This month's Curious Person is Amy Ludvik (she/ her), the creator behind Amy of Melbourne. We explored the theme of A Cultural Resistance over on our collaborative Pinterest board taking inspiration from folk-art and Eurovision.
About You
Introduce yourself!
My name is Amy and I am the creator behind Amy of Melbourne and the pattern designer behind The Craefty Witch. I'm "of" Melbourne because I live there but I'm not from there. I grew up in a really small town outside of Shepparton in the north of Victoria with a population of less than 500 people.
I was formally a theatre and history teacher, but after a workplace injury I started making craft patterns, kits and tools. I am passionate about teaching, and I want to help people create things.
My sewing patterns have been the most important venture in my business, and I aim to create patterns that are plus size inclusive, gender inclusive and have adaptive closure options. As a neurodivergent person I have a very strong sense of justice and fairness and I want my brand to demonstrate that all sewing patterns can and should include options for our community whether that’s side openings for those with low arm mobility, X chest options for those with no bust projection or the option for custom grading if your body requires a larger size than I provide as standard.
Did you always know you wanted to do what you do? What was the journey like to get to where you are now?
I have always been obsessed with making things, I started doing hand embroidery (fancy work) with my grandmother when I was about 6, then my parents got me a toy sewing machine, then I wanted to crochet the edges of the doilies I was embroidering so I learnt to crochet. I started making my own clothes in high school and did some costume making as part of my theatre degree. It then became something that I dabbled in, teachers don't have a lot of spare time! When I had my second baby, I was really frustrated by the lack of maternity clothes for plus size people and decided to take some classes to improve my sewing skills in the hope that I could make a few cute tops or maybe even a dress and the obsession took hold. I learnt about fitting and indie patterns and that was a complete game changer for me!
After my injury I decided to dedicate my time to trying to build a business from my passion for making and use my skills as a teacher to help others learn.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I have so many hobbies it’s kind of crazy, but I shall list them for your amusement.
Sewing, quilting, embroidery, crochet, knitting, felting, weaving, spinning, painting (mostly watercolours) polymer clay, whittling, wood turning, dancing, barefoot, baking, sourdough, preserving, gardening, natural dying, reading, historic research, genealogy, golf, hiking, camping, writing, guitar, singing, theatre, Eurovision, curly hair care, candle making, soap making, beading, corsetry, leatherwork, bag making, permaculture, hand lettering, journalling, dog training, fashion and textile history, sustainability and working towards zero end wool.
Thats honestly probably not everything but I think you get the gist.
The Pinterest Board
See the board we collaborated on here.
Tell us what you think of the board theme- why does it inspire or interest you and what’s your connection to the theme?
I am OBSESSED with our boards theme; it brings together so many of my passions. I find traditional cultural expressions like music, language and fashion so interesting, there is so much intersectionality between places and yet there is something so unique about every place and people and they way they express their shared identity. Often this also reflects the place they are from, the natural resources play an important role in the clothing especially as well as the influence of climate.
Then there is Eurovision, many may not understand why Eurovision is so big in Australia, my own theory is that it allows us, who live so far away from most other countries, to share in this big celebration of music, identity and culture. It helps us to feel connected, particularly as most of us are either migrants or descended from migrants, many of which came from the countries competing in the contest. It also gives us a beautiful snapshot of each of those places, what is happening right now culturally for that place. What is their music, their language, their fashion, what is their music about and what do they stand for? It's incredibly difficult for Australians to visit Europe, let alone every single country in Europe, so this gives us a little taste of the popular culture of that time.
My favourite acts are the ones who can provide that instant snapshot of current culture while also celebrating their unique cultural and historic identity. Particularly in times where languages are dying, fast fashion is overwhelming the world and music streaming services are exploiting musicians, it’s important that we can all celebrate each other’s perspectives and share music, art and fashion that we may not otherwise ever get a chance to experience.
If anyone is sceptical about the level of hidden meaning and cultural celebration, even the most subtle of easter eggs, check out the YouTube channel “Overthinking It” they do incredible deep dives into Eurovision songs and their connections to culture as well as broader links to the artist, writers and society. The Erica Vikman video is my favourite so far for 2025.
If you want to see more about cultural resistance in the craft/making world I made a whole video about it here (Laura edit- it's so good- hundred percent recommend for your morning coffee!)
If you could collaborate with anyone—living or historical—on a project around this theme, who would it be and why?
Käärijä! (Jere Pöyhönen) - I would love to design a new costume for him and the band incorporating elements of Finnish Mythology like Kalevala but with a new silhouette. I would love to make Jere a full leather (veg tan possibly Sami sourced, if possible, though certainly sustainably sourced) duster style jacket with a stand collar, something like the coat Bill Nighy wore in the first Underworld movie, but with hand tooled designs in the back as well as details across the arms, shoulders and wrists. I would add gussets for breathability and a ramie x linen blend lining, so it won't feel crazy hot when he's wearing it. Maybe with a detachable reindeer lapel for the crazy cold Finnish winter.
What’s the absolute, non-negotiable piece of content you pinned that people must see?
I think people should look at the band "Vesna". They are an all-female group from the Czech Republic whose music celebrates femininity and Slavic sisterhood. Their music is an interesting folk, pop indie mix that celebrates traditional Slavic music, but the themes of their music are very modern. They have said that their Eurovision song is about "all people who are experiencing some kind of unfreedom, as oppression from society, trends, technology, and it's such a symbol for these people to put on a crown and feel strong enough". On stage this was paired with costumes which mixed strong traditional costuming elements with very modern pieces and emphasised the interplay between celebrating the past while also embracing our modern identity as individuals.
Closing Curios
Beverage of choice?
Cold Milo
Favourite recent find (could be a book, tv show, website, tiktok account)?
Eat the Invaders - TV show on the ABC
Where would you visit in a time machine? And Why?
Either to the rise of the Kingdom of Mann under Godred Crovan, around 1100CE. My ancestry is Manx and I would love to see it at it's most powerful! Plus heaps to learn about the celts, Gaelic and the Vikings at that time. So much weaving...
OR
To the Victorian Era to have a real corset made for me
Favourite ever thrifted find?
A camera from the USSR
Last niche interest you dived deeply on?
The incredible history and properties of wool
What ridiculous item is on your wishlist that you want to buy but absolutely do not need?
A second overlocker so I never have to change thread colours ever again!
Stay in Touch
You can find Amy on Instagram, her YouTube channel (it's perfect crafty exploration content!) or see more of her work and products on her website.
A bonus for you!
Amy has kindly provided a discount code for use on her website on all digital content. Use code OBSCURIOCO20 for 20% off here.
