Save The Date

The 2023 inaugural art sale will be at the Bayside Sea Scouts this October! To experience our collected work as you would see in our studios come and visit us Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th between 10am & 4pm!
@cathymoonshibori

Pairing Exhibition now available online, visit in person from Tuesday 4th May 2021

My latest Exhibition, Pairings, is now available online.

This Exhibition is about placing work from my archive in dialogue with a series of new additions, following a loose theme, “ Spots.”
Pairings is the inaugural show in the new Annexe Gallery and also the first for the new concept of using a Gallery space.
The artwork will be on display from Tuesday 4th May to Saturday 29th May 2021 in the Annexe Gallery, 611 Wynnum Road, Morningside.
One of the new innovations is to enable a buyer to take the picture home on purchase. (I would be happy to end the month with blank walls)!

Online exhibition now open, prints available!

Mosaic Iconlady, Teacup,

All the paintings are on heavy white rag paper, watercolour, and measure 58 x 77 cm.  (Dancer – small 58 x 10cm, and Full Moon is acrylic paint.) Now framed.

I have one print of each picture for sale . All prints on quality photographic paper.  Go to the Shop and be the first to purchase a print!

 

Handwoven silk available now

Picture show handwoven silk from Thailand available in Australia now in my new Silk Shop
The Iconlady handwoven silk shop. I have started a SHOP on Theiconlady.com. All handwoven silk from Thailand and Laos available in Australia now. Please check us out, a collection of gorgeous wearables, furnishings and fabric lengths.  Lovely scarfs suitable for men too.

How I ended up selling beautiful textiles and fabrics from Thailand here in Brisbane Australia

My friend Joe has been in Thailand teaching English. While he was there he and a Thai-speaking friend, used the free weekends to travel all over Thailand and up to Laos, to buy silk for his collection.

How lucky am I?!

I can now offer some of these beautiful pieces he bought that he is not keeping in his stash.

The silks were purchased direct from the weavers where possible, in the village where they are made. Because of this, we can offer you superior quality at an excellent price.

I really wish I could have been there to visit these wonderful artisans and watch their incredible centuries-old techniques of hand weaving and dyeing silk and cotton for their traditional fabrics.

All pieces were selected by Joe who has a very discerning eye, they are timeless in design and colour.

He has purchased good tight weaves where he could, which relates to the quality of original silk thread used and also ensures they will survive many years of use, as clothing or home use and display.

I would keep them out of direct sunlight as many are natural dyes and some vegetable dyes.

Some patterns are traditional, still used today, and can be researched for tribe and area.

The same dyes can look different on silk and cotton

Silk shows dye on a different face, the silk makes the dye colour shine, quite often it’s the women who design the weave and do the weaving, rather than the men.

Laos weavers have the most exquisite skill in selecting their silk and weaving their patterns. Fine weave means the silk thread chosen is finer and makes the fabrics warmer.

For scarves, the finer silk weave, folded, is warmer than a heavier weave.

Ethnic patterns and soft muted colours are the hallmark of good Laos woven silk. The diamond shape and chicken design are repeated motifs in handwoven Thai silk weaving.

Muttmee woven silk from Khon Kaen in Thailand  is a decorator’s dream. Finely woven with gold pattern this fabric has wonderful sheen and drape, can also be used for light upholstery and special occasion wearables.

Joe also purchased some Khon Kaen cotton by the metre for home furnishing.

I feel so priviledged to now have the opportunity to show this Collection of exquisite silks and cottons to you, and if any of these is singing your name, please do feel free to place an order in the Store.

Thanks so much for reading my story, and I hope that the thought of owning some of these museum-quality textiles and fabrics is something which would bring joy to your life.

All the very best, do please write to me if you have any questions (via my Contact form) — I look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,

Helen McIntosh

Brisbane, Australia

Hand loomed silk fabric Avacado green

  1. Hand loomed silk fabric Chartreuse green available in Brisbane

Hand loomed silk fabric

Available in Avacado green

Size:  4m, 35″/89cm wide

Price: $A200-00

Hand loomed in Laos, suitable for furnishings, light upholstery and dressmaking.

More information on these beautiful fabrics can be found on my page talking about the remarkable serendipity which happened to bring these into my textile world here in Brisbane, Australia. Please click below to pop over and read this lovely story about the incredible fabrics and textiles of Laos (and other parts of Thailand).

  • (add link)