Tottenham's Community Expo will focus on re-purposing this year.
The expo, to be held from March 12, will feature workshops on how to re-use old goods and make them new again from March 12 and 13, as well as a Waste to Art competition and a Sew It Again portable exhibition.
Brisbane up-cycler Jane Milburn will run a series of five workshops to guide expo visitors in the discovery and exploration of their creative potential through the medium of under-utilised natural fibres.
"There are more clothes in the world now than at any time in our history," Ms Milburn said.
"Because they seem to be so plentiful and relatively cheap to buy new, they’re often treated as disposable and only worn once or twice before being cast aside.
“What we’ll be doing at the Tottenham workshops is taking a second look at existing clothing, textiles and old kitchen linen – then using simple techniques like home-sewing, cutting and eco-dyeing to repair, restyle or repurpose them for another go at life."
Ms Milburn said she upcycled every day last year with the 365-day Sew it Again project .
"I’m looking forward to sharing ideas with resourceful country people who are not (geographically) in a position to run off to the shops and appreciate the value of our natural resources," she said.
“Upcycling can be as simple as taking up a hem, cutting off the sleeves or neckline and replacing buttons.
"Just as we’ve rediscovered the value of traditional home-cooking for health and nutrition, home-sewing and repair skills enable us to dress with conscience and story.”
Ms Milburn is an agricultural scientist, and she said values sustainable resource use.
She also champions natural fibres and believes in slow-fashion awareness of who made your clothes and what from.
Tottenham Community Expo is run by Tottenham Welfare Council and is providing up-cycling workshops on March 12-13 with a grant from the Arts NSW Country Arts Support Program.
Contact Jane Milburn on 0408 787 964, book workshops via Catherine Jarvis on 02 6892 8210
