I started making clothes for myself about 10 years ago, using hand-cut stencils to screenprint designs onto second hand tees. I spent way too much time at op shops and would always come home with too many things that either fit terribly or were torn and stained.  Of course, my favourite pieces fit the worst. I began using my mum’s old sewing machine to fix t-shirts, cutting and sewing in extra material to get them to fit how I liked – I also loved that they were now completely unique, 1 of 1.

Eventually I started messing with the actual designs, cutting pieces of material out and ‘collaging’ with fabric. I had a few lessons from my mum and then just ran with it and tried a lot of different stuff. I learnt how to alter pants and started making totes out of the offcuts too. I gave some pieces away as gifts and a few friends asked me to ‘tailor’ some clothes for them in those early days. My mates liked the stuff I was creating and encouraged me to start selling them. My first market was in 2022, where I was pretty excited to see other people willing to buy the stuff I made. I’ve been making pieces to sell at markets since then.

I’m passionate about sustainability, so this project goes hand-in-hand with that. I love extending the lifespan of garments, so they don’t just end up in the bin due to a stain or rip, they’re repurposed and given a new life. I particularly enjoy the challenge of trying to turn a tea towel or blanket into a wearable item of clothing with as little waste as possible. Every piece is considered and unique.

I am a teacher at a small school in Perth, WA, so this has been my creative outlet/passion project outside of that. After a year-long travel sabbatical in 2024, I’ve decided to pour some more energy into this project and share my craft with a wider audience on the world wide web. Thanks for coming along on the journey.

Josh