I refashioned this op shop shirtmaker by removing sleeves and collar, turning back to front and draping a scarf at neckline.

Another day, another great read – this time Eco chic: The savvy shoppers guide to ethical fashion by Matilda Lee, who in 2007 when it was published in the United Kingdom was editor of the Green Pages of the Ecologist magazine.

Naturally Lee does a fantastic job of canvassing all the issues, and I loved the way she introduced the book with a quote from Coco Chanel: “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

There is so much quality information in Lee’s book about the science behind fibres, fabrics and fashion and the stories behind the clothes we wear.  Books like this get me thinking about where I fit in the scheme of things, on my 365-day mission to reposition home-sewing as a life skill akin to home-cooking. 

Lee’s chapter on DIY fashion captures it perfectly when she writes: “For a variety of reasons, the self-sufficiency once so valued in generations past now seems outdated and unnecessary. This is a shame because mending, sewing, refashioning and the like are weapons in an arsenal of skills on how to revitatlise and individualise a dulling wardrobe. Even those among us with the most bulging clothes racks at some point wake up and find that they have ‘nothing to wear’. Instead of rushing out to buy something new, giving old clothes – whether your own or someone else’s – a second lease of life can be more satisfying and add to a more distinct wardrobe.”

One of her seven tips to relieve closet boredom is – refashion – in which Lee suggests the next time you feel your wardrobe simply doesn’t offer anything worthwhile, you can see it as an opportunity to sort out the clothes that you haven’t worn in a year and put them aside. Consider how these clothes can be refashioned – either into something entirely different, or something fresh just with a new hemline or a change of buttons. This pile of clothes may not disappear overnight, but will provide a worthwhile project for rainy Saturday afternoons.

Here’s my refashion from yesterday afternoon. This simple white dress with blue and green embroidered squares was an op shop find which was an outdated shirtmaker style – redeemed by its quality linen fabric.

I cut off the sleeves and make it sleeveless, then removed the collar and neatened the new neckline with zigzag stitch to make it round at the front, and V at the back, coming to rest just above an existing button. To soften and add interest to the neckline, I draped a white scarf from my collection made by sewing together two lengths of beautifully soft cotton muslin. During a study trip to India in 2010 with the Australian Rural Leadership Program I observed Indian women wearing scarves this way and have adopted it ever since.