Melbourne

Women-owned

I launched Cactus Revival, a clothing brand that repairs clothing destined for the bin, and relaunches it back into the market and wardrobes, in 2022, but I can now see that the seeds were sewn (no pun intended!) way back in my childhood.

As a kid I loved making things out of loo rolls, egg cartons, fabric scraps, laddered stockings - anything that was destined for the bin! I had this sense that I was saving these things and giving them another life.

While on maternity leave and loving making loo roll cows and pigs again, I became interested in sewing and started playing around with my Mum's old machine.

On discovering some holes in a pair of my son’s shorts that were otherwise completely fine, and wanting to save them from the bin, I decided to repair them. They were brown, and a treasure map sprang to mind. I darned the holes, appliqued on a red ‘x’, hand stitched a trial to follow around the legs and hidden a gold button in the pocket. My son loved his ‘new’ Treasure Map Shorts, and the idea for Cactus Revival was sparked!

Once I started selling my mended clothing I realised lots of people were interested in learning how to mend themselves. Now I teach people how to repair and patch holes in their jeans, darn or embroider knitted jumpers that have been eaten by moths and decoratively cover marks.

I love seeing how satisfied people are when they've learnt that they can repair and decorate their clothes. Lots of people think they "can't sew" because they weren't taught by their grandmother when they were young, or they're intimidated by sewing machines. People light up when they see what they can achieve with just a needle and thread.

In this digital age, our minds and bodies are crying out for activities that use our hands. Hand stitching is such a mindfull activity and it's been proven to reduce stress. Mending our clothes also helps us to embrace the beauty in the imperfect.

In 2025 I was featured in the UK's number 1 sewing magazine 'Simply Sewing'.

Classes