A poetic collection of handmade ooak wearable art clothing, using natural fibres, felting, natural dyeing and eco prints, to wrap you in nature's loving embrace.
Une collection poétique de vetements d'Art faits main avec des fibres naturelles, feutrage, teinture végétale. Pour vous envelopper dans la douceur de la nature avec volupté...
Here are some shots I took this week of my nature inspired eco clothing. Hand felted and dyed with plants from my local environment. Each piece is unique, one of a kind.
Look at the beauty of the Sydney bushland, we are so lucky to be surrounded by this.
Bespoke orders available for those who love original clothing made just for them.
The gorgeous Francheska kindly wearing my creations.
Designer Gina Mastio made prestigious NY Times Wedding section with star composer’s granddaughter’s frock
Sarah Swain, Manly Daily
A DRESS made from felt and dyed with eucalyptus leaves has made it into the prestigious weddings section of the New York Times.
Frenchs Forest designer Gina Mastio made the dress for bride Frankie Thomas — despite her getting married in Connecticut, USA.
A screengrab of the New York Times piece with a picture of Frankie Thomas wearing the dress by Gina Mastio with husband Ian Tattersall photographed by Kelly Prizel.Gina Mastio in her studio.
She’s the granddaughter of West Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein, and found Mrs Mastio online.
She was commissioned to craft the special frock from silk and other natural fibres, including a concoction of the Aussie leaves — with rusty metal added to create the oyster grey colour.
Actress Natalie Wood in 1961 film West Side StoryWest Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein.
She had no idea the buyer had such an illustrious heritage or that she’d be chosen by the paper.
The dress featured in a storey called Dresses Our Brides Have Worn, alongside frocks by big name designers including Phillip Lim.
Similar dresses take six weeks to create and cost from $650.
WHO IS FRANKIE THOMAS?
FRANKIE is a freelance writer and transcriber for journalists and documentary filmmakers.
She married Ian Tattersall, a doctor, in Connecticut on June 4.
The couple met, according to the New York Times, through mutual friends out for a night at a karaoke bar in Manhattan in 2011.
He friended her on Facebook the next day but they didn’t become a couple until the following summer after directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream together for the Bard Hall Players.
The bride told the designer she’d wanted one of her dresses before she even knew she was getting married.
She wrote in her review of Mrs Mastio’s work: “I am so lucky to have found Gina Mastio, the most talented artist working on Etsy!
As soon as I discovered her work, I immediately knew I wanted her to provide my wedding dress — and I wasn’t even engaged yet.
“Once I got engaged, I never even considered getting my dress anywhere else: I HAD to have a Gina Mastio dress.
“It was an absolute dream come true when she agreed to make a custom one for me.
I'm in New York, and I was worried about working with a designer in Australia, but Gina was always responsive, informative, and kind in our correspondence.
“She asked good questions and made helpful suggestions about the design and sizing. When the dress arrived, it was wrapped in beautiful paper, with a lovely handwritten note.
“And the dress is PERFECT — gorgeous, well made, even better than I hoped! Thank you, Gina!”
The New York times reported that the bride also liked the frock because she can wear it again, unlike many of the sumptuous creations.
Mrs Mastio, who is originally from France, said: “She contacted me through my etsy shop and requested me to create a dress for her.
“We discussed the style and sizing details, and I contacted her whenever I needed a detail clarified.
“With my techniques I use, it is very sculptural.
“The dresses are not cut and stitched, but rather hand felted from silk fabric and wool fibres that are laid down individually.
“The piece is hand felted together and shrinks during the process. There are many factors that influence the outcome, so no two items are alike.
“Experience is the essential ingredient to create a dress at a distance in such circumstances.”
An exciting one day workshop on Thursday 18th August from 9.30 till 3.30. Lunch and materials included, in personal setting. $170, booking required. More details below. Northern beaches, Sydney.
Plant dyed fabrics. Natural colour.
Eco printed scarf. Plant dyed.
In this 1 day course you will create submersion dyes with numerous plants and experiment with some simple techniques to pattern cloth. We will also explore the magic of eco prints and play with scrap metal. This course is perfect for beginners and dabblers of dyeing who may like a little more guidance with these techniques. You will leave with new creative ideas to make your fabrics and papers more unique and beautiful, using natural dyeing techniques. Great for any textile of craft enthusiast. A sample pack of silk and wool fabrics is included in the price, as well as paper and a wool scarf to dye.
Life is full of surprises. Just as I had landed in beautiful Sardinia last September, content to have a wonderful break with my family, I received an etsy conversation from a lovely girl named Charlie, who lives in New York. She told me she was in love with a boy, and my dresses, and wondered if I could make her one for her wedding in June. So one thing led to another and at a distance from Sydney when I finally stopped gallivanting, I made her wedding dress.... that just got featured in the New York Times last week, in a wonderful article about some unusual wedding dresses, which you can read about here: www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/07/fashion/weddings/wedding-dress.html
Photo by Kelly Prizel
Photo by Kelly Prizel
It was an amazing surprise when Frankie contacted me last week to say we were in the New York Times, I felt like I was dreaming. It's a funny old life, this one.... I just love the elfish look of these two young loves. A pleasure to be a part of it. Here is the lovely review Frankie gave me on my creation:
I
am so lucky to have found Gina Mastio, the most talented artist
working on Etsy! As soon as I discovered her work, I immediately knew
I wanted to her to provide my wedding dress -- and I wasn't even
engaged yet. :) Once I got engaged, I never even considered getting
my dress anywhere else: I HAD to have a GIna Mastio dress. It was an
absolute dream come true when she agreed to make a custom one for me.
I'm in New York, and I was worried about working with a designer in
Australia, but Gina was always responsive, informative, and kind in
our correspondence. She asked good questions and made helpful
suggestions about the design and sizing. When the dress arrived, it
was wrapped in beautiful paper, with a lovely handwritten note. And
the dress is PERFECT -- gorgeous, well made, even better than I
hoped! Thank you, Gina!
'Colour your textiles with plants' 1 day eco dye course.
Thursday 18th August, 9.30- 3.30 in the Northern Beaches, Sydney
$170 with lunch and sample pack provided.
In this 1 day course you will create submersion dyes with numerous plants and experiment with some simple techniques to pattern cloth. We will also explore the magic of eco prints and play with scrap metal. This course is perfect for beginners and dabblers of dyeing who may like a little more guidance with these techniques. You will leave with new creative ideas to make your fabrics and papers more unique and beautiful, using natural dyeing techniques. Great for any textile of craft enthusiast. A sample pack of silk and wool fabrics is included in the price, as well as paper and a wool scarf to dye.
For more information, contact me: ginamastioATyahooDotfr
Be quick, very limited places.
As seen on Gardening Australia.
To see my appearance on Gardening Australia, click this link:
For those who would like to learn to felt in 3D, here is a one day course I am running in July. There are only a couple of places available, so act quick if this interests you. A fun and creative day, where we will create felt from lovely merino tops, which you can bring yourself or is available to buy on the day. One small bag is included in the fee. You can choose your colour preference. Contact me by email for further details on reserving your place. A great way to pass a winter's day! ps i'm now on instagram @ginamastio for all my latest news
I've just spent a lovely few hours snapping shots of my dear friend, who I'm so lucky is happy to dash on my frocks for a shot or three. Thank you my dear! Here are my latest creations incase you are browsing for something original, handcrafted and arty.
Unique hand crafted white silk nuno felt dress. Beautiful for an original bride.
Large shawls made to order. Contact me for prices.
Tara Axford has kindly shared with me this video she shot during my two day eco dye workshop I recently ran at the Sydney Botanic Gardens. We had a gorgeous two days of sunshine, heat, plants and colour. In this current wet and chilly day as I write, I miss that heat we were trying to hide from in autumn! Click the link below for a hint of the grand time we shared. https://player.vimeo.com/video/168519776
Photo by Tara Axford
Photo by Tara Axford
Photo by Tara Axford
For future eco plant dye workshops, which can include on fabrics, paper or combining introduction to felt and eco print where we felt a scarf and then print with leaves onto it.... currently taking names for future dates. Small friendly groups. A lovely way to pass a cold winter's day.
If you're looking to explore creating natural colour from plants, then here is a wonderful two days of exploration and good humour, not to mention yummy food, at the Sydney Botanic Gardens. What a beautiful place to play with nature!
We will cover submersion dyes made from various plants, eco printing on fabrics, explore some of the infinite ways you can creatively dye with plants, plus dye your own scarf and also a cushion cover in two days of hubble and bubble. Delicious morning tea and lunch provided, as well as materials. What a lovely way to pass two days in May! 17 - 18 May 9.30 am - 4 pm Joseph Maiden Theatre
Perfect for anyone in love with textiles, create your own patterns and colours with simple techniques you can continue with at home.
Come explore and unravel some of the mysteries of eco prints.
Recently a printmaker contacted me to see if I could tailor a course for her to learn eco printing on paper as well as on fabrics. What a wonderfully creative day unfolded on my back deck, see her creations below.
So many delicious samples, they make me want to get out some naturally dyed thread and start stitching.
Prayer flags or eco offerings drying in the breeze...
A beautiful way to make custom designed paper for cards or letters (remember those?) or unique art pieces.
A creative workshop with time to explore and experiment with natural colour from plants and their effects on natural fibres. Using a variety of techniques, learn how to make beautiful unique patterns on fabrics, using plants easily found around your home and local environment. Perfect for any enthusiast of textiles, from sewer to weaver, felt maker or quilter. Learn to create a palette of colours and patterns you can transform into many beautiful items.
Beginning with submersions dyes made from a variety of plants and barks, then moving on to eco prints using leaves, flowers and barks to mark and print onto fabrics. We will also look at pre-mordanting fabrics and its effects. Day two will be unwrapping bundles and exploring further techniques such as folding of cloth and overdyeing to achieve more complex pattern and colour combinations.. Each participant will go home with their own piece of textile art as well as notes for experimenting further at home.
A sample pack of fabrics such as silk, wool and silk thread will be provided in the course fees, as well as a scarf and cushion cover for the second day piece. This pack is worth $40 and is included in the price. You are also welcome to bring in natural fabrics of your own to experiment with, such as silk, wool or felt. Some other small quantities of fabrics will be available to buy on the day.
Gina Mastio is an Australian textiles and clothing artist with a passion for the environment and a strong ecological conscience. She has exhibited in France and Australia and her works are in international private collections.
