Category Archives: wellbeing

Sew 295 – Final Fairholme refashion

Annie wears upcycledIt has been fantastic to have so many Fairholme fashion students involved with the Sew it Again project, and this is the last one from the batch they created from our upcycling session as part of the Westpac Fairholme Fashion Week.

Because my preference is for natural fibre clothing, I have to declare that this pretty paisley print dress is made with polyester – which enables the permanently pleated skirt.

This was a bit of a granny dress which the girls cut in half to make a top and a skirt. They cut out a portion of the skirt to reduce the width (see workshop action photos below) and considered making the skirt shorter, but time was against them. The gorgeous Annie models the longer version.  Continue reading →

Sew 290 – Sewing in the 21st century

Hayley wears upcycled white linenEveryone has a unique journey through life. Good things and bad things happen to each of us – and all we can do is make the most of the opportunities that come our way.

My opportunity this year is to spend time every day refashioning and upcycling existing clothing – demonstrating a creative way of dressing that doesn’t involve always buying new stuff. I’m working through my stash of op-shop found natural-fibre clothing, playing with ideas to reshape and resew them.

I’m not trying to become a clothing designer and I don’t pretend to have fashion qualifications – I’m coming at this from the perspective of conserving natural resources in our finite world. I believe refashioning existing clothing also enables sewing – a dying art in most communities – to be a useful life-skill for the 21st century now that it is uneconomic for women in developed nations to sew clothing from scratch.  Continue reading →

Sew 281 – Simpler ways with clothes

Jo wears upcycledClothing is different to fashion, as discussed in an earlier post. Clothing is traditionally used for warmth and modesty while fashion makes a statement of individual identity or conspicuous displays of wealth and status.

With the Sew it Again project this year, my friends and I are doing clothing rather than fashion. choosing to rework existing clothing in ways that are thrifty, sustainable and ethical – as well as simple, unpretentious and individual.

It is affirming to yesterday discover the Simplicity Institute in 2012 wrote about a simpler way of dressing which – for simplicity’s sake and because the words are simply brilliant – I’ve copied verbatim below.  Continue reading →

Sew 275 – Shorts with added sparkle

Lilly B wears upcycled denim shortsPlaying is a valuable childhood learning activity because it is believed to create a brain that has increased flexibility and improved potential for learning later in life.

When play is carried into adulthood, It develops creative thinking, individual expression and a sense of well-being. REfashion enables play-based fun through upcycling existing clothing in affordable and adventurous ways.

Lilly B has been on the blog before (ages ago now!) wearing Sew 193 and I’m thrilled to now feature Lilly wearing one of her own upcycles based on a pair of op-shop-found cotton denim jeans.  Continue reading →

Sew 269 – Eske upcycles old treasure

Eske wears upcycled TThere are certain clothes, memories and treasure that money can never buy. This look created by Canberra teenager Eske, is one of those – it being the refashion of an old T-shirt (not just any old T-shirt) to create something totally unique.

The blue cotton shirt began life as a uniform worn by those privileged to be part of the Main Press Centre at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. It was well-worn by Eske’s Dad, Tim Gavel OAM – an ABC Sports commentator extraordinaire and community philanthropist. It had a good run in Tim’s wardrobe, until it developed a hole in the back and stains under the arms – as happens with active wear!  Continue reading →

Sew 264 – Buttons carry memories

Fiona Lake wears Textile Beat upcycledAre you a hoarder or a thrower? There is always a balance between holding on to materials with memories of the past, and clearing the decks so new things can come into your life.

I have hoarder tendencies. After ‘rescuing’ a lot of natural fibres and found stuff from op shops during the past two years to add to my existing collection, I’m going through a shedding process during this Sew it Again year.

My friend Fiona Lake also has hoarder tendencies – and during the past few days while in her company many treasures have emerged, including her mother’s button stash. I enjoyed sorting the shell buttons into a smaller container to display very special treasure. Then Fiona produced this amazing little babies top, with shell buttons in situ where they would have been used to attach bloomers, which would have been from her grandmother’s era before zips and press studs. Continue reading →

Sew 261 – Wear your own sparkle

Upcycled wool skirt and boleroYour sparkle is your uniqueness. Wear your sparkle and be the best version of yourself you can be said Julie Cross, one of the many inspirational speakers at Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network conference in Charters Towers.

We make our own footprints in life. If we place more importance on the opinions of others than our own, we give away our power.

So inspiring to be part the QRRRWN network full of women doing amazing things – including four fellows from the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. Georgie Somerset, below left, the outgoing QRRRWN president. Cathy McGowan MP, Catherine Marriott (wearing a Textile Beat history skirt) and Jane Milburn.  Continue reading →

Sew 255 – Crochet rug to shawl

crochet blanket upcycled as shawlOne-third of my laptop screen went on holidays a fortnight ago and it has been downhill ever since. Not worth fixing screen says computer man. Son Casey called on to help select new laptop (MacBook Air) and the tortuous process of getting files, systems and programs in sync.

Meantime the old-old laptop previously pensioned-off due to hot flushes that may, or may not, have resulted from being dropped on its head (off a bus rack while travelling) has acquitted itself well and got me through until today when, magically, the new laptop became fully operational. THANKS CASEY and here’s wishing this laptop a long and happy life.

Another bit of excitement this week was a visit from image consultant Rita Noon, whom I wrote about a few weeks ago in Sew 231. After purchasing Rita’s e-book Get Dressed Not Stressed, I decided it was worth going the whole hog and arranged for a body proportion analysis based on actual measurements (no disguising the chocolate-biscuit habit!).  Continue reading →

Sew 231 – Individual style based on shape

Upcycled vintage jacketWhether we like it or not, we are judged by how we look and what we wear. That’s often the reason people shop for new clothes because they want to look right, wearing pieces specifically designed to be together.

But as image consultant Rita Noon says, fashion companies don’t design clothing ranges with you specifically in mind. Fashion looks great on models but we are all different – and don’t have to be slaves to what is on-trend and in-store this season.

My op-shopping hobby enables fun and affordable experimentation with colours, shapes and textures. Playing with individual style is what I’ve done for years and I’m putting it out there with Sew it Again 2014.  Continue reading →

Sew 221 – Coming full circle

Jane Milburn wears upcycledOur journeys through life are all different, yet most are trying our best at being and doing, playing and working at the level of consciousness on which we’re operating. We look after hearth and home, support our family and friends, and reach out to career networks and opportunities.

This year I’ve come full circle. Like a homing pigeon – I’ve been out there and now I’m coming back to base. I’m applying everything I’ve learned through various career roles and professional development opportunities to create a homespun campaign to shift our thinking about what we wear.  Continue reading →