A lot of interesting, green and thrifty people come to the Green Heart Fair. They come to pick up their free trees from Brisbane City Council, to see Peppa Pig and to gather ideas on how to live more sustainably.

Green Heart Fair values are in alignment with Textile Beat and Sew it Again values. As my rough-hewn signage says, Sew it Again values are creative, mindful, ethical, original, thrifty, eco-friendly, sustainable, unique and zero waste.

Thanks to my friends Neroli Roocke and Leanne McKnoulty for helping out, and the many interested folk who stopped by the Textile Beat activity tent. 

I love finding out about people’s relationship with their clothes and learning that many have concerns about clothing excess and waste, and an understanding about the ethical implications of cheap clothing.

And from a Sew it Again perspective, it is always great to have a few more upcycles in the bag. We did Sew 286 with Madi, who turned a cast-off cotton tie-dyed T-shirt into a skirt. Madi was already wearing a gorgeous natural-dyed T-shirt created with rusty barbecue skewers (love to meet the artist, who is from out west somewhere if anyone knows her).

Anyway to turn the shirt into a skirt, Madi threaded elastic through the hem. Then we cut off the sleeves and excess bits (which Neroli turned into T-shirt ribbon then crocheted into the trivet above), to make a shorter creative hemline. See photos of the f air and Madi’s upcycle below.