Anne

Anne is one of our longest volunteers here at sewing group. I look forward to seeing her every Wednesday. 

She made most of her own clothes and this sweater is no exception!

Marianna

Hello, my name is Marianna and I’m a student from Germany. I spent two months in Melbourne, doing a placement in the princes Hill Primary School.

One day, when I went walking home I saw the sandwich board in the street “ Multicultural woman’s sewing group” that was really beautiful.

At home in Germany I use to sew just for fun and I really liked it. So I decided to have a look, what’s this sewing group and I just went there and asked if I could join. 

I just loved it from the first look!
The atmosphere was so nice and interesting. Unfortunately I has just time to come three times because I had to go back to my country. But in this three times I had the opportunity to repair my pants and to sew a book cover that I gave for a present to the students of my school. 

Thank you very much for staying with you!

Marianna

Brigid and Percy Pig

What brings you to the sewing group?

      Convenience, locality, diversity and the group was recommended to me.

Tell us about your pigs.

I found a vintage soft toy book at an op shop by author Hilda Hincks. I had 9 special kids to make Christmas presents for and the presents all needed to be the same, so none were less special than the others. Once everyone saw the pigs they all wanted one, 
I am now on piggy number 15.

The fabric is a vintage 1950’s blanket from my Aunt, who was of the mend and make do generation. The thread was also inherited from my aunt, the only new supplies are the embroidery thread and filling.

Each piggy has his own outfit that caters to that child’s interests. One has a whole wardrobe of clothing choices.

How are the pigs are made?

      I sewed each body part individually here at the sewing group. 

I hand sew the ears on first, followed by the head to the body and the arms go on last.

       I then use embroidery thread to make the nose and eyes.

       The finishing touch is a little outfit.

 Brigid and another happy customer!

If you liked Brigid’s Percy The Pig come visit us at the sewing group.  We have a photocopy of the book and it has many more fantastic animals to choose from.

Ardy

The second instalment of our profile series, letting you met the wonderful ladies who attend our group!

Name: Ardy

From: U.S.A

How did you find out about the group?

- From a friend who comes

What do you like about the group?

- I think the group is a wonderful thing because of the welcoming attitude of the women and that mothers can come with their kids. There is a mix of women of different cultures, people to help you and lots of supplies to use

What project that you have made was your favorite?

- Pants

What would you like to learn to make or make next?

- Pants and tops, clothing for my partner and myself

What are you making today?

- Pants for a friend

Mina + Oli Interview

When I’m not teaching sewing at the sewing group I work on my handbag label Mina + Oli 

The lovely Lilac and her photographer husband Joshua dropped by my studio the other day. Where they did an interview and photo shoot with me about Mina + Oli.

Joshua is a great photographer and you can see more of his work at www.photosbyjoshua.com.au

People & Places: Laura Thomey of Mina & Oli

May 13, 2011

Words by Lilac Limpangog, Pictures by Joshua Winterson.

We’re absolutely delighted to bring you the second in our series of profiles of local business people in our region of Melbourne. Meet Laura Thomey of Mina & Oli, a manufacturer of bespoke handbags. Laura works quietly in a spare room of her home in Preston, designing and crafting unusual accessories that reflect her unique mind, using materials recycled from pre-worn clothing. When we met at a Moreland Council networking event, I was fascinated by the elegant black bag loosely hanging on her shoulder. It was classy and daringly different. This fashion design graduate told me that it was a castaway leather jacket now reincarnated as a bag. Hunting for materials from op shops is part of the fun.

Laura’s practice requires a gentle and patient temperament willing to endure long hours of solitude, hunched over sewing machines. All her pieces are not just handmade, but seem to have personalities as well.

Cutting up the jackets can be an exacting art; trying to harvest as much usable material from them as possible. While Laura tailors the bags with particular clients in mind, she also soaks up inspiration from the buttons, pockets, cuffs and embroidery of yesteryear. Her nostalgic corkboard neatly displays jacket tags from all over the world, and bygone eras.

Inside each finished pouch is a swing tag that tells of its origins. But don’t be deceived by her dominant right-brain approach. Coloured post-its adorn Laura’s walls, meticulously keeping track of time spent making each item, notes on the client’s expectations, ideas about marketing and scribbled reminders and inspirational advice.

One important challenge for Laura is to educate the buying public about the value of handmade products, and developing her online market. She’s slowly but steadily reaping rewards as orders come not just from Australia but also from abroad. Not bad for a Canadian backpacker who decided to call Melbourne home five years ago. And her long-term goal? “A hobby farm in the country where I can base my artwork. I’d like to train and hire local women,” in keeping with the fair trade principles.

As if they are her guardian angels, the brand is a tribute to Laura’s grandmothers Wilhelmina (“Mina”) and Viola (“Oli”), a cruise ship nurse and a quilt-maker, respectively. The sense of beauty, adventure, history, and recycling all came naturally to Laura who enjoyed making her own handbags even during uni days. Today, she’s not just creating unique pieces but also sharing her craft with a multicultural women’s sewing group in Brunswick.

We think Laura rocks; her work comes straight from the heart. If you’re interested in getting your own business profiled here, get in touch with us, and make it happen!

To see the rest of the photos go here

Georgia

I think the sewing group is full of interesting ladies and that it would be nice to share them with you.  So I am going to do a series of profiles; the lovely Georgia volunteered to be our first. 

Name: Georgia

From: Melbourne

Age: 14

How long have you been coming to the sewing group?

- Over a year

What do you like about the group?

- You can do whatever project you like and everyone is friendly

What project that you have made was your favourite?

- Wall organiser, a baby bib for my cousin and a vest

What would you like to learn to make or make next?

- I would like to learn to make jeans and a t-shirt

What are you making today?

- A wrap dress

Women from around the world

We are definitely a multicultural group of ladies here at the sewing group. 

I am one of the few representing North America (I’m from the small town of Port Hope in Canada) but we have quite a few from Europe, Africa and Asia.  

I love learning about the different cultures, religions, traditional costumes and most of all eating the yummy food the ladies bring in. Of course we have lots of Australians too! 

This is our map that we have up on the wall to mark each ladies name and country she’s from.

Harmony sewn up

Congratulations go out to Jennifer (our fearless leader here at the sewing group) for winning the Honouring Women in Moreland Award!

Here is the article the Leader wrote about her!

Harmony sewn up 

21 Mar 2011, Moreland Leader, Madeline Healey

Doctor revitalises multicultural women’s craft group

ALL it takes is a dozen sewing machines, a little knowledge and a lot of determination to help stitch together cultural cohesion. Coburg GP Jennifer Mok grasped the premise and won the major prize at this year’s Honouring Women in Moreland Awards for her work regenerating Brunswick’s Multicultural Women’s Sewing Group.

The sewing group had been running for more than a decade at Brunswick Baptist Church when Dr Mok and Minister Ann Lock decided it needed a boost.

‘‘She and I were just puzzling out why the numbers were so low,’’ she said.

‘‘ We thought there probably was a need and we had a bunch of sewing machines and a bit of know-how and we tried different things to reach the people who would need it.’’

Numbers grew, a sewing teacher was hired and a childcare worker was employed for children brought along.Dr Mok said the group, which meets on Wednesday from 12.30-3pm and Saturdays from 2.30-4.30pm, attracted women of various backgrounds, including those who had recently arrived in Australia and didn’t speak much English.

‘‘A lot of the women have kids and if you’re newly arrived and you’ve got children, it can be hard to access things,’’ she said. ‘‘They might have worries and it gives them a chance to off-load some of their worries and not think about them for a couple of hours.’’

She said women who attended meetings were always grateful for the opportunity. ‘‘One woman was having a hard time. She said that when she came to sewing group, it felt like life was worth living,’’ Dr Mok said. ‘‘Another sold enough things she had sewn at our stall that she was able to buy a little bike for her daughter. She was so happy.’’

Dr Mok said she hoped the publicity surrounding her award would help attract more volunteers to help run the group. ‘‘You don’t have to be a good sewer to volunteer . . . if we had more volunteers it would take the pressure of financially.’’

Other winners at the March 10 awards were Helena Kilminster, Mary Lamb and June Woodall, from the PepperTree Community Nursery, Kathryn Jones, from the Brunswick Netball Club and the women’s open-age team at Brunswick Zebras Football Club.

Picture: MATT MURPHY N39CO509 Jennifer Mok won an Honouring Women in Moreland award.