The workshops are part of the council’s efforts to encourage the community to embrace circular fashion and learn new skills that help reduce clothing waste.  

One of the highlights of the workshops, which took place during National Recycling Week, was a visible mending sewing session where participants learned the Japanese embroidery technique Sashiko. This method combines beauty with function to teach people to repair their clothing so they can be worn again.   

The council said the workshop quickly sold out, highlighting the community's keen interest in learning how to repair and make the most out of their clothes.  

Due to the growing popularity of clothing repair initiatives, the Shellharbour City Library is planning to add more sewing workshops in the library’s Create Space, which offers all library members free access to sewing machines to encourage skill-building and sustainable practices. 

“With rising living costs and growing awareness of the environmental impact of fast fashion, these workshops empower our community with the skills, knowledge and confidence to repurpose items that might otherwise end up in landfill,” Shellharbour’s libraries and museum manager Margie Kirkness said in a press release. 

Another workshop that quickly sold out is the Mend and Makeover workshop which will be hosted by The Sewing Collective in December. Owner Olivia Gobran said after realising the negative effects of fast fashion, she decided to go back to what she learned in school textiles classes and start making her own clothes. Sewing is one of the ways that has helped her reduce her environmental impact, allowing her to contribute to a more sustainable fashion industry. 

At her Wollongong-based business, she offers project-based workshops to help others learn the art of sewing. In these workshops, participants pick up a pattern, work together, and take home their finished product.  

Image courtesy of The Sewing Collective.