saturday and Sunday everyone is welcome to visit the outstanding exhibitions and take part in activities designed for children and their families as well as interactive making events for all ages.
Register for a trade pass here.

And don't forget that Harvest Workroom will be actiing as a satellite venue as part of State of Design's "Design for Everyone" program. Find out more here.