YOU ARE BRAVE Interior Textiles

9 Feb '15 : FREE SHIPPING until the END of FEB! *Details below*

I'm not one to get into Valentines Day celebrations any more but this year I think something special is in order .... To celebrate the unique relationship YOU ARE BRAVE has with South Africa + Australia, I am offering FREE SHIPPING TO AUSTRALIA on all single purchase goods in the shop.

AND

FREE SHIPPING TO SOUTH AFRICA on purchases of my Cushion Covers & Linen Napkins. These were designed + printed in Cape Town while I was on sabbatical in 2014. (Read more about that in my earlier post)

This offer is only on until 28th Feb '15.

 Lekker!!! ...... Enjoy your hand made shopping!

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 Also .... ALL PURCHASERS RECEIVE 15% OFF at the check out for their next YOU ARE BRAVE purchase. The coupon is valid until Mother's Day! (10 May 2015)

 This is my way of thanking you .... my customers.

Cheers :)  Michelle

2 Feb '15 : THE WONDERS OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP

I chose to have my "Conus Litteratus - The Cape" & "Mother City"cushion cover designs printed on hemp fabric because it is such a versatile and sustainable fibre. Not only is it the oldest known relic of fabric industry, dating back to aprox. 8000 BC, it is one of the strongest & most durable natural fibres. ( Levi Strauss made the 1st pairs of jeans from hemp canvas according to organicclothing.blogs.com)

It's naturally antibacterial, mildew and pest resistant which means it grows well without the use of pesticides herbicides or fungicides. (In comparison cotton production uses "almost half of the agricultural chemicals used on American crops."   http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2005/12/hemp_facts_on_t.html)

The plants morphology also makes it a natural weed surpresser. Industrial hemp is a quick growing crop but it's deep root system reduces soil erosion which benefits future crops.

The plant is not only used in fabric but also for making paper and it's seeds are edible & highly nutritious (second only to soya bean in plant protein). And research is currently underway into its use as a biofuel.

This is a truly wonderful plant! 

28 Jan '15 :  GONE FISHING!

The family & I are taking a short break this weekend. We'll be spending a few days on the north coast of New South Wales taking in the sea & country air. I can smell it already!

The shop will be unattended from Thursday 29 Jan - Sunday 1 Feb '15 however any purchases made during that period will be shipped on Monday 2 Feb '15! (AEST) .... Have a great weekend all!

Welcome to 2015!

2014 Was a blast!  It was hard work too ... but Oh So Rewarding!

This year will see YOU ARE BRAVE in more locations online & walk in retail.  A couple of collaborations are planned and importantly a more focused core range for the first half of the year.  

So I look forward to getting "stuck in" to the new year and hearing from you guys along the way. 

Happy New Year To You!

Stay tuned by following on Instagram @youarebrave or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/youarebrave.textiles

Thanks for visiting.

Here's some images of what's to come for YOU ARE BRAVE this year.

13 Dec '14 : SOLD OUT!!! of my "Cosy Pots". However, there are more on the way in Royal Blue + Aqua!  To come early in the new year.

5 Dec '14 : New "Cosy Pots" designed, hand printed & sewn up by me will be available for the first time at St. Ives Handmade/Heritage Fair this Sunday 7 Dec. They come in 2 sizes and are just AUD$15/$17 each.  Market price only.Great for storing your potatoes, craft items, small toys or pegs!

5 Dec '14 : Come hang out with YOU ARE BRAVE at St. Ives Handmade/Heritage Fair this Sunday 7 Dec, 9am - 3pm. I'll be giving live screen printing demos & sharing my home made ice tea. Lot's of kids entertainment, growers market, food stalls & a picnic area with live music.  There's also a picnic area, so bring your rug & umbrella and enjoy a family day out while avoiding the Christmas shopping mall crowds. And of coarse ... SUPPORT LOCAL + SUPPORT HAND MADE!

22 Nov '14 : Thinking of a Black & White theme for your festive season entertaining?

From now until 10 Dec '14 (until 1 Dec for international customers) I am taking orders for my new "Many Moons" hand screen printed table cloths & napkins. I can do table cloths up to 220cm square, round or rectangular depending on your table size. Napkins come in 1 size 40 x 40cm.

Contact me directly via the button below for a personalised quotation.  

Cheerio & Happy Christmas Shopping!

21 Nov '14 : It's all happening! I can feel the "Silly Season" about to hit us all.

I'm vowing to take it all in my stride and to enjoy all the buzz without the stress. So, new in store this week is my signature "Conidae" print on tea towels.

Black on white & black on natural cotton/linen blend fabric. I'm doing sets of 2 for AUD$50 + postage. But only until 24th Dec '14.

They make a great alternative to traditional paper wrapping, as an additional gift & are more re-usable.

3 Nov '14 : Just in today! Some fun cushions to brighten up the collection. Inspired by the Conus Litteratus seashell, which is a predatory and venomous sea snail found in the Indian & Pacific oceans. An awesome creature with beautiful markings.                I designed this while on my recent sabbatical in Cape Town where it was digitally printed onto hemp canvas. The cushion covers were then made up in Sydney and are currently in my Etsy shop in limited quantity.

In July this year I was in Cape Town on a sort of sabbatical having quit my full time job working as a textile designer for a mid sized Australian retailer.  Having made the decision to finally pursue more meaningful work, my family & I high tailed it to Cape Town, the city of my birth where we visit my extended family fairly regularly.

The split from corporate work was a free-ing yet daunting experience but I vowed to throw myself into the design and cultural scene in Cape Town.  Not having a clue what to expect, the first seminar I attended was called the Design Dialogues V5.0 held at the German Club in a suburb called Gardens in Cape Town.

I was blown away by the speakers experiences and the wealth of advice they were offering. Listening to them speak made me realise that every creative goes through hardships, down times and inconceiveable challenges but in the end they just keep going because it's what they do & being creative is what they HAVE TO DO.  And doing it with humility and respecting others is key to their "success".

Luckily the evening was filmed by Muti films & commissioned by Creative Cape Town.  So here's some inspiration from those Cape Town creatives and keep a look out for me in my acting debut too (academy award nominated of course).

29 Oct '14 : Conidae Print Linen Napkins are now available in the YOU ARE BRAVE shop.            AUD$65 for a set of 4 OR AUD$85 for a set of 6.

Coming soon!  Tea towels in the signature Conidae print hand printed by Michelle right here in Sydney's inner west.

New in the shop late October.  Limited run linen napkins with my signature Conidae seashell inspired print in dark chocolate.

I've recently had to begin styling my products for marketing purposes.  I found it to be quite challenging by extremely addictive!  I'm finding I love it!

New in the shop this October. One off tie & fold dyed placemats.

YOU ARE BRAVE is based in the inner west of Sydney, Australia where most of the products are hand made by me.

My online Etsy shop accepts payments securely via Paypal and ships all around the world.  Australian customers are welcome to make EFT payments by prior arrangement. Please email me to arrange this. 

You can also catch up with me on ... Instagram  +  Facebook