Clothing with a Conscience...

Khmer Aspara dollsReceived a shipment from AFESIP Fair Fashion, a factory that employs 13 ladies who were rescued from the human trafficking sex trade. AFESIP provides an 18 month sewing training course for these lovely girls, then a steady job with great working conditions.  Goodbye humiliating, very dangerous old life, hello self-esteem and dignity!

Spanish Collar shawlAFESIP Fair Fashion make some lovely products, like this beautiful silk shawl.  Also bought some lovely dolls styled after Khmer Apsara dancers.  Please buy one at the Clothesline store - proceeds go towards my next order from AFF. 

Sewn in beautiful Fair Trade silks, the story behind these clothes  and toys makes them extra special!  Please keep an eye on the Clothesline store - clothing items will be available to order soon!

The Year of Being Pretty Thankful...

Wishing you a wonderful year in 2011! Hilarious card by Alicia Holland.Around New Years a friend and I decide on a theme for the year. 2011 was set to be The Year of Being Pretty - I do need to tidy myself up a bit!  But it was a tad too shallow, even for us. 

May have to settle for The Year of Being Pretty Thankful instead.  In true Oprah fashion, every day I list in my diary 3 things I'm thankful for. 

Today it's: 

1) a dry floor to walk on (not underwater like so many other Queensland homes)

2)  electricity ( I whine about the bills but having the power cut during these floods is no fun) and

3) just being alive. (We know some lovely folk at Murphy's Creek who were tragically drowned a few days ago - that puts a whole new perspective on just losing a few material possessions.)

Hope 2011 finds you with plenty to be thankful for!

 Flood sculpture on the Brisbane River...before the real flood began...

Christmas Decorating in 20 minutes

Picture from Knitivity by Fiona Goble. Text from Luke 2 verse 14.After spending a year working at the Prop House, a company that does corporate Christmas events, I've decorated enough Christmas trees to last me the rest of my life.  But I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. 

At the Prop House, Christmas trees are never dismantled.  Instead, lights and decorations are wired tightly into place with little wire twist ties.  The whole tree is then wrapped in swathes of metre wide plastic (like giant Cling wrap) and stored in garages until the next shopping centre or corporate event needs it. 

Having abandoned the idea of undecorating trees and packing them away in little boxes, I find decorating easy as pie.  Unwrap the tree and wreathes, fluff them up and  I've just decorated my house in 20 minutes.  Ho, ho, ho... hope your Christmas is a beautiful day!

Somaly Mam's Story...

Somaly MamSomaly Mam founded AFESIP, a wonderful organisation that rehabilitates girls who have been forced into prostitution as she was as a young girl.  Among many other projects, AFESIP runs a sewing school and an clothing business for it's graduates  - AFESIP Fair Fashion.

To honour Anti-Human Trafficking Day, please read Somaly's moving story below, as told by Angelina Jolie for Time magazine.

By the time Mam was 5,

Click to read more ...

All Over, Red Rover!

Pages from a visual diary - my inspiration - desserts! (Click on pics for a closer look...)Mood board inspired by diary entriesClothing designs inspired by mood boardCollege projects all done and dusted! 

Feel like I've learned a lot this year.  From visual diaries, to mood boards, to design boards, to drafting patterns, to sewing them up. 

Next - draft patterns - these are drawn manually onto brown paperCut and sew up designs - (see figure on left of design board)It's been fun taking an idea and turning it into a 3-D object you can wear!