The Sewing Room

The Sewing Room is very proud to be helping out at the Oxfam Australia and CarriageWorks Exchange for Change on Rethreads: mass free clothing swap
This event is all about the environment and as you probably already know we are passionate about recycling and sustainability at The Sewing Room from fabrics to clothing. Rethreads is all about style & being sustainability savvy. At Rethreads clothing is your currency – bring up to 20 of your best cast-offs, and exchange them for new pieces to reinvigorate your wardrobe. There is no entry fee, so anyone can participate! There are guidelines for what you should and really shouldn’t bring, so make sure you check the CarriageWorks website for info prior to rocking up.
While at Rethreads, you’ll have the opportunity to meet representatives from Oxfam Australia’s labour rights unit and other organisations fighting for fair fashion. The Sewing Room is very excited to be helping the amazing people from The Social Studio with their DIY Re-mixed Fashion workshops, where you can re-vamp your old clothes or a new find from the swap. You can also add your bit to Oxfam’s interactive petition, The Guilt Quilt, to let industry know you want them to lift their game.
The most important things are the environmental benefits:
Recycling takes items you have finished with and puts them back into circulation.
By passing your clothes, accessories or equipment on to others, you are diverting materials from landfill thus conserving resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Reusing a product, rather than buying a new one, reduces the demands for water, energy and raw materials. This reduces the impact on the environment.
Swapping 1 suitcase (20kg) of clothes saves enough energy to run a TV non-stop for 1.7 years.
Swapping clothing diverts these organic materials from landfill. In landfill they produce methane, a greenhouse gas with the global warming capacity 20 times stronger than CO2.
Statistics courtesy of Planet Ark.
If you require any futher information, feel free to email exchangeforchange@oxfam.org.au with your questions.

The Sewing Room is delivering workshops at Sydney Design 2010. The design festival runs for 16 days from Saturday 31 July to Sunday 15 August. The program is produced by the Powerhouse Museum in partnership with more than 50 cultural institutions, organisations and individuals across Sydney. The program looks amazing with more than 70 events.

The ‘tell us a story’ theme will reveal the many captivating stories behind design ideas, objects and processes. It will invite participants to create meaningful conversations with others around design, and enable people to connect with design on a more personal level.

The Powerhouse is holding a major exhibition called ‘Creating the look’ this exhibition draws on the highly successful partnership between photographer Bruno Benini and stylist Hazel Benini from 1950 to 2000. And explores the creative processes involved in styling, crafting and designing powerful eye-catching fashion photographs.

Don’t forget to drop into the designer markets. Young Blood: designers market showcases emerging Australian designers and designboom mart features the young, avant-garde of international design. Visitors can meet and buy direct from designers at both evening (Friday only) and daytime markets from 13-15 August.

The youngest of designers will take part in a Kids Design Weekend from 31 July-1 August. Weekend highlights include the first paper plane academy; a pop-up book workshop; a children’s storytelling museum tour; paper doll fashion design in Frock stars: inside Australian Fashion Week; and a fashion photography collage workshop linked to Creating the look: Benini and fashion photography.

The Sewing Room will be delivery “ The Felt my Tote workshop’  How to refashion a woolen knit jumper from an op-shop into a fabulous tote bag on 11am – 3pm, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 August (two-day workshop) at the Powerhouse Museum.

From Vinnies to designer chic! Bring along an old woollen jumper – from an op shop or from home – and re-fashion it into a gorgeous tote bag. Using the ancient process of felting, the old jumper will be deconstructed and reborn as a brand new accessory. Let your imagination run wild as you cut, fold, sew and appliqué your tote bag, stamping it with your own personality. All you need to bring is an old woollen knit jumper or woollen garment; all other sewing equipment and materials will be supplied.

The following workshops will be in the bright and busy The Sewing Room at Level 1, 8 Hill Street, Surry Hills.

Whether a beginner or an expert, these sewing workshops will inspire you to push the boundaries of your creativity. Expand your existing techniques or try something completely new at these fun and educational events. With beading, embroidery, pleating, t-shirts, fashion design and illustration on offer, there’s plenty of choice. Nimble fingers and an open mind can lead to all kinds of beautiful outcomes.

Tambour Beading:
Saturday 14 August, 10am-4pm
$200

Fashion Design & Colour Theory:
Sunday 1 August, 11am-4pm & Friday 13 August, 10am-2.30pm
$100

Fashion Illustration:
Saturday 31 July, 10am-4pm
$125

Introductory Embroidery Stitches & Beading Techniques:
Saturday 7 August, 10am-4pm & Wednesday 4 August, 10am-4pm
$125

Pleating In Fashion:
Wednesday 4 August, 10am-3pm & Sunday 8 August, 11am-4pm
$125

Chic T-Shirt Manipulations:
Friday 6 August, 11am-4pm & Sunday 14 August, 11am-4pm
$ 150

To book, please call Penelope Leonard on 93600585 or email bookings@thesewingroom.com.au

The Sewing Room was include in The school holiday guide in The Sun Herald on Sunday 27 June 2010. I hope you all got to read the article. Thank you to the lovely people at the Herald for including us.

We hope to see you at our Kids Club 10am to 12am Monday to Friday in the first week of the school holiday or at our Teens sewing classes 2pm to 5pm Monday to Friday of the first week of the school holidays.

Thank you to Lucy Carroll and gorgeous photograher Jennifer Soo for including us in the July issue of Sydney. It was very exciting for us to have a write up in such a popular magazine.

Lucy Wrote:

The sewing Room

Childhood memories of patchwork quilts inspired Penelope Leonard to set up The Sewing Room in Sydney’s original rag-trade district. She offers an eight week introduction to sewing course $600, with materials included. Short courses include basic alterations($75), Millinery techniques ($150) and embroidery and beading workshops.

Pattern code: V8552

Rudee looks gorgeous in this cutie! I love it, the fabric is so perfect. Make your own simple pretty shift dress at a sewing class at the Sewing Room. 

If you are still in the early stages of learning to sew, I would still suggest that you keep it simple. As you begin to sew more clothes and you become more experienced, than you can go onto more difficult projects. So maybe for starter try a few “Very Easy” by Vogue These are very fashion now V8278, 8486, 8530 and 8552.

I think it is important that  you don’t get frustrated and not enjoy sewing any more because you bought a to difficult pattern.
 
This dress is simply gorgeous. I really enjoyed making this dress. Quite a few of the Stitchen Sisters ( The new nickname for the Tuesday night’s sewing ladies, thanks to Brooke & Patti) have produced beautiful dresses with this pattern. Basic sewing skills are required, Sewing Class 3 or equivalent experience with zips preferred. It takes about 3 x 3 hour sessions.

You can choose from 3 tailored jacket designs for women, Vogue Pattern code V8333, V8428 and V7975. In this sewing class create a tailored fit using professional construction techniques and finishes. These will include welt pockets, collar, lapel, facing and linings. So visit one of the Tessuti Fabric stores or The Fabric Store in Cooper Street Surry Hills for beautiful delicious wools to make a scrumptious new coats, to keep you snuggly warm this winter. And pop down to The Fabric Store for 50% of Vogue pattern until the 15th May 2010.

 For more information regarding classes you can call Penelope on 0432 688 536 or email bookings@thesewingroom.com.au

Thank you to everyone who registered their interest for an evening with Bronwyn Darlington. The response was incredible, it was exciting to see that so many people are passionate about sustainable fashion. I can forsee that this will be one of many forums to be held at The Sewing Room @ The Fashion & Textile Gallery.

Bronwyn provides advice to textile and clothing or other companies on creating ethical and sustainable clothing lines including supply chain design and advice and certifications such as Fair Trade, Carbon Neutral, Carbon offset, Organic Ethical Clothing Australia (formerly ‘No Sweatshop’) and Australian Made.
Bronwyn Darlington, (B.A., M.A) has worked extensively in fashion manufacturing. This has been in both internal and consulting capacities with sustainability as a core focus. Her presentation at this forum will be a consideration of how we can apply social, environmental and cultural benefits to the fashion and textile industry. In addition to setting up Darlington Consulting, she was founder of Rise Up Productions and until recently served as a member of the Australian Government’s Textile Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Industry Innovation Council.
This evening would be of interest to Designers, Manufacturers and anyone interested in the ethical manufacturing of clothing.
The schedule
Best to arrive between 5.30 and 6.15pm with Bronwyns talks to begin at 6.30pm and to conclude at 8pm to allow for the opportunity to participate in general discussion. The Forum fee is $45 per person.

Here Catherine is heating the special brass flower making tools and demonstrates the traditional art of French Silk Flower Making.

This tool is called a Rat’s tail and is used to curl over the edge of the petal to create a realistic appearance to your flower.

Everyone in the class created a gorgeous individual piece exactly to their own personal taste. These masterpieces can be used on a fascinator, brooch, or as trim for a hat or garment.

Introduction to Sewing Classes

Tuesday Evenings is ‘Project Based Learning’  from 6pm to 9pm
or Thursdays from 10am to 1pm or 2pm to 5pm
Come and join the lovely ladies on a Tuesday evening or during the day on a Thursday to create that project you have been planning agers. We will help you every step of the way. So pop down to the fabic shop, choose a pattern and fabric, you will be on your way to an exciting new creation that you have made yourself.
3 x 3 hour sessions
$225.00
BYO: Patterns & fabric should be brought to first class, then zips & notions can be discussed and purchased before second class.
 
Or do a one off class

Sewing Class 1: The Machine & Basic Functions
1 x 3 hour session
Wednesday 9 June 2010 2pm to 5pm

Sewing Class 2: Sling Bag
1 x 3 hour session
Saturday 19 June 2010 2pm to 5pm
Wednesday 23 June 2010 2pm to 5pm

Sewing Class 3: Zippers, Casings & Buttonholes
1 x 3 hour session
Thursday 3 June 2010 6pm to 9pm
Wednesday 16 June 2010 2pm to 5pm

Sewing Class 4: Sewing the basic skirt
2 x 3 hour session
Thursday 17 & 24 June 6pm to 9pm

Sewing Class 5: Sewing the basic shirt
2 x 3 hour session
Thursday 10, 17 & 24 June 2010 10am to 1 pm
 
For more information regarding classes you can call Penelope on 0432 688 536 or email bookings@thesewingroom.com.au