Tag Archives: Danielle Crismani

Sew 262 – A transformational journey

It is not on my bucket list. I don’t hanker to be in the Birdcage at the running of the Melbourne Cup which stops the nation every November. It brings together horseflesh and fashion in spectacular, luxurious style, but seems somewhat elitist and wasteful to me.

Yet I didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth when the opportunity emerged to hold a roving replica of the Cup doing a whistle-stop tour around the nation to drum up excitement for the big race. ABC Open’s Michael Bromage and I swapped cameras – he took this photo of me, and I took a photo of him, complete with the white glove. Thanks Michael, thanks to Melbourne Cup organisers and thanks to the gorgeous QRRRWN ladies for creating carnival atmosphere! Continue reading →

Sew 163 – Pinny from upcycled jeans

Great to enable undomestic goddesses to join the refashioning revolution today with Danielle Crismani aka Digella, Sally Gardner, Alison Triffett and friends of #bakedrelief recreating aprons from reject jeans at a workshop in the Textile Beat studio.

As i introduce others to upcycling, I’m learning more about the stumbling blocks to sewing, how people missed out on learning these life skills, and why others were turned off by previous experience or simply don’t have access to a sewing machine.

Sewing is a reasonably straight-forward process but you need to problem solve because things never go smoothly – particularly when you are working with random, irregular and different resources such as reject clothing and fabric offcuts. Ingenuity, persistence and creative solutions are the order of the day. But it is fun, and you can magic something useful out of not much – as these great ladies did today making aprons from jeans and offcuts. Continue reading →

Sew 160 – Domestic goddess ex-jeans

This denim apron idea came via Danielle Crismani aka Digella and Sally Gardner from #Baked Relief after they visited Toowoomba Quilters Club and posted a photo on Facebook.

We’re having an apron workshop later this week so Sew 160 is a test-drive of what’s possible when you refashion denim shorts (left over from Heather’s jeans project yesterday).

I cut out the zip (it will be used in a future project) and trimmed the bottom edge. The back pockets were already embellished and make a pretty feature on the front of the apron. From my material stash (friend-donated offcuts), I found a piece of fabric which had a complementary pattern and colour. I cut one 5cm wide strip (selvage to selvage), sewed right sides together, then turned right-side out, and it becomes a tie belt for the apron. I cut another 2cm wide strip and Heather used this to neaten the bottom edge of the apron. Continue reading →

Sew 86 – Valuing others’ work

Respecting time, effort and resources of others’ creations is part of today’s upcycle which includes the waistband of a knitted garment now featuring as a loose collar.

Thinking of others is key to the inspiring story told at the Rural Press Club by Danielle Crismani about her leadership journey during the 2011 Queensland floods when a simple act of baking muffins for volunteers sparked an outpouring of baked relief at this time of community crisis.

By giving to others Danielle has achieved many things, including being able to opening dispense her recipe for overcoming depression – which is show gratitude, sleep, be kind to yourself and help others. There were many great pearls of wisdom in Danielle’s speech, which you can get a taste of by reading ABC Landline Pip Courtney’s twitter feed. Continue reading →

Sew 85 – Upcycled history skirt

This history skirt is one of a series of three I made for the Green Heart Fair last year from six reject silk and linen garments, which I wear with an op shop navy wool top. Back home in Brisbane and excited today to be wearing this to the Rural Press Club lunch which is about the power of one person to change things and the power of cooking to bring communities and strangers together.

Baked Relief founder Danielle Crismani, @digellabakes on Twitter, is guest speaker talking about her amazing community leadership in 2011 and the recent #lovetothewest campaign. “When the 2011 floods hit the Lockyer Valley, Brisbane woman Danielle Crismani baked a batch of muffins for the volunteers she saw on her TV screen. Within days of a mention on Facebook, hundreds of people inspired by her act of kindness – were baking for flood hit communities. The accidently created charity ‘Baked Relief’ is still going with volunteers baking for Queensland’s drought hit farmers.” Continue reading →

Sew 49 – Renovation by resewing

Two so-so garments of matching colours merge to be a brighter whole, with silk top sliced and diced to embellish linen dress.

This Sew it Again task I’ve set myself is a labour-of-love resewing a garment a day during 2014 to demonstrate a different way of dressing and I find inspiration everywhere.

“One of the best skills a girl can learn is to sew.” As I read these words last night, my heart sang.

Social activist and blogger Mary Dickinson said this in U on Sunday’s Inside my Wardrobe column: “I have been sewing since I was 10 so now I can buy something, if necessary, that is too big and take it in or chop the sleeves off and change it. I think one of the best skills a girl can learn is to sew.” Continue reading →