The newest addition to the Makers Studio is Alex Bayley who designs and creates circular fashion pieces for the brand, Bayleaf Handmade Goods.<\/p>\n
What is commonly known as slow fashion, Bayley said each of their garments are sustainably, ethically and locally made.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the moment, I make mostly linen garments while I just start getting some stuff together and the business off the ground,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get the fabrics from wholesalers \u2026 and I only use mills that are certified for various ecological standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the core features of Bayley\u2019s designs is the way they are inspired by historical styles, not just in the way they look but in the way, they are constructed.<\/p>\n
Rather than using commercial patterns to create the pieces, Bayley said they make their own patterns and using traditional techniques.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe patterning is all mostly geometric and based on measurements, which is super simple,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got my start in historical re-enactment, in that time they didn\u2019t use commercial patterns and the knowledge was just passed down from one to another.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main reason is that it\u2019s very low waste, I cut out three garments out of one piece of fabric and I can fit the scraps into the palm of my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although still relatively new to this space having set up in August, Bayley said they\u2019ve really enjoyed being a part of the studio.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great being in this space, I started out just at home, the only thing sane through the pandemic was making stuff,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese guys are small businesspeople who sell their products online and I\u2019m starting to do that and ask for advice from them on that.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving somewhere to go, where I know I\u2019m doing this and nothing else is always good, so sick of the sight of my own house.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Benny Mitchell, Heaps Good Leather<\/strong><\/p>\n Maker of all things leather, Benny Mitchell creates hand crafted bags, wallets, belts and other goods that are made to last a<\/p>\n lifetime.<\/p>\n Self-taught, Mitchell said he likes the bespoke aspect of handmade goods where not everyone has the same things and each piece is a little bit different from the next.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough I\u2019ve been doing it for about two years, I\u2019ve always had an affinity for leather and thought it was a great medium and wanted to do something crafty to make a bit of money on the side,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe live in such a throwaway society now where it\u2019s not good enough and I\u2019d rather make someone a wallet that will last them ten years.\u201d<\/p>\n Having worked from the space since January, Mitchell said he loves being a part of a creative hub and having the opportunity to collaborate with other makers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to have a dedicated space and brilliant to have Alex and Rach to bounce stuff off each other and if we have problems, it\u2019s nice to have a fresh pair of eyes sometimes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I do a core range of designs, at the moment, I\u2019m putting together some pieces incorporating some of Rach\u2019s set stones to create on-off bags and they\u2019re turning out great.\u201d<\/p>\n Although the pandemic stopped people being able to come into the Makers Studio for a couple of months, Mitchell said his online orders have been steady and kept him creating throughout that time.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s lots of orders still, people are cashed up because they couldn\u2019t go on their holidays,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, it is nice to have somewhere to go to and get out of your house and create, especially now that everyone is stuck at home it can get pretty miserable.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rachel Grose, RG Silver Jewellery<\/strong><\/p>\n With metal and stones as her chosen medium, maker Rachel Grose crafts one-off jewellery pieces for her brand RG Silver Jewellery.<\/p>\n Harbouring a love for jewellery making since she was a teenager, Grose said she\u2019s been tinkering and honing her craft ever since.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was the first year I\u2019ve gone full time at it, I love it and I love getting up and going to work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI make jewellery, I use recycled sterling silver and trying to source more stones from Australia so I\u2019m using some really interesting garnets, jaspers and beautiful stones at the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything is one of a kind, it\u2019s a lot of hand sawing and its pretty time consuming.\u201d<\/p>\n While she still had access to the studio over lockdown, Grose said she took the pandemic as opportunity to slow things down a little and adjust her business.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been interesting over the lockdown period because I relaxed a bit and tried to do a bit more design work, tried to find a new signature style,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI was teaching a lot of classes, then everything got cancelled, so we\u2019ve just been coming in here and working in this beautiful space.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything has gone online for me, I have a website and I\u2019ve been releasing little collections online.\u201d<\/p>\n Although working alongside over creatives isn\u2019t essential to Grose\u2019s work, she said she really appreciates the atmosphere of the studio.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good having this space too because when I was at home, I couldn\u2019t really turn it off, I would always have one foot in the studio and now I can relax when I leave,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI love having other makers in here it\u2019s been great, I wouldn\u2019t have the opportunity to do the collaborations we are doing without this space.<\/p>\n \u201cI also just love to have people coming in again, I\u2019ve really missed those interactions.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A SPACE dedicated to creative production, Camp Street\u2019s The Lost Ones Makers Studio is once again welcoming people through to watch producers work and purchase their goods. Each of the makers pay a monthly fee to the studio owners for their spot in the studio which supports and houses local talent and bespoke designers to […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/10\/Benny-300x200.jpg\")