Tag Archives: Dadirri House

Sew 346 – Upcycled flower power

Admiring some beautiful big pink decorations on a Christmas tree in our local Brisbane News newspaper inspired me to create a variation using lily pods and an unworn jacket repurposed into flowers.

The jacket was amongst a bundle of clothes given to me for refashion by my friend Robyn Sheptooha earlier in the year and it was likely to be moved on (not natural fibre) until I saw its potential to return to Robyn as bespoke Christmas decorations.

Taking lotus lily pods (which Darcy gathered from a north Queensland friend’s property) and cassia bark (similar to large cinnamon sticks), I glued them together to create flowers bases (see photos at bottom). Continue reading →

Sew 345 – Cool cotton restyle

Summer storms and Christmas drinks – it is that time of year in Australia. And how exciting to be posting Sew 345, which means only 20 upcycles to go before the Sew it Again year is complete!

I’ve learned so much by experimenting with creative restyling, reshaping and repurposing of existing clothing. Certainly it takes a little time and a few skills, but really it is not hard to breathe new life into clothes made from beautiful natural fibres by making simple changes.

Despite sewing most days, I don’t really think my sewing skills have improved that much. Perhaps it comes from working with existing clothes and random shapes – I don’t have any great expectation for neatness and perfection, being more interested in comfort and originality. Continue reading →

Sew 33 – Renewal by upcycling

This bias-cut silk skirt was shortened by cutting off the old waistline and replacing with thin elastic, then recasting the waistline offcut as a draped collar for a matching silk shirt.

My friend Robyn Sheptooha called in with a bag of surplus clothing the other day and we shared a cup of tea while she told me the story of each – how it came into her life and why it was going out – and being put to good use as garment fodder for my 365-day Sew it Again upcycling project.

We met ages ago with boys in Year 3 and meander in and out of each other’s lives, catching up when time permits.

I did so enjoy reading Nikki Gemmell’s column Swamped Again in The Weekend Australian Magazine yesterday because it took me back to those days on the whirligig, bringing up three children with little time to call your own. Continue reading →