“What the heck?”
Was director of Beenleigh-based charities Sewing for Charity Australia and The Sewing Lair, Cass Gell’s first thought when she was named Logan Citizen of the Year, at Logan’s Australia Day Awards on 26 January.
“I was completely shocked,” Ms Gell said. “There were so many incredible community members there, it was such an honour.”
“I think for me, that’s what I was feeling, was just pride of all the work that we’ve put in, and just real gratitude, honestly, just real gratitude.”
Sewing for Charity Australia began 10 years ago in Ms Gell’s living room
When she was asked to jump aboard a sewing project designed to support rural patients in city hospitals.
“So I borrowed a sewing machine and held a sewing day, and that went really well,” Ms Gell said.
“We made some of the things that were needed, and then the ladies who helped me asked, ‘What’s next?”
Ms Gell began reaching out to hospitals and organisations that she and her team of sewers could help.
“That was in 2015,” she said. “By 2016, we were not reaching out anymore, we were receiving so many requests, and now we have a request-based system where charities, individuals, hospitals and schools can reach out with their requests.
“We have a network of over 10,000 volunteers around the country, and we put the word out that we need these things, and we make these incredible projects happen.”
In the last year, Sewing for Charity Australia donated over 100,000 handmade items to people and groups across the country in need.
Members of the public can buy unused fabrics from Sewing Charity Australia’s projects, online or at The Sewing Lair’s two locations – one in Beenleigh and the other in South Brisbane.
“Items that aren’t really suitable for our charity projects were sitting around, and we didn’t want to send them to landfill,” Ms Gell said.
“So The Sewing Lair was born to support the charity, and it’s just become this incredible thing.
“We offer free and low-cost creative classes to people in our community, operate a Krank program through Logan City Council, and we have our charity sewing days.”
The Sewing Lair has become Australia’s only online fabric and craft op shop.
“Really, the award is for everyone,” Ms Gell said. “It’s for all of our volunteers and all the hard work we all put in to make our community what it is.
“It was just incredibly special.”
Ms Gell’s family took her out to a surprise lunch to celebrate the award on the weekend.
“My daughter’s partner sewed me this incredible ‘Citizen of the Year Nominee’ sash, and then when I won, there was some hurried extra sewing,” she said.
“They literally just cut off nominee and pretended it was never there.”
“And I just got to spend the afternoon with them and revisit the fun and hard times, because they’ve all lived it too.”
On Monday, Ms Gell returned to work at The Sewing Lair, which is continuing to move towards growth.
“We’re looking at warehousing next, so that we can accept more donations and divert more fabric and craft materials from landfill,” she said.
“So far, we’ve diverted over 300,000kg of textile and craft waste from landfill, and we’ve also donated over half a million handmade items to more than 530 organisations.
“To think that 10 years ago we were in my lounge room is pretty special.”
