In print, print, print

A big thankyou to Sarah Daly (writer) and Nick Clayton (photographer) who were a lot of fun to work with for a recent article about Umbrella Prints. I now have 6 copies of last weekend's Home- Sunday Mail thanks to members of my family feeling proud...thankyou.....enough now....save a tree! My Dad said the article was that big he didn't see it (he was looking for something much smaller-thanks Dad!)! It was very nice to receive some attention from local media and the photos were really clear and pretty- also quite a lot of people visiting Queen Street for the first time today which was a highlight :-)

Her Favourite Colour

Recently out of blogging action due to helping my mum get ready to sell her house. After my mum and stepfather Grump discovered their dream home recently and realised they would actually be moving, Grump remarked "well...argh....better go home and.......argh...cleanup then"- the understatement of the century!

This is a family home which brought up five children and nothing remotely sentimental was thrown out for 30 years. This is an excavation not a tidy up. 4 hired blue bins later and we need another one. Dont get me wrong its not dirty its just.....FULL.

In the past three days I have come across and parted ways with 5 children's entire back-catalogue of drawings, paintings, little clay sculptures, posters and posters of The Beatles, Adelaide band posters, my grandmother's archival posters, huge numbers of Grass Roots magazines, Christmas wrapping to be recycled, Christmas cards from three generations, teenage diaries, bits of stuff, little plastic toys and random sets of cards, jigsaw puzzles, newspaper articles, 5 sets of school books, and non-fiction books on goat farming and breeding Clydesdales, videos and more videos unlabeled eeek who knows what is on them! 5 different plastic letter openers all made at high school and then given to mum for Mother's Day- I never thought of that poor mum! and on and on and on......I feel sick, I am never buying anything again- I am taking those flower fairy lights and my new Christmas decorations back to Ikea for a refund tomorrow.

In the mess and confusion though there were a few amazing finds-
Grump's mother's birthday poem book with family tree information, births and deaths and dates, meticulously hand written information dating back to 1855.

Some very old family photos slipped inside Christmas cards- lucky I looked.

AND

an old sewing box which I carefully took home because the coloured spools of cotton are so gorgeous. I had always wondered what was actually in that strange box on top of the front room's bookshelf; the box with the soldier smiling. That box was unmoved since C and H's Grandma closed the lid for the last time. The cottons all carefully grouped into warm and cool colours; ruby red thread her obvious favourite, just inches from being used up; I wonder what she sewed with it? I took these photos outside to capture the time machine for H and C.

I was about to pack up when I lifted one of the containers within the box and found an envelope . It must have been hidden for a reason? There was a card inside..it looks machine printed and a bit like an advert..... but why is it in an envelope and why hide it?......how magical and mysterious!

Fights and Hugs

Carly and I had a proper tiff which was a first, and a bit scary and alarming for both of us! After about two years of agreeing with each other and both being rather passionate people its bound to happen. It is so unexpected to all of a sudden to have a totally different opinion from one another based on different perspectives. But I think we were very adult and good at listening to each other and worked it out no Jerry Springer slapping or anything- and all better now :-) :-) yey we are so amazingly like adult

picture by Suzana Casasnovas

G's First Skips and a rose explosion

Where's Woolly?

a friend sent this to me from www.realestate.com.au!

Holly Fluxxibition- making me think about colour

framecore by Holly Fluxx





I love this photo! Its called 'I'm not a punk anymore'.

lazer loops

Congratulations to ma sister Holly- your first solo show in Melbourne wonderful! The colours are beautiful and so are you! I wish I could see it in more detail :-( more pics please!!!!

I had been looking at more neutral colours all day and the picture's from Holly's show (she's a natural and instinctive) have got me thinking about my colours.....

Recently Carly and I have been machinating about colours for our next fabric print run and at night colours roll through my mind flip, flip, flip, like a tap dripping! As a lover of colour it is a sweet and sour task to have to choose just a few because that means leaving out the others and than I feel sorry for them.

Here is the trick; the trick is balance and compromise. The impulse is to grab my favourite colours for Umbrella Prints and do the run and thats it but......

The reality is we need to find, somewhere, a balance between
a) each other's favourites
b) the colour and the imagery; does it look good in that design?
c) what colours do people want to buy (trends, decor)?
d) do these colours look good with each other as group? does it matter?
e) how do these colours look with the last printed colours?
f) do the colours represent a direction- do they represent how we would like our direction?
g) what will people be making with our fabric do the colours suit the purpose?
h) what will we be making from our fabrics? how will these products look in those colours and how will they function- is it practical to make a pair of pants in white for a young child who will be crawling most of the time?
h) do we have a nice mix of masculine and feminine colours- whilst I dont segregate most people will not buy pink for a boy!
i) how will these colours look printed on the natural colour of our base cloth? will they be too pale, will we be able to photograph them ok?
j) how does the colour/print combination look from a distance and up close?
k) most importantly do we have pretty colour names for the new colours?
l) seasons?
m) if a chosen colour doesnt sell...will G, Moopy #1 & #2 resent wearing and living with this colour day in and day out for the rest of their lives? Im thinking PJs, bedwear, curtains, cushions, dresses, pants, underpants, car upholstery, lining uggboots, lining the ceiling etc.

and then I get all confused because Ive been liking Beeeeeeeeige a lot recently and wondering if thats just a fling or a commitment or a statement or maybe I'm aging. Wondering if liking beige is the result of some dude from Pantone on his computer laughing "he he he lets makem buy beige next year". But I reckon Holly would be telling me to just stop thinking so much, so I might just do that instead.

Ciuccio x Umbrella Prints =

It is exciting to announce our Tandem #2 which has come into fruition over the past couple of months.

Jenny Rinzler the designer behind Ciuccio, approached us to join her as the fabric component of a new range of modern baby quilts she is making for Rose & Radish- San Francisco. Jenny's quilts are described as 'modern without being stark and cute without being cutesy'-we felt perfectly suited.

Carly and I have just received our bundle of Loveys from Jenny in the mail. Each quilt is different and beautifully made with soft Minkee as the backing- a short grosgrain ribbon secures a dummy so that it wont fall onto the ground.

I'm really into her combination of colours. Creams, fresh green, dark chocolatey browns and Umbrella Print's starfruit our green, is an unexpected choice but seriously lovely and hard..... to.... let.... go..... of......into the shop. If you would like one let me know fast.

It has been a huge pleasure thankyou Jenny.

Journey Back to 2004-

This week the very supportive Pip from Meet Me At Mike's has been featuring a number of wonderful interviews with Australian textile designers. My interview popped up today (I thought everyone was sending in mug shots!). With Ruth Tuck's funeral yesterday and a number of other interviews requiring reflection and self analysis I've had to look back and think about where I've come from.
This might help you/me connect some of the dots.....

My hand screenprinted fabrics, cushions, bags, handbags, cards and dresses- Queen Street, Croydon, 2004

G in the shops window on my huge cushions, 2005

hand screenprinted lampshades. 2006

hand screenprinted and block printed fabric and products, Amy Prior

my studio which is now with Carly at Nest Studio

now, 2008, Umbrella Prints with bella Carly

Holly Fluxxibition- Melbourne

I'm in the wrong city and cant go :-( maybe you can :-) This is my little sister's first solo exhibition. Sculpture and works on paper and its going to be bright. Your awesome Holly xoxoxoox

Playlist #10

Ruth Tuck.....tea, Bach, craypas. good paper, watercolour and flowers

Ruth Tuck died this afternoon. She inspired generations of children to paint, draw and love colour through her art school and her wonderful teachers. Ruth was an artist, teacher, mother, lover of life and flowers and a dear friend to me, my sister, my mum and my family and so many others. She was the sweetest most gentle person.

Umbrella Prints Patchwork Fabric #1

Up at last and as promised and available here in limited edition. Two designers, 12 patterns tumbled into one fabric, available in four colours our red kimono, starfruit, pink moon and sumi black.

Two Birthdays and a Bonfire

I am still recovering from the weekend I haven't been this 'socialized' for a long time. I have seen helium balloons, sushi, a battered butterfly pinyata, A male MINIATURE PONY with GLITTER (!) called Lulu, an adult fairy, two supermen, one batman, one pirate, a huge bonfire, a man called Sour Sob Bob, a barbeque, kids in trees, kids rolling down hills, fruit platters, late nights, early mornings, coffee, marinated kangaroo, beer, sunshine, pitch blackness in the Adelaide Hills, parallel parking on a slope, birthday cakes and lots of friends. We have been thoroughly spoilt and it was great and now I need to sleep. x

New Window

The sun is coming out more these days a good time for a new window display for Nest Studio my favourite thing to do.
Wrapping paper and Umbrella Prints Patchwork fabric #1 in pink moon.
Hope you are having a nice day too.

More- Paper Cuts by me

Love Cuts by me (Amy Prior)

close up of Circle Storm


5 metres long- Circle Storm

As promised more long overdue pictures from my first solo exhibition Paper Cuts at A Room of Her Own. I was so focussed on the work I forgot to take good photos, thus the living room floor! I would like to do more of these large works (and continue selling them by the metre on rolls). Beyond the conceptual ideas behind the show I liked that people could buy as much or as little as they liked and then use it any number of ways. Someone bought a length for a paper wedding anniversary which is quite romantic.