We both landed at TAFE to study upholstery at roughly the same time. It was an awesome time. The course then seemed dominated by mature women. We were naturally drawn to each other as we had both enjoyed a career in the performing arts. Ruth is from the circus, and I was a dancer. Although we didn’t know each other, we knew each other’s past work. But more than that, we both knew the Sharpie dance from the ’70s and weren’t afraid to launch into it should Devil Gate Drive by Susie Quattro be played.
There were a few things driving that. The COVID-19 lockdowns changed everything. We found ourselves doing the work in less than suitable spaces, firstly at home and then in a dingy and expensive factory. But there was a surge in need, and we were able to respond to that, and that was the birth of Flickety Mac & Bauerhaus. We were also kinda over the traffic and hustle and bustle. We found we could get everything we needed out of the city in Castlemaine. Now we have a huge workshop, and great sewing room and a very short commute!
Ruth’s father was a Tailor. He encouraged her, and she loved watching him work. He turned his skill to upholstering kitchen chairs as necessity required, making good with roadside furniture. She would pass him the tools and tacks. She learnt from him a careful attention to detail.
I don’t think my parents ever imagined I would do a trade apprenticeship! My dad always had a DIY project going on. He was very old-fashioned and never involved me in that. I sometimes wish he were still alive so we could share a project now. I have some of his tools and enjoy using them.
We had long been harbouring a fascination with detailed restoration and repair, making good from stuff that is neglected, worn out and broken. It also fits with our thoughts about furniture having become like fast fashion. Upholstery has almost become a lost trade due to the mass production of cheap furniture. Appreciating the value of old pieces that are made with quality materials and craftsmanship, we feel are worth preserving. It’s good for the planet.
We both had come to a point in our careers where it was time to change course. Upholstery was the obvious choice. There is something very satisfying about the physicality of doing it, but also the realisation that furniture itself is like the anatomy of the body; the frame is the skeleton, the springs are sinews, the foam and padding is muscle and fat, and the outer fabric is the skin.
One skill that is unique to upholstery is comfort testing! We always make sure the furniture we work on works for bodies. The work that we do has to not only look good but feel good as well. (Very like SÜK in that regard!) Having an eye for good design and being able to reimagine furniture in new ways with colour, pattern, and texture is how we apply ourselves every day.
Sometimes the jobs we do feel like we are bringing something back from the brink of its complete end. When the piece has been kept, it may have been grandma's favourite chair or a nursing chair, and it's been in the shed for years, the decision is made to invest in its future. It becomes an heirloom for the next generation. It brings history alive in a special way. It is very satisfying when the result is better than the client imagined.
No commute! No time wasted in traffic. We love that. Flexibility is both a perk and a challenge!
It so happens that one of us is right-handed and the other is left-handed. This can be greatly advantageous because we can work on the same piece on opposite sides simultaneously, tensioning the fabric between us. Communication in the workplace can be challenging. We are each other's quality controller. That can be hard sometimes. But ultimately, we have each other’s backs, and we push ourselves to achieve the best quality work for our clients.
Further to that, we often find ourselves thinking the same thought at the same time. It’s uncanny! We are simpatico. Like a good cheese maturing, our relationship has stinky moments, but that is just the process that it takes to achieve the next level of goodness.
Find out more from Felicity and Ruth on their website.
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