kelie bowman hanky

I've been feeling awful this week. The dreaded lergy (a nasty cold) took hold, and it's taking a very very long time to leave. Most unwelcome! So on this mildish, wet spring day, I headed out to buy some filing trays, and found myself detouring past Luft, a lovely shop of fine goodies in North Fitzroy. And I just couldn't help it... really... I HAD to buy this gorgeous handkerchief by Third Drawer Down with one of Kelie Bowman's works from a few years ago. And no... I'm not going to use it to deal with my snuffly nose, I'm going to find a way to hang/peg it on my wall, because the stitching and printing is wonderful. Does anyone actually still use hankies anymore??!! They were certainly used when I was growing up, I remember my brother and father in particular, stuffing their man size hankies back in their pocket after use - eew.



Third Drawer Down sells seriously funky stuff. Their limited edition teatowels printed with the work of contemporary artists such as Camilla Engman (image above, and her work was highlighted here on the 1 Aug), Betsy Walton (I bought this one for my mum last Xmas), Luke Best & Allyson Mellberg, are now known far & wide - and in many ways, kicked off the trend of artists printing their own teatowels that is now so popular (and rightly so!). Director Abi Crompton has grown the business into a 'storefront museum', online retailer & consultancy/agency that works with international art and design museums on the production of art souvenirs. But despite the growth of their products, it's their textile range that continues to hit the spot for me.

Links: Kelie Bowman, Third Drawer Down, nice little interview with Abi Crompton