(naturally Effective)
The Age
Monday January 29, 1996
NATURALLY EFFECTIVE.
YOU may never look at your week-old fruit as a loser again.
Textile designer Julie Ryder is doing wonderful things with fruit on the turn; the older, the better. Julie has developed a technique of using the bacteria in fermented fruit to dye fabric. At the Melbourne Institute of Textiles, where she teaches, Julie and her students experimented with a bountiful harvest to access the best performers. This is a major effort as each dye-lot takes six months to show its colors. Julie's preference is for lemons and grapefruit. She has perfected her technique on antique Japanese silk to make gorgeous scarves ($200) (she is shown modelling a favorite). Now Julie has turned her skills to homewares and is using the fruit motif in prints. A range of furnishing fabric is about to be released that is printed, then hand-painted to give the fermented effect but with more durability. Julie's textiles have a contemporary earthy look, in tune with the current naturals theme. She makes a simple tea towel special. There are cushions (from $38) and wall pieces at Urban Berlin at 246 Johnston Street, Fitzroy and fabric lengths and a large screen made in collaboration with Ross Longmuir ($1400) at Art Infusion at 562 Malvern Road, Prahran. On Shore also carries Julie's designs. For inquiries, call 9326 5927.
SURF A DOG.
NOT only do two thirds of our households have pets, it seems that we can't get enough information about them. Internet surfers are accessing Australia's PetNet for one of the world's most extensive and popular animal information databases. Denise Humphries from the Petcare Information Advisory Service, the operator, says that they have 28,000 hits per week from 80 countries. ``The figures will be higher soon when we add birds to the information," she says. Petcare is a non-profit organisation funded by petfood manufacturer Uncle Ben's. Petcare's brief is to educate petowners, undertake research, disseminate information on pet issues, encourage pet ownership, help owners enjoy their pets and encourage correct care of pets. This is reflected in the information available. One of the top issues, breed information, is illustrated. Petnet is located at http://www.
petnet.com.au.
PRETTY CUSHY. JUST when it seems that we have seen every idea that make cushions thrilling comes the work of Eva Parkin, 27, inspired by the fantasy of the television show I Dream of Jeannie. It was the inside of Jeannie's bottle-cum-room that Eva remembers fondly. That lush, sensual, pink-flushed boudoir has led to Eva designing a range of luscious cushions. They are striking in bold purple, blue or red velvet with a button detail that makes them irresistible, a large, gold hand-painted wooden toggle. Actually, the effect is quite heraldic in a Renaissance way. The cushions are available in three sizes, $50, $60 or $70.
Eva's second range is embroidered with Sweetie, Divine or Love. Prices are the same as above. See them at Sho in Acland Street and It Inc. By the way, there is good news for It Inc fans, they are about to have their first sale. Inquiries to Eva on 9670 4583.
© 1996 The Age