Tag Archives: Gemma

Sew 300 – Celebrating thrifty repairs

Gemma upcycles old favouritesWe know that endless growth is impossible in a finite world. Therefore being thrifty, conserving resources, repurposing and repairing existing clothing are actions that contribute to the sustainability of life on Earth.

I find it interesting that some of the wealthiest people are also the thriftiest. Just because one can afford to go out and buy new clothing, doesn’t mean one does. I wrote about this in an earlier post and quoted UK design guru Kevin McCloud’s views on thrift “throw nothing away if you can help it and wear your clothes until they are rags – thrift is an admirable value that we have lost”.

Well-worn and cherished resources are often more comfortable, they have a story attached, and may even be of better quality than newer stuff. Thrift underpins this 365-day Sew it Again project which is valuing, reusing, repairing and refashioning natural-fibre clothing instead of always buying new.  Continue reading →

Sew 270 – Gemma upcycles shorts

Gemma wears upcycledIt was great to have my friend Georgie Somerset staying the other night, this time with her daughter Gemma who is studying textiles at Fairholme College in Toowomba (which has its own Fairholme Fashion Week in October).

Gemma was a willing candidate for an upcycling project. We had a rummage in the cupboard and found this pair of orange cotton romper shorts suitable for a quick restyle and a green top that needed a few buttons replaced.

Buttons often fall off clothes these days, so knowing how to replace them is a useful life-skill. From the button stash, Gemma found four matching buttons of the required size and sewed them in place.  Continue reading →