Handmade Fabrics; Supporting traditional textile making

This fabric was gifted to me by The Delhi Store.  My love for this fabric is real, and not sponsored!

As a maker, I value handmade.

So many fabrics are mass produced that I feel like I'm falling into the "fast fashion" trap when I buy them, although I am making my garments I still wonder "who made my fabric"?

When I was contacted by The Delhi Store (soon to be launched as Fabrics & Notions website) I was thrilled!

Their fabrics are sourced directly from the Artisans across India and are all handmade.  There is something so special about sewing with handmade fabric!  To know I'm creating with my hands, with something from the hands of another maker gives me all the good feels!

Here is some info from the owner of The Delhi Store:

Eclectic collection of handloom fabrics, hand block printed fabrics and vintage sarees.

I've been fascinated with textiles for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I was in awe of my granny's and mother's beautiful saris. I remember, that once my grandma gave me an old blue silk georgette saree to play with, that had beautiful metallic dots all over, and I used it as a canopy over a small tree, and imagined it was a beautiful night sky full of bright, little stars.

After completing college and working in IT education for a while I left my job as I wasn't enjoying it much. I have always been the creative type and an admirer of handicrafts of all sorts.
I am especially drawn to the centuries old art of making hand printed, handwoven, hand embroidered textiles.

Within India, there are so many types of weaving, printing and embroidery techniques that are practiced. Sadly, these techniques are dying a slow death, as the artisans don't get what they deserve for their hard work.This is my small endeavour to save these intriguing techniques from vanishing completely.

You might get such fabrics much cheaper elsewhere but think before you buy; are you contributing to sweatshop practices?

Isn't that inspiring?!!

 With the beautiful cotton chambray I was gifted I made a self drafted elastic waisted midi skirt (with pockets I copied from an 80's McCalls pattern and use whenever I can!!).  The top I made is the top from the Kate Tea Dress by Designer Stitch.  This dress pattern also gives you the options of making separates, which I think is awesome!  I added 5cm to the top length for my height. 



The fabric is beautiful quality; much better quality than the price would suggest!  Handmade fabric always has slight irregularities, however it's part of its charm.  This fabric is lightweight, but not sheer, with great drape.  It will be perfect for summer!

I used some decorative stitches around the neckline of my top (you can read more about that soon on the Husqvarna Viking Australia blog).  I'm still having so much fun with my Designer Jade 35 machine!  I love that it feels like a machine I won't "outgrow" as I'm always discovering new stitches!



If you follow me on IG you'll know that I've just come back from Bali.  I was SO inspired by and impressed with the skills of the Balinese textile Artisans.  I was lucky enough to see cotton being dyed and to watch hand weaving which was truly hypnotic!  

Beautifully woven plains, breathtaking Ikat's and dreamy batik fabrics are all made on the island of Bali.  Sadly, the traditional textile industry is diminishing due to industrialization.  Machine made fabrics are faster, cheaper and can be made in larger quantities.  Young people are not learning the textile arts from their elders because they can't make a living from it. I was really touched by that fact, and it has been on my heart to do what I can to help support these beautiful people and their amazing skills and traditions.  

I'm proud to be a maker, supporting other makers!

#thirtywears / #30wears - Can you do it?

#30wears  I'm not sure who came up with this idea (if you know, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due **see below**).  Basically, it's about sustainable fashion and responsible purchasing.  Do you wear clothing items and accessories at least 30 times?  Is the clothing you buy of a good enough quality that you can wear it at least 30 times?

I've written before about sustainable fashion and ethical clothing manufacture.  I have made a commitment to only buy ethically produced clothing and fabric, but what about all the clothes I have in my closet from before I was aware of "fast fashion" and horrible manufacturing conditions?  It seems like an even greater injustice to let them go to waste, so I'm committing to #thirtywears

#thirtywears means that you will wear an item at least 30 times.  Simple, right? 

But if we're honest with ourselves, do we really do this?  I have lots of items that are more than a decade old (thank goodness I love timeless designs!) so I know they qualify, but what about everything else?  Obviously some items are "single use" like a wedding dress (hopefully!) and hideous bridesmaid dresses (99% of the time you can't just take the hem up and wear it again, despite what the enthusiastic bride says!).

Before making your next clothing purchase, stop and ask yourself "can I see myself wearing this 30 times"?

So spread the word!  Post a pic of yourself on Instagram wearing your #30wears garments and encourage everyone to buy more consciously and focus on quality not quantity!

**Post Note: A big thank you to Beth from Tall Fashion Adventures for letting me know that Livia Firth came up with #30wears.  I simply didn't think of searching #30wears when I saw it spelled out as #thirtywears... it's a "Duh!" moment on my behalf!!  Please see Beth's comment below. xox

http://www.standard.co.uk/fashion/news/livia-firth-attacks-throwaway-fashion-as-she-suggests-women-only-buy-clothes-theyll-wear-30-times-a2952856.html

This top is at least 10 years old!
Quality & timeless design never go out of style! 
Pants, made my me and worn #thirtywears

Everything you see here exceeds #thirtywears

Another #thirtywears outfit, including the bag!

 

Whilst I'm Away..

Hi!

For the next 4 weeks I'll be on a family holiday in Italy (yay!) so won't be blogging during that time.

I will, no doubt, be scouring the beautiful country side for Italian made fabrics (don't tell Hubs, he doesn't know yet!).  Finding locally made fabric is part of my commitment to only buying ethically made / produced fabric.  You can read more about that in my previous post "Dear Fabric, Where do you come from".

For those who don't sew and/or are wanting to make ethical purchases in ready to wear clothing I suggest you check out the lovely Beth at Tall Fashion Adventures and read about her commitment to buying ethically made clothing (link here).

During Fashion Revolution week last month I felt even more inspired to pursue my goal of only buying ethically produced fabric (and clothing, but I buy very little clothing).  To be honest, I felt a little high and mighty because I was already doing this... wasn't I special?!  Then I saw this post on IG from @fash_rev_ausnz which knocked me right off my high horse:

 

I have been guilty of buying cheap fabric of unknown origin in the past. Just as I have been guilty of buying fast fashion; cheap, nasty and not built to last. 

 

However, now I know better and will not do so moving forward.  Are you with me?

Dear Fabric, Where do you come from?

For some time now I've been very conscious of where I buy clothing, ensuring I don't buy from retailers who are not known for their support of ethical manufacture.  Now I don't want to name names (you can do your own research!) and my experience / knowledge is limited to Australia... however there are some big retailers who were very vocal on ensuring ethical standards in the wake of the Rana Plaza disaster and others whose silence was deafening. 

I have often wondered about the manufacture of fabric (being the hoarder collector of fabrics that I am!), but am embarrassed to admit that I sort of pushed it out of my mind.  However when Marge Clothing brought to my attention that they only source ethically manufactured fabrics from Europe and the USA all those little questions in my mind came flooding back.

Why is that fabric so cheap?  Also a question we can ask in relation to ready to wear clothing.
Where does that fabric come from? 
Where are the fibres manufactured/grown?

Have I been ignorantly supporting the exploitation of children, inhumane working conditions, sweatshops and environment polluting manufacture through the seemingly innocent act of shopping? 

That does not sit well with me. 

So I took a break from shopping (including buying fabric!).  Moving forward I will only buy fabric that I know to be ethically sourced.  I would rather pay a few dollars more but feel good about the fabric I wear against my skin.  I do have a vast collection of fabric that has been gifted to me and I will not let it go to waste, however I will not purchase anything of unknown origin.   

There are a few films/documentaries out there which cover this topic; including The True Cost.

I know my change in buying habits will not change the world, however it will change how I feel about my place in it.

So please stop and ask yourself "why is that so cheap" next time you're shopping.  If the answer doesn't sit well with you, then you shouldn't buy it.

New Look 6262 Dress

Hello!

I have been itching to use more of the beautiful fabric generously gifted to me by Marge Clothing (read more here).  They are so gorgeous I wanted to use them for something special.  When a close friend of my Husband invited us to his 40th birthday luncheon I knew I needed a new dress!

I used New Look pattern 6262 with the following modifications:

I added length to the skirt (standard for me!)
I lowered the neckline by 1.5cm, which may have been a mistake because I then had to take it up at the shoulders by 2.5cm!  I am not amply blessed in the bust department so the front gaped by my shoulders.
I inserted a regular lapped zip, rather than invisible zip.  I use a vintage sewing machine which does not have an invisible zipper foot.

It's an easy to sew pattern and I know I will be using it again.  And again!

Now lets talk fabric!  A good pattern is important, but the fabric makes it truly special!  This dress is lined, or really more of a hack where I sewed 2 layers together and pretended it was one layer.  I have possibly made some experienced seamstresses cringe, however this was the easiest way for me to wrap my brain around making it work.  I don't have much (any!) experience sewing with sheer fabric.

The top layer is a beautiful red and purple sheer and the layer beneath is a lush purple satin.  It feels AMAZING against my skin.  Have you ever put something on and just wanted to roll around in it because it feels so nice?  No?  Just me??!  I suspect this is how I would feel in any of the gorgeous pieces from the Marge RTW line!  The fabrics are incredible and more importantly, ethically sourced!

This fabric would have been gorgeous for evening wear.  However I can't remember the last time I needed evening wear, it was long before I became a Mama!  This is a dress I know I will wear a lot!

If you have special fabric in your fabric stash I say use it, wear it, love it!

Dress New Look Pattern 6262 ; Fabric c/o MARGE Clothing

Necklaces: Tiffany & Co
On Mama duty - fixing Miss 4's hair!



After the party - girls wanted their balloons in the photo too!
Photos c/o my wonderful Husband

Remarkable Generosity and Kindness!

I've been wanting to write this post for a couple of weeks, but I was struggling to come up with the words to express my deep appreciation and heartfelt thanks for the generosity of Kaersten Cooper, Founder & Designer of MARGE clothing.

Kaersten contacted me and asked if I would be interested in receiving some fabrics from MARGE clothing. They are a conscientious and ethical company, only sourcing fabrics from ethical manufacturers in Europe and USA; in addition to this they don't believe in waste.  I was very generously offered remnants and samples to turn into garments of my own. 

I said yes immediately and was (and still am) so touched by the kindness and generosity of this offer.  I don't indulge myself in luxurious fabrics for financial reasons and also because I'm scared my sewing skills don't warrant luxury fabrics.  It's one thing to mess up a dress you're making out of a vintage sheet, a very different thing to mess up a gorgeous piece of silk! 

When the box of fabrics arrived I was like a child at Christmas!  If you've read "The Dressmaker" or seen the movie I definitely had my Sargent Farrat moment dancing around with the beautiful fabrics!

Working with these beautiful fabrics will be a marathon, not a sprint.  I want to do these gorgeous fabrics justice.

If you are not familiar with the gorgeous MARGE clothing for tall women see here:

http://www.margeclothing.com/collections/holiday-2015-collection

http://www.margeclothing.com/pages/our-promise

It is nothing short of remarkable that this company, who really live their ethical views of fabric sourcing and manufacturing, reached out to me.  I have so much admiration for the fact that they put people ahead of profits and only use ethically made fabrics. 

MARGE clothing is currently having an amazing "Gratitude Sale" with 40% off the F/W 2015 line.  Now is the time to purchase yourself something exquisite and timeless.  This is truly a very special company who deserves our support.



Thank you again for this gift, I appreciate it more than my words can express.

Top featuring gorgeous fabric c/o MARGE Clothing.

Ethically Sourced Tote Bag

I like to shop at small businesses. 

I feel it's important to support small business as they are peoples livelihoods.  Lets be honest, J Crew isn't going to miss me if I don't buy from them in a year (although I do love you J Crew!) but buying from a small business makes a huge difference.

I am even more excited when I find out where / how my purchase was made.  This gorgeous tote bag is from a small business in Bowral, NSW Australia.  The owner travels to buy items directly from the Artisans who make them - I love ethically sourced things!  This bag is hand made by villagers in Bali and each one is a one of a kind.  The purchase of these bags supports the livelihoods of these lovely villagers and their families.  They are made from cotton Batik fabric and are just beautiful.

What's better than being ethically sourced / fair trade and beautiful?  Being huge!  I have the sides folded in on the bag in these photos but it is big enough to be an overnight bag.  In fact, this was the bag I took to the hospital when my second daughter was born.  And for all the Mums out there, you know much stuff we take with us!!!

I use this bag as a handbag - it dresses up my tendency to wear all black!  I have also used it as my nappy bag (diaper bag for those who don't speak Australian!).  It's fabulous!

The great news is that they will ship these bags to anywhere in the world!  Just contact Eastern Living Homewares via Facebook : www.facebook.com/EasternLivingHomewares and they will quote you postage based on where you live.

Did I mention that it is only $24.95?!  Amazing!

Everyone needs one of these bags - they're the best! The fabrics are so beautiful.

Hubs: Why do you carry your bag like that??
Me: Everyone carries their bag like that. Just take the picture!

I love that each bag is one of a kind! And they hold SO much stuff!



Top: Long Tall Sally / Pants: Made By Me / Shoes: Target / Scarf: Made By Me
Earrings: Made By Me / Sunglasses: Collette Dinnigan / Bag: Eastern Living Homewares
Photos c/o my wonderful Husband