Trading 7 days a week Saturdays Sundays and Mondays (except Long Weekends) 1pm-5pm, Tuesdays to Fridays 11am - 4 pm. Appointments available out of trading hours.

Closed Good Friday and on these long weekends- Australia Day, Easter, Anzac, Queen's Birthday long weekends.

Shop Closed 4 pm Friday December 19, 2008 and reopen 11 am Monday 19th January 2009, but mail orders/phone orders still available.

Indian master craftspeople visit Beautiful Silks

Designer biodegradable shopping bags – made from discarded silk scraps and expected to last up to 10 years – are being developed in a joint project between a group of poor Indian hand-workers, many of whom are homeless, and a Melbourne-based textile company.

Other product ranges include shawls, jackets, "ethnic" wear and ties. The products will be designed by Beautiful Silks in collaboration with independent textile artists India Flint, Nalda Searles and Susan Holmes. The shopping bags are an alternative to plastic.

As the average Australian uses at least 300 plastic bags a year, one silk bag is expected to save up to 3,000 plastic bags. Based on that comparison, each bag will save half a tonne of carbon from entering the atmosphere.

The products will be made using traditional Indian handicraft techniques. For the bags, highly durable silk fibres will be turned into string then woven before being dyed with ecologically sustainable plant inks.

They are being produced by a 600-member Indian women’s collective based in a rural village about 30 kilometres from Mysore in the south.

Run in collaboration with The Vikasana Institute of Rural Development, the project is providing employment for otherwise impoverished and severely disadvantaged women.

As part of the preparation for the project, BEAUTIFUL SILKS on 29 September 2008 hosted reparesentatives of Gujarat's KALA RAKSHA organisation.

A group of Australian craftspeople will join a group of Indian textile workers in Bangalore, India next month for the inauguration of the project. The organisers aim to quadruple the salary of the Indian participants within one year and to provide them with schools for their children, health care, housing and business advice.

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If you weren't at our recent workshops you may have missed a lot of fun and information. Check our workshop pages for more info. If you would like to hold a workshop at our warehouse click here to email us for an information pack. Space rental with our marketing pack starts at $250 a day including GST

WANT GOODS MANUFACTURED IN INDIA OR CHINA?

We're thrilled to announce that as a result of Marion's successful India and China trips, we can now offer manufacturing even of small runs of silk garments or fabric on a cost-plus basis subject to minimum charges. Doesn't matter what shape, or colour, dyed or undyed, beaded, embroidered, printed, if it's silk we can do it. We also design, or assist you in your designs.

* WORKSHOPS

India Flint's Eco-dye workshop. One only $105 - click here for more info

Info 9419-7745, or Marion's mobile 0412-742147.

Dye workshops at Spinners and Weavers in Carlton (Melb) each 8 weeks.

Tutor: Marion Gorr. Shakespeare Gve, North Carlton. Info 9419-7745, or Marion's mobile 0412-742147. $88 including materials.

* NEW PRODUCTS

The Story of Silk - educational CD.
With over 40 slides of how our silk comes from its harvest in China to you, compiled by Marion and the elephant, with full technical glossary and explanation of various production techniques, this educational CD runs on Mac or Windows, has a history of production and is an excellent resource tool for students.

CD price COUNTER SALES $35/ POSTED $40

Mastering the Zipper - educational CD.
Sue Schulz, the Zipper Queen, joins with Beautiful Silks to produce this technical CD with photos and illustrations which show the student tips for the mastery of this difficult facet of garment production.

CD price COUNTER SALES $35/ POSTED $40

DYE, FELTING AND PATTERN-MAKING DVDs in production.

PRIZE SPONSORSHIP BONUSES

In 2004 we held the first Susan Holmes Beautiful Silks award. We now announce the 4th Susan Holmes Beautiful Silks prize.

Buy more than $80.00 worth of silk and go into a draw to win a free textile fibre forum workshop all accommodation paid plus $150.00 towards travel and free silk prize pack. limited to 350 only, to be drawn in Ballarat in April 2009!

Beautiful Silks sponsors textile artists prizes, in 2008 Beautiful Bilks will again sponsor shearwater steiner school wearable art, by providing materials for students to use to make art.

In 2006 beautiful silks introduced special programmes for schools, including student internships for secondary students, and dye buys, see our schools and silk education page..