Sew-organised-style

Jane Milburn OAM is TextileBeat on Instagram.

She's a sustainability consultant, Slow Clothing pioneer, TEDx speaker, Churchill Fellow, upcycler and agricultural scientist.

Jane has authored Slow Clothing and The Process of Mending - a recipe book.

Clothing accounts for up to 10 percent of our environmental footprint and everyday practices that extend the lifespan of clothes – caring, repairing, rewearing, restyling, upcycling – can reduce its ecological impact and create independence from fast-fashion cycles.

Mary V Morton and Jeanna Wigger, the authors of Stitch it Don't Ditch it, suggested Jane as a podcast guest and I'm so honoured Jane recorded this podcast with me last month.

Listen to hear how Jane is linked to SewOver50!

Grab a cuppa and enjoy Jane discuss how we can use our existing materials for longer.

Amanda.Stitches on Instagram is both today's podcast guest and guest editor on SewOver50

Her standout roberts.woods drafters grid dress at Perth Frocktails this year took our breath away and we had to invite Amanda to tell us all about this dress.

As Amanda said 'the #draftersgriddress has been many months in the making, planning started early this year with the sourcing of vintage tablecloths - not just any cloths, but ones that had similar pink tones & were the same shade of white. Several were ordered online, only to find when they arrived they weren't suitable - I've got a few set aside for future projects.

From the 6 tablecloths I cut 172!! pattern pieces - ordinarily the multiple identical pieces can be cut in bulk - however I couldn't do this without compromising the placement of the embroidery - many hours of planning, pinning & checking before I started to cut. Quilters will be familiar with fussy-cutting and there was certainly lots of that. The construction & sewing of the dress isn't difficult, & I enjoyed the slow sew & watching my vision come to life.'

When Amanda went back to sewing once her children were getting older, she began to pattern test for Pattern Emporium. You may have seen Amanda on their website.

Many thanks to Kate at Pattern Emporium for allowing us to mention her patterns and use her logo and image in the video version of this episode.

It's not everyday you find an English woman in New Zealand who specialises in sewing kilts.

Leanne Munro sewed 15 kilts in less than 12 months as part of her kilt making training. Yes she quilts but her passion is kilt making. Just ask the locals in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Her skills include not just sewing kilts but also recreating better kilts from existing kilts. Leanne has a lot of knowledge about sewing kilts and she's more than happy to answer any questions about making a kilt.

We both shared some of our knowledge of X marks the Scot. https://www.xmarksthescot.com/ The online kilt making forum has so many kiltmakers with the latest kilt making ideas.

Izumi Montgomery is a Japanese artist and sustainable craft facilitator based in Sydney Australia.

Izumi holds a Masters in Sculpture from Tokyo University of the Arts and she has also studies fashion at TAFE New South Wales. This is where she developed a strong interest in ethical and uncycled design. She combines traditional Japanese techniques such as Tsumami Zaiku (folded fabric flowers) with reclaimed materials to create thoughtful workshops.

Alongside teaching, Izumi regularly facilitates sessions at Reverse Garbage and other community spaces where participants are invited to slow down and reconnect through handcraft.

Her final class at Reverse Garbage for 2025 is on Saturday 29th November. More workshops available in 2026 and beyond.

You'll find Izumi's workshops on the Reverse Garbage website under Public Workshops.

Alexis Bailey has come through a period of not designing and rebranded to become WearWereGoing.

A listener suggested I interview Alexis and in this episode, you'll hear how Alexis has been supported by some of her Patreon community to create zero waste patterns.

She's now turned this corner of her life and Alexis is a positive person to speak to.