Handmaker's Factory is a part of ING DIRECT’s Dreamstarter initiative which provides funding support to selected StartSomeGood campaigns. Dreamstarter is ING DIRECT’s way of getting behind some of Australia’s most inspiring go-getters who are eager to
make a positive change in Australian communities. Learn more about Dreamstarter at our website.
Help us to take our 'Mend It' workshops out of the studio and into the community
There was a time when most people knew how to repair their clothes or make things using raw materials, some basic tools and skills learned from their elders. Ever since fast fashion was introduced into our increasingly busy lives these skills have rapidly
decreased. How many people do you know that can sew a button back onto a shirt? Or knit their own sweater? Why would they bother when they can buy a new readymade one so cheap?
We plan to take our free 'Mend It' workshops on the road via a custom fit truck. Think gastro food truck but instead of offering food we offer sewing machines, equipment and supplies to assist people to give their mending pile a new lease on life!
Why mend?
Mending is not a new concept; people have been doing it in some shape or form for years but with the arrival of disposable fashion and busy lives mending became a chore and was mostly forgotten about. Why would anyone want to spend their time making or mending
something when garments are so cheap? Here lies the problem, the textile industry is among the largest creators of waste. Cheaply made fashion intended to last a season then be thrown away is a huge contributing factor to the way our world is today. There
are many positive reasons to mending what we have.
- Contribute less waste to landfill
- Reduce our global footprint by limiting our consumption of goods to what we have
- Learn new skills such as sewing
- Get creative and customise our wardrobes to suit our own personal tastes
- Save money
Every time you purchase a reward you are helping us to offer these free workshops to the community. The 'Mend It' truck enables us to show people what can be done to make a change. Individually that change may seem small but together we can make a huge difference
one mending pile at a time!
Our plan
We plan to offer a bunch of free Mend It workshops around Melbourne over the course of 6 months. The more we raise the more workshops we can teach. These workshops will be offered to venues such as schools, councils, markets, shopping centres and other community
venues. We will have a form on our website where submissions can be made for Mend It workshop locations.
To bring this plan to life we need to raise funds to cover the cost of a vehicle, equipment such as sewing machines, tools and supplies, fixtures and fittings, insurance, gas and workshop facilitator costs.
Our impact
Testimonials from past participants:
“After coming off a design job for Old Navy where my expense account for purchasing ‘inspiration’ was in the $10,000 range, I realised I had developed quite an unhealthy shopping habit. It was you that helped me kick it. I find so much more joy out of creating
something ‘from nothing’ and finding ways to make clothes last longer for my entire family. So, thank you!” Carrie
“You completely changed my way of thinking. I started sewing more; shopping less and with each project I gained more confidence. Now when I’m out shopping I look at clothing and think ‘I could totally make that! I’m not buying it!’ I honestly attribute much
of my recent sewing time and gained confidence from participating on your website.” Dana
‘Our residents loved the workshop so much they want it to become a regular event! We had lots of different people come along, from young people to old, and even a few blokes! They all appreciated the opportunity to get some help and advice and with the
machines all set up sewing was made so easy for them. There was a definite buzz in their air, and not just from the sewing machines!’ Monash City Council
"I can honestly say you changed my life several years ago....I always believed in the philosophy but thought Iacked the talent. I hardly ever buy new clothing, my kids also love remaking things, and it isn't a proper gift giving occasion at our house without
a handmade present." Deborah
Rewards
We have some fantastic rewards to choose from. If you are in Melbourne or plan to visit a voucher towards a workshop is a great choice. For those of you not in Melbourne who still want to support what we are doing you can reward yourself with a PDF sewing
pattern, a handmade garment (made with my own two hands!) or a mending kit so you can get started on your own mending pile!
Everyone who purchases a reward will also receive a shout out on twitter @hm_factory and regular email updates of our progress no matter which reward is chosen.
Check out our list of rewards in the side bar. They will make great Christmas gifts for family and friends and while some of our rewards may not be ready in time for Christmas we will send out an email with details of the reward and when to expect them.
Every time you purchase a reward you are assisting us with offering these free workshops to the community. The 'Mend It' truck enables us to show people what can be done to make a change. Individually that change may seem small but together we can make a
huge difference!
Want to keep up with our progress? Follow us!
twitter: @hm_factory
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HandmakersFactory
Instagram: handmakersfactory
