Rubik's + Gameboy

Felt crafted Rubik's cube
by Melissa Gaggiano

This week might have been a lost week, if not for the impromptu sewing projects, which are photographed here.

The week began, with my finishing a major project (which at the mo' is still hush-hush). The project is now in the hands of others, as I  await feedback. That left me with time, to contemplate my existential navel, and tweak an updated business plan. I'd tell you that I'm at a cross-road. But let's be clear – every week is a cross-road for me. Even with a business plan, I still have this feeling that I'm flying by the seat of my pants. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. It means I'm using instinct.

I have discovered, when between major projects, it is healthy to take on smaller projects. As it turns out, I always need to create something. So...

Two pieces, that I made this week, had a retro eighties vibe – a Rubik's Cube (with my own color choices), and a Nintendo Gameboy (intended as a birthday present). A part of me truly never left the eighties, and this sometimes bleeds through into my concept work.

Keep on! Keep on!

Felt crafted Nintendo Gameboy
by Melissa Gaggiano

Ready-a-Gocco

The Cat Rabbit exhibit
Outré Gallery

     I don't often go into the city, but when I do... I cannot pass up an opportunity to visit Outré Gallery. Today was just one of those days. Cat Rabbit had an exhibit at Outré and being that it was the last day, with daughter in hand, I took a proton pill, put on my helmet and battled the traffic.

    It was worth dealing with infrastructure just to visit Outré. It has been my cultural Mecca for close to twenty years. Many of my favourite artists are represented by this gallery. And Cat Rabbit is one of those artists.

    Cat Rabbit's playful exhibit is something of an ode to gocco – a now defunct home based Japanese screen printing system, which ironically is very popular amongst the artists and crafters that I like to follow.

    In Cat's very own Cat Rabbity way she takes mundane, everyday items and makes them fun by turning them into little felt crafted pieces. This is simple and genius! And I love it! Naturally I couldn't leave without picking up a limited edition Gocco: Play Date book. Now I will never forget this exhibit-exhibit.

    Thanks Cat! Can hardly wait to see what you create next.

    To find out more about the very sweet Cat Rabbit simply go to –

www.catrabbit.com.au

The Cat Rabbit exhibit
Outré Gallery

The Cat Rabbit exhibit
Outré Gallery

Tiny Turtle

© Melissa Gaggiano

     It is an achievement and a satisfyingly wonderful thing when the design you construct comes together just as you had hoped. It is an even better feeling when you come back to your work and decide to rejig it - enlarging, shrinking, a different limb, that pattern piece that was a mask can now be a hair bow, that sort of thing.

    I recently challenged myself to take my now familiar turtle design and make an even smaller version. There was no knowing if it was going to work. After all smaller may mean using few materials, but it is by no means easier. Big hands doing little things.

    In the end I managed it and apart from scaling down the pattern pieces there was only one actual pattern piece change from the original design and that was in the legs.

    The only thing left to do is to name this lil turtle baby.

© Melissa Gaggiano