MAKING CONNECTIONS AND FIGHTING TEXTILE WASTE
HOW WE PLAY OUR ROLE
DONOR STORIES
CRAFT, CREATIVITY AND CORPORATE RESTRUCTURE
30-60% OFF SALE
Fabric of Society
WEAVING US TOGETHER
Welcome to our first bi-monthly issue of ZIGZAG.
In this issue you can read about our Christmas event that coincided with the 10th Anniversary of foundation of The Nest Community on 15 December 2014. It was also an opportunity to celebrate our first full year in Brendale - our biggest yet As I said on the night, it feels like we ’ ve finally come-of-age, confident who we are and financially stable.
Our transition from a grass roots organisation to a registered charity was the work of many women, in particular Kay Hallt, this month’s volunteer spotlight. In addition to sharing her creativity with us as a Nest volunteer, Kay’s professional experience in organisational change was invaluable
With operations in order, we ’ re ready to move beyond the walls of The Nest Haberdashery and help educate the broader community about our social impact through textile waste. Our article about the Slow Fashion Movement is an example of how we now want to support others that share our sustainability ethos
Judging by the flow of customers to The Nest Haberdashery over the Christmas break, holidays are definitely peak
season for craft and January brings an influx of donations. We’re always surprised, touched and honoured by the donations that come in and wanted to share just some of our donor stories with you.
Finally, make sure you save the date for our first ever Pattern Palooza As the name suggests, this ain't no ordinary sewing pattern sale. This is a rock-out, letloose festival of patterns where you can buy new, rare, retro, vintage, uncut and indie patterns for 30-60% off our already amazing Nest prices
As a Haberdashery that’s stocked by donation, we have a comprehensive range of patterns dating from pre-1940 through to current independent brands So make sure you get your sewing tribe together and make a day of it.
Oh what a year and oh what a night!
Celebrating a Decade of Connection Fighting Textile Waste
The Nest Community Inc was founded on 15 December 2014 with just 12 founding members ranging in age from 12 to 80. On the same day in 2024, we gathered to celebrate for many reasons Primarily, that we’d reached a 10 year milestone, but also that we’d had a mammoth first full year in Brendale where we’d processed 234,905 litres of donations, 40% of our total donations to date.
Many of our 120 dedicated volunteers gathered to create some festive cheer with our staff and loyal supporters like our Gold Patron Tim Mander MP and Michelle, one of our founding members. With a slideshow of memories on the big screen, there was a lot of chatter, reminiscing and pride in the room.
As a charity, our Christmas celebrations are usually low-key affairs but this year we lashed out with delicious paella. Of course the giving nature of our community shone through with husbands of volunteers stepping in to run the bar and Sarah Eaton (a daughter-in-law of one of the volunteers) baked our incredible anniversary cake
In fact, a lot of husbands of volunteers attended Perhaps a sign of how important The Nest is in their partner’s lives - or was it the paella?
10th Anniversary Speech
CEO ROZ HOLT
The Nest Community Inc was founded on 15 December 2014 with just 12 founding members ranging in age from 12 to 80. On the same day in 2024, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary, surrounded by many of our 120 dedicated volunteers, staff and loyal supporters. We’ve achieved a great deal, but building The Nest wasn’t easy.
Since 2014, we ’ ve self-funded $1.4 million to cover overheads, and acquired $360,000 in grants and donations for programs and facilities. This was achieved through relentless dedication, resourcefulness, and volunteer commitment
In Textile Recovery alone, volunteers have contributed a quarter of a million volunteer hours in addition to countless undocumented hours where volunteers and team members worked behind the scenes writing grants, organising rosters, cleaning or finding solutions to various challenges
The unseen acts of service mopping up flood water, processing donations at home, writing policies, and managing operations have been the backbone of our success This passion and unconditional giving is what has driven us forward.
The major hurdle that hampered our progress over 10 years was that we were a work-in-progress We didn’t have a
template and we were creating something completely new. At first, people donated all kinds of items, including furniture and food scraps! Volunteers spent many hours sorting and disposing of unsuitable donations
Fortunately, we ’ ve now come of age and in a recent customer survey, we had resounding feedback that people understood our mission and vision and could see how our programs demonstrate the value of what we do.
Today our social enterprise, The Nest Haberdashery supports five programs:
The Textile Recovery Centre
The Heritage Collection
Our Craft Stalls
Learn 2 Workshops that offer low-cost craft classes
Our mentoring program, The Exchange Project - also supported by Zonta, Tim Mander MP and funds from our Craft Stalls
This year we launched our new invigoration program - Stitch Together, that provides free resources and bursaries for the broader community, funded by a $50,000 grant from Community Bank Samford
10 years ago, when I had the idea to start selling excess textile donations we’d received for workshops, I never imagined that the idea would become more than just a financial solution for our organisation
The Nest Haberdashery quickly became The Nest’s heart and soul because it brought people together to share their love of making
Over the last 10 years our growth has always been organic, driven by public demand rather than ambition for growth itself Uprooting us from our ‘home’ in Everton Park to move to a commercial facility in Brendale in Sept 2023 was not a decision to grow the organisation, but rather to save it.
The move! Can we just talk about what a gargantuan feat of logistics. Not only did our volunteers pull together to make magic happen over many months and weeks, but it felt like the whole Moreton Bay community helped us
Lions Club Bunya often did odd jobs for us in Everton Park but the boys jumped in and helped move some of our trickier furniture pieces like our blackboards
Shift Buddies moved what we thought would be two-three truck loads of stockturned out to be nearly five Ministry of Handmade helped us to create customisable displays to cope with the variety of fabric rolls and donations we receive. And once again, volunteers’ husbands were also invaluable, giving us a hand where needed
responsible and compliant organisation, upholding our vision for a resilient community where people and resources are equally valued
In a recent audit with Volunteering Queensland, our Volunteer Program was highly commended. The volunteer space is moving toward accreditation and our work is being referenced as best practice Never underestimate what women who craft can do!
So, what do I hope for the organisation in the next 10 years?
Well, finally we can take a breath. The financial wolf is no longer at the door, and we have room to dream We know we will continue to advocate the power of intergenerational connection and embody the principles and ethics that brought us together
I’m so excited to see how the ideas we are piloting in Stitch Together help find more women who will continue our legacy, nurture the seeds we ’ ve planted, and help them grow and blossom throughout the broader community
Because, in the end, The Nest is not just about craft, it's about the beauty of community built on the strength of shared purpose so that together we can make incredible things happen.
The Impact of Our Social Interprise
since 2014
620,477 252,525
LITRES OF DONATIONS
167,116
METERS OF FABRIC RECLAIMED
VOLUNTEER HOURS
Over 10 years, The Nest has received the equivalent of 6 5 semi-trailer loads of textile donations. Collectively, our volunteers have contributed a whopping 29 years worth of time. They've reclaimed 167 km of textiles alone - enough to stretch from Brisbane to the Gold Coast. Demand for our services has dramatically increased. In 2024, we processed 234,905 litres, almost 40% of our total donations to date.
How Fabric Weaves Connections and Maintains Memories
The Nest’s mission is to connect women purposefully through craft We talk about how our volunteers apply their deep knowledge of craft and textiles to reclaim a resource that’s worth less than nothing and add value by repackaging it for sale
That’s a pretty operational way to explain what we do. The daily reality is much more emotional Whether it’s interactions from customers or conversations with donors it’s always the fabric that elicits the essence of what we do and why we do it.
A couple of years ago Robyn, one of our Haberdashery Co-ordinators shared a story with the team. Intriguingly the email subject line read: The unimpressive but emotional corduroy.
She said, “I found this vintage corduroy on the shelf the other day. It was the same pattern, just a different colourway to the one I'd made into a skirt when I was 12 and wore to a family event
Seeing this simple piece of fabric brought back all those memories and highlighted
to me again that this is the draw of textiles It's about family, memories and everyday life.
An hour later a lady bought the fabric and I shared my memories with her She said that corduroy held a special place in her heart as it reminded her of her Mum, who used to make them a new corduroy outfit every year for the local agricultural show
We talked about how many people share fond memories of their mother embroidering, knitting or creating something And they beam with pride This particular lady was in tears as she remembered her mother who had passed away 18 months prior and the outfits she’d made for her. It was a memorable moment A small example of why this work matters”
Over the last decade, we ’ ve had countless interactions like this with customers. But it’s the donor stories that are even more intriguing
When we opened our larger Brendale store we started receiving more deadstock donations from film and theatre companies, tertiary institutions, independent businesses closing down and local fashion brands like Skanties and Sacha Drake. But we also started receiving a semi-regular delivery all the way from Parkes, NSW The donor, Marcelle Armstrong, runs a quilt shop and found out about us on social media
Amazed by her generosity, we asked her why she took the trouble to send donations from such a distance
“I can see that my donations are appreciated. I love that you guys are teaching future generations the joy of making something with their own hands”
Marcelle’s Patchwork Cottage in Parkes, NSW.
We always experience an uptick in donations in January because the new year brings new resolutions to ‘clean up ’ This year we were stunned when a quiet young man brought us not one but four ute-loads worth of donations, travelling miles from the other side of Brisbane It was an extensive collection that was supremely organised with fabrics, patterns, buttons and even finished quilts. The work of a lifetime.
After a couple of unanswered messages, the young man finally passed us onto his Mum, who called back to fill us in.
“Mum worked as a secretary but she just loves anything to do with making She has moved into care but her house was like something out of Bridgerton Antiques, folk art, quilts, prints and paintings hung everywhere. At heart she was a collector and kept everything catalogued and stored neatly I haven’t found it yet, but she even has a registry where she notes where everything is kept.”
Again we were curious about the motivation behind packing up such a large collection and transporting it such a great distance Much of it could have gone to any number of Op-shops along the way. The donor said simply, “We wanted to give the collection to someone who would respect it”
The Nest Community’s vision is to build a resilient community where people and resources are equally valued. These stories demonstrate this dream in action
The Nest Community’s vision is to build a resilient community where people and resources are equally valued
How Do You Blend Craft, Creativity and Corporate Restructure?
MEET KAY HALLT
Growing up on a 5000 acre property, Kay was an active child When she suffered a hip condition, sewing was just one of the activities used to keep her immobilised and entertained.
“When I was six years old I was given a toy sewing machine by my grandmother I used to watch Mum sew. She used to sew everything, and was a milliner. I used the toy sewing machine then graduated to a treadle machine I bought my first sewing machine in my last year of uni – I made all my clothes for my first week of work. But I kept my toy sewing machine and it’s now on display in The Nest’s Heritage Collection ”
This early experience learning to work with her hands seems to have stayed with her and it’s what led Kay to become a Nest volunteer
About 5 years ago, while camping in St George, Central Queensland, Kay’s husband was meeting some other campers. He was asked “Where’s your partner?”
“Oh, she’s crocheting, doing something with her hands ”
Lucky for us, two Nest volunteers (Jenny and Robyn) were also camping and by Happy Hour had introduced themselves to Kay Inspired by what she heard, Kay signed up as a Nest volunteer in late 2020, when she returned to Brisbane.
“I asked how to volunteer – and those days it was very simple I was told to go upstairs, fill out a form, then it was pretty much ‘When would you like to start?’”
Because Kay has ‘dabbled in absolutely everything’ craft related, she’s a walking creative thesaurus for ‘Habby’ customers.
“I have a background in sewing, knitting, embroidery and crochet I’ve sewn for myself and my children – including ballet costumes. I’ve dabbled in – tapestry, cross stitching and recently Art quilts I’ve joined the Art Quilt Society and they do a challenge every month”
It’s not just Kay who shares her skills and inspiration in-store, Kay says she also gets a lot out of interacting with customers
I really enjoy being at the front door to meet customers and find out what they’re doing, how they heard about us. Recently a customer came in looking for a felting needle, she didn’t know what it looked like – but one of the other volunteers did. You learn something every day
Having volunteered at The Nest for several years, Kay knew first hand that the Everton Park house was starting to buckle under the public demand for reclaimed textiles Having run her own management consultancy, specialising in training, organisational development, change and career management Kay felt she could contribute more to help transition The Nest to become a registered charity She has been involved at board level since 2021 when she joined as an observer and currently holds the position of secretary.
“Because the Everton Park house was in need of repairs and access was causing issues, it was clear that a commercial premises was needed. The COVID closures allowed us to make changes to our structure and I helped review the charity’s governance Throughout the 18 month process of looking for a new location we maintained communication with our volunteers to take them on the journey with us I’m pleased to say that
when we moved to Brendale we had hardly lost any volunteers.” When asked what she gets out of being a Nest volunteer, Kay talks about the exchange that happens
“I’m thrilled to have been able to contribute my professional experience to help build The Nest into a strong, compliant organisation But working in The Nest Haberdashery I’ve had an awakening of how to use things differently from their original purpose.
Before I started at The Nest I just did watercolour painting Now I’ve found a way of incorporating fabric or thread to introduce 3D texture. The same goes for my Art quilts. I now paint the backgrounds with different dyes and inks, collaging fabric or hand stitching In my travels, I use these new skills to make postcards of the places I’ve been.”
Kay’s works are a celebration of colour, texture, and the craftsmanship of hand sewing & painting.
Kay’s ability to tie all her passions together is exemplified in a little project she trialled with other Tuesday volunteers She personalised her denim Nest volunteer apron and keeping with the avian theme, added an appliqué of a bird she’d drawn. She gave the others a copy of the drawing and in true Nest fashion, they’ve embellished their own aprons, with their own interpretation of ‘the bird’
You know what they say about birds of a feather.
How the Slow Fashion Movement is sewing the seeds forchange
GUEST ARTICLE by Meg Baresic
I might be alone in feeling this way, but I often loathe shopping for clothes. I love quirky and unique bits of clothing, and I love finding something that feels just like ‘ me ’ . But I’m often overwhelmed by the volume of choice and the idea that I must be on trend Thanks to a collaboration with The Nest, I’ve stumbled upon multi-purpose fashion retail spaces Practice Studio and Chev Lane, a salve in the world of slow fashion
Slow fashion is a movement that advocates for both environmental and social justice within the fashion industry. It’s a movement that focuses on designing, producing, and consuming sustainable and ethical pieces of clothing, and it’s a movement that’s here to stay. In 2021, Australia’s Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, put clothing textiles on the priority list for product stewardship Organisations within the industry are now required to take action to reduce the volume of clothing sent to landfill.
The Nest’s social enterprise, The Nest Haberdashery, is playing an increasingly important role in this fight to tackle textile waste. But with a rapid increase in donations they recognise that more needs to be done to
engage the broader community with the issue. The Nest CEO Roz Holt says “While we are making an impact, we can’t win this war on our own. We need to engage more people and educate them about the sustainable use of materials Collaborations with independent fashion retailers like Chev Lane and Practice Studio will help us reach the right audience and pave a path toward a more sustainable future ”
We need to engage more people and educate them about the sustainable use of materials.
Founded and run by Charlene, Chev Lane is a Brisbane-based online retailer that focuses on ‘celebrating slow, conscious fashion and art pieces’. With a background in fashion, marketing and creative direction, Charlene established the gallery and event space to promote slow fashion and drive creativity
“If I was going to enter the fashion industry in any way, I wanted it to have meaning,” she told me. Sharing her thoughts on the slow fashion movement, Charlene said, “There is so much meaning in fashion, and fashion is deeply embedded into our political views People within fashion are now trying to communicate conceptual ideas about different social issues which is really promising ”
In December, Charlene hosted a social sewing event, whereby long-time creatives and newbies alike were able to engage in the process of fashion-making, and receive advice from several designers
People within fashion are now trying to communicate conceptual ideas about social issues.
To support the event, The Nest loaned preloved sewing machines, allowing attendees to try sewing themselves.
The workshop was a huge success, with Charlene telling me that she’s had “ a lot of follow-up interest”.
Chev Lane “Visiting”
Concept Store
A pop-up exhibition celebrating emerging designers in the industry
Practice Studio
Kat Walsh’s Practice Studio is an incredible designer studio and retail store based in South Brisbane Her aim is to ‘help people reconnect with the value of thoughtfullymade garments by offering an insight into the design process. When I visited Practice Studio on a stormy day in December, the space offered a welcome relief from the wet and bustling cityscape outside A beautiful, creative and inspiring haven nestled between city storefronts, home to an endless array of sustainable clothing and unique jewellery collections
Last year, part of Kat’s studio was temporarily transformed into a space dedicated purely to the completion of unfinished craft projects The Nest supplied several UFOs (as they’re affectionately called) to help inspire visitors to pick up where someone else left off, with the collaboration tapping into a sense of nostalgia and the unrealised potential of unfinished craft projects
Speaking to Kat on the day of my visit, she told me that The Nest provided her with “beautiful, rare pieces that can be repurposed” Kat also shared with me that many of the designers who showcase their work at Practice Studio are frequently using materials from The Nest “All of the designers and artists are doing what they do because they love it, they’re passionate about it,” she said.
Chatting to Kat and walking through Practice Studio was an enlightening and inspiring experience Designers’ personalities (and passion!) were undoubtedly present throughout their designs. Talking to Charlene further cemented how important it is that organisations and designers alike continue to advocate for, and learn to embrace, the emerging world of slow fashion.
Seek out designers, makers, and shops that prioritise sustainability and transparency.
In Brisbane, a new cohort of young design creatives and shoppers alike are looking t embrace the slow fashion movement and more about the industry. Practice Studio, Chev Lane, and The Nest provide a safe a welcoming learning hub for people to do As the old adage goes, ‘ we can’t be wha can’t see ’ To truly facilitate meaningful so change, sustainable shoppers and emerging designers must be afforded spaces that continue to foster a love for slow fashion.
As someone who had not visited Practice Studio or Chev Lane before, I left both studios feeling motivated to learn more about the industry and how I can better support their missions.
If, like me, you ’ re wondering how you can shop more sustainably, Charlene has some helpful tips “Start by thinking about your relationship with yourself, your fashion and your identity. Fashion has always been a way for us to express who we are, ” she told me From there, we can attempt to be more mindful when considering where our clothes are coming from. “Seek out designers, makers, and shops that prioritise sustainability and transparency Find like-minded people both in-person and online who adhere to your values and ethos ”
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling more inspired than ever to source some sustainable fashion pieces!
30-60% party! Let’s
PATTERN PALOOZA
5-8 FEBRUARY
GLADYS MARY STUDIO
0433 805 987
info@nestcommunity org au
www.nestcommunity.org.au
2A/264 South Pine Road, Brendale, 4500
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.
