Beautiful things handcrafted with love are compelling, timeless and bring joy to the hearts of those who value them. And how satisfying it is to raise children to become capable, creative and caring young adults making their way in the world.

Nearly 1000 triangles of cotton fabric lovingly stitched into decorative bunting by Grandma Joy Moir were the defining feature of yesterday’s engagement party for #caseyandJenna  … and they will be reused across time, at the wedding and the nursery (fingers crossed) and a multitude of celebrations into the future.

The saturating availability of cheap clothing and textiles means we now tend to regard them as disposable, readily replaceable, and not worth the effort of making our own. But this disregards the emotional embodiment our loving efforts bring to the table. In a counterculture approach, the incentive to value natural fibres and traditional sewing skills by using them for positive purpose is what I’m doing this year with my Sew it Again project.

I created Sew 103 from two reject garments. The silk top was huge, so I made a big tuck front and back in the black bodice and disguised the join using vintage buttons (use flat ones on the back so it is comfortable when you lean back). The cotton zipped jacket was going to waste so I turned it into a skirt by flipping upside down, adding elastic at the waist, cutting off collar and sleeves, opening shoulders out to form a ruffled hem. The ends of the zip were tied into a knot feature, and sleeves and collar were sewn together to make a tie belt.