** STOP PRESS – BOTH WORKSHOPS NOW FULL **
** Click the “Book here” button to go on a waitlist (limited numbers) and to optionally be notified of future workshops **
“Turning waste into *wonder*“
The project:
Engadine Uniting Church’s Eco Stitch’n’Sew Hub (formerly known as “Clothing the Loop”) will be holding their popular school holiday sewing workshops in the September/October school holidays. Attendees at these workshops will create three beautiful Christmas decorations. They will do so under the guidance of our experienced volunteers, using a variety of hand and machine sewing techniques. All materials, and morning tea, are provided.
Dates and times:
Monday 29 September 10am -1pm
Thursday 2 October 10am -1pm
Please note that both workshops will be working on the same project, and are open to students from primary or secondary school.
Location:
The Eco Stitch’n’Sew Hub’s spacious new location, in the basement of the Engadine Uniting Church at 2 Chipilly Ave (cnr Cambrai Ave), Engadine.
(Entrance is the door from the street, on the left of the main stairs)
For past participants, please note that this is a different location to the previous workshops.
Who we are:
These workshops are being run by members of Engadine Uniting Church who find joy in sewing and are concerned about the amount of fabric waste. They wish to share their knowledge of sewing with others, to enable fabrics to be reused, repurposed and recycled. Every instructor holds a current NSW Working With Children’s Check.
Participant age and skill level:
Primary and High School aged children, regardless of whether they are beginner or more experienced sewers.
Cost:
There is a payment of $10 to cover the cost of morning tea and materials.
(Ability to pay should not be a barrier for children to attend. If your family is experiencing financial hardship, please let us know).
Registration: When bookings open, we will replace the notification below with a “Book now” button. Places are limited, and workshops usually fill quickly, so we suggest that you register early. If capacity has been reached, you can go on a waitlist.
** STOP PRESS – BOTH WORKSHOPS NOW FULL **
** Click the “Book here” button to go on a waitlist (limited numbers) and to optionally be notified of future workshops **
The protection of your personal information is something we take very seriously. The information in our Privacy Policy details how we comply with the Privacy Act (1988) in protecting information we might hold about you. You are welcome to email ecosew@engadine.unitingchurch.org.au or call 0412 182 839 with any questions and to request to be notified of future workshops.
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How we reported our first event in July 2024, which was followed up by another 2 days in the Sept/Oct school holidays, and more sessions in the January, April and July 2025 school holidays:
During the winter school holidays something exciting went down at Engadine Uniting Church, bringing together the enthusiasm of youth and the experience of older folk.
On Thursday 11 and Friday 12 July creative young folk took part in our very first School Holiday Sewing Workshop. The workshop was part of the Clothing the Loop1 series of events designed to reuse or repurpose surplus fabrics, saving them from landfill.
Each day was a 3-hour workshop with a different group of teenagers aiming to create their own travel rolls that can transport phones, chargers, cables or makeup so those items remain undamaged.
The sessions started with each teen receiving a little pack of information, scrap fabric and a Freddo Frog on arrival and picking out their favourite fabrics as they arrived. Once everyone had arrived and made their fabric selection time stopped for an Acknowledgment of Country and recognition to our First Nations Peoples. The novice sewers were taken through the anatomy of a sewing machine and how to keep themselves safe while using one before they buddied up with a volunteer sewing mentor and started practising how to use their allotted sewing machine before they started sewing their actual travel roll.
Before long the room was abuzz with the whirr and clatter of sewing machines, interspersed with the quiet noise that comes with teens utterly focused on sewing and encouraging murmurs from their mentor buddies.
The teens told us they came to the workshop because they thought it would be a fun experience. At the end of the 3 hours (scheduled for 2.5 hrs!!!) they left with a completed article, a great sense of accomplishment, new skills, a fun morning and their appreciation at having experienced, caring sewers to guide and teach.
As well as learning how to use a machine, sew in straight lines, oversewing with zig zag stitch to stop fabric fraying and a treasure trove of hot sewing tips from the volunteer instructors, the teens were informed of the negative environmental impacts of fabric waste and Australia’s position as number one country for the highest per capita fashion purchases2. They were encouraged to continue learning sewing skills so they can proactively reduce their fashion purchasing and to reuse and repurpose clothes they no longer want to wear.
We were privileged and grateful that most of the resources for this workshop were provided without cost, allowing us to make this workshop affordable for parents and carers.
- the sewing machines were on loan from church members from Engadine Uniting and St John Bosco Catholic churches
- the fabrics and habadashery were all donated
- the morning teas were (mostly) supplied by donations from church members and Book Club members.
- the sewing instructors all volunteered their time to share their joy in sewing with others. We could not have put on this event without the generosity of time and spirit from Judy, Melanie, Tahlia, Robyn, Sarah, Margaret and Loraine.
But what did the teens say about the event?
‘(I most enjoyed) Sewing straight perfectly and seeing the final product.’
‘Thank you so much for an amazing time. I loved working with my buddy.
’
‘Feeling happy with an excellent instructor.’
AND from one mum ‘I have never seen my two boys so quiet or focused on one task for so long.’
All the newly graduated sewers said they would recommend the workshop to their friends and that they would love to come back again themselves, providing a wishlist of what to make: ‘bucket hat, blanket, shirt, shirt, clothes to wear, totebags, makeup bags’
It seems that everyone had as much fun as we did so it looks like we’ll do this again next school holidays!
If you or your child has an interest in sewing and would like to either attend a sewing event or volunteer as a helper or if you have any items you would like to donate to our sewing events, please email office@engadineuniting.church.
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