My name is Annita Phagoo Nichol and I started Remade by Meebs 4 years ago, an adventure focusing on using clothes and other found fabric and re-making them into one of a kind aprons to sell at markets. With encouragement and support of family & friends and inspired by entrepreneurs like Candace Boudreau, curator of Curated, I’m taking my first steps on a new path in this journey.

The Remade Upcycle Sewing Event launches Nov 10^th for 4 days. Over the course of this time I will be testing my rhetoric and putting my money where my mouth is! I’m lucky enough to be from a family of makers and grew up in a “just try it” environment. I’m convinced that anyone can sew and this fall, I hope to recreate the optimistic and supported environment of my past to bring people together and see what they can do.

Upcycling trash fabric is an inexpensive and ethical opportunity to express creativity and have fun while actively contributing to the future of our environment. Textile recycling is happening in our city, but an estimated 6 million of pounds of textiles still went into Calgary landfill last year. With this volume of unwanted material the pressure is off, from my perspective, for attempting any and all upcycle projects. It’s our obligation to be more creative in this waste.

Over the course of the Remade weekend participants will be upcycling with purpose, creating aprons for a local non-profit; having fun with fashion during our refashionista swap & chop; and making kids wear and aprons from adult clothing. Participants are encouraged to bring items they no longer use and see if we can give them new life. This is a shared learning environment with participants of all sewing skill levels attending. My mom is coming, so we’re all set!

Something new, even for me, is the craft activism session where we’ll collaborate, share and craft around the first bra experiences of young women through the generations. Inspired by some challenging conversations this summer with my 12 year old niece and her mother, my sister, about the portrayal of female sexuality I am compelled to create a space for women to discuss this very thing. Is it, or should it be, a reality that my sister should encourage her young daughter to dress on the conservative side so as not to draw unwelcome attention? If that’s the case, then why is it that when bra shopping for that very same young girl, finding anything but an overly sexualized push up bra is impossible? What are the conflicting messages about our sexuality that we receive daily as women and how do we navigate them so as not to lose sense of true ownership of our decisions and who we are? So… let’s craft on it and see what comes up! Together the group will create bras and form our statement. All will be displayed during the Remade event and we’ll discuss how we can keep the conversation going with our bra bombing.

More information on sessions and tickets for the Remade Upcycle Sewing Event are available here.

Creating is for everyone. It’s so true!

Be bold friends.