Journalist, maker, mender – Kerri Harris

When ABC Online journalist Kerri Harris wrote a story about The Slow Clothing Project it made sense to ask if she wanted to be involved. She said yes, and here’s her garment story!

Kerri Harris wears the garment she recreated for The Slow Clothing Project. Photos by Giulio Saggin

Kerri Harris wears the garment she recreated for The Slow Clothing Project. Photos by Giulio Saggin

Kerri loves creating things and gets a kick out of saying ‘actually, I made it’ when positive comments flow from what she’s wearing. She makes many outfits for work at the ABC Southbank studios, including skirts and dresses, tops and jackets.

“I learned to sew in Year 8 at my local high school. My mum was really good at sewing and often had the machine out fixing things. She also had a cupboard full of patterns and spare fabric, which always intrigued me. When I started working, it was economical to make my own clothes. From there, I taught myself new techniques until I could fairly confidently sew tailored suits to wear in the office,” Kerri said.

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Wear a good story

FRD_logo_blueWhen you dressed this morning, did you spare a thought for how your clothes came into the world? Do you know what country they were made in, from what type of material or who stitched them together?

Most likely not – too busy rushing breakfast, timelines, meetings, commitments, social media, what’s for dinner, first-world problems, shopping for more, weekend planning …

The disconnection between ourselves and our clothing has grown in direct proportion to the amount of affordable, ever-changing garments on offer through global supply chains. The majority is sewn in third-world factories then presented in all sizes and shapes in a store near you.

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Timeless styling – Elizabeth Kingston

There is much evidence that our planet cannot continue to provide the resources for mass manufactured garments and that so much is wasted in oversupply. Textile enthusiast Elizabeth Kingston believes that if people can be educated to shift from being ‘in fashion’ to being ‘in style’ then the concept of what it means to have a new wardrobe every season can move sidewards.

Elizabeth Kingston wears her Frida Kahlo-inspired ensemble handmade and styled from existing resources

Elizabeth Kingston wears her Frida Kahlo-inspired ensemble handmade and styled from existing resources

“For those of us who can make, it is vital that we continue to do so as these skills are becoming a dying art and an example needs to be set that it should be all about quality not quantity. For those who can’t/choose not to learn how to sew, then to support the artist/designer/creator of these handmade/limited creations through purchase is the next best option,” Elizabeth said.

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Conserving resources – Majella Albion

Majella Albion taught herself to sew as a teenager because there were no home economics classes at school. She learned by following the directions on patterns. Now Majella’s passion is for patchwork and quilting, which means her clothes’ making is usually limited mending.  We’re thrilled she has made an exception for The Slow Clothing Project.

Majella Albion wears the upcycled skirt she made for The Slow Clothing Project.

Toowoomba-based Majella Albion wears the upcycled skirt she made for The Slow Clothing Project.

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A conscious maker – Paisley Park

Paisley Park was raised to be conscious of all that surrounds her, including food, clothing, impacts on people and the environment. As a child her clothes were either made by her mother, hand-me-downs or from charity shops. She was never been interested in fashion, and the idea of creating comfortable practical clothing that can be worn for years appeals greatly.

Paisley Park in the dress she created from cotton offcuts for The Slow Clothing Project

Paisley Park in the dress she created from organic cotton offcuts for The Slow Clothing Project. Photo by Jo Hammond.

“I am fascinated by neuropsychology and also its impact in regards to sociology so I could write a book on my perspective of consumerism. In short though, we need to be educating the younger generations and allowing them access to develop empathy over the way that things in our lives are created from growing food, to the production of our power, electronics and clothing to name a few,” Paisley said.

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A sewing way of life – Miriam Gillham

Slow clothing is way of life for Miriam Gillham. She says sewing is a wonderful means to express unique individual style, to create clothing that is considered, thoughtful, necessary and valuable. She’s made clothes for her family, altered men’s formal wear suits for a part-time job, designed and sewn special occasion gowns, dance and theatre costumes, curtains and soft furnishings. And she makes soft sculptures, textile art embellishment pieces and soft corsets which are embellished with embroidery, beading and fabric manipulation.

Miriam Gillham with the formerly supersized dress she repurposed for daughter for The Slow Clothing Project

Miriam Gillham with the supersized dress she repurposed for her daughter and The Slow Clothing Project

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Handing on skills – Fiona Saunders

Fiona Saunders’ life has always included handmade, recycled and repurposed clothes. From a very early age her Mum taught Fiona to sew, sitting at the table with her, cutting out dolls clothes from scraps, using a needle and thread to sew them up. “When I was about eight, Mum she started to teach me how to use her new Pfaff machine with its decorative stitches. I have now started teaching my granddaughter to sew. She is only three but loves sitting next to me at the machine, passing me pins and sewing small scraps with a needle and thread into lovely lumps!,” Fiona said.

Fiona Saunders wears upcycled silk and lace garment she created for The Slow Clothing Project

Fiona Saunders wears upcycled silk and lace garment she created for The Slow Clothing Project

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Artful clothing – Libby Woodhams

Dr Libby Woodhams began making clothes because she couldn’t buy anything she found sufficiently colourful and different. She doesn’t consider herself a dressmaker because she mostly sews straight lines and lacks patience for tailoring. Libby buys patterns with simple shapes and finds Kwik Sew patterns suit her skills and provide a good canvas for appliqué or fabric painting.

Textile artist Dr Libby Woodhams created this reversible wrap skirt for The Slow Clothing Project.

Dr Libby Woodhams created this reversible wrap skirt for The Slow Clothing Project

Some of Libby’s staple ‘makes’ are a patchwork skirt with elastic waistband and patchwork coats. “I like making them because coats cover a multitude of sins and the clothes underneath can be very simple and timeless. I try to wear as much merino as possible because I think wool is the best fabric for sub-tropical climates. I buy them as manufactured garments when I see something different that I like. These merino garments are a ‘walking teaching aide’ for the promotion of wool. At least 80% of my wardrobe is merino tops and skirts bought over the years. The fabric is so long-lasting that I don’t need to buy more but sometimes I just feel like something ‘new’ – whether I buy it new new or in an op shop,“ Libby said.  Continue Reading →

Creative lifestyle – Annabelle Brayley

Classic elegance is never out of fashion and Annabelle Brayley loves the idea of well-constructed clothes made out of natural fibres that last and last. In reality though, she is rarely out of jeans and polo shirts (which she doesn’t make) living in outback Queensland and writing books like Nurses of the Outback, Outback Vets and her new one, Our Vietnam Nurses, to be published by Penguin in May.

Annabelle Brayley renovated a handmade favourite linen jacket for The Slow Clothing Project

Annabelle Brayley renovated a handmade favourite linen jacket for The Slow Clothing Project

Outback storyteller and author Annabelle makes or remakes most of her own ‘good clothes’ and for The Slow Clothing Project, she has chosen to renovate a linen jacket she made 15 years ago because she doesn’t like throwing things out, especially beautiful old clothes that have life in them yet. “It’s so easy to repair and/or remodel well-made clothes and most vintage garments are made out of beautiful, good quality, natural-fibre fabric. I love seeing them rejuvenated and given a new lease of life. I love that saying, ‘In a world of Kardashians, be Audrey’,” she said. Continue Reading →

A family of makers – Neroli Roocke

Neroli Roocke knows the satisfaction of wearing or using something that she’s put thought, time and physical effort into. She believes the story behind the garment or item adds to its value and that being surrounded by a richness of stories brings wellbeing and connectedness.

Maker Neroli Roocke wears a skirt she created from vintage curtains

Maker Neroli Roocke wears a skirt she created from vintage curtains for The Slow Clothing Project

Neroli lives in Brisbane Australia in a household of makers and doers. “My husband and both of my boys are willing to take on projects to build or make something that they want – researching techniques online and using the workshop and tools and sewing machine to achieve what they set out to do. We have made bows and replica medieval arrow bags, detailed and accurate Star Wars and anime cosplay costumes, mock weapons, helmets and armour,” she said.

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