Tag Archives: wool

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 →

Sew 112 – History skirt revisited

It would be interesting to know how much time we spend each week attending to our clothing requirements in terms of trying, buying, preening, storing, washing and perhaps sewing, resewing or mending.

Over Easter I had a spring clean of my wool wear with southern winter approaching and was pleased to find most in good order and only two moth/silverfish munches to be found.

With Fashion Revolution Day April 24 asking Who Made Your Clothes? it is particularly interesting to look closely at the labels and reflect on who originally made the clothes I’m now upcycling.

Continue reading →

Sew 87 – Signpost for wool

This black wool jumper carries the distinctive Woolmark logo but I’m less certain about the fibres in the second jumper I converted to a skirt and scarf for this outfit.

Wool is a beautiful fibre from nature and it is great to see the trademark Woolmark making a comeback after languishing for a period while the wool industry got its act together.

Australia is the leading wool producing nation but New Zealand spearheaded the wool comeback with its Icebreaker Merino story dramatically showing the way. Check out Southern Alps and Merino 101 here – such a great product and the quality remains long after the price is forgotten.

Prince Charles is an influential ambassador for wool as it aligns with the sustainability philosophy he has championed for a lifetime. The Prince’s Campaign for Wool helped revive the Woolmark as the signature of assured provenance.

Woolmark is owned and funded by Australian growers and it was leadership from Stuart McCullough that brought the Woolmark out of mothballs to celebrate 50 years in 2014 and proudly feature in Italy’s L’Uomo Vogue March issue about Australia.

Today’s upcycle is of a black op shop wool jumper which I smartened up by removing the pilling which can accumulate with wear and now it’s as good as new. The second jumper is too lightweight to be 100 percent wool but nonetheless was perfect for conversion to my signature jumper-skirt, but reshaping the bottom and using the sleeves as a scarf.

Sew 73 – Untangling a shawl

It was only after I took this op-shop find home that I identified it as a square shape adapted as a shawl by folding on the diagonal, buttoned at front and armholes hidden in the layer below.

I’m posting from Western Australia at the moment – having prepared a few weeks’ worth of upcycling ahead of time. My purpose in being here is to finalise my youngest brother Paul’s estate, after he died in an excavator accident a year ago. He’s left a few mysteries for me to solve – and one that remains outstanding is a single key attached to his Mercedes vehicle key which none of his friends know to what it belongs. We may never know. Life’s like that – uncertain, mysterious and ephemeral. Continue reading →

Sew 65 – Signature jumper-skirt

This quick upcycle was a too-busy knit top turned into a jumper-skirt teamed with op shop top and wool jumper.

It was fun to be at Parliament House yesterday networking with rural colleagues and parliamentarians including Premier Campbell Newman for the 2014 RIRDC Rural Women’s Award.

Congratulations to winner Lauren Hewitt from Brisbane and runner-up Rhonda Sorensen from Malanda. Lauren works for farm group AgForce Queensland and is interested in improving farm profitability – a message which resonates because without profitable farms, there is no food and fibre.

My lovely 2010 Queensland counterpart Sharyn Garrett travelled from Amby in south west Queensland and it was great to see her, pictured right with (me) Jane Milburn and Rod Kelly from Westpac Agribusiness a long-term sponsor of the award along with Fairfax Agricultural Media and the Queensland Government.

I was also inspired yesterday to have Brisbane Visual Arts Community president Lena Tisdall and Jola Szymczyk visit my studio to discuss an upcoming talk on upcycling and global textile consumption. Jola is president of Australian Textile Surface Design Association, Queensland and the driver behind Greater Springfield Creative Hub based on the recognised link between creativity and health. Continue reading →

Sew 63 – Camouflage for stain

Two 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 →

Sew 60 – Fun brand discovery

This quirky Moschino jacket was a Sydney op shop find which is versatile for dressing up or down.

As I researched the colourful Italian brand for this post, I realised this is a pre-2008 garment being Moschino Jeans (1986-2008) which is now known as Love Moschino.

Established by Franco Moschino and continued after his death by Rossella Jardini and now Jeremy Scott, the brand is noted for its ‘waist of money’ belts and garbage-bag dresses which gently prod fashion’s conscience. Continue reading →

Sew 58 – A suit of sorts

A long blue linen jacket is updated by shortening and adding the top part of a jumper as collar, with the jumper bottom becoming skirt.

Making simple changes that transform existing garments into something fresh is creative upcycling as I’m doing every day this year with my Sew it Again campaign.

My purpose is to empower individuals to reimagine and recreate their own wardrobe collection by resewing at home.

Home sewing is a lost art overtaken by cheap fast fashion, just as fast food did with home cooking. In recent years we’ve rediscovered home cooking and food production as nourishing and pleasurable activities. My aim is to see home sewing revalued as a life skill, in the same way as home cooking.

This message found a receptive audience at the Carindale Community Forum last night, which included LNP Member for Chatsworth Steve Minnikin as well as Labor’s Paul Keene and the Greens’ David Nelson.

It was great fun engaging with mindful Brisbane people interested in where clothing comes from and rethinking the way we dress and live in this fast-paced world. They were also interested to hear about Fashion Revolution Day on April 24.

Thanks to the fabulous Gen Robey for taking this photo with her co-convenor and good sport Glenn Millar demonstrating one of six skirt-to-dress garment surgery conversions performed this month with Sew it Again. I found the men just as interested, so I’m thinking of ways to include them in some future upcycling projects.

This skirt-to-dress garment surgery will be the theme for a workshop this Sunday at Jewel West’s home. If you are interested in hosting a workshop, please get in touch via email or mobile – Jane Milburn contacts here. Continue reading →

Sew 57 – Upcycling goes on forever

This history skirt made from oddments a few years ago is further upcycled with a t-shirt to become a dress that works with matching woolly jumper, which has button feature patching a hole.

In addition to sewing every day for the 365-day Sew it Again campaign to demonstrate creative ways of reusing existing clothing, I’ve been weaving together my story about upcycling natural fibres.

Tonight I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to tell it for the first time at Carindale Community Forum at the Pacific Golf Club on Brisbane’s southside, at which all are welcome.

As there is rising interest in home cooking and food growing for health and wellbeing, there is a pressing need to rethink our approach to textiles and fashion. My model includes empowering individuals to reimagine and recreate their wardrobe collection by resewing at home. Continue reading →

Sew 55 – Wool jumper to skirt

Refashion a jumper to become a skirt and scarf that utilises the beautiful drape of wool knits.

I’m excited to now have the Jumpers and Jazz Festival at Warwick Queensland in my calendar for July as this event aligns so well with what I’m doing. Stay tuned for info on the Jumper-to-skirt garment surgery workshop at Abbey of the Roses.

This quirky country Queensland festival is now in its 10^th year and my connection with it was brought about by Sue Hamlet of Fledge Designs, who creates its brochures and is a regular Sew it Again supporter – thanks Sue for ongoing encouragement!

My 365-day Sew it Again project to demonstrate a different way of dressing by refashioning existing clothing emerged from study last year for a Graduate Certificate of Australian Rural Leadership. This James Cook University course run with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. Continue reading →