Tag Archives: merino wool

Sew 155 – Treasuring natural fibres

Upcycled superfine merino jumperThe beautiful properties of natural fibres remain long after the product is grown and garment created – they’re worthy of being treasured, mended and adapted.

This super-fine merino jumper gathered from a New Zealand op shop during a 2011 trip with daughter Lily is treasured for its softness, warmth and lustre. It’s upcycled as Sew 155 to overcome two issues, the tight  neck and newly emerged holes.

Many say they don’t have time to mend. They’re too busy doing more important things (earning money, social media, drinking wine, shopping, exercising, pampering, ferrying offspring etc). Certainly essential chores absorb our time, more so at busy life stages.

But the sense of accomplishment and soul satisfaction that come from pausing to mend and adapt a quality garment rather than shopping for new are immeasurable and, I believe, under-rated at this point in our history.  Continue reading →

Sew 63 – Camouflage for stain

Upcycled wool and linen coat dressTwo orange knit garments were melded into a dress to camouflage an unfortunate stain on an otherwise beautiful wool top.

When a hole appears, a button falls off, seam pops or stain appears – what do you do? Turn to expert, toss them out, or DIY? If you have simple home-sewing skills, you are empowered to apply them creatively to solve small defects in otherwise perfectly good clothing.

With my Sew it Again campaign this year I’m working my way through wardrobes full of natural-fibre clothing accumulated from various sources over time, demonstrating creative ways of upcycling and reviving them for a second life.

I’ve run a number of different campaigns in my time, and it was interesting to be described as an ‘avid sewer and sustainable fashion advocate’ by Laura Stead-Churchill in Bmag.com.  Continue reading →