Category Archives: refashion

Sew 309 – Mr Darcy in background

Nearly a year ago, I wrote this career-change summary: Jane Milburn is an agricultural scientist by training and an issues-based communications consultant by practice. Sew it Again is a journey into creativity, empowerment, thrift, sustainability, ecological unhealth and wellbeing – woven with threads of childhood, professional expertise, networks and nature. During 2014, Jane is making a daily practice of upcycling garments from her own and others’ wardrobes as a way of sharing a creative way of dressing.

The decision to sew a fresh seam in life coincided with three children making their own way in the world (sad but good too, freeing up space and time) doing postgraduate study (Grad Cert Australian Rural Leadership) and the loss of my youngest brother Paul in an accident (a reality check about the finite nature of life).

So here I am, sewing every day – on one hand as a protest against the fast-fashion churnover of clothing that is leading to waste and exploitation of natural resources and people – and on the other hand demonstrating a creative way to bring home-sewing into the 21st century. This Sew it Again year is only possible thanks to my lifetime partner, chief backer and supporter Mr Darcy, my husband. (See our wedding photo right). Continue reading →

Sew 308 – REfashion a winner

The Melbourne Cup has been run and won – this year by a German horse Protectionist ridden by English jockey Ryan Moore. I was idly watching the post-race coverage on Channel 7 only to see an upcycled silk creation win the Myer Fashions on the Field.

The winning design worn by Christine Spielmann started life as a free-flowing much-loved Camilla kaftan that became torn. As the story goes, Christine was attached to the fabric (a gift from her mother) so she gave it to bespoke designer Nadia Foti to upcycle into a fresh and winning look. A fabulous result – and great second-life for beautiful silk natural fibres. Continue reading →

Sew 305 – Future Beauty inspiration

The amazing Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion exhibition is now open at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane and thanks to my artist friend Leigh Wagner I had the privilege of being at last night’s official opening.

It was inspiring to see the shapes and construction techniques in the photos below – with Leigh below left – and to meet local creatives such as the gorgeous Mary Dickinson (photographed with me bottom right below, in Sew 285).

Continue reading →

Sew 302 – Zero waste refashionista

Refashioning and upcyclng clothing is play-based creativity because there are no rules – you are only limited by your imagination and energy.

It was great to have the opportunity today to lead an activity day with Brisbane home-schooling families who regularly meet at Petrie School of Arts.

Young Chantel was amazingly dedicated in refashioning a black and white unworn viscose dress (from my stash, a friend’s cast-off) into a skirt, bag and headband in zero-waste style.

To begin, she made a skirt by cutting off the bottom portion of the dress, turning the cut edge over to make a casing for elastic (cut to fit her waist) then threading elastic through using a safety pin and knotting to secure (her Mum helped with the sewing machine). Continue reading →

Sew 301 – Upcycle by extending hem

There are no rules about the length of your hemline, unless you mix in Royal circles. It is really just a matter of what feels comfortable for the wearer and appropriate for the situation.

This soft blue cotton skirt was in Lily’s exit pile – most likely because it is too short, even for slim teenagers. The upcycling solution is adding a piece of fabric to extend the hem to a more agreeable length.

At our weekend workshop, Jade and I decided what length we wanted the finished skirt to be (to suit her younger sister) and then tore two extender strips of lightweight white linen fabric (from my stash). After fringing away the excess threads, Jade sewed the strips together into one long piece then zigzagged the edges to stop further fraying. This was then zigzagged onto the existing hemline, with the excess twirled into a loose floret (and secured by machine stitching). We then found a white doily and sewed it across the join to link new with old. See Jade’s work in progress photos below. Continue reading →

Sew 299 – Jade upcycles cotton top

Our style and taste in clothes changes over time, and those we no longer wear can be moved along by donating to opportunity shops, given to friends, swapped, sold online or at suitcase rummages – or as we are doing in the Sew it Again project this year, we can upcycle them by resewing.

My daughter Lily is in the United Kingdom at the University of Leeds this semester and before she left home, we sorted her clothing into keepers and stuff she no longer wanted.

At a Textile Beat workshop with young teenage friends yesterday, Jade found a summer cotton top and Canterbury shorts in Lily’s exit pile. She reshaped the top by cutting off the bodice, neatening the cut edge then reapplying the spagetti straps in a new way. The Canterbury shorts continue to be favourites among school girls – all they needed was a new owner and that’s Jade. Great to work with young girls interested in learning sewing skills that will last them a lifetime. Continue reading →

Sew 298 – Change clothes to wear

Am I imagining there is too much clothing in the world? We (in the west) have bulging wardrobes already and the shops are full of new season temptations, with slightly different prints, shapes and styles from the last.

People in the business of selling more do not want to hear talk of reduced consumption. They are selling newer, better, brighter, shinier, prettier. The recent opening of a Forever 21 fast-fashion store in Brisbane even made the Nine News nightly bulletin and Brisbane Times newspaper. As the story goes, it is all about ‘something new, something fresh every day’.

I am adopting an alternative approach to something fresh everyday. The Sew it Again project is posting something fresh every day by upcycling clothing that already exists, rather than buying new. It is a social-change project, based on the premise that the ‘greenest’ clothing is that which already exists in the world. By upcycling garments from our own and others wardrobes, we can have something ‘new’ created from reject or unworn garments. Continue reading →

Sew 294 – Pulling the threads together

Dr Wendy Relf and Adrienne Richards at Hawkesbury Regional Gallery

It is always helpful to gain fresh perspective on the Sew it Again project as I did today with my sister-in-law Wendy Relf and Hawkesbury Regional Gallery education and public program officer Adrienne Richards.

The project is a creative journey that connects head and heart. It bridges memories of childhood, agricultural science study, communications work and a love of nature – as well as purposefully engaging me in issues of ecological health and wellbeing. As I chatted to Adrienne about my journey from early days on the farm through agricultural science to rural reporting and then issues-based communications work – her summation was that Sew it Again is ‘pulling all the threads together’. Thanks Adrienne, I’ll take those words and put them to good use!

Continue reading →