Shop Handmade: Cultiver

It's that time of the month again when we bring you the latest offerings in handmade and indie shopping. This month we caught up with Rebecca Lewis and Kyla D'Aubbonnett from Cultiver to discuss all things handmade, ethical and crafty!

Tell us a little bit about how Cultiver came into being?
Rebecca and I met whilst making coffee in a local Ipswich espresso bar. When we met we had no idea that it would be the start of something incredibly creative.  Over the 12 months that we worked together at the espresso bar we realised that we shared a love of handmade, up-cycling and all things 'granny'.

So, what is Cultiver all about?
Cultiver is the collaboration of our two handmade businesses into a brand new and exciting business.....Cultiver: Indie Arts and Design. Cultiver (cul-tee-vay) is an eco-ethical, handmade, fashion, accessories and homewares store with a designated atelier (workshop) for hosting formal workshops as well as a 'comfy zone' for informal craft clubs or simply lounging around and 'making'.

What are your individual creative pursuits?
Bec has her own label called Little Brown Dog. She is a self professed 'reverse engineer' finding new uses for old clothing and fabrics. I sell felt and fabric pieces under the Little Bird label. I am obsessed with vintage, retro prints and stationery.

How does Cultiver support independent artists and crafters and/or the handmade community?
Bec and I have been 'Craftisans' for a long time and have been through the hard slog of markets and online selling.  Through Cultiver we are determined to raise the status of modern, handmade designers and help them grow through promoting them in a retail venue.  There are over 40 Craftisans supplying Cultiver with their handmade goods and the number is growing with more and more exciting products filling the shelves every week.

How can local designers and crafters get involved with Cultiver?
If you are interested in becoming a Cultiver Craftisan you can send an email to cultivershop@gmail.com and we will send you an application package.

Can you describe the Cultiver retail space?
The retail space is huge and filled with fantastic handmade goodies from all over Australia.  The feel is granny-chic, harking back to the good old days when handmade was a way of life.  We found all of the shop fittings in local second-hand shops, we had many adventures sourcing the amazing pieces.

Where can we find Cultiver?
The combined retail and workshop space is located at 2/126 Brisbane St, Ipswich, with street frontage in the thriving Top of Town precinct.

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm

Saturday - Sunday, 8.30am - 1.00pm

A big thank-you to Bec and Kyla for taking part in our popular 'Shop Handmade' series. You can follow Cultiver online via their blog or facebook page.

All images courtesy of Cultiver