Tag Archives: Liliana Molina

Sew 233 – Op shop silk for theatre

Jane Milburn wears op shop silkMy opshop habit has re-sourced garments for every occasion, including this $10 number which served me well at an earlier Governor’s Reception and last night to the Lyric Theatre.

The Last Confession starring David Suchet as Cardinal Bellini was incredible theatre about power, leadership and choices – and I had the opportunity to see it thanks to QPAC and my friend Liliana Molina.

At intermission, when a generous lady complemented me on my outfit (deeply envious  were her words) I happily confessed it was op shop because its time for clothing reuse to came out of the closet and be mainstream. The dress is beautifully finished (dressmaker unknown as no label) which I found all askew in the dress-up section of an op shop and I bought it for the dupion silk fabric – only realising its full potential when I tried it on at home.  Continue reading

Sew 61 – Knit wrap dress

purple wrap dressThis lavender knit wrap dress and purple skirt needed a lift – especially after I caught it in my push-bike spoke (don’t ask) – so I cut off the scarred bit and added some extra purple knit trim.

Being able to resew and adjust existing clothes is empowering and results in individual garments that suit your own shape and preferences – and you will never run into anyone else wearing the same outfit. It also means you can have ethical, thrifty, interesting and sustainable clothing choices based on what works best for you.

It is fun passing on ideas and skills to others – as I did yesterday when helping my lovely friend Liliana Molina make a few tweaks to her gorgeous flamenco skirt bought for a concert last year and now converted to a glamorous dress by adding some elastic and shoulder straps.  Continue reading

Sew 31 – 1 of 12 months’ upcycling

jeans to skirt convoThis denim jeans-to-skirt conversion marks the completion of one month’s upcycling in my year-long campaign transforming discarded garments for a second life. Yippee. I’m learning, discovering and connecting with others as I demonstrate choices we have for a different way of dressing that is mindful of ecological health, Earth’s limited resources, wellbeing, ethical sourcing, creativity, thrift, resourcefulness and individual choice. At its heart, this Sew it Again campaign seeks to revive home-sewing as the enabler to wean us from dependence on others for everyday clothing which is as important to our health and wellbeing as the food we eat. Home-cooking has made a comeback, so why not home-sewing? I’m demonstrating ways of resewing existing garments at home as a quick, easy, rewarding and affordable way of dressing because there are mountains of discards stashed away in wardrobes and languishing in op shops. Continue reading