Monthly Archives: October 2014

Sew 284 – Green Heart is fair

It is great to live in a city that invests in a sustainability ethos by hosting the free Green Heart Fair twice every year as a community and sustainability festival, promoting innovative green living in a fun, family-friendly way.

The Green Heart Fair website says “more than 100 of our leading sustainability organisations, community groups, artisans, foodies, green-thumbs, conservationists, businesses and eco experts will be sharing information and knowledge with visitors on how to live more sustainably and offering vital tips to reduce rising cost of living pressures”.

Textile Beat will be there with some Sew it Again garments on display and running a free T-shirts Reworked workshop. Continue reading →

Sew 283 – Creating a hemline curve

The innovative Undress Runways is back in Brisbane tomorrow and I’m looking forward to seeing upcycled looks on the runway.

Undress Runways supports ethical and environmentally-friendly sustainable fashion – including ‘no-waste’ collections, ethical production, ‘food dyed’ garments, natural fibres, and unique pieces made from off-cuts.

The Undress Runways website has these simple tips on how to be sustainable:

Consume less, use what you have
Upcycle old garments you no longer wear
Choose garments of organic/recycled fabrics Continue reading →

Sew 282 – Second-life for silk

Silk is a beautiful protein fibre made from the toil of silkworms which according to the International Year of Natural Fibres (2009) is known as the queen of fibres in China where most of it is produced.

After all the effort and energy that goes into producing the fibre, it is a shame to see it go to waste. That’s why I always enjoy rescuing reject silk garments in op shops – including a pink/cream silk shift recently bought for $3.

The dress was a bit the worse for wear, with the fibres appearing torn around the arms and neck, perhaps having been put through a harsh washing cycle. Although the washing instruction labels on silk often say dry-clean only, I’ve found hand or gentle-washing to be perfectly OK (sometimes shrinkage may be an issue though). Continue reading →

Sew 281 – Simpler ways with clothes

Clothing is different to fashion, as discussed in an earlier post. Clothing is traditionally used for warmth and modesty while fashion makes a statement of individual identity or conspicuous displays of wealth and status.

With the Sew it Again project this year, my friends and I are doing clothing rather than fashion. choosing to rework existing clothing in ways that are thrifty, sustainable and ethical – as well as simple, unpretentious and individual.

It is affirming to yesterday discover the Simplicity Institute in 2012 wrote about a simpler way of dressing which – for simplicity’s sake and because the words are simply brilliant – I’ve copied verbatim below. Continue reading →

Sew 280 – Clothing has no use-by date

Unlike food, clothing does not have a use-by date. Certainly some styles become dated but most clothing never gets a chance to wear out.

In the past we valued our clothing, bought quality, laundered with care, mended and maintained, handed down or passed on.

Engineer James Moody says it takes 10,000 litres of water to produce 1 kg of cotton, so we ought to treat cotton clothing with more respect – using, reusing, recycling or upcycling it – doing everything but put it in landfill.

Moody is CEO of online sharing platform Tu-Share and recently participated in a Rethinking Waste conversation with ABC Nightlife’s Tony Delroy along with National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations CEO Kerryn Caulfield. Listen to the fascinating podcast here. Continue reading →

Sew 279 – Think outside the circle

It is easy to be caught up in a lifestyle in which competitive market-driven forces whip up a frenzy of ‘need’ for bigger, brighter, newer and supposedly better. Through glossy advertising, we’re sold an illusion that happiness and satisfaction can be bought with the latest and greatest material possessions. Even the promotion of ‘light-green’ or so-called sustainable living often involves buying more stuff.

So it is refreshing to hear discussion about how to move beyond growth economics and towards a ‘steady-state’ economy, with a focus on simpler, less consumptive ways of living.

Last week at the University of New South Wales, the 2014 Australian Academy of Science Fenner Conference on the Environment topic was: Addicted to Growth? How to move to a Steady State Economy in Australia This spawned an article about life in a degrowth economy on The Conversation website, written by research fellow at Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute at University of Melbourne, Samuel Alexander. Continue reading →

Sew 278 – In the pink

Even though being too matchy matchy is a hazard these days when clashing colours are de rigueur, this magenta look came about because of the pink leather pumps.

I’m in the final quarter of the Sew it Again project and getting ruthless about moving accumulated unworn stuff out the door because my personal end goal is a textile de-clutter. (Good Feng Shui by Debra Jarvis says eliminate clutter ‘only allow items you love, that are useful, and that uplift your energy to remain in your home’.)

Going through shoes yesterday, I hesitated on these pink pumps I bought new a few years ago yet have hardly worn. As I looked around for a reason to save them, I found they worked with some comfortable, casual pink and black garments, which I wore to dinner at our friends Kay and Paul (who are preparing to move to the Czech Republic for two years, but that’s another story). Continue reading →

Sew 277 – Dyeing for a refresh

It is amazing to see how a colour wash can revive a slightly dated floral dress for a fabulous second life.

This floral maxi wrap Laura Ashley dress was passed to me for upcycling by my friend Robyn Sheptooha back in February and now makes perfect beachwear for the gorgeous Steph on Stradbroke Island.

It was originally a cream floral that served Robyn well in its heyday, nearly 20 years ago. There was really nothing wrong with it at all except the cream floral looked a bit dated and Robyn’s style had evolved. Continue reading →

Sew 276 – Finding treasure on Straddie

Suddenly we were off to Stradbroke Island and in the rush to catch the Straddie Flyer, I left my hat in the car. Arrive at Dunwich to discover St Marks Thrift Shop open for business – find suitable hat as well as two silk garments and a shell belt.

I’m trying to keep out of op shops because I’ve got too much treasure already, but I couldn’t resist $3.50 silk garments that just need a little mend.

So Sew 276 is a silk muumuu with a side seam mended by hand-sewing a little tear. The belt tie was created by stripping a piece from the hemline and resewing the hem by hand (see photos below). Continue reading →

Sew 275 – Shorts with added sparkle

Playing is a valuable childhood learning activity because it is believed to create a brain that has increased flexibility and improved potential for learning later in life.

When play is carried into adulthood, It develops creative thinking, individual expression and a sense of well-being. REfashion enables play-based fun through upcycling existing clothing in affordable and adventurous ways.

Lilly B has been on the blog before (ages ago now!) wearing Sew 193 and I’m thrilled to now feature Lilly wearing one of her own upcycles based on a pair of op-shop-found cotton denim jeans. Continue reading →