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Meet Shelley - the artist behind MollyMolly
Let's get to know the wonderful Shelley, maker and creator of mollymolly.
Where do you reside?
I live in the inner north in Melbourne/Naarm on Wurundjeri land.
Tell us about your fur babies
Until early last year we had an elegant black greyhound called Delilah. She was rescued aged 2 and we had her until just after her fourth birthday when a sudden illness ended her life. She was a gentle treat taker with a hilarious amount of sass. It broke our hearts to say goodbye. We weren't ready to adopt again but still wanted some longdog energy in our lives, so when Gilly's person asked someone to help look after him on a regular basis I jumped at the chance. I love looking after Gilly, he's the biggest snuggle bug and absolute master of the Paw of More. I'm so grateful his person trusts us to look after him. Every "Gilly Day" is a great day!
How did you get into drawing, sewing and creating your own fabric?
It started with sewing. When I moved to Melbourne I couldn't find someone to reliably alter my clothes so I started to do it myself. That quickly progressed to learning to sew my own clothes. I realised that the big bright fabrics I loved were often designed to be used as upholstery and not suitable for making clothes, so I wanted to see if I could make my own big bright clothing fabric. I played with fabric painting and screenprinting before enrolling in a surface design course. I often share my process on Instagram as I'm making things, so it was natural that I'd share my surface design homework as I was learning. People started asking if they could buy my homework and the rest is history!
Where do you get your ideas from? What influences you?
I get my ideas for concepts and shapes from what's around me and what's happening in my life. It's important that my work is grounded in how I experience the world. I record colour palettes from what I see as I go about my days, this ranges from graffiti to nature and everything in between. I'll usually create a design then find a colour palette that fits. I've learned that designs work well when the energy of the shapes and the colour palettes match.
What is your creative process?
I love to experiment, learn, and reflect. I usually make a simple version of what's in my mind as a quick sketch on my iPad. I then play around with the idea in whatever medium I've chosen until it works, or until I decide it's not for me. Not every idea can or should be a winner so I'm happy to let things go.
What is your website, what and where can people buy your stuff?
My website is mollymollyfabric.com . During my design process, I enjoy taking time to reflect and explore. This means I usually release a little bit of new work every few months rather than lots more frequently. You can download free skirt patterns used in the photoshoots here:
Where can people find you on socials? (instagram handle etc)
My instagram account is called mollymollyfabric. This is the link instagram.com/mollymollyfabric/
What do you do for fun other than creating your amazing prints?
Aside from seeking longdog company, I also sew my own clothes, really enjoy visiting the local library, and getting out into nature.
Quick Questions:
Tea or coffee? Tea
Morning or evening? Definitely evenings. I'm a total nightowl.
Sweet or savoury? Savoury.
Humans or hounds? Hounds and humans
Rural or urban? Urban
Stripes or Prints? A well considered combination of both!
