Hey, art enthusiasts! Frankie Meaden here, it's three weeks post show and I'm ready to spill the beans on what really went down behind the scenes of my 'FULL' exhibition.
Let's kick things off with the heart of the operation: the design concept. Picture this – me, armed with nothing but a heap of colourful rope and an obsession with flowers, trying to wrangle my wild imagination into a cohesive theme. After much careful colour palette choosing and soul-searching, I sketched out a body of work that had artworks in varying sizes, connected by similar colours and floral shapes, with a closer to still-life element to the works rather than the more abstract pieces that I've made before. Oversized embroideries bursting with colour, texture, and unapologetic joy. And thus, 'FULL' was born.
Now, onto the more nitty-gritty logistics. Cue hours of planning, studio time, emails, spreadsheets. Organising the photographer? Check. Coordinating with the gallery staff? Check. Oh, and let's not forget the not-so-glamorous task of cleaning and cutting up the recycled banners and street pole flags (saving them dramatically from the brink of landfill oblivion). It was a labor of love, my friends.
For those of you who might be planning an art exhibition in the future, here's a list of some of the preparation that I was doing while I was working on this solo show:
But hey, amidst the chaos, there were moments of pure magic. Like when I finally saw my artwork hanging proudly on the gallery walls, and got to share this moment with my three children. Each stitch a testament to hours of dedication and passion. It was a pinch-me-now kind of moment, and I'm so glad that I go to share it with my close friends and family, as well as some lovely members of the creative community.
(Note: My kids were disappointed. They said that they thought an 'art show' meant a performance, and not "just a room with art". They also said that there should have been snacks, perhaps a cheese board. Classic reaction. Wouldn't change it.)
And then, of course, there was the opening reception – the pièce de résistance. Picture twinkling lights, laughter, and a steady stream of admirers ooh-ing and aah-ing over my creations. It was a night to remember, filled heartfelt conversations, and enough positive vibes to power a small country.
Now, as I sit here trying to debrief from the whole experience, I can't help but feel a swell of gratitude. To everyone who supported me along the way – from friends and family to fellow artists and kindred spirits – thank you. Your enthusiasm and encouragement mean more to me than words can say.
I wanted to create from a place of overflow, displaying the vibrancy of creation. At my first group show in 2023, every piece of mine sold. This time I had the whole space filled with my work, roughly 3x what I showcased at the group show. It was a great achievement, but I am left feeling quite burnt out after the experience. From a financial point of view, I made three sales, which was enough to cover all my costs. I now have some lovely artwork in stock for the first time, click here to see some of the pieces from the FULL collection.
So, what's next for this embroidery extraordinaire? Well, let's just say, I've got a few things in the works. With a heap of recycled materials and a heart full of passion, I'll continue to create and spread joy. A large installation in the window of Parnell Jewellers Orsini Fine Jewellery is next, and then an Artist Residency in Australia. At the moment I'm going slowly, needing several weeks break to recover from all the late nights and general stress of the solo show. To focus on my children and husband, oh and moving house, for the next wee while.
When it comes down to it, that's what art is all about – connecting, inspiring, and filling the world with a little more joy.
Thanks for being part of my journey, I hope that this blog post about preparing for a fibre art exhibition has been helpful or informative in some way!
Frankie
Opening night photos by Deanna Hunter.
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Such an exciting few months! Four big things happening:
ONE
Some of the Flourishing pieces, as well as some new works, will be part of a group show at a beautiful gallery in Auckland next month.
PETAL
The Frame Workshop and Gallery in Herne Bay.
Everyone is welcome!
Opening night 27 April from 5pm
Show runs 28th April - 7th May
Showcasing my work (Frankie Meaden) alongside brilliant artists: Brad Novak, Brenda Clews, Jemma Ennis and Lizzie Pannell.
TWO
Flourishing has been chosen to be part of Art on the Streets, an award-winning program of Downtown Ventures, celebrates the power of art in public places while turning the streets of Downtown Colorado Springs into a yearlong outdoor gallery.
I'll be flying Flourishing over to the US and installing the piece there in May 2023.
THREE
Jody and I are working on a large botanical public artwork in the studio, that is going up in Ōtara Town Centre at the end of June. It's going to be so colourful, looking forward to posting some sneak peek's of that soon. We're experimenting with using the materials in a slightly different way, so that the piece can be even more 3D than before.
FOUR
I thought of a fourth thing. If you're down near Christchurch, one of my pieces is part of a group show PRIDE this month. Great opportunity to experience the texture in person, and potentially purchase.
Arthole at Darkroom, 336 St Asaph street, Christchurch.
March 14th - 25th
FIVE
Um, yeah, three things definitely wasn't right. Here's a fifth thing: Turua Gallery in St Heliers has one of my favourite ever pieces 'Grateful' on display and available for purchase. Alongside so many talented artists and pieces that I adore. What an honour. <3
Thanks for following my journey as an artist (almost an international artist now! Haha). If you know of anyone looking for tactile, colourful art for their home, please bring them to the PETAL show, April 27th. For the first time, I've made some smaller pieces that will be available.
Frankie x
We want to build and be part of a supportive creative community, here's step one. Sharing what we have in our studio that we use daily.
Follow along our tiktok if you'd like to make friends and be part of this from the beginning!
1. FRIXION PENS
1. FRIXION PENS
These handy pens have ink that disappears with heat. Like completely gone, instantly. One touch with the iron and it’s gone. THERE ARE SO MANY USES.
We use these to sketch on jackets, then we photograph the design and send it to clients for approval before painting or stitching starts!
These pens aren’t hard to find or expensive either, we get them from our local postoffice for about $7.
2. CHALK
This is pretty simple, chalk is classically used for drawing on fabric because it can be easily cleaned off. If the fabric is either too light, or too dark, we use chalk to draw instead of a frixion pen.
If it’s too light there is a risk that the pen will leave a faint yellow remnant. Test on an inconspicuous area first!
If it’s too dark, the pen might not be easy to see.
3. WONDER SOAP
We source second hand jackets because we love to fight fast fashion by upcycling clothes that are already in circulation. (Do you want to send us one from your wardrobe!?)
This means we do a lot of cleaning, and wonder soap is great for spot washes / stains.
It’s also very handy if the paint transfers, which has happened a couple of times. We heat set each piece (a LOT), but when washing there is a chance that a small amount of paint will transfer to somewhere else on the garment. Wonder soap takes it right off the unwanted area! (And the main artwork has always remained perfect).
4. FASTEX TEXTILE INK
It’s great stuff. Very similar to acrylic paint in texture, and not hard to find!
Go and get some from Officemax and give denim painting a go! Post a picture and tag us, we would LOVE THAT.
5. IRON
Main uses: ironing stabaliser to the back of embroidery projects, and heat setting fabric paint.
OH and erasing Frixion pen sketch lines on jackets and in my sketchbook.
6. CHENILLE NEEDLES & 7. THREAD WALL (pictured above)
Fellow stitchers! What is your favourite needle? For denim, I love chenille needles. They are thick so that you can get a nice grip, but also super pointy. Can't be dealing with a dull needle.
Thread wall speaks for itself! Made it myself and it took a really long time to set up.
8. STABALISER
If a denim jacket has even the tiniest big of stretch to it, it's getting stablliser ironed on to the back before embroidery. Or if it's a lighter fabric and could use a little more structure.
SO useful! I get mine at Spotlight.
Not knowing about stabaliser was definitely a mistake that I made when starting out.
9. STORAGE & 10. PRINTER
These are just practical, functional office tools that everyone needs.
Storage boxes, organised with labels, to keep stocks and packaging products in. And tonnes of art supplies (I'm an addict). Printer to print out address labels.
11. PHONE HOLDER
It has a long adjustable arm - approx a meter long - and is useful for recording birds-eye view process videos.
Sometimes I pop my phone in there with the torch on to use as a spotlight in the evenings. My studio has so much natural light in the day, but is severely lacking when the sun goes down!
Purchased at an electronics store in the mall.
12. CLOTHES RACK
To hang all the jackets on, and it doubles as a great display at markets. Being easy to dismantle for travel was a priority with this purchase.
13. DENIM JACKETS
A heap of preloved denim jackets to work on! (in all sizes)
For when inspiration hits, or when a client doesn’t yet have the perfect fitting denim jacket in their wardrobe.
We want to build and be part of a supportive creative community, here's step one. Sharing what we have in our studio that we use daily.
Follow along our tiktok if you'd like to make friends and be part of this from the beginning!
Frankie x
]]>So, as I wake up in the morning lately I have noticed that winter is coming. It's a bit cooler, a bit more damp and I feel like I need to either stay in my bed longer or get 'rugged up', as the Kiwi's call it. Time to get out the jackets.
I am a bit obsessed with jackets. It's my favourite fashion item because it can be dressed up or down, tie an outfit together or just add a bit of flare. I currently have two denim jackets going, a camo one, a rain coat and most recently, a quilted jacket.
What's your favourite fashion item?
Jody x
]]>Offcut is an amazing New Zealand brand based in Christchurch. They use fabric offcuts to create high quality, designer caps instead of sourcing brand new fabric. So you see, we kind of love what they're doing. They managed to find some premium denim offcuts and made three beautiful five-panel caps for us to put our artwork on. We are stoked with the result.
These three hats are one-of-a-kind, limited edition and made in New Zealand and they're gonna sell like hot cakes. keep your eyes peeled on @beautifullyfrank and @offcut for the drop coming soon!
Check out www.offcut.co and @offcut for the official drop of these limited edition caps.
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Meet the creators of sustainable fashion brand Beautifully Frank
Article in good magazine, Nov 2020.
Frankie Meaden and Jody Stewart are artists and mums who customise pre-loved denim jackets and have teamed up with charity Eden Reforestation, who plant a tree for every sale they make.
]]>Article in good magazine, Nov 2020.
Frankie Meaden and Jody Stewart are artists and mums who customise pre-loved denim jackets and have teamed up with charity Eden Reforestation, who plant a tree for every sale they make.
Where are you based?
Mangere Bridge, Auckland. Frankie is from England and Jody is from Canada. We are neighbours!
How long have you been doing this?
Jody: Frankie started the business about five years ago but she specialised in jewellery. She started painting and embroidering jackets at the end of 2019 and it really took off in June 2020, which is when I joined the business.
What are your design backgrounds?
Frankie: I studied art and fashion through school and for a year at uni in London. One highlight of that was having my work displayed for a few months in one of the Tate galleries in London. I love drawing, design, sewing and creating in general.
Jody: I studied art as a minor at the University of Alberta while I got my education degree. I've never worked as a visual artist until now.
What gave you the idea to repurpose denim in this way?
Jody: Frankie and I both love fashion. Jackets are my particular passion, I have so many! When I saw Frankie's embroidered Daisy Jacket I asked if she could paint roses on mine. The rest is history.
Any special instructions for how to care for them?
We use textile ink for painting so the jackets are completely washable. We also take special care in embroidering them to make them very sturdy.
What's your style philosophy?
We want people to be critical about their fashion choices and reuse where they can. We encourage our clients to upgrade their denim jackets into something completely unique and beautiful instead of buying new. We don't want our brand to contribute to the worldwide fashion pollution problem and instead we encourage slow fashion. That is fashion that is sustainable, thoughtful and honest. We have a collection of jackets available and all of our artwork is placed on good quality, pre-loved jackets.
How does the collective Beautifully Frank work?
We work together, We both have young children at home so we meet during the day to discuss upcoming projects, new ideas and delegate tasks while the kids play. We both work on jackets and usually have a few on the go. Currently all the artwork is hand done, which makes it designer and completely unique. There is not one jackets that is exactly the same.
How does it work when someone wants to upgrade an old jacket?
Clients can buy jackets online through our website or message us directly to find more details. For a custom jacket our clients send us their jacket or choose from the quality jackets we have in stock. We ask them to send us photos of the previous jackets we have done that they have enjoyed and an idea of what they would like on their custom jacket. We love working with our clients to give them the best result for their on-of-a-kind jacket.
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Here are some humble screenshots from an instagram story where Stan Walker opened up his Beautifully Frank jacket. It's pretty darn cool to see him react so positively to something we made. We are stoked and hope he wears it on stage!
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1. Swaps
I can't tell you how many items from my wardrobe originated in a friends one, but it's a LOT.
We have a clothes swap every season.
This how we do it.
]]>1. Swaps
I can't tell you how many items from my wardrobe originated in a friends one, but it's a LOT.
We have a clothes swap every season.
This how we do it. Everyone brings along at least 5 items, with no holes or damage. (In our group we usually find a whole lot more than 5 to bring). Side note - I've learnt that even when I think I won't have enough things to bring to swap, because I took so much to the last one, I always have plenty that I'm not actually wearing.
We take turns going through our pile of clothes, holding up each item & describing them..."This top is size 10 and originally from H&M" And those who are interested sing out.
If more than one person wants an item, they both try it on, and we have a catwalk & vote. Which sounds scary, but it usually looks like "Oh my goodness, that is definitely your colour", rather than looking like a cat fight.
If no-one wants it, it goes in the no pile. Which can be gone through for items for other people (people who aren't at the swap, it's quite common for us to go through the pile and grab some tiny items for daughters, etc). This pile is eventually taken to an op shop by the host.
2. Op shops
Buying second hand saves a lot of natural resources, reduces waste and minimises our impact on the environment
It also:
- Is cheaper than usual shopping.
- Is like treasure hunting, you can always find unique clothes, accessories, and furniture.
- Will help and support the community, a lot of second hand store work with charities.
- Can help you find your own style instead of following trends.
- Is a budget-friendly choice for parents, since kids outgrown their clothes so fast.
3. Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, Trademe
There are tonnes of 're-sellers' on instagram, people who have built feeds by finding second hand items and selling them on. Here are some examples:
Charting Eden, The Second Hand Huntress, Thrift Hunter NZ, The Overflowing Wardrobe, The Second Hand Club, In Love With Edie.
These people are your friends! They curate collections and sift through all the not-so-great clothes out there, to make second hand shopping quick and easy. A little too easy, make space in your wardrobe by hosting a swap before you start following these guys on social media. Haha.
4. Fix those broken things
I know, it's a bit boring. I like to chuck fixable items into a box, and then about once a month I go through the box and stitch up all the holes, re attach buttons, etc. It's actually really nice to have those items back, sometimes I've really missed an item. That might just be me, I do get a little overly attached to clothing.
So borrow your mates sewing machine, and ask them to teach you the basics. I promise you can do it.
Actually I'd rather just head to youtube, there are so many tutorials online.
5. Organise your wardrobe
I know this sounds silly, but honestly, it works for me. I have a system for my closet.
Everything is hanging on matching hangers, everything has a place. Categorised by item (pants, tops, jumpers, jackets, skirts, dresses), and within those categories organised into rainbow order, dark to light. The result is a very user-friendly space, easy to find what you need, to make outfits, and to see which items you don't actually wear, and can take to the next swap.
Maximise your closet's potential!
If you want more motivation/inspo, watch 'Get Organised, The Home Edit' on Netflix, but be careful, you may have urges to buy a million clear plastic boxes, and we don't want that. Use what you can find in your home already! Shoe boxes are a winner, I even use the lid of shoe boxes to great segments in my draws. Winning.
6. Send us your jacket
Weren't there meant to be 5 tips? Yeah, I just thought I'd be a bit cheeky and throw in that we'll paint on your clothes as a way to make your closet more amazing (& sustainable) too. Get in touch. Hahaha
On a serious note, I hope you are feeling encouraged, you can totally make some steps towards your wardrobe being more sustainable, and start not only looking good in your fab outfits, but really feeling good and knowing you're making a difference to the crazy fashion waste. Start by hosting a swap with your friends, setting a date on that will force the closet re-organise to happen too. Who doesn't love a little deadline to get things done.
Frankie
A huge amount of landfill waste comes from the fashion industry. We all know this, and it sucks because I really love clothes, and I really love shopping.
I always have.
]]>A huge amount of landfill waste comes from the fashion industry. We all know this, and it sucks because I really love clothes, and I really love shopping.
I always have.
I was a small kid, & when I was young my parents were missionaries, so we'd often shop at op shops. And I'd often be drowning in items that were way too big. So I learnt to repurpose items from op shops from a pretty young age, maybe around 12.
Other than clothes and shopping, I love drawing, design, sewing & just creating in general. (Oh! And I love my children, but that's a whole different topic. & husband. You guys are first, I promise)
Anyway, as a teenager I studied Art and Fashion through school and for a year at Uni in London. One highlight of that was having my work selected by the Tate and displayed for a few months in one of the Tate galleries in London. I was 18.
Beautifully Frank has been my way of fulfilling my desire to create, without being part of the fashion pollution problem.
More recently, I'm living in Auckland with a beautiful family and silly springer spaniel, spending my time at playgrounds with preschoolers and squeezing in time to paint and embroider second hand items whenever they're sleeping.
Beautifully Frank was where started to share things that I was creating. At the start, it was anything from jewellery to kids halloween costumes and I've developed it into a business and a brand that at the core is about creating beautiful things, while repurposing and reducing waste.
We create gorgeous one-of-a-kind artwork on pre-loved denim jackets, with hand-stitched embroidery detail & hand-painted pieces.
Now people from all over send us their jackets from their own wardrobes and people love it so much that Beautifully Frank has grown from one to two. There are two of us who sketch, paint, embroider on jackets. We really love it.
"Rather than going out and buying a new jacket, upcycle one you have!"
We sometimes describe what we do as getting a tattoo for your jacket. Like tattoos there are different sizes, & some pieces take longer than others, so we take this into account when quoting.
Another more recent change is that this month we've grown again, and teamed up with a charity called Eden Reforestation, who plant a tree with every sale we make. It's just another way for us to try and reduce our harm to the planet, our attempt at offsetting our inevitable shipping costs.
If you are curious about getting your own jacket upcycled, message us on instagram or facebook, or head to www.beautifullyfrank.com
]]>Here's a little bit about our creative process. In May of this year things really seemed to take off for Beautifully Frank, so Frankie invited me into the business. I was stoked and got started on setting up my own home studio right away. You see, Frankie and I are both mums and still have preschool kids at home so it's handy to have a creative space set up.
It's kind of like a retreat and a brilliant place to get on with our creative process.
Frankie has her studio situated in the room next to her kitchen. Super handy. She sits at her desk surrounded by windows and dreams of her next big idea. There are jackets hanging, ready to be adourned by something beautifully handmade and shelves filled with paints. Hanging above, on the wall is a rack full of colourful embroidery thread. This space truly belongs to a maker.
The studio space at my house is outside. It is a converted garage that sits beneath a yellow bottlebrush tree. I like to keep the door open so I can hear the bees buzzing and Teri the Tui clicking and cackling up in the tree. I have my sewing machine set up so that I can quickly sew labels and crochet squares into jackets. There is an easel in the corner with a jacket tied onto it ready for the painting stage in the process.
So now that you have the low down about where we work, I can explain our process. It basically happens in three parts. First, when our commission orders come in we get to work investigating the flowers or design the client is interested in. Once we have that sorted we sketch onto the jacket. We photograph the sketch, send it through to the client to get confirmation that they are happy with the design and then we begin the second step, painting.
All of the steps are enjoyable and sometimes you just feel like sketching or stitching. But I like painting the best. I love mixing the colours and plonking them onto the jacket. It's exhilarating because there's no turning back. It's starting to come together now. Once the layers of paint are on the jacket it's time for it to be heat-set. This can be done with an iron or by simply chucking the dry, painted jacket into the dryer.
The final step is like putting icing on the cake.
The embroidery layer takes the longest but really delivers. The design comes alive with this last layer. Depending on the style of the painting it can look more like a blob than a flower, but once the hand stitched details on are there, it really pops.
So this completes the process! Once the jacket is finished and labeled, Frankie and I head to the mountain or the farm or the trees at the part to do the final photos of the commission so that we can keep track of all the designs we create.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about our creative process. It's something that Frankie and I love getting stuck into. The combination of art, fashion and sustainability means that we can fulfil our passion for visual arts as well as doing our bit for the planet. So satisfying.
If you'd like to get your hands on your own Beautifully Frank Commission, click here.
Thanks for reading,
Jody x
]]>Hey! I'm so glad you're here.
You might be looking at our jackets and thinking to yourself "wow, those are really beautiful... I wonder if it gets ruined in the wash though."
Trust me, I thought the same thing when Frankie painted my jacket. Yep, that's me. The one in the denim jacket with the pink roses. Last year my family and I moved away from our old house and I had to leave behind my pride and joy roses. I planted them, pruned them and nearly killed them with too-much-citrus compost. You know, just the standard. Roses can be finicky but man, they are beautiful and bring so much fulfilment when they come to bloom. These roses were glorious and needless to say, I was sad to leave them behind when we moved. The perfect candidate for the back of my denim jacket.
Frankie had just started embroidering flowers on the back of denim jackets at this point and when I saw how beautiful the Daisy Jacket was I asked her if she could stitch my special roses. She was so excited! You see, she loved those roses too. I sent her some photographs and away she went. It turned out beautifully, I was wearing it all the time, and I still do! I took it everywhere. So you can probably guess what happened. Well, what happens to a light denim jacket when you wear it everywhere and all the time? It gets dirty.
I was a bit nervous at first to chuck it into the wash. I didn't know what to expect. You know when you're excited or nervous to wash something? You place it ever so delicately into the machine, shut the door and turn it onto the gentlest of cycles. Then it's locked in! Oh no! The fear that it will be ruined sinks in. So then you just watch it going around and around for a while. It's out of my control now. I will just have to wait.
Two Hours Later...
Why do gentle cycles take so long? Far out. Finally it was finished. I reached in expecting to see pink blotches all over my jacket. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see my sweet, ocean breeze smelling, beautifully painted and stitched jacket was unscathed. It was perfect. I put it on a hanger and hung it outside to dry. I have washed it twice more since then and it still looks amazing.
Frankie and I use Fastex Textile Ink when painting on jackets. Once the design is painted it is heat set and secure for gentle machine washing. So go ahead, wear it all the time, it's okay if it gets dirty!
Jody
Head to our online shop to order your own painted denim jacket today.
Photos taken after the jacket had been taken out of the machine, still very wet.
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