Sherlie McMillan (at rear, in green) getting hands-on in a recent workshop(Photo: Lis Bastian)
Story by Linda Moon
Global problems are creating renewed interest in traditional DIY skills like sewing. Here’s how a local grandmother is sharing her rag trade experience to make a difference and how you can get involved.
Key Points:
Upcycling old clothing helps the planet, saves you bucks and empowers your creative side.
Each year 200,000 tonnes of clothing go into landfill in Australia, according to the Australian Fashion Council.
At age seventy, Sherlie McMillan has a goldmine of skills and knowledge. And the retired pattern maker (for Macpac, Kathmandu and others), and former tutor at New Zealand’s Design and Art College and Christchurch Polytech, has found plenty interested to learn from her.
This year she trained a group of 18 to 25 year olds in how to upcycle fashion. Now, in July, the Blackheath Rotary Club member from New Zealand is back at the sewing machine training the newest bunch of recruits. In a win for all 18+ folk, the Upcycling Fashion program has been opened up to allow adults of all ages, male and female, to join in.
Career opportunities
Since news spread via word-of-mouth that Sherlie could do alterations, she’s had more requests for local work than she can keep up with. “I get so many jobs now that would have been done by the mother of the house,” she said. Things like sewing on a button or taking up a hem.
“You can create your own job if you learn some of these skills,” she said. “Especially in the Blue Mountains where there aren’t a lot of jobs out there. And you don’t need a lot of equipment.”
Sherlie, who has 40 years experience in the industry, taught her own three sons to sew when they were young. “At one stage I’d bring home work and they would be repairing the garments and getting paid for it,” she said.
So what’s involved?
Sherlie (at whiteboard) and eager upcyclers in the making.(Photo: Lis Bastian)
What is upcycled fashion?
It’s the transformation of unwanted or surplus clothing, textiles or scrap fabric into new, unique garments. People can upcycle anything – including their own clothing or something from a thrift store.
A key skill is altering secondhand clothing to make it fit. This might involve letting it out and pattern making – which involves lots of measuring and drawing a flat outline on cardboard to fit the garment to the body, Sherlie said. Another key skill is learning how to repair clothing.
Upcycled fashion can incorporate artwork, embroidery, crochet or knitted elements. “Wool and fabric can all be combined. Artwork looks fabulous when it’s incorporated into a garment,” Sherlie said.
Lost human skills
Sherlie’s interest in pattern making was initially driven by having a non-standard body shape and difficulty finding clothing that fitted her. But most of her sewing skills were gained before she turned 12. “We would sit around the fire and listen to a radio and our hands would be doing things,” she said.
“A lot of these skills are being lost. My dad was overseas in the Second World War and he knitted and repaired socks for himself. It was just normal. There wasn’t the same number of things you could buy. If you bought something you would treasure it and look after it.”
As a working mother before the digital age, Sherlie still managed to find time to mend and look after her family. Thanks to the Internet and ultra-busyness, today most of us feel we lack time to repair our own clothes. However, interest in traditional skills is on the upswing, with experts pointing to the cost-of-living crisis, environmental awareness and other factors.
“I do think some of the basics skills are being lost.” – Sherlie McMillan
Workshop participants enjoy the social aspect as much as learning a new skill (Photo: Lis Bastian)
Why upcycle clothing?
“Environmentally, it’s important that we don’t continually buy cheap clothes and discard them,” Sherlie said. “It’s better we reuse and try to make a garment last longer than one or two seasons.”
“Garments can be made into so many other things,” she enthused. “It’s cheap on the pocket. And you can pick up the most wonderful things. People sometimes don’t know the value of the product that they manage to get in a lot of the secondhand shops in Australia.”
Along with encouraging waste, fast fashion (cheap, trendy clothing churned out quickly) is simply bad news.
Synthetic textiles, like nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex and rayon, are chemically engineered, petroleum-based products. They can’t break down in the environment.
Fast fashion also contributes to modern slavery, animal cruelty and environmental devastation. “Faux fur” claims, for instance, are often fake – it’s cheaper to produce the real thing. Humans working in the industry face exploitation and life threatening conditions. In fast fashion, ethics are low and cheap toxic dyes and chemicals are common, harming workers and the environment.
As reported by ragtrader.com.au, in March France’s lower house of parliament voted in favour of a bill proposing a ban on ultra-fast fashion.
About the workshops
On a positive note, we can all learn to source ethical fashion, upcycle, swap, buy secondhand and repair our own clothes.
Sherlie’s workshops run monthly, on the first Saturday of the month from 9am to 3pm at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre at Katoomba. As they’re very hands-on, participants are capped at a maximum of 12, which encourages a cosy closeness. “Socialising has been part of this initial group and friendships have built up over time,” Sherlie said.
Participants are encouraged to bring along their own sewing machine. But it’s not essential to taking part. Nor do you need to know how to use a sewing machine.
“People tell me what they really want to know and I work from there,” Sherlie said. For some this means starting from scratch, for others it might be learning how to understand the tension on their sewing machine. The programs incorporate pattern making and how to fit, alter and repair garments. “I work with a basic T-shirt. But you can turn it into a dress or shirt or a coat or a lot of things,” she said.
The workshops also teach what to look for in a good upcycling piece. In line with a skill-share concept, the idea is that everyone can share what they know and be as creative as they like.
It feels good to make something new out of something old! (Photo: Lis Bastian)
Free Skillshare Saturdays
The Upcycling Fashion Program is a community outreach activity of Blackheath Rotary Club. It’s also part of Skillshare Saturdays, which launched on Saturday 6 July at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre. All programs are free.
Meet Sherlie and some keen upcyclers in this short video
Take Action:
Check out what participants from the Fashion Upcycling workshop had to say about it here.
Contact [email protected] if you’d like to join in or if you have a skill you’re able to share.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
We`re setting up lots of cosy warm indoor spaces for the Peace Symposium and `Community Picnic` this Sat 2nd August and we`re thrilled that RosyRavelston Books will be there with their `books that change the world`! The Blue Mountains Peace Collective presented them with this poster designed by Melbourne-based Japanese artist Hiroyasu Tsuri, also known as TWOONE@t_w_o_o_n_e. @ican_australia commissioned this artwork to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan and the first nuclear test on First Nations land in New Mexico, USA, in 1945. It depicts symbols of peace and survival in the wake of nuclear devastation. View the full program for the Symposium and book your tickets here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
Sixteen-year-old HART Youth Ambassador, Matilda Emmerich will be displaying her oil painting and poem “Where Hope Sits" and discussing her experience of having it banned at 11.30am this Saturday 2nd August at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. Artwork and poem can be seen here: https://www.hartyouth.com/art
Places are limited so bookings essential here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
Rotarians from throughout the District gathered at the Planetary Health Centre on Sunday to launch Greater Blue Mountains Rotary and its first fundraising campaign to purchase Rooming-in Cribs for Blue Mountains Hospital. Bringing together the expertise and resources of the former Blackheath, Katoomba and Central Blue Mountains Clubs, this exciting new collaboration reflects Rotary International’s theme for 2025-26: “Unite for Good”. The Planetary Health Centre has been collaborating with Rotary to deliver our monthly Skill Share program, and Rotarian Jennifer Scott AM will speak about Rotary’s international work for people, planet and peace at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium next Saturday 2nd August. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
For more information about Greater Blue Mountains Rotary and how you can get involved email [email protected] or ring 0407 437 553
We’re thrilled to announce that the Environmental choir Ecopella will be performing at the Planetary Health Symposium and Community Picnic at 12.30pm next Saturday 2nd August at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. They’re passionate, satirical and creative. This image is the cover of one of their CDs. You can view the full program and reserve your spot for the day here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
How do we respond to a world at war? Join the community conversation at the Peace Symposium`s midday forum at the Planetary Health Centre on Sat 2 August. In his book 1984, Orwell wrote: "War, it will be seen, not only accomplishes the necessary destruction, but accomplishes it in a psychologically acceptable way." "The primary aim of modern warfare is to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standards of living." This poster will be one of a number on display at the Symposium. View the full program and book here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
It`s just over a week to the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium and Community Picnic on Sat 2 Aug at the Planetary Health Centre. View the full program and book here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
A huge thank you to @kindlehill_high_school and their fabulous students who`ve been visiting the Planetary Health Centre on Wednesdays to help us regenerate the bushland and develop our site. They`ve reduced the risk of fire around the Centre by replacing flammable vegetation with gravel; they`ve planted citrus trees for our edible winter garden; and they`ve spent two visits regenerating bushland. Today alone they`ve removed 250 privet plants! Such great work to restore habitat for wildlife and help us build a demonstration site for the community. #volunteers #community #bushcare #ediblegarden #disasterriskreduction #habitat #regeneration...
Our free Winter Tai Chi was so popular last month we`re offering it again for free on Sat 2nd August. It will be the first activity of the day as part of our Peace Symposium and Community Picnic at the Planetary Health Centre. Bookings essential here as places are limited(link in profile):
In 1986, the Blue Mountains celebrated the International Year of Peace with a Peace March in Hazelbrook. Join us for the Peace Symposium and Community Picnic at the Planetary Health Centre on Saturday 2nd August. 2025 has been declared the International Year of Peace and Trust because of the urgent need to reestablish these and reinvigorate a global culture of peace in our current turbulent times. This poster was created by Don McGregor, one of the founders of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective, and will be on display at the Symposium. You can view the program and purchase tickets for the Symposium here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
The Lawson men’s circle meets on a Thursday night and fills a void where once male initiation and elder-mentorship might have been, helping men with self awareness and self growth. Read more in Mid Mountains Local News (link in profile): https://www.midmtnslocalnews.com/lawson-mens-circle/
Tickets now available here for the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium on 2nd August. A day of internationally renowned speakers, forums, live entertainment and family activities to grow an urgent groundswell for peace (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
Today is the 80th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb test. Three weeks after today the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in Japan. Help us grow a groundswell of support to ban these horrific nuclear weapons that have caused so much cancer, death and suffering. Check out this fabulous screen print produced by Don McGregor and Indigenous artist Burri for a Peace Festival in Katoomba 37 years ago! It will be on display with other peace posters at the Peace Symposium and Community Picnic on Sat 2nd August. Don is one of the founders of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective which will be meeting at the Planetary Health Centre at 10am this Saturday. All welcome to help us prepare for the Symposium where we’ll be hearing from internationally regarded speakers on how we can work to stop wars and get nuclear weapons banned. Book your place early here as places are limited for the talks (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
Linda Moon has lived in the upper Blue Mountains since childhood and is a freelance writer for Australian media. A qualified naturopath, permaculture designer, mother and former student of social work, her passion is building local community, gardening, mental, emotional, social, housing and environmental health – all of which are linked!
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next two weeks is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre.
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