Tag Archives: Jo

Sew 343 – Upcycled is greenest

Eco-friendly products only become a good choice after we have exhausted or worn out all the other choices that have already been manufactured.

This means the greenest clothing of all is clothing that already exists – so if we are to be authentically sustainable, we revisit what we have, rather than buy new.

When my sister Jo came over at the weekend, we rechristened my sewing machines and I’m pleased to report they’ve recovered from their drenching.

This brown linen is what Jo calls her lucky dress, because she won a job wearing it to a significant interview. Jo has worn it for years and decided to refresh and lengthen it by incorporating a Canteen bandanna. Continue reading →

Sew 321 – Suiting yourself

Television presenter Karl Stefanovic wore the same suit every day for a year to make a statement regarding the way female presenters are judged on appearance and dress.

A fringe benefit of Stefanovic’s experiment is he demonstrated how long clothing lasts and how little we need for utilitarian purposes.

An average suit weighs about 1kg – yet the global average consumption of clothing is 11kg/person/year (up 80% from 7kg/person/yr in 1992) according to the UN Food and Agriculture global apparel fibre survey (pg 2).

Imagine the sheer volume of clothing that is sitting in wardrobes, cast aside after one or two wears, shed into charity shops or dumped into landfill? Tens of thousands of tonnes of clothing every year. Continue reading →

Sew 284 – Green Heart is fair

It is great to live in a city that invests in a sustainability ethos by hosting the free Green Heart Fair twice every year as a community and sustainability festival, promoting innovative green living in a fun, family-friendly way.

The Green Heart Fair website says “more than 100 of our leading sustainability organisations, community groups, artisans, foodies, green-thumbs, conservationists, businesses and eco experts will be sharing information and knowledge with visitors on how to live more sustainably and offering vital tips to reduce rising cost of living pressures”.

Textile Beat will be there with some Sew it Again garments on display and running a free T-shirts Reworked workshop. Continue reading →

Sew 281 – Simpler ways with clothes

Clothing 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 272 – Sew it Again interview

One of the affirming outcomes of my recent trip to Canberra was the opportunity to be interviewed by Afternoons broadcaster at ABC 666 Alex Sloan.

During the interview, I felt Alex’s active interest in Sew it Again as a values-based project and now that I’ve learned we have a shared career history as ABC rural reporters, I understand that. Thanks so much Alex for your life-affirming interest in my endeavours to bring attention to the sustainable and ethical clothing choices we all can make. Continue reading →

Sew 271 – My tribute to Teena

Former ABC executive producer Teena Girdis came into my life six years ago and now she is gone. Although we didn’t spend a lot of time together, it always felt good to be in her beautiful, calm, capable company whenever our circles overlapped.

Teena and I had things in common – we each have three children, a sense of social justice, and we both had a brush with breast cancer. We came together for Rural Press Club events and relevant news stories from the rural and health sectors.

I knew things were not sounding so good for Teena this year because we talked several times and she cancelled a planned meeting in April due to medical complications. I thought of her often, hoping to catch up when her health improved, only to learn that opportunity will never come. I will miss you my friend. Thank you for the buttons you bought me in New York, I will put them to good use before this Sew it Again year is out. View the ABC 730 tribute to Teena Continue reading →

Sew 226 – Even Roxy wears upcycled

It is so easy to go out and buy stuff – much more engaged, meaningful and resourceful to upcycle something you already have for another purpose. Yes it takes time, thought and effort but it yields unique, creative, conversation-starters in return.

My sister Jo has a dog called Roxy which has personality and presence, and recently had to several vet visits, x-rays etc. For the last few weeks of winter, Jo decided to upcycle one of her well-worn wool jackets into a dog coat for Roxy.

Jo had a look around at other dog coat designs before cutting into the red wool coat, leaving the collar in place and creating a suitable shape after removing the lining and sleeves (I’ve saved for another project). It is secured by velco strips and black ties. Continue reading →

Sew 215 – Linking with like-mindeds

As I work my way through this Sew it Again year, I enjoy meeting people and starting a conversation about clothing – where it comes from, where it goes to, and what happens to it along the way.

There is significant community awareness of the disposable culture flowing from the cheap and seemingly endless supply. People are becoming more conscious of the negative environmental and social impacts of the clothing binge, in the same way they know about negative health impacts from over-consumption of cheap processed food, But doing something about it is another matter.

Items that are unique and locally handmade with heart are rare. They standout among the sameness of the mass-produced and are valued by conscious consumers. They’re doubly special if you take the time to learn the skills and make them yourself. Continue reading →

Sew 213 – Op shops are tops

My sister Joanne, right, and I were raised by a mother who made clothing for herself and for us, in the time before sweatshops and cheap fast fashion. As a child, I remember being told not to say anything if we saw our young neighbours wearing our cast-offs.

Clothing is still passed on through social and family networks, to maximise use of garments and the fabrics from which they were made. Thrifty values are ingrained, so Jo and I still share unworn clothing before it is donated to opportunity shops, turned into rags or dumped.

These day clothing swaps and swish parties are happening things and I am an avid supporter of op shops – both buying from and donating to.

Op shops operate with a lot of wonderful volunteer support, play an important role in helping those in need and keeping textiles out of landfill through reuse and recycling. Continue reading →