Rachel Power / Cyanotype and Green Tea Printed Top

Sustainable Maker and Mender, Rachel Power printed onto silk georgette using cyanotype and green tea.

Tartan Mind Mend: Tell us about what you do that defines being a creative to you.
Rachel Power: I’m a writer, editor and researcher, a creative thinker with a loopy mind which circles and re-circles stashed ideas, linking them in different ways. I started mending my family’s clothes several years ago and this has developed into a practice which brings together some of the various strands of my work and research: fashion and textiles, making, sustainability and mindful practices. When I repair, I work intuitively within defined limits, and I think this is actually true of most of my creative endeavours. I mend woven cloth by patching and stitching, and knitted items by darning and re-knitting.

Tartan Mind Mend: Tell us your idea about your re-imagined Tartan piece and what inspired you.
Rachel Power: I usually work with damaged and distressed textiles, but when I opened the package from Tartan, I found a luscious silk top that was entirely intact. Its damage is invisible – a slight change to the texture of the cloth. I started thinking about what constitutes repair, and whether concrete damage must be present in order for rework to be considered repair. I conceptualised this exploration as an image of damage and repair, laid over the original piece. Using the cyanotype process, I transferred photos of my previous stitched repair work onto silk, and sewed the panel onto the top by hand, in an echo of my usual practice.

TMM: How have you incorporated a sustainable living practice into your daily life?
RP: While I value public activism over personal choices, there are many things I do to reduce my carbon footprint. The slogan, “repair is a radical act” resonates strongly for me. Obviously, to repair rather than to replace is to reject the pressure to consume. But the phrase also embodies the doing, a practice of building understanding of issues by trying out processes. The slow task of sewing on patches, or of reweaving yarn through a damaged knit, pulls into focus the often overlooked resources and skills which were necessary to create the garment in the first place. For me, this reassigns some of the value that has been overlooked in our global supply chains. In the same way, producing compost and growing a small vegetable garden helped me to a deeper understanding of some of the issues facing Australian farmers.

TMM: What is the oldest item in your closet and why do you love it?
RP: One of my most treasured garments is a Nom*d jumper that I bought more than two decades ago, from the Zambesi store in Melbourne: one of my first purchases of an item by a brand I loved, using my own money. It’s dark gray wool, and while basic, it subtly communicates the intentionality of its design through the use of non-functional snaps as embellishment. I’ve worn it every winter. Recently, holes started to show up along the neckline and cuffs. I darned them with blue and turquoise yarn. My repairs make me think of Bitossi ceramics, and amplified my love for the jumper.

100% Silk
Gentle Hand Wash Only
Phosphate Free Detergent
Dry Flat In Shade

Due to the handmade/second hand nature of this item any imperfections are considered intentional and are unique characteristics of this one of a kind piece. Over time changes may occur. Handle with care. No exchanges or refunds are available for Tartan Mind Mend charity auction items.

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@rachelsuperpower