Interesting to see a Vinnies op-shop scarf included in the fashion pages of our local newspaper The Courier-Mail yesterday. St Vincent de Paul was Just casually listed along with the other fashion suppliers featured in the photos.

Does this suggest op-shops are going mainstream? Advertising enables publishing and commerce makes the world go around, so can’t get too excited that op-shops and upcycled clothing have more than a niche future.

Unlike the established processes for recycling glass, metal and plastic, we don’t do much with textiles beyond donating them to op shops. That’s why I am spending this year on a counter-culture Sew it Again project to demonstrate other uses for reject clothing and fabrics – building a 365-page archive of options for reuse.

It is great to have opportunities to enable others to see, learn and do simple upcycling conversions such as Jumper to Skirt, as we did at the Abbey of the Roses workshop in Warwick.

Jenny made this skirt I’m modelling above as Sew 208 and her comment was: “I never would have thought to do it until someone shows you how.” It is super-easy if you have basic sewing skills. And if you don’t have sewing skills, it is an easy and affordable way to learn.

In fact, upcycling is a way to bring home-sewing into the 21st century because it is an affordable, quick, sustainable way of learning to sew while reusing existing clothing that is no longer being worn. With this jumper, Jenny cut off the sleeves and sewed them together as a scarf. She added elastic to the waist then zigzagged the raw edges to form the bottom of the skirt. Sew easy!