Influenced by natural fibres

The Foulkes-Taylor family has been pastoralists on the property since 1929, with the fourth-generation now keenly involved.

As you meander past the main homestead where Emma and Rossco Foulkes-Taylor reside, don’t be surprised to get a waft of freshly-baked sourdough, as Emma is quite the baking and gardening enthusiast.

The small cottage nearby is home to their son, Tom and his wife, Julia, and it’s also where you’ll commonly hear a humming sound.

On closer inspection, you will see that the source of that sound is Julia’s much-loved sewing machine, over which she sits hunched, working hard to create another masterpiece for her label, Flax and Fleece.

A sheep station may be an unusual location for a bespoke fashion studio, but Julia, a self-confessed creative soul, couldn’t think of a more perfect place to be.

“I think I have always been fairly creative and crafty,” she said.

“I had two very creative grandparents who definitely influenced me and as a child I was always sewing clothes for my dolls and doing French knitting and bits and pieces like that.

“My mum taught me how to sew and I had made a few things under her instruction but the first time I really made something by myself was in year eight in a textiles class and we made pyjama pants.

“I distinctly remember overlocking an enormous hole in the crotch of the pants.

“Apart from that incident I think it has been a pretty natural journey, through school textiles which I loved and had a wonderful teacher, then onto university to pursue sewing.”

Starting her own business was something Julia had wanted to pursue for a long time, but the timing never seemed to be right.

When love saw her swapping busy city life working in the costume/textile industry for a subdued outback vista, it seemed like Flax and Fleece was ready to be born.

In March of this year, Flax and Fleece made its debut in the online marketplace Etsy and the first of Julia’s unique, beautiful, relaxed yet delicate designs became officially up for grabs.

“It was something I had wanted to do for a long time now so it was quite exciting to finally make something happen,” she said.

“The style of Flax and Fleece has a Japanese influence, with my garments being simple and sometimes a little oversized.

“Everything is comfortable and relaxed, which is the clothing I like to wear.”

The Flax and Fleece range includes a classic linen tee, relaxed linen pants, bags, grey woollen tote carry bag, Japanese cotton skirts and the popular linen raglan blouse – all of which Julia hand makes to order under the watchful, though sometimes sleepy, eye of her and Tom’s ginger cat, O’Malley.

Her designs are heavily influenced by the natural fibres and fabrics that Julia loves to work with, such as premium linen, cotton and wool, as well her appreciation for Japanese style.

Through her online Etsy store, Flax and Fleece pieces have made their way to customers all over Australia, Canada, the US and New Zealand.

“I absolutely love natural fibres and fabrics are definitely my biggest inspiration,” Julia said.

“I also love simple shapes and design that allow the fabric to be the star of the piece.

“In some of my new pieces that I’m releasing soon, you’ll also seen more hand-painted Japanese prints, which are a big inspiration as well.

“My most popular design so far has been the embroidered pink linen raglan blouse.

“I think people love the embroidery on it plus it’s great for a range of ages and it’s a really comfortable top that is very versatile.”

In September, Julia is taking the business a step further and branching out into the market scene, with a Flax and Fleece stall to feature at the Perth Upmarket.

It is proving to be a quite a challenge to prepare for, as she normally makes pieces to order but for the market required stock on hand, so had been doing a lot of sewing to ensure she was ready.

This is just the beginning for Julia, as she has plans to do more markets around the State going forward, as well as expanding the Flax and Fleece label to include a homewares range.

You would think that being located 200 kilometres from Geraldton may come with a few challenges when it comes to running a business, but Julia disagrees.

Her Etsy customers are made well-aware of the fact their orders will go out with the station’s once-weekly mail run and seem more than happy to wait a few days extra for their Flax and Fleece goodies.

“The biggest challenge is sourcing new fabrics and materials when I head down to Perth, it’s always such a rush and I have to make quick decisions and choices on everything to ensure I’ve got enough supplies before I head home,” she said.

“I think the biggest advantage to living remotely is that they’re aren’t as many distractions compared to living in the city.

“Before I moved up here I wanted to start a business but I couldn’t find the time because I was always so busy doing other things.

“Life is more simple and slower out here, which is something I really love and it has allowed me to find the time to make Flax and Fleece happen.”