I officially love darning! It was so much fun darning this jumper and without a doubt saved it from going to landfill. There are 14 darned patches altogether. I used sock wool, some of which was variegated and for other patches I used a different colour for the warp and the weft.

When I showed someone the jumper recently, they had a confused look on their face and asked "Why?"

I know it may seem strange but that sense of achievement when you have mended something, breathed new life into an item of clothing, learnt a new skill, mindfully fixed something by hand, is exhilarating. Of course, it takes effort and time. It would be more convenient and quicker to just go to the shop to buy a new one. But by mending a garment we are combatting fashion waste, diverting textiles from landfill, slowing down consumption, being environmentally conscious and creating a unique, personalised garment.

Our grandmothers would mend clothes out of necessity. Families had a limited amount of clothes because they were not as readily available, often home made and were expensive. People looked after their clothes and kept wearing them until they wore out and then they patched them so they could wear them some more.

​Today clothes are cheap, easily accessible and as a result we have lost the need and desire to look after and appreciate our clothes. We have also lost the skills to mend our clothes. Why do people need to bother? Not because of necessity but because we need to look after our planet. It is our responsibility.

​I don't know about you but it always helps me to finish a project when I have a deadline. This Saturday I am giving a talk about my ReSew2020 project at Simple Living Toowoomba and I am determined to have all the projects complete. I have finished another two which I will show you in the next day or two and then I have one to go! Fingers crossed I can make it. I know it has taken me a lot longer than expected but I have had fun along the way and have heaps more ideas to experiment with.

​With this project I really wanted to make a zippered pouch with tabs. The zip is a recycled zip that I rescued from another project and the material is a combination of upcycled sheets and a scrap of fabric I found at school, of all places. It is lined and reversible.

Thankful Thursday: Each week I am going to be following my 30 Days of Thanks prompts. I would love you to join in. Why don't you print off the sheet and then colour in each hexagon as you go along. I am going to do one a week but you can do one a day if you wish. It is a great way to think broadly about all the things you are thankful to God for. Don't forget to be specific. Instead of big brushstroke things, think about the small, significant moments that bring you joy. Todays theme is family.

Today I am thankful to God for: having family close by, meals together, sleep overs, chats on the phone, shared memories, Mama cuddles, cheeky grins, neighbourhood walks, unconditional love, listening ears, support for crazy ideas, shoulders to cry on, gift of time spent together. ​

I would like to introduce you to Bel du Bois.  It has been such a delight to read Bel's interview. I can definitely relate to Bel when she said being still was difficult. Make sure you check out the special opportunities that are available at the Darling Downs Wellness Therapies.  The Grain Shed Retreat looks amazing! So inviting and peaceful. 

​Living simply looks different for different people. What does living simply look like for you?

A wise man once said to me “get rid of what you don’t need to make room for what you do need”. I often remind myself to make room for the deliberate act of disconnecting to allow for reconnecting….back to meeting those basic, intrinsic needs.


Do you have a specific interest that you like to focus on in the area of simple living?

​Sleeping well, preparing simple nutritious home grown, organic food and mindfully observing nature. Oh and I love filling my home with natural fibres. And I love to sweep….weird but true, so many parallels.


​Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey toward living a simple life. Was there a catalyst that led you to follow this path?

Moving to rural Queensland was the game changer in all of this, stepping back, holding that space and then starting again. Prior to this, I think I was a bit of a hyperconnected junkie, always wanting more; more knowledge, more energy, more busy, more connections, more opportunities.

I loved to learn and loved to ‘do’, being still was difficult, there was no balance. There’s no denying I still love learning, creating and doing but I’ve reclaimed a life that now enables me to prioritise, reorganise and make more conscious and informed decisions…. because I have finally realised, I actually have the choice to do so!  


What do you find challenging about trying to live simply?

Society, if we let it, has a focus on instant gratification and pressure to consume, live beyond our means and then get caught in the anxious loop of consumers guilt, with our homes full of ‘stuff’ and our lives bursting with continuous motion, mentally, physically emotionally, making us sick, overwhelmed and unsatisfied. I think the most difficult part of living simply is to break this cycle, ‘slow’ isn’t always simple but ‘simple’ will always encourage ‘slow’.

 
What are some of the benefits of this way of life for you?

Slowing down encourages me to be more aware of how I live and mindful of what I consume. This enables me to pause which allows me time to consider and leads to more conscious, meaningful choices which provokes a higher level of gratitude.


What simple pleasures bring you joy and help you to slow down?

Sitting on my deck with hot cup of tea with a home made ginger biscuit looking over the valley at sunrise or sunset………a beautiful slow yoga sequence up at the waterhole………a long slow walk through the bush with loved ones and all the dogs on a crisp autumn day.


Are there any podcasts, books, documentaries or websites that you have found helpful?

Book: STILL The Slow Home
Podcast: Outdoors is my Therapy


What is something new that you have done or learnt about in the last year?

I’ve just completed my post graduate studies in Nutrition which was completely amazing!


What would you like to learn about or do in the future?

Herbs and Chinese Medicine


If money or time were no option what would you like to do?

Travel the world and learn more about the ancient methods of Ayurveda  and buy a huge antique apothecary chest and fill it with all sorts of herbs, seeds, grains and ancient medicinal goodies!


If people would like to learn more about you and what you do, how can people follow you online or get in contact with you?
​
Website: www.darlingdownswellnesstherapies.org
Facebook/ Instagram - Darling Downs Wellness Therapies
                                   - The Grain Shed Retreat

Today I would like to introduce you to Prue Leyden-Smith.  Prue is an inspirational young mum who has learnt to sew and loves to upcycle second hand fabric and clothes. I love the jacket she made out of an old woollen blanket (pictured below) and her eclectic style. One of my favourite memories is drinking a cup of tea out of her gorgeous china cups.

Thanks for being my guest today.  I can't wait to see some of your fabulous upcycled creations in the future. 

​Living simply looks different for different people. What does living simply look like for you?

For me I try and think about my grandparents and the things I noticed about them and their lives.

Firstly having the best of things was not important, only replacing things if they couldn`t be fixed and reusing so many different things. One of my grandmas used to cut up all the old cereal and tissues boxes and use them as shopping lists.

Everything seemed to get as many lives as it could.

My other grandparents had 2 massive fig trees and to keep the birds away my grandad had built this structure all around a second hand hills hoist clothes line and anything else he could repurpose from the farm. They washed out every bottle they used and reused them as jam jars. When visiting people they would fill their car with jam and deliver to whoever they were stopping by.

For me now it was learning to mend my clothes, make clothes out of recycled fabrics and I always try and buy second hand wherever possible. Hand me down kids clothes are always a favourite.

I have tried even with my kids toys to buy as little as possible and always second hand when I can. Also buying things that are not a once use item. So we have wooden blocks, a dolls house and our Duplo collection gets hours of play. We still have old matchbox cars from when my husband was little too. They encourage big games and can be used for all sorts of play. 

I also try and enjoy my things. I have inherited a lot of china and I really do love using it daily, not just for special occasions.


Do you have a specific interest that you like to focus on in the area of simple living?

​Sewing!


​Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey toward living a simple life. Was there a catalyst that led you to follow this path?

I remember reading this fact on Facebook, that if 1 million women bought their next piece of clothing second hand so many tons of landfill could be avoided. It really struck a chord with me.

I do believe clothes and fashion are one of the biggest contributors to land fill. Poorly made, cheap fabrics have meant that clothes are just a throw away item and throw away is exactly what happens. Even at the op shop around the corner, they would fill a big skip bin weekly with clothes.

So this info lead me to try and change the stigma around op shopping and I started a little business called second hand hippy which I gifted to a friend before having my last baby. It made me rethink my wardrobe and my choices which then led to learning to sew.

I made myself pregnancy overalls, pyjamas for hospital and feeding all out of old sheets and a jacket made from a woollen blanket.

My love for reusing has grown.

I also have a beautiful denim shirt that belonged to my dad and I have worn it since I was a teenager and it has slowly started falling apart. The first patch was done by a friend and then the second by someone else. Now I only wear it on days I need to keep my dads memory close because it needs patching every time I wear it !!


What do you find challenging about trying to live simply?

I still find we have so much rubbish. It is really something we are trying to reduce by recycling our bottles as well as the soft plastics and chip packets etc. We have a scrap bin to feed to my sisters chooks.

We are also trying to be very mindful of how we pass things on. It is so easy to throw things in the bin. I now try to find homes even for broken things, passing my kids clothes on, cutting the day care ones up for rags - just trying to reuse whatever I can.

 
What are some of the benefits of this way of life for you?

I really have found I appreciate my things so much more by being mindful of what I buy and what I have kept. It makes for a very joyful, eclectic home.


What simple pleasures bring you joy and help you to slow down?

Sewing is my favourite pastime. I am always unpicking or mending or creating something or planning my next outfit!

I have really loved taking second hand items and making them into other things useful to me. I turned a dress I no longer fit into, into a big bag. Currently I took a piece off a garment I got for 50c at the opshop and have turned it into the front feature on a vogue dress I am making.


Are there any podcasts, books, documentaries or websites that you have found helpful?

For me there isn`t a lot of time for listening or reading at this stage in my life. But I am lucky enough to be surrounded by so many cool, inspirational women who are doing amazing things. Like obviously Margy, who I have done two workshops with now - the rag rug and slow stitching.

Sherie from Junk Made, who is my daughters art therapy teacher, recycles all sorts of things for art projects. It is pretty amazing.

I have some great friends who are talented sewers who make all kinds of things. Like my friend Catherine, who makes the most beautiful cushions out of retro tea towels.


What is something new that you have done or learnt about in the last year?

​Well currently we are designing and putting in plans to have a parade float in this years Carnival of Flowers. My mum has had her business float in the parade over the last 7 years prior to Covid and we were fairies on her float. This year my 11 year old daughter wanted her tie dye business to have it`s own float! We are very excited and hoping to use a lot of recycled materials to create massive flowers. I`m currently cutting out old bed sheets to tie dye for butterfly wings.

What would you like to learn about or do in the future?

I would really love to learn how to knit and crochet. 

I would also love to learn Kintsugi - the Japanese art of mending china with gold. I have a whole box of things to mend!


If money or time were no option what would you like to do?

That`s a pretty big question! For me I just want to spend my life doing and learning and creating with the people I love most and maybe be a famous singer one day - LOL.
​

​Thankful Thursday: "Thankfulness is a thread that can bind together all the patchwork squares of our lives. Difficult times, happy days, season of sickness, hours of bliss - all can be sewn together into something lovely with the thread of thankfulness" Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun.

​Today I am thankful to God for the many patches of my life: sharing the joy of contemplative photography, beautiful photos, meeting up unexpectedly with old friends, incredible sunset sky over the sea, a weekend away on the motorbike, discovering a fun place for breakfast, walking along the beach, Tommy drool, Caleb games, talks on the phone with Mum.