Update November 2010: Makespace are on the move again! They are relocating to a new shopfront back on the Mall, right next to One Penny Black espresso bar. They will be up and trading on 20 November, just in time for the Red Lantern Night Market!

LIKE Makespace on their group Facebook page, so you can keep up with all the craft & love action instore.

Update March 2010: Makespace are in full swing in their new shopfront at 19 Wolfe St, just opposite David Jones. Open Monday – Saturday 10am – 3pm.

Look through the gallery of pictures to see how beautiful they have made their new space. Images 10-13 are courtesy of Mark Snelson from Newcastle Real Estate Photography.

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Makespace is a small co-operative workshop and artisan store.

What inspired you to get involved in Renew Newcastle?

Edwina: I moved back to my hometown of Newcastle almost two years ago, and found there didn’t seem to be enough public outlets to reflect and support the number of makers in our town passionately producing their own wares (the Olive Tree Markets at the Junction School are a welcome addition to the artisan scene in Newcastle). I had also worked as part of a studio group in Sydney in the past, and knew the advantages of sharing a space with like-minded people, all celebrating the act of making things by hand. Any space on offer that meant I could get into my bedroom again – let alone free space – I knew I had to get all over it.

But mainly, it was the spirit and clarity of the idea of Renew Newcastle that really got me fired up. Newcastle has always been a much more inspiring place for me than its appearance would suggest. I wanted to support this idea from its inception, because I think it holds real and long-term potential in making Newcastle a better place.

What do you do?

The makers are:

Suzie Bailey ~ Once Was Like many, Suzie is a self-confessed fabric addict – she recycles fabric from the past to make beautiful ladies and children’s clothing, hats, bags and blankets. All items in the ‘Once Was’ range were once something else – sheets, aprons, tablecloths, scarves, ties and samples of good quality classic fabric – often hiding in someone’s cupboard for decades.

Edwina Richards ~ Fancy dancy pants Edwina started making FDP’s for her own boys a few years ago as a form of functional relaxation, and it grew into a full range of children’s clothing for both boys and girls characterised by bold and simple graphic shapes, as well as a range of hand-made cards and buttons. She mixes vintage fabrics with contemporary Japanese, American and local (often hand-printed) cloth. Coming from a background in photographic art and film-making pre-child -making, Richards also intends to use the wall space to host small rotating exhibitions of both her own work, and that of fellow visual artists.

Jackie Smallcombe ~ Jewellery & objects It all started at around 14 years old when Jackie did her first course in beaded jewellery. She continued making jewellery using found objects like sand worn glass, pebbles & shells found on the beach, then progressed into more ‘precious” materials when she moved to Sydney to study Jewellery Design full time at the age of 18. Since then Jackie has completed courses in Foundry Metal Casting, Welding & Furniture Design. Her pieces often start with a theme, then develop & change to create a small series of work. This enables Jackie to create limited and individual production pieces and no two pieces are exactly the same.

Chris Gerakiteys ~ Hours in the Day is a locally made women’s wear label, specialising in simple lines and bold geometric prints in skirts and dresses which flatter all shapes and sizes. Frustrated by women’s retail clothing, and buoyed by a wave of creativity following the birth of her children, ‘Hours in the day’ was born. Chris is inspired by Scandinavian design, the natural world, and the amazing diversity and creativity on the web. She also produces a range of scarves, bags, children’s wear and whimsys. 2011 will also see a range of hand screen-printed fabric based homewares.

Chloe O'Reilly ~ Tulip and Coffee Chloe designs childrens and womens clothing using mainly recycled and reclaimed fabric. In the last few years this has included a number of wedding dresses. Her work has been stocked all over Australia, Japan and Singapore as well as appearing in numerous magazines. Chloe has lived with her little family in Newcastle for almost 10 years and is very excited about being part of the Renew Newcastle project.

Jo Dyer ~ Happilyeverafternoon Jo is a creative lass who likes to draw & dabble in all sorts of arty activities. Check out her beautiful blog happilyeverafternoon.blogspot.com – it’s a real treat.

Gillian Harris ~ Look Toto Gillian creates whimsical art (including contemporary children’s art) from junk and natural sources. She’s excited about using the opportunity of the co-op to branch into home wares and children’s fashion.

Makespace also stocks a range of artisan wares on consignment, from these local labels:

Little Wren, Miss Fancypants, Clay, Bencke, Alfie and Doris, My Junk Box, Emma Soup, Limerick, I Found Love, Eighth Day, Elm by Emma

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The Makespace team has changed over its lifetime. Previous makers in-store:

Sarah Johnston ~ The Eighth Day For Sarah, the space is an opportunity to show work that otherwise becomes as she says “domestic flotsam. It’s private, it’s not quite finished, it’s beautiful and fragile – the work of people I love”.

Elizabeth Rodger ~ Green Leaf Designs Elizabeth combines a diverse work history with a visual arts background to create practical bags, soft furnishings and accessories out of re-purposed leathers and upholstery fabrics, embracing a strong love for nature and sustainability. Her recent work uses diverse materials such as cane toad skins (more beautiful than you would think!) wood and coconut shell. Her workshop mantra is -minimum waste, maximum care- and her work focuses on creating long lasting, repairable products made with locally sourced materials where possible.

Jennifer Curnow ~ Grevillea Designs

See and hear ABC Radio in Newcastle’s feature on the opening of Make Space.

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