Where did you get that hat?

Monday 25 October 2010, 8:31 AM
By The Team | Posted in Events

A trip to the races can stretch the budget for even the thriftiest of Melbourne fillies. And alas, not all of us are blessed with the ability to make an outfit or headpiece ourselves without risk of sewing a feather to our index finger.

Thank goodness for Lincraft’s fabulous ‘Create a Hat’ service where unique hats and fascinators can be designed and assembled by trained experts for only the cost of the materials used.

Arrive at the top of the Lincraft escalators in Australia on Collins any day of the week from now until 7 November and you’ll be greeted by smiling, talented milliners ready to create the perfect headpiece for your race outfit – free.

Ah yes, you read that correctly. Trained, creative professionals are at your service, creating one-of-a-kind doozies to sit atop your head – for free. All you pay for is the materials, usually costing between $30 and $60 on average per hat, sometimes less.

One such hat-making extraordinaire is Samantha Sultana (also an accessories and lingerie designer) who counts Courtney Love and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas as two of her most supportive customers.

To begin, Samantha recommends bringing your dress to the store so your milliner can get the right idea for your complete look.

‘I like getting to know the person and understanding what she’ll feel confident wearing. The most important thing is coming up with a piece that makes the person feel comfortable and that they’ll absolutely love wearing,’ Samantha says.

Next you’ll be guided past shelves of hats, headbands and headpieces, boxes of feathers, flowers and other mouldable shapes. The selection at Lincraft would usually overwhelm even the craftiest of folk but with Samantha’s help bits and pieces are slowly and calmly assembled for possible creations.

Your options aren’t just limited to the special ‘headpiece’ section of the store. To create a hat that will turn heads Samantha will have you considering ribbon, buttons and even zips to construct something distinctively yours.

Once the design is agreed upon, the milliner will create your piece within one or two days, or possibly on the spot if time allows. For those still pulling together their trackside attire, the Lincraft crew tells us the store gets incredibly busy the week before Melbourne Cup Carnival, particularly during lunch, so best not wait another second to get your head hatted.

Lincraft’s ‘Create a Hat’ service is available at the Australian on Collins Store every day until 7 November during store opening hours, as well as selected suburban stores in Melbourne and Geelong.

Hot Spots: The Play Team

Tuesday 31 August 2010, 4:42 PM
By The Team | Posted in Events

Craft Victoria’s annual Craft Cubed Festival (or, to the mathematically inclined, ‘Craft To The Power Of Three Festival’) wraps up with a closing party at 31 Flinders Lane this Saturday. The festival’s theme of ‘Childhood’ will by no means prevent Joe Pascoe and his team from breaking out the champers we’ve come to expect at such soirees.

Between now and then, though, there’s a far less grown-up Craft Cubed event that you shouldn’t miss.

The brainchild of Ben Landau and Alex Desebrock, The Play Team is a series of workshops for grown ups at Birrarung Marr’s (usually) kids-only art space, Art Play.

Ben and Alex know that, buried deep beneath our worries about tax returns, car insurance and the interest payments we can avoid through credit debt transfers, lies a crazy child who just wants to ride a cardboard box down the stairs. So they’re inviting us to come and make some toys with them on 1, 2 and 3 September.

You: ‘Toys? What are they?’

Ben: ‘Remember building a box cubby to keep the dragons out? How many ways can you make a giraffe? Remember everything a cardboard tube can be?!’

Don’t deny it, you totally remember. Book yourself a spot on the Play Team. At $5 a pop, each session will cost you a week’s pocket money. Ask your mum for a loan though, ‘cos all the other kids are going.

The Play Team, 1, 2 and 3 September, 5.30pm to 7pm. Book here.

Hot Spots: handmade for you

Friday 13 August 2010, 2:42 PM
By The Team | Posted in People

You don’t need an international boarding pass to come by that hand-crafted woven ikat backpack or custom-fit pair of selvedge denim jeans. Melbourne is abundant with crafty artisans who know how to use their hands and keep their production local.

Here are a few of our favourite city-dwelling artisans.

J.S. Roberts: Handmade Footwear and Leather Goods

Fancy yourself a gentleman dandy or lady about town? Well, then, you’re going to need the shoes to match that devil-may-care swagger. James Roberts is just the man to shod you, hand-crafting bespoke footwear from his perch in manly haven Captains of Industry.  

Pony Bikes

If you don’t think bikes come under the artisanal umbrella, then you haven’t been to Pony Bikes. No-nonsense lady owner Sasha custom-builds small masterpieces for you to ride atop, as well as offering repair, paint, powdercoat, and restoration services. Visit her West Melbourne workshop for consultations and general hang-outs.

AD Jewellery

Master gold and silversmith Michaela Bruton has turned her hand to jewellery-making with a selection of earthen-inspired crystal necklaces and rings. She forges these gems from her studio in West Melbourne, and they are available exclusively for sale at Alice Euphemia.  

COUNTER at Craft Victoria

Craft Victoria’s retail hub COUNTER is the mothership of all things handmade and local. With everything from hand-moulded ceramics to hand-knitted egg cosies, it’s the perfect place to find a unique gift that special someone (or yourself, if you’ve been good).

Image credit: Elizabeth from Primoeza