Craft it for the Cats - Help Save Singapore Cat Museum!

Last year we welcomed a kitten, AJ, into our family. He was 6 months old and so tiny, and had been found abandoned with his siblings in a construction site. When we were deciding whether to get a pet, I had my reservations because I did not know how a cat would fit into my creating schedule. I had fabric, thread and yarn everywhere, and I did not have my own studio. My son had already told me that thread scraps are dangerous to pets, and I needed to make arrangements to accommodate the kitten. So before we formally adopted AJ, we had to cat-proof the whole flat. This meant putting up mesh on the windows to prevent him from leaping out from the 10th floor, and putting away all my art stash!

AJ has settled into our home and he's now 2 years old. He loves to hop behind the sewing machine and lie there watching the needle move up and down. I think he likes the whirring sound of the machine. Other times he will play with the t-shirt yarn although there was one time I realised that he had run off with a ball of it and hoarded it under the sofa!

“Save the Cat Museum – 100 Days of Hope”

AJ was adopted from the Singapore Cat Museum, a volunteer-run sanctuary for rescued strays, and also an adoption centre to re-home the rescued cats.  They have been operating out of their current premises at Purvis Street, Bugis for close to 3 years but come June 2018, they will be forced to close down.  They are now hoping to find a new permanent home before then and they need our help!

Craft it for the Cats - Upcycle Your T-shirt into a Statement Necklace

So, I decided to host 2 workshops on 4th March, and 50% of ticket sales will be donated to the Cat Museum.  Learn how to turn old t-shirts into yarn, finger knit them into your own statement necklace, and at the same time help the Singapore Cat Museum. Sign up here.  Hope to see you all there!

This workshop is in partnership with CDL, Singapore Sustainability Academy and Taikensonzai. It is also part of the EcoBank 2018: Save Our Stuff campaign.

Update: We raised $357.95 for the kitties at The Singapore Cat Museum. If you would like to contribute financially to their work, please visit their website. 

Preserving Tradition - Block Printing & a Wedding Dress

When communities started to weave their own fabric, they realised colour could be added to the yarn or thread through various natural dye techniques. Intricate and colourful patterns were incorporated into the textiles by the artisans, each one telling a story through their hands. Weaving colour, however, has limitations when creating more complicated patterns, and eventually block printing (which was originally used to print text) was applied.

Block Printing

Block printing is traditionally achieved through carved woodblocks. If the artisan is planning on printing different colours on the fabric, the same pattern would have to be cut many times onto separate woodblocks - each block would have different parts cut out where the colour was not required.  Once the blocks are completed, they are then cured in oil to ensure that they are waterproof.

Fifth Generation Block Printing Artisan

My friend and I got the chance to try out block printing at Matter's block printing workshop in November last year. Fifth generation block printing artisan and Matter artisan partner, Khushiram Pandey, was flown in from India to share his expertise.  For those of you who are not familiar with the brand, Matter is a Singapore-based socially motivated fashion brand and work with artisanal communities around to produce designs inspired by tradition.

From the session, I was amazed to learn that the journey from creating the print design to eventually transferring the dye to the fabric could take up to several weeks to complete.  It would be so much easier and cheaper to use silk screen printing instead, but coming from a long line of artisans, Khushiram is passionate about preserving the traditional craft of block printing. 

Being a textile lover, I was very excited to learn. I had chosen to print on a silk-cotton blend scarf. Although we were not able to use natural dyes (as what Khushiram usually uses) or carve our own blocks,  we did get to explore the many woodblocks he had brought to the workshop.

Block Printing is Not Easy

Block printing is not easy - I hear your inner child shout, "But didn't we all block print with potatoes when we were children?".   Block printing is an art form. There are many elements to perfect:

• Design - I stood in front of my square for quite a long time before I decided on the design I wanted. With so many block print designs to choose from, I didn't want to go overboard and end up with a kitsch look.  
• Preparing the dye - one of the key components to block printing is ensuring the dye is of the right consistency. It was the first time I had seen dye seeped through a cotton and bamboo mat. Kushiram explained that this was important to ensure an even amount of dye coated the block.
• Technique - Khushiram demonstrated how to dip the block into the pre-soaked mat of dye and the technique used to get a clean print. You could not be too heavy handed with the printing and he suggested that we practise a few times on the mat before working on our piece.

Incorporating the Scarf into My Wardrobe

I was very happy with the outcome of the workshop, and not to mention I learned something new.  As you can see from the photos, I settled for dots, triangles and lines. I was already thinking about how to incorporate it into my wardrobe. Eventually, I settled on upcycling my mother's wedding dress with the scarf.

Preserving Tradition - Wedding Dress

My parents got married in the seventies. It was the era of platforms, lace and balloon sleeves. My mum made her wedding dress and kept it for me. Unfortunately, the style was not right for my wedding but I decided to upcycle it (30+ years later and yes, I did as my mum's permission!). There is so much fabric on this dress to use that I made myself a top and I still have enough to make another.

This dress has a lot of memories - I took it out again from the wardrobe and spotted some confetti from the occasion.

The top that I made was slightly boat necked and had bat sleeves. I only had enough of the scarf to make the front part of the garment, but fortunately I was able to use the wedding dress material for both the back and front panels.

It's so lovely to have a garment that's block printed and upcycled from a wedding dress! It definitely gives preserving traditions a new meaning. Here I am in my new top paired with Matter pants. Stay tuned to see what happens to the other half of the wedding dress.

Wander Responsibly in Singapore

Fashion Revolution is happening very soon but it's difficult to know what your sustainable fashion options are when we are known as a shopping paradise (did you know that we had more than 150 malls on this tiny island of ours?). At the beginning of the year, I was invited by ProjectJUST to share Singapore's sustainable options in a city guide. I had some doubts about how much Singapore has to offer as last year's research had only revealed a handful of businesses in this niche area. But this year I was pleasantly surprised by how much the market has grown. Let's hope that sustainable goes mainstream!

Read the city guide and wander responsibly! I hope you enjoy this beautiful city as much as I do.

Who are ProjectJUST?

ProjectJUST an online platform that reviews fashion brands for their supply chain ethics and sustainability. Extensive research is conducted, covering four approaches - self-reported information by the brand, 3rd party reports (e.g. NGOs), media reports and coverage, and finally seeking direct input from the brand. The work is transparent and available on their site for the public to review.  If you don't see a brand on the site, you can make a request. Hop over to ProjectJUST now and see how it can empower you not only to make conscious consumer decisions but influence the industry towards positive practices.

Vintage Part 2 - 8 Tips on How to Take Care of Vintage Clothing

Last week, I interviewed Jasmine Chee of Dark Horse Vintage and she shared with us what vintage is and her 6 tips for buying vintage clothing. It's all done and good if you've invested in one such garment, but how do you care for it and stop it from deteriorating in Singapore's hot weather! A few years back I had shared my tips on making clothes last longer, but a little extra care is needed with vintage pieces as Jasmine explains. 

Laundering Tips

#1 Handwash is Best

Vintage garments tend to be very delicate especially if they are handsewn or are tailored from fragile or fine fabrics such as silk or chiffon. Handwashing will prolong the garment and minimise the friction of the fibers during the washing.  Jasmine says that if in doubt do approach a dry cleaner who has experience with delicate wear.

#2 Cold Wash

If you don't have time to handwash, then pop the garment into a laundry bag before putting it into the washing machine. Set the machine to COLD and low spin. Hot water will soften and damage the fibers. If the garment is very wet, avoid spinning at high speeds, and instead lay it flat on a towel and roll it up to squeeze out excess water. 

#3 Knits Dry Flat

Ever hung up a knitted garment and found it drooped by the end of the day? The best thing is dry it flat on a rack. Again, squeeze out excess water with a towel as in #2.

#4 Avoid the Sun

That's if you have colourful prints on your vintage garment - the colours will fade. Otherwise, if it's white then use sunlight to naturally whiten your whites. 

#5 Dry Inside Out

I always have an issue with my family not turning their clothes the right way around before putting them in the laundry basket. But, Jasmine says it is a good thing because the fibers on the right side won't be damaged as much. OK!

Storage Tips

#6 Hang or Fold?

Jasmine advises to fold delicate or knit vintage garments rather than hang them. 

#7 Acid Proof Paper

Acid proof paper helps protects your vintage clothing and apparently, it slows down their disintegration. 

#8 White Peppercorns

Yes, the little white tangy seeds are useful not only in the kitchen but in our wardrobe too. Jasmine says this old technique was used before moth balls were invented. These natural moth repellents can be bought in any spice store or supermarket. Just put a small handful of seeds into a sock or tissue and slip them between the clothes. Depending on the humidity, the peppers will have to be replenished once the peppery smell goes. Please be careful that you don't end up buying black seeds or else your garments will be stained. If you are living in colder climates then the best thing would be to use lavender or rosemary.

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Vintage Part 1 - 6 Tips for Buying Vintage Clothing

A few weeks ago I was reading Clothing Poverty by Andrew Brooks. One of the things that stood out was how people today perceive clothes that are passed on and resold. How the garments are regarded and valued is very much dependent on how they are presented and labeled to the consumer.  What do you think qualifies as secondhand clothing?

Secondhand or Vintage?

Most people would not give secondhand clothing another chance - "secondhand" gives the impression of being very old, worn out and not properly taken care of. 

"Secondhand" by definition means an item having had a previous owner.  By the same token, "vintage" would then be considered secondhand. So why is vintage's perceived value much higher than secondhand clothing in general? If an item from a thrift store was sold at a vintage shop or labelled as "vintage", would the consumer regard it more highly? I spoke to Jasmine Chee of Dark Horse Vintage to find out what vintage really means and what to look out for!  This is Part 1 of a two part series on Vintage. Look out for the 2nd part next week!    here.

A Treasure Trove - Dark Horse Vintage

This little gem is nestled right in the heart of Arab Street (31 Arab Street to be exact) and I chanced upon it when I was visiting their upstairs neighbour, Touch the Toes. When I first met Jasmine she had on the full works of a vintage lover - rolled hair, bright red lips, and an unforgettable outfit! Here she is:

Jasmine Chee, Dark Horse Vintage [Image credit: Dark Horse Vintage]

Addicted to Vintage

I'm not a vintage addict (handmade and upcycled is more me) but Jasmine is and her journey began during her student days in London where the vintage culture is big. Her initial reaction was "eeew, secondhand", but she slowly embraced the unique beauty of the prints and textures that came with vintage clothing, and today, over half of her wardrobe is vintage. Jasmine says she is now very comfortable wearing vintage, although sometimes she mixes and matches vintage with contemporary pieces.

It wasn't long after finishing her fashion and textile studies that she returned to Singapore and decided to set up Dark Horse Vintage in 2012. She initially took a cautious approach by operating as a pop-up, but this gradually grew as Singaporeans responded warmly to her offerings, and by 2015 she had set up a brick and mortar shop in the heart of Bugis.

How Would You Define Vintage?

I think we all get confused by the terms, but Jasmine gave me the low down and put it simply as:

1. Vintage:  more than 30 years old so we are talking about before the early 80s
2. Antique: at least 100 years old
3. Secondhand: from 2 seasons ago or something from 2 - 3 years ago

So from these definitions, vintage is not secondhand, but secondhand would eventually become vintage!

What Do We Look Out for in Vintage?

Sometimes, you will find the word "vintage" pop up in marketing campaigns or even in retail outlets purporting to be selling vintage garments. Jasmine advises us to avoid these as most of the time they are mass produced to look like vintage, but wait, what do we look out for when we would like to purchase an authentic vintage garment? Here are Jasmine's top tips:

#1 Styling - vintage styles are conservative, which means no plunging necklines, no sleeveless tops and no rising hemlines. We are talking about prim and proper with high necklines, collars and sleeves.

Modest necklines

#2 Silhouette - modesty rules when it comes to the silhouette and we definitely won't see very tight ones in a vintage garment.

#3 The Little Details -  remember to always look on the inside of the garment - look at the finishing and you might find that the item is handmade and sometimes made without a sewing machine; look for good tailoring. Vintage items usually have metal zippers, large seam allowances to enable adjustments in the future (ie. wider girth!) and good finishings like French seams. 

Hand sewn

#4 The Print - the type of print will indicate which period the piece is from. Very fine details in the print usually means that the fabric was printed with machine rather than painted by hand. 

Colourful prints

#5 Read the Labels - if it's handmade it won't have a label but if it does, read it carefully. Things to spot are where it was made in (ie not in a developing country), and use of natural materials (synthetics were not as common then and more expensive) and no blends,  

#6 Rich History - vintage doesn't look all the same as there are many defining periods, and history brings a different look to each one.

20s/30s was influenced by jazz and art deco. By the 40s we were at war and because of rationing, styles were limited to simple and less voluminous looks (ie no pleats).  The 50s gave way to more feminine looks, and by the time we reached the 60s fun and youthfulness was back in with the mod look. The 70s was all about maxis and the hippy look. 

Why Buy Vintage?

"You're buying into history", Jasmine Chee

Not only are you buying into the history, but you are becoming part of the garments story and enriching its narrative. Each vintage piece is one of a kind and exclusive to you - no more embarrassing moments in the office Christmas dinner! You are also buying something that is of good quality and has detailed finishing that you won't be able to find in today's retail outlets.

Clothes with Stories

My favourite moment of the interview was when Jasmine showed the stores vintage qipao / cheongsam and kebaya pieces and the stories behind them. Each piece was tailored and made from beautiful textiles. I learnt how each one was from a different time -  high collars for modesty in the 50s to the lower collars and less tight fitting bodices for the roaring 60s. What got me intrigued though was how did these pieces remain immaculate!

Want to know how to take care of your vintage clothes? Stay tuned for next week's post where Jasmine shares her tips in Part 2 of this post. 

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Want to know how to take care of your vintage clothing? Check it out here. 

Disclaimer  - this post is not sponsored and all views are my own.

Sharing the Message of Reconnecting with Your Clothes

These past few months have been crazy. Not much sewing or upcycling, mostly more sharing!

Sharing is good.

Sharing means getting more people to understand what you are doing.

Sharing means opening up your heart.

I was recently interviewed by Channel News Asia (thank you, Lianne!) and the response to the interview was very positive. Rewind 3 years back and the response to an interview then was extremely lukewarm - people didn't understand why I would want to pick up a needle and thread to upcycle my wardrobe.  I am amazed by how the whole environmental movement in Singapore has transformed.  People are starting to realise that it all starts with them!

We now have so many ground-up initiatives, and just last week we had the Singapore Eco Film Festival. Being on the panel discussion on Minimalism, it was amazing to see so many people were eager to know how to incorporate environmental actions into their lives. 

(L to R : Olivia Choong, Kevin Teng, Ng Hui Ying, Agy)

The movement is even spreading into our schools. My good friend, Lara of Secondsguru, organised a sharing session on sustainable fashion with the UWCSEA Dover Parent Teacher Committee. I do hope people see the need for reducing their consumption, caring for their clothes and finally making do with less.  It would be interesting what the environmental scene is like in another 3 years. Watch this space!