ZIGZAG June 2024 Issue No.1

THE VALUE OF A GOOD YARN

Cooler temperatures are short lived in Queensland so this month we’re celebrating everything to do with yarns and hope you’ll feel inspired to launch a new creative project.

Part of Australian slang, ‘to have a good yarn’ is understood as ‘to have a chat’. As you can imagine, working in a women’s organisation there’s no shortage of yarning!

A centuries old practice, First Nations people have used yarning circles to build respectful relationships, learn from a collective group and pass on knowledge and culture in a relaxed comfortable space

Yarn also refers to a length of interlocked fibres used for knitting, crochet or weaving. During World War 1, Australian women came together in knitting circles to make warm socks for soldiers These circles became a place to share their grief and fear or ease their loneliness

Part of social activism, yarn bombing is a way for crafters to express social, political and environmental concerns.

So, no matter which way you yarn, it’s all good.

COLLECTIVE ACTION TO TACKLE WASTE

By Kath Horton, Chair,The Nest Community Board

QUT senior lecturer, School of Design, Kath has taught in the Fashion discipline for over 15 years. Instigator of the Fashion Communication major, Kath is also research co-lead in TextileR that works with small to medium enterprise and community groups to solve critical sustainability issues in the global textile and fashion industries.

When anyone asks why I’m passionate about The Nest I say it’s because it takes a resource that is worth “less than nothing” and transforms it into a valuable commodity for the maker community. I’ll explain what I mean by talking about our Textile Recovery Centre and the circular economy.

All over the world, governments and local councils are talking about transitioning to a circular economy. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation defines it as “a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerate In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture and composting”

Local governments are trying to apply these principles to tackle our growing waste issue and help us find a more sustainable future.

Through The Nest’s Textile Recovery Centre, we are proudly building a circular textile economy in South East Queensland.

Each week, we receive 4000-5000 litres of textile-based donations plus equipment like sewing machines, knitting machines and overlockers These donations, while always gratefully received, come to us in an unsorted and random condition They need to be unpacked, sorted, assessed and repackaged, so that they can be sold through our retail outlet, The Nest Haberdashery.

This is where our talented volunteers come in Their brilliance in sorting is due to their expertise and knowledge of textiles, strong work ethic and commitment to our cause. The work of our volunteers is priceless – literally creating value to an undervalued resource.

To say that this work of sorting is transformative is an understatement

If our Textile Recovery Centre didn’t exist, it’s likely that most of our donations would end up in landfill, impacting the environment and at a cost (and loss) to the community.

By taking the time to work together and identify the value in these resources, our volunteers are not only providing low-cost crafting resources to the ever-growing crafting communities of South East Queensland, but they are also generating value for our local councils and governments, diverting these lovely textiles from landfill, preventing them from becoming ‘waste’.

There are many ways textiles can be reclaimed but The Nest has certainly pioneered a unique methodology here in Queensland based on one of its values that ‘People and resources are equally valued.

Not only does The Nest focus on recirculating materials, but harnessing the volunteers wealth of knowledge to develop systems and processes from folding, repackaging, presentation and sorting.

Being resourceful and crafty has always involved re-using, unpicking, upcycling and altering, with skills passed down across generations. Our volunteers intuitively have this resourcefulness by The Nest provides an opportunity for them to take collective action and tackle textile waste.

So yes, I find The Nest an inspiring, exciting and transformational place.

If our Textile Recovery Centre didn’t exist, it’s likely that most of our donations would end up in landfill, impacting the environment and at a cost (and loss) to the community

ABERDASH

4 5 6

Fur from $10/mtr | 2 Mohair skeins from $3 each | 3 Crochet cotton skeins from $2 each

Knitting needles FREE with every purchase | 5. Quilting Fabrics $8/mtr

Wool fabrics from $4/mtr

THE MAGIC BEHIND OUR BUTTON BAR

Sarah is one of our dedicated volunteers who puts so much love and passion into our Button Bar She loves volunteering and meeting people and when she saw a gap in our textile recovery process she said ‘I can do that!’

Without a good display, buttons can easily go unnoticed so in our new venue, the brief was that the Button Bar should be beautiful Sarah loves being our button lady because she can add her creativity to highlight the beauty of each button and perhaps inspire how they can add to an outfit.

When she volunteers Sarah spends 1-2 days a week sorting, cleaning, de-threading and packing buttons. It’s an ever-evolving process that includes making the cardboard tags from recycled cereal packets Those little plastic ‘spare button’ bags attached to new clothes are also repurposed in line with The Nest’s sustainability ethos.

Sarah has fond memories of going through her mum’s and grandma’s button boxes and is very respectful of collec donated to The Nest. Th buttons ma one of Sara style glass.

Some of the important vintage buttons Sarah identifies goes to our Heritage Collection, but the rest are available to buy

There are some ‘very dedicated’ button customers and she says ‘it brings me a lot of joy in finding a particular button or style that customers are looking for’. The Nest is a hive of creativity and Sarah loves that everyone wants to share what they plan to make with their Habby purchases. She recommends not to be shy if you need help choosing your buttons as there’s always a volunteer (or customer) on hand to help.

Sarah often wonders what the stories are behind button collections –Who bought them? What were they bought for – a project that never got made? Or were they just part of the infamous crafter’s stash? So many questions, and so many buttons.

If only buttons could talk.

When you next visit our Button Bar, think of Sarah who spends many hours doing something ‘I really enjoy’ giving new life to donated buttons.

THE IMPACT OF OUR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

J A N U A R Y - M A Y 2 0 2 4

7,742 METRES FABRIC RECLAIMED

29,620

9,513 CUSTOMERS SERVED VOLUNTEER HOURS

GLOBAL RECOGNITION

The Nest Community was first featured in Peppermint magazine in 2016 and it’s a great honour to be featured again on the cusp of our 10th anniversary

We are in awe of this stunningly beautiful publication that is Brisbane born and bred.

When Peppermint started in 2008, the word ‘sustainability’ was far from mainstream

Now a globally recognised publication, it builds authentically connected communities through inspirational storytelling and beautiful imagery.

BUY NOW

CRAFT STALL

When we were a newly incorporated association in 2014, The Nest relied on dedicated volunteers to manage everything themselves. Mostly it was being organised by our CEO Roz Holt’s mother, Gladys Foley At 83, she was a force to be reckoned with.

To cover overheads volunteers ran workshops, sold excess textile donations and at Glad’s suggestion, started making items to sell on a craft stall.

Using donated materials they made products that reflected our handmade living ethos and included old time favourites like knitted coat hangers, bowl warmers and crocheted hand towels - items that remain best sellers today

The craft stall not only remains as an important fundraising activity, but also demonstrates the skill and dedication of our volunteers.

Our next craft stall will be coming to Brendale for the first time and taking over the Gladys Mary Studio for four day from 3-6 July. Make sure you don’t miss out on grabbing some amazing handmade treasures

The studio was officially opened in December last year in honour of Gladys’ contribution. It not only houses our Heritage Collection but also hosts weekly visits from local high schools for our mentoring program the Exchange Project.

Where: The Gladys Mary Studio

Monday-Friday 10am - 2pm and Saturday 10am - 4pm

WANT TO LEARN A NEW CRAFT SKILL?

Hosted within The Nest Haberdashery, our Learn 2 craft classes offer a truly unique shopto-class experience As you enter the haberdashery your excitement will grow as you’re dazzled by the treasure trove of colourful reclaimed fabrics, buttons, and yarns waiting to ignite your creativity.

Since 2014, The Nest Community has shared hand-making skills with countless women as part of our sustainability ethos. Classes are facilitated by our Program Coordinators who not only oversee our resource recovery program but are also expert makers with years of experience.

Workshops use our reclaimed resources, helping us keep the price affordable at just $66 for a small group experience

The best part about learning at The Nest is that you become part of a vibrant community. Even after your workshop has finished, you can always drop by the haberdashery and chat to a volunteer to get a tip or expert advice.

Workshops use our reclaimed resources, helping us keep the price affordable at just $66 for a small group experience.

LEARN 2 WORKSHOPS

LEARN 2 SEW

Never touched a sewing machine? Can’t thread a needle? This class is perfect for beginners wanting to kickstart their crafting journey. With expert guidance you’ll learn the basics of setting up, operating a machine safely and completing simple stitching.

LEARN 2 KNIT

Knitting is a practical and creative craft that has been passed down through the centuries and can be picked up by anyone The repetitive rhythm of the clicking needles offers a welcome break from the haste of daily living.

LEARN 2 CROCHET

Unlock the art of creating beautiful pieces with just a hook and yarn Pick up basic chain stitch, progress to doubles and trebles and understand crochet terminology and patterns. Pretty soon, you’ll be independently making Granny square blankets at home.

We love seeing the happy smiling faces of people enjoying The Nest Haberdashery and appreciating the hard work of our volunteers do to tackle textile waste and provide low-cost resources for the maker community. We’re more than just a shop so make sure you follow us online and share your makes #nestmade

0433 805 987

info@nestcommunity.org.au www.nestcommunity.org.au

In sewing, zig zag is used when a straight stitch won’t suffice It reinforces edges and joins two working pieces together. Being able to step sideways and still move ahead is symbolic of how our organisation has evolved We’ve side stepped challenges but continued to do the things we love.

The zig zag pattern is symbolic of new potential and growth and we’ve always drawn on collective wisdom to create ideas to avoid repeating mistakes, firm in the knowledge that eventually we will be in the right place at the right time to make a positive difference to society.