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Showing posts with label textile artist. Show all posts

Friday, 30 August 2019

Coffee, Macarons, Pigeon Post + Hot Dogs

In the week that was there has been coffee and macarons. As in, I've been making coffee and macarons, not in the kitchen, but with my sewing supplies. Doesn't that look a treat?

One of the kids has started on a letter writing journey with an an imaginary postal pigeon. I have enabled her. Together we have created a postal station in the yard. It is a place for the 'pigeon' to deliver letters, and rest.

Before the above landing pad was made the fence acted as a temporary postal station for the pigeon, and sure enough, the next day, their was a mail collection card letting us know the kid's letter had been received by the pigeon.

On a end of day whim I made a variation of a hot dog. It is a dachshund, resting on a bed that appears suspiciously like a bread roll. No hot dogs were harmed in the making of this lil guy. My littlest has named him Saucy. This is not at all weird.

Friday, 4 January 2019

Turtle + Sloth

After a couple of weeks of enforced rest, I feel ready and charged to focus on 2019 work. I have begun with the sculpting of a spectacled turtle.

The turtle has not given them self a name... yet. I can tell you that the turtle is made of felt, is being sculpted one section at a time, and began with a basic wire structure. As you can see from the below images, the feet and arms are complete. My next challenge is the neck, head and face.

In other news I have entered my 2018 Sloth collection into the Frankie Good Stuff Awards.

Designing and creating these sloths was a ground breaking project for me. I was applying what I could already do, trying new ideas, and creating a set that told a visual story. I was so happy bringing my passion for doll making, illustration and photography together.

Read this, to learn more about the Sloth collection.

Friday, 23 November 2018

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

Sunday, 16 September 2018

Sloths, Sloths + More Sloths

Total Sloth update!

It's the year of the sloth, here. I recently made a handful of 15 CM sloths for indie Australian fashion label Leonard St, in their Fitzroy boutique. Earlier in the year I made a couple of larger (fully dressed) sloths for them, and now the newly made, smaller sloths will join their remaining sister in the Leonard St store.

In addition to that, I have just finished another run of these sloths for my own doll store.

Wednesday, 25 April 2018

Leonard St Sloths in Fitzroy

At last! I can show you the very project that has kept me so very busy the past few weeks. I have created two, super loveable sloths for the Australian fashion label – Leonard St.

These limited edition, collectable sloths are on display in the Leonard St Fitzroy store and are also available for sale.

Leonard St – Fitzroy
132 Gertrude St
Fitzroy VIC 3065

Store Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10am – 6pm
Sunday: 11am – 4pm

A few facts about these sloths:

The sloths are made using a varied combination of doll making techniques, including hand stitching, needle felting and armature.
Both new and upcycled materials (Leonard St fabric offcuts) have gone into the making. The most prominent material used is felt.
The sloth dolls have armature, meaning they can be posed. Even the sloths' claws have armature.
The sloths are 95% hand sewn.
The sloths' clothing has been loosely inspired by Leonard St designs.
From conception to, pattern making and right down to the final stitch, the sloth project took 48 working hours. That's 24 working hours for each sloth.

Each sloth comes with:

Certificate of authenticity.
Miniature accessories – a bag and felt crafted coffee cup.
Box packaging, with a window view of the sloth inside.

Visit Leonard Street in Fitzroy and say hello to the sloths on display. For more information about these sloths and commissions send me an email.

Sunday, 25 March 2018

Tiny Heart & Selfie Doll

I have been busy making this felt heart turtle. I haven't made one of my turtles in quite a while so it was a challenge remembering the process. The turtle is intended as a birthday present for later in the week. The turtle comes with a cardboard box. The way I made the box reminds me of old school travel trunks that were made of leather and metal.

Ann-nnnd, in other things! My youngest has been disappointed to hear that a friend will be leaving for another school. She decided to make a farewell gift for her friend. She painted a doll version of herself. The pattern is a scaled version of the daddy doll project that she painted several weeks ago.

Monday, 12 March 2018

Feltie Foodie

I have been working on a small project the past two weeks. Want to know what it was? Using felt, thread and other random materials lying around the house I recreated some of the delicious food thingies that I'd been eating. Some of it healthy and some of it, pure and simple comfort food.

Can you tell just some of the things that have been on the menu?

- Carrots

- Bacon + egg, muffin

- Popcorn

- Apple

- Chicken drumstick

- Rice paper roll

Sunday, 7 January 2018

Apple Bomb is Here

After many hours of work, Apple Bomb has finally landed. Apple Bomb is a thoroughly modern Snow White. At concept stage her name became Snowdrop. Through development her name changed to Apple Bomb as her fiery personality developed.

Apple Bomb is a royal and an activist. She raises awareness and is aiming to make social changes to end child slave labour.

Apple Bomb is mostly hand sewn, has hand painted facial details. Most of the fabric used came from left over fabrics; The denim jacket was originally from my old pants. Decoration on the headband was needle-felted. And the body has an internal wire armature.

Friday, 1 December 2017

Crystallization

My process of learning and design development can be described in one word – 'gleaning'. I learn how to do things from a wide variety of sources. Then I take that knowledge and use it in completely new ways.

Recently my eldest had been studying the formation of crystals. A fascinating topic. Talking to her about crystals, had me recalling an idea I had a while back – growing crystals directly onto my doll designs. It was a thought which lingered on the back burner. That is, until now.

After a little online reading and cross referencing what my eldest had told me about her crystal growing at school, I trialled my first bit of crystal growing. I made a sample doll leg and dipped it into the borax solution. Nearly a day later small rock crystals had formed onto the cloth. It worked, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Here's to the next big step in my design development.

Thursday, 9 March 2017

Luna Lovegood Inspiration

Doll making by Melissa Gaggiano

I am one of the masses who enjoys the Harry Potter universe and for this very reason I constructed a Luna Lovegood inspired textile sculpted art doll.

I am so proud of the little-big details that went into making this doll. She has wire armature, is sculpted with felt. I've hand painted fabric, needle felted, blanket stitched and even curled yarn to bring this Luna to life.

This Luna is currently available in my store. Check her out!

Thursday, 6 October 2016

Tropica

This week I have been working on a birthday present for a lil' girl. Since the theme of her party is tropical I went with that concept when accessorising the doll.

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Cat Rabbit Appreciation Hour

For those who have been following this blog you will know that I took the family to the latest Cat Rabbit exhibit at Tinning Street Presents.

The Cat Rabbit experience has had a massive influence in our lives the past few years. As a doll maker my own technical skills improve from studying the work of other textile artists such as Cat. More than that, I am able to share that passion with my kids, who in turn are inspired and want to make things for themselves. It's a wonderful little craft revolution that is taking place in my home.

Once I bought a copy of Owl Know How, a book by Cat Rabbit and Isobel Knowles, which came with a pattern for making a basic Cat Rabbit designed owl. So sometime today, my youngest is going to make her little owl.

My eldest wrote a little something about the Cat Rabbit excursion…

Saturday, 30 July 2016

Keeping Cat Rabbit In Mind

Cat Rabbit: Kept in Mind
Tinning Street Presents exhibit

Today I took the family to Tinning Street Presents gallery to check out Cat Rabbit's textile exhibit Kept in Mind. It was a long trip for us, coming far from the other side of the city, and most definitely worth the hike.

Cat Rabbit created a variety of art dolls, wall pieces and charms reminiscent of things from her past - books, breakfasts, trips to Japan. There are familiar elements with her work, such as the cat dolls. Cat Rabbit has a real life cat who is both parts companion and muse, so his face appears in much of her work.

The peach people are a relatively new development in Cat Rabbit's doll making and are constructed with a combination of hand stitched felt and needle felting. Cat Rabbit has branched out into needle felting this past year, and this works very well with her sculpting the faces. The peach faces look like a coloured illustration as a result.

The art dolls are not complete without clothes and accessories. I love the fact that she thinks of the small details. None of us are complete without our bags and wallets filled with stuff that make up our lives, and the same goes for her big-little animal people.

For more information about Cat Rabbit you can find her here or on Facebook.