1. Recognise Earth Month – to create awareness of the impact of textile waste on the planet – to offer alternatives to buying new and to advocate the fashion industry to change the way they churn out billions of garments polluting our only home.
2. To help raise funds for the Good Grub in Daylesford. Later in the year the Good Grub will be organising a fashion parade as a fundraiser which I hope to be involved.
3. To furill my dream to upcycle using a mountain of jeans saved from landfill. These jeans came from a wholesaler and were classed as faulty – I have around 400 pairs.
4. To increase my skills in sewing and knowledge in garment construction and pattern making. Upcycling in some ways is more complex than creating a garment from scratch.

10 x days in and I am a little disappointed with what I am creating. Given the deadline of 1 x day I am looking to do simple projects but they are so uninteresting – no flavour – just basic. But given I am working with faulty jeans – the material is limited to legs & it never measures right and the cut is never straight which makes creating garments a challenge upon the challenge – arrrhhh! More time is spent finding the right jeans or garment then cutting them up to create. It is imperitive that I get measurements right if I only have a one off garment I am working with as for example a pair of army pants purchased from the op shop.

By this stage I thought I would be in the swing of things but nights spent tossing & turning gives me a reason to sleep in then I am late to the studio to start. Another reason I did this challenge was to implement a better routine and not worry so much about sleepless nights but just get up at the same time every morning but I feel exhausted at the end of the day – often not finishing my long social media posts until 10pm. Anyway I need to remind myself why I am doing this challenge and that is to advocate the fashion industry that changes need to be made on how they operate churning out so many garments polluting the only home we have.

As the visiting artist at Daylesford Primary School, I led an engaging workshop with fifth and sixth-grade students, aiming to spark creativity with soft plastics while addressing the issue of waste. Collaborating with the art teacher was a joy, as we encouraged the children to express themselves artistically. Witnessing their enthusiasm and energy was truly inspiring, and it was uplifting to see them eager to make a positive impact through their art and messages.

In less than two weeks, the Mt. Jeans Upcycle Challenge kicks off on April 1st, just in time for Earth Month. The anticipation of this event has me so excited—I’m so eager to get started that waiting feels impossible! My mind is already buzzing with ideas, and I’ve compiled a list of 20 potential projects. Every day, I find new sources of inspiration, from social media and celebrities to rock icons and even people I pass on the street. Upcycling ideas consume about 80% of my daily thoughts! Recently, I had the fantastic experience of seeing Suzi Quatro, my rock icon goddess, wearing stunning bejeweled blue denim jeans and a jacket. It’s amazing to see her still thriving at 73—such an inspiration!

As I sat on my balcony, contemplating my message for the upcoming New Year’s Eve parade in Daylesford, I pondered the impact of my new Elvis outfit made entirely from chip packets collected from the local schoolyard. Simply walking in the parade in a chip packet costume felt insufficient to convey the urgency of addressing the current climate emergency. How could I effectively communicate that more action is needed?

Suddenly, inspiration struck in the form of a song lyric: “A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action.” That was it! I immediately donned my Elvis outfit, belted out the song, and practiced my best gyrating moves. In no time, I was crafting a sign to complement my performance. This parade was going to be more than just fun—it was going to be a statement.