Category Archives: refashion

Sew 131 – Quick fix for waistband

There is no end to the potential of upcycling existing clothing for a second life – you are limited only by your imagination, skills, time and willingness to work.

It was great to help five keen upcyclers along the way today at a workshop as part of my Upcycled exhibition in Coolah.

Georgina worked on a quilt incorporating knitted items (scarf, balaclava, glove, booty), Ele sewed white linen shirts into a bedspread, Janelle turned a knitted dress into a skirt, Lindy turned jeans into a skirt, and Jacki turned tops into skirts.

Once you open your eyes to the untapped potential of clothing that is not being worn as it is, you liberate yourself with new options and opportunities. Continue reading →

Sew 127 – Warming wool jumper skirt

It is cool in Coolah so I’m glad to have plenty of op shop (Coonabaraban Vinnies) wool jumpers to upcycle into Sew 127 using my signature swish of the jumper to skirt conversion.

This is the simplest upcycle of reject and waste natural-fibre garments, and one that features prominently in the Pandora Gallery Upcycled exhibition which was officially opened yesterday, thanks to my creative leadership colleague and friend Ele Cook – and gallery volunteers including Jennie and Jackie.

This country town in central west New South Wales is waste conscious – it even has a Waste to Art project to reuse resources in a productive way. As part of the Upcycled exhibition, we are holding a hands-on Wagga-making workshop (making cushions and blankets from waste textile) on Sunday at the back of the gallery. Continue reading →

Sew 126 – Linen suit gets update

Setting up the Upcycled exhibition at Pandora Gallery in Coolah has helped consolidate the purpose and messaging around my 365-day Sew it Again campaign. Once people think about how our relationship with clothing has changed over the years, they understand why we need to adjust our behaviour to reduce textile waste.

Because country people live close to nature and are naturally resourceful, they’re really receptive to the upcycling concept. We workshopped the Upcycled values for a sign on the gallery wall and keeping adding more – they include being mindful, thrifty, ethical, resourceful, sustainable, creative, original, zero waste, eco-friendly. Continue reading →

Sew 125 – An upcycled upcycle

Uncertainty is an essential element of creativity, which in turn comes from mindful attention to your craft of choice. My craft is resewing existing clothing.

Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer says our current culture leads us to try to reduce and minimise uncertainty, leading to mindless rigid behaviour governed by rules and routines.

On the other hand, if we exploit the power of uncertainty we learn that things can become more than we previously thought possible. Mindfulness makes us sensitive to context, perspective, and changing situations.

Sew it Again is a response to changing circumstances around the way we dress. As clothing becomes cheaper, plentiful and designed with built-in obsolescence – an extraordinary amount of clothing waste has been accumulating around the world. Continue reading →

Sew 122 – Leading with heart

The Power of Bones is the incredible story of Keelen Mailman’s life journey to date and it was a privilege to be on country at Mt Tabor for the book launch at sunset last night. Mt Tabor is a long way from the coast and about two hours from Augathella in western Queensland, but Georgie Somerset and I made the trek because we are so proud of Keelen as a fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Program.

Keelen and I were Spiritual Travellers in the Kimberley and it was from her I learned about leading from the heart and trusting your instincts.

As the first Aboriginal women to run a cattle station in Australia, Keelen has shown incredible courage and love for her Bidjara ancestors, culture and country. I will write more on this tomorrow. Continue reading →

Sew 121 – Natural, authentic people

Very quick post today while my friend Georgie Somerset and I are stopped in Roma within phone range. Of course we made time for a quick visit to Ace Drapers, an amazing treasure trove of fabric, craft and cookware. The shop does’t look special on the outside, but it stocks many things you can’t buy in the city.

On the way up to Georgie’s place at Durong last night, we were carrying a precious cargo of Anzac biscuits donated to Danielle Crismani as #bakedrelief from caring Brisbane people wanting to send #lovetothewest for drought-affected farmers. Here’s the photo of Georgie handing over treasure to Margie Lee-Madigan. Continue reading →

Sew 119 – Upcycling is endless

The theory of ‘buy once, buy well’ definitely makes a valid case for having fewer garments of better quality in your wardrobe. Yet most of us are attracted to the constant stimulation of variety and change, so it is easy to understand why cheaper fast fashion options are popular.

Upcycling existing clothing is a way of enabling a near endless array of unique choice and difference, at little financial and environmental cost. Certainly there is a time cost – that is offset with satisfaction of mindful creativity and empowerment from originality.

I love this Sunday Mail quote from fashion authority and author Marion von Adlerstein: “I don’t think great style belongs exclusively to fashion people or arty types; anyone can tap into it with a bit of thought. It’s about creating the best version of yourself you can be.” In other words, give it your best shot. Continue reading →

Sew 118 – Thrift the new black

Some people look at you sideways when you declare you’re an op-shopper while others understand the sense of discovery, salvage, revival, thrift and pleasure it represents.

There are many reasons why people throw out clothing including de-cluttering a bulging wardrobe, boredom, dated style, gain/loss of weight, doesn’t work with body shape, owner has moved on, it needs mending or they may want to help a charity.

But in a recent 1 Million Women post about the pros and cons of donating clothing to charity, Bronte Hogarth wrote: “It might feel like you’ve lifted a weight of your shoulders in cleaning out your closet and donating your clothes to charity, but everyone should be aware that your clothes don’t automatically end up in an op shop or in the hands of someone in need, if at all. The model at Lifeline, for example, shows that one third of clothes donated are considered good enough to go back into the stores to be sold, one third is packed up to be exported, and the remaining third is either cut up and sold as cleaning cloths or disposed of. This model is reflective of clothing collection charities worldwide.” Continue reading →

Sew 117 – Upcycle with length

It is shocking – horrifying even – that there is such a surfeit of clothing in the world that barely worn stuff is being tossed for lack of the right look, shape, size, pattern or fit.

We are encouraged to buy more stuff at every turn, without mindful consideration of a longer-term perspective for ourselves and the planet.

This year I’m pausing to reflect and sort all the stuff I’ve accumulated – my stuff of choice being found natural fibre clothing from opshops.

Over the past three years of op-shopping, I’ve accumulated enough to see out my lifetime. I don’t harbour any guilt from it because I’ve had a sense of rescuing it for a good cause. That cause is the Sew it Again project, upcycling every day this year to demonstrate how simple home sewing skills can extend the life of existing clothing by adapting to suit one’s needs. Continue reading →

Sew 116 – Wool workover

The more wool the merrier I reckon. I have lost a few garments in the past to moth/silverfish damage, but now there is much more wool in my wardrobe I seem to have fewer problems. I’ve learned to take a preventive approach to caring for it – cakes of nice-smelly soaps and bags of star anise (see photo below) seem to do the trick. And of course, sponging any food or drink spills before putting away.

When you have a critical mass of wool, you can get a load together for the wool-wash cycle on the machine, adding eucalypt-based wool wash to further guard against munchies. Wool actually needs much less frequent washing than we tend to give it. A good rule of thumb is that unless it is smelling or looking dirty, don’t wash. Continue reading →