Wednesday 16 February 2011

Refashion Co-op is Alive!

(all images from the Refashion Co-op blog)

So, Refashionistas, have you been feeling somewhat lonely since the Wardrobe Refashion blog/community came to an end? Been missing the wealth of tips and inspiration that it provided? Wish there was some place you could share your latest refashions and receive the advice and (well deserved) praise that WR could be relied upon for? DON'T WORRY!!!!! The Refashion Co-op is here to make everything better!

I first heard about the Refashion Co-op (RC) when it existed only as an idea, when its inventor Eddie contacted me to do an interview about my life as a refashioner (which can be found here). The day we conducted the interview we were both at our respective homes, having been snowed in and unable to go to work, and I got to hear all about her excited plan for making a new home for the online refashioning community. I can't believe she has taken her idea to full fruition in such a short space of time!


Having had the idea and put in all the hard work designing and promoting it, Eddie then went and did something incredibly self-less: instead of sitting back and sucking up all the praise and credit as the creator/editor, she has gone and made it a co-operatively run venture. This, IMO, is one of the major strengths of the RC. She has found a diverse selection of Refashionistas to become editors of the blog, who each take turns at editing, moderating and whatever else tasks are required during their week. From what I understand, these editors can come and go depending on the stresses and strains of their own lives, and others will no doubt step up in the future. This will ensure that the 'management' of this community blog will always be as vibrant and creative as the refashions you will no doubt find on the blog itself.

The content of the blog comes from contributors, in the same vein as WR, Sew Retro and the Crafty Christmas Club. Signing-up details can be found here, something I plan to do very shortly.

It is a very exciting thing, witnessing the birth of something that I'm sure will provide so much inspiration and encouragement for many. So what can we expect from the RC? Well, from what I can tell, it will be similar to WR (which I mean in the very best sense) in the way creations are shared and how interaction is conducted. I can't see the rotating of editors as having much of a visable effect on the blog itself. The other main difference seems to be the very handy clear tagging system they have going on, so as the content builds up, you will be able to navigate easily and find what you are looking for in a flash. I like that the contributors can also be tagged so once you find someone in particular whose refashion you admire, you can easily find out what else they have created.

What else can I say, other than see you over there?!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I am so excited about this year with Re-Fashion Co-op, your own Me Made March, Casey's sewalong, AND Project Restyle to name but a few! (And that's just for starters. Who knows what the next few months will bring!!)
Ooooh, I could crush a grape!
Px

Unknown said...

Yes it's so exciting!
Thank you for the mention Zoe and we look forward to seeing you on Refashion Co-op.
Eddie

Darci said...

WOO HOO!

I've been re-/upcycling a TON this fall and winter. It'll be fun to get inspired by other's creations!

Thanks for the heads up!

Something in the Way She Sews said...

It sounds great, thanks for the link. I really want to get into doing refashions, and this might be the kick I need!

Sigrid said...

Exciting. Thanks for the link. I have to admit that I have been less inspired to refashion without WR to share it with.

Becky said...

Oh, that's really exciting! And I have to admit that I like that it doesn't look like you need to take a pledge to be a part of it, since that's been the prohibiting factor for me during the last couple of years--while I do try to handmake/thrift as much as I can, I've run into work situations where I just have to buy a pair of pants or something. I will definitely be following this with interest at the very least. Thanks for the heads-up!

Catherine said...

How exciting! I remember you saying there might be something along those lines brewing (see, I am paying attention!) and I LOVE refashioning - in fact, I have spent this afternoon unpicking an uninspiring 2ndhand 80s dress in order to make it over 40s style! And, as I am incapable of concentrating on one project at a time, I've also started making an A-line skirt out of a 60s/70s tablecloth! Really looking forward to seeing more of other people's creations. I've picked up lots from WR, including some fab blogs I now follow. Thank you.

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