ROLLING FOR GOOD
THE NEW ERA OF DONATED GOODS
THE GIFT OF VOLUNTEERING CAN PAVE THE WAY TO OPPORTUNITY + VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION AWARDS
MEET CASSANDRA STEELE THE NEST HABERDASHERY’S GREATEST VINTAGE EVENT YET
Many Hands Taking Small Actions to Build a Stronger Future
CEO INTRODUCTION
In March I was looking forward to speaking at an International Women’s Day [IWD] event organised by Zonta, Pine Rivers - when a cyclone called Alfred got in the way! The IWD theme for 2025 is "March Forward" - turn promises into progress - commitments into actions
Had the event taken place I was going to show a film project we ’ ve worked on that explains how The Nest Haberdashery is the heart of the organisation It fits perfectly with the IWD theme because the film captures how the actions of our volunteers' have helped us make progress from a grassroots organisation to a registered charity Our volunteers don’t just process donations, they connect with each other, donors and customers alike, continually building an interconnected community of like-minded people. That’s our strength
Last year we acknowledged several women in our Volunteer Appreciation Awards, not only to recognise their commitment, but to inspire others to take action and get involved In this issue you can read about Maya, who at 18 years old is one of our youngest volunteers by about 20 years. She is a great example of how volunteering can be the first step to something bigger
Knowing who we are and understanding our niche has always been essential to our success. In this month’s article ‘Transforming generosity: the new era of donated goods’ we talk about the growth of the Charitable Reuse Recycle Sector We can’t do it all But the things we do, we do exceptionally. Compared to secondhand clothing that loses value once it's donated, we are adding value through the unique way we recirculated preloved textiles
Which brings me back to our film project. Words often aren’t enough, so if you ’ re curious about what we do, you can see us in action I hope you enjoy it
ADDING VALUE TO TEXTILE WASTE
Textile Therapy and Team-building all Rolled into One
In November 2024, thanks to a $50,000 grant from Community Bank Samford [part of Bendigo Bank] we launched Stitch Together, The Nest Community’s invigoration program. Designed to stimulate broad community participation in textile recovery it includes our Turbo Rolling Bee initiative
This initiative has been designed to encompass various objectives. Firstly it enables us to keep up with the demand for processing textile donations so that we can recirculate more low-cost, quality resources back into the community. It also aims to educate groups about what is involved with reclaiming textiles and what it’s like volunteering at The Nest Finally, by rewarding groups with a $500 Nest Haberdashery voucher we are amplifying our social impact by getting low-cost textile resources to the people that could benefit from them like schools, tertiary design institutions and community groups
One of our first Turbo Rolling Bees was with Nest Volunteer Julie. Through her business Ministry of Handmade, a dozen customers were keen to get involved.
Julie and her team decided to pay-itforward and give the voucher to the local Girl Guides in Moreton Bay.
We were curious to find out how the voucher was used when Peggy Campbell, Senior Girl Guide Leader in the North Brisbane Region, came into The Nest Haberdashery with the voucher in hand. Luckily, Julie was volunteering the same day and helped Peggy and Virginia select a mountain of polar fleece fabric, which they use to make knee rugs for aged care, baby wraps and children’s quilts.
We have really been enjoying seeing the variety of groups coming forward to participate in this initiative In February we had ladies from Mount Tamborine Creative Arts complete a session as well as the Country Women’s Association [CWA] Samford Both thoroughly enjoyed their time and CWA Samford let us know that they will also pay-itforward and give the voucher to Southbank TAFE for their Fashion Design students
In the coming months we have a book club and student theatre group keen to participate
It’s wonderful to see the impact of Turbo Rolling Bees evolving and thanks to the overwhelming support we ’ ve received we are thrilled to announce that we have extended applications until December 2025.
LEARN MORE
Transforming Generosity: the New Era of Donated Goods
My friend was recently stopped at the door of a large Charity Clothing Op Shop The secondhand play clothes that ‘still had some life in them’ were turned away
“We can’t accept old play clothes because you can buy them cheaper at Kmart than we can sell in the op shop”
That one line. It sums up our societal dilemma. We are addicted to the affordability and variety of fast fashion, but our eco-consciousness doesn’t allow us to just throw it in the bin when we want to dispose of it If we can’t sell it or pass it on, why can’t we donate it to charity?
The answer lies in the evolution of Charity Shops
During the global economic depression of the 1890s, charity stores emerged as a way to give low-income earners access to goods Clothing manufacturing then was more like what we aspire to as Slow Fashion today. Garments were produced in small quantities, purchased as an investment and cared for as such More significantly, more clothes were home made, repaired and refurbished Donated goods were expected to be less than perfect.
As recently as the 1940s, clothing and textiles were still recognised as a limited resource In response to the Second World War, the British Government
launched their Make-do and Mend scheme to reduce the rate of clothing consumption, conserve resources and respond to the rising cost of living
As a more affluent middle class emerged, buying from a Charity Shop had a stigma In Australia during the 1920s, former Melbourne showgirl, Lady Millie Tallis coined the term Op Shop as a more dignified term than Opportunity Shop. Even so, secondhand clothing was still viewed as inferior.
A shift in reputation started in the 1960s with the emergence of youth culture People trawled Op Shops to adorn themselves in vintage finds, a stance of non-conformity More recent trends like Shabby Chic and now Eco-Consciousness have created demand and forced thrift stores to ‘ up their game ’ and adopt merchandising strategies similiar to large firsthand fashion brands.
We are addicted to the affordability and variety of fast fashion
Today the Charitable Reuse Recycling Sector is enormous Charities big and small [The Nest included] rely on raising revenue through the sale of donated goods. What has emerged is the concept of ‘saleability’. Using our earlier example, to accept a donation of preloved play clothes would not be saleable for a charity simply because it could be bought new for less. If a charity was to accept it, they would need to dispose of it and incur a cost to either dump it or have a third party recycle it
Unlike donated funds, charities today need to be discerning in what donated goods they accept and it has a lot to do with overwhelm
A recent study revealed that every 10 minutes 6000 kilos of textiles and clothing end up in landfill in Australia. The charity sector is overwhelmed with just 1% of the donated garments being recycled
Our organisation is tiny compared to other charities, but we too feel the pressure In the last 10 years we ’ ve processed 620,477 litres of textile donations. In the last 12 months, we processed 234,905 litres of donations through our Textile Recovery Centre, which represents 40% of our totals to date
It was a big year and demand for our services continues to grow Thanks to our incredible community of donors that follow our donations guidelines, we are able to recirculate as much as 70% of the 5000 litres of donations we receive weekly By comparison, an Australian study has revealed that of all the clothing processed by the Charitable Reuse Recycling Sector, as little as 16.5% is sold in a charity shop and just 0.4% is given as welfare.
Unlike receiving a finished garment, we can achieve such high percentages of recirculation because we add value to the textile donations we receive. A box of jumbled trims are untangled and rewound onto boards. Unfinished projects are checked and repackaged Deadstock is re-rolled into domestic quantities This is all thanks to the skill and knowledge of our volunteers.
Unfortunately in the fight against clothing and textile waste little will change until manufacturers embrace a circular economy and ‘do the right thing’ by taking responsibility for the sustainability and disposal of their own product Until then, the search for the best disposal option rests with consumers
The Nest Community may not be able to ‘do it all’ when it comes to reclaiming textiles, but we believe that we are helping change mindsets around textile consumption Stitch Together is our
boldest program yet, designed to invigorate the broader community through partnerships, support and engagement.
With craft and hand making at its core, we are making that fight against textile waste a communal rather than an individual responsibility
The Gift of Volunteering Can Pave the Way to Opportunity
MEET MAYA MCCARTHY
Nest volunteer, 18 year old Maya is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Fashion Design degree at QUT She has volunteered with us at different times over the last 12 months, working regular shifts in our Textile Recovery Centre and within The Nest Haberdashery serving customers She is our youngest volunteer by nearly 20 years
“I feel very fortunate to have been able to volunteer with such an upbeat, positive, inspiring group of ladies At first I was very nervous as I was so young, but every single one of them took time to get to know me and talk to me which made me feel very welcomed”.
While Maya has a costume designer Aunt and a cousin who works in fashion, her choice to study Fashion Design was more based on wanting to ‘do something different’ to hospitality where she works part time For many young people the journey to finding a vocation is difficult Traditionally apprenticeships and traineeships helped ease the transition from school to workforce by giving students practical skills and a taste of working life However statistically, Tertiary Education provides a pathway to higher paid jobs. The downside being that on average, students finish an
undergraduate degree with a debt of $30,000
Prospects are even more challenging when entering Creative Industries such as fashion That’s why a support network is so important for young women like Maya and is where The Nest can make a difference.
“By volunteering at The Nest I’ve learnt life lessons and feel more at ease to take my time after school to figure things out I feel as though we are pushed onto this timeline where we need to get a full time job or start uni straight after high school but it's okay to break these norms and figure out what you are really interested in Even though I really love fashion [my current course] I am considering changing to an Art Therapy degree. You need to experiment”
Intergenerational connection has always been at the core of everything The Nest does and we welcome the diversity of perspectives and experiences that young people can offer our team Their fresh ideas and energy, combined with the wisdom and knowledge of our existing volunteers creates a dynamic and collaborative environment.
Where we can, The Nest is committed to offering opportunities to young people as part of our vision to build resilient communities where people and resources are equally valued Young people are our future and they deserve our support, so we were thrilled when Maya accepted a paid role as Junior Coordinator to help meet peak demand in the Haberdashery on Saturdays.
By volunteeringat The Nest
I’ve learnt life lessons and feel more at ease to take my time after school
Other volunteers from Maya’s Friday team shared our enthusiasm:
'It's been lovely to work with a young lady who is thoughtful and kind to ladies who are decades older than herself. She is a great team worker and enjoys a good laugh with us It's wonderful to see Maya taking on the role of junior co-ordinator '
'It is wonderful to work with an enthusiastic and cheerful young person who brings a youthful perspective to our team '
'She is always willing to take any role asked of her. She has a friendly and gentle disposition who worked very collaboratively with fellow volunteers I hope things go well for her on the Saturday shift.'
While Maya is unsure where her studies will take her, through her volunteer experience she has connected with other like-minded people and been exposed to new ideas that will sustain her through life.
“I feel as though I’ve gained a wider sense of purpose and fulfillment through listening to the ladies’ stories whether it was about their traveling days (as I travelled overseas in my gap year) or reminiscing about their childhood or early adulthood days Through storytelling I’ve learnt from older generations about cultural traditions, values and ways of life when they were younger and how we have changed since then as a society”.
Acknowledging Outstanding Contributions
The Nest Community is built on the skill and giving nature of our dedicated team of volunteers By lovingly sorting, repackaging, labelling and rolling the 5000 litres of donations we receive each week, our volunteers ensure that these valuable resources find new homes with Makers who will truly appreciate them
During our 10th Anniversary celebration in December last year we gave 17 Volunteer Appreciation Awards, with each recipient receiving a $100 Nest Haberdashery voucher as a token of appreciation The awards serve as an inspiration to others and are an important aspect of initiatives we are rolling out through our Stitch Together program
The first group included women who have been with us for years, enabling our growth from a small community into the thriving organisation we are today.
Jacqueline Wilson
Pauline Stockwell
Kerry Currey
Sharon Oldfield
Maryanne Hambrecht
Chris Eaton
We also acknowledged a second group of women who have also dedicated significant time and effort to the organisation, but it was their positive attitudes, unwavering support and dedication that truly set them apart.
Marisa Bosch
Gill Gillon
Peggy Casson
Glenys Cadman
Sue Biggs
Robyn Laurie
Trish Edmonds
Sarah Fraser
Christina Ashburner
Finally, we also made special recognition of Barbara Landels and Kay Hallt, both of whom continue to do weekly shifts in The Nest Haberdashery but are also current Board members
Barbara also works tirelessly behind the scenes at home, writing grants and articles to support us Kay’s most impactful work has been ensuring our organisation’s compliance, a critical role that carries immense responsibility and hours of dedication to fulfill it.
Barbara Landels receiving an appreciation award at The Nest Community’s 10th Anniversary Celebration
Left to right: Robyn Laurie, Marisa Bosch, Peggy Casson, Christina Ashburner
Supporting Sustainable Fashion Futures
MEET CASSANDRA STEELE
An essential aspect of our Stitch Together program is how The Nest can integrate with and support fashion education in Queensland. Our Emerging Designer Bursary gives recipients a $1000 Nest resource voucher to encourage the use of reclaimed materials and alleviate the financial burden of final year collections
In December 2024 we announced our first recipient, QUT third year Fashion Design student, Cassandra Steele and as it turned out, she was already an avid Nest customer In her application she wrote:
“As a fashion student it’s hard to ignore the negative impact that the fashion industry can have on the environment The Nest is always my first point of call, and sometimes my only choice, when it comes to sourcing materials. My dedication to reclaimed materials extends beyond fabric as I source all of my materials, trims and equipment from The Nest as well. Earlier this year I purchased a knitting machine from The Nest that I am excited to use for my graduate collection”
Though prioritising reclaimed materials in fashion seriously bucks the trend and can be challenging, she has found it a rewarding pathway:
“Sometimes, it can be hard to source fabric second hand when you can’t always find what you have in mind; this is why my design practice has adapted to this way of working I find that I am much more inspired by the materials that I have available to me, so my silhouettes are often influenced by this and informed by the fabrication and experimentation that I develop”
Cassandra’s love of making began through the influence of her Nana and Grandma. She learnt to hand sew at a young age and did Home Economics, learning machine sewing at high school Sadly, those classes were discontinued and after school Cassandra lost her way until she picked up from where she’d left off
“I found a box with an unfinished sewing project and my old sewing machine. I decided to finish the project and I just kept sewing, doing small upcycling projects with clothes from the op shop I eventually found The Nest and quickly collected lots of the vintage patterns, which I would often make using the upholstery scraps I would find there as well I sewed a lot, and the more I sewed, the more I realised this was something that I wanted to continue doing”
Even when she started her degree in 2022, studying overseas was on her agenda At the time of winning the bursary, Cassandra was studying at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute [AMFI]
Practice Studio Value Project (2023)
This garment was created through unravelling, re-knitting, and crocheting a knit garment sourced from an op shop
Informed and inspired by the countless years that come before it, this collection pays homage to all the women who knit for their families, including Cassandra’s grandmothers.
“Studying in Amsterdam taught me a lot; it’s given me more confidence not only in my creative abilities but also within myself. However, it did take some time to adjust to AMFI’s way of working, and to feel that I belonged in such a talented environment The teachers in Amsterdam were very hands-on and expected a certain amount of work every week; it was a way of working that I wasn’t used to, but I quickly grew to love. There were classes for everything; knitting, designing, concept development, pattern making, and digital knitting The specialisation was very in-depth and I felt very supported by the amount of equipment and resources that were available. I feel very lucky to have been able to study at AMFI and it’s an experience that I will always look back on fondly”
The second half of her exchange is currently underway in Manchester Undoubtedly this international experience will continue to be part of Cassandra’s evolution but she also has some role models like Brisbane born, QUT Fashion Design graduate Michaela Stark, who is now based in London producing body morphing lingerie that’s making waves in the fashion industry.
Like Stark, Cassandra shares a love of experimentation and hand making
“My design process is often informed by the textiles that I am exploring at the time, allowing the techniques that I have explored to influence the outcome of my designs My design practice centres around sustainability, using second-hand materials, remnant fabrics, and natural fibres, highlighting the importance of slow fashion and craftsmanship; two things that I hold very dearly”
Cassandra is returning to Brisbane soon to complete her final collection. She says the bursary will allow her greater freedom and not have to compromise her vision through financial constraints But it’s not just resources she’s gaining, she also has a community of craft-loving, knowledgeable women waiting to help her along the way, excited to see what’s next
Capsule Collective (2023)
Using reclaimed fabrics from The Nest, Cassandra explores the concept of mental health, drawing parallels to the way untreated mould spreads throughout a host - decaying over time.
Donations G
For a more detailed breakdown of our d guide, please refer to our PDF found HER The Nest Community website.
WhatWe Don’tAccept
FURNITURE
PAPERCRAFT, PAINTS, GLUES & BRUSHES
JEWELLERY
MAKING EQUIPMENT & BEADS
BEDDING
Sheets, pillowcases, blankets
MAGAZINES, BOOKS & PERIODICALS
FABRIC OFFCUTS
<1 metre: except pre-cut quilting pieces
COMPLETED CLOTHING
CURTAINS, SHEERS & FITTINGS
& QUILT SUPPL
TAPES EMBRO
LINENS AND
FABRICS >1 METRE
Winter has landed in store!
Quality wools, woven & knitted - $10/m
Soft knits, flannels & fleeces - $5/m
Stall Vintage
Hosted in our Gladys Mary Studio, The Nest Haberdashery is calling all vintage lovers to this pop-up stall!
Mon - Fri 10am - 2pm Saturday 10am - 4pm
EVENT DETAILS
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.
