I was really excited to hear that the Australian Sewing Guild is running Castaway to Couture again this year. Last year was the first year of the contest, the idea being that you take a garment or garments from an op shop, and refashion it or them into something else. This is my entry from last year:

My entry in the Castaway to Couture competition

Last year the contest was run in conjunction with Red Cross op shops, and the almost hardest part for me was cruising round all the Red Cross shops in Perth looking for raw materials. None of them were very close to where I live! This year you can buy the original garments from any op shop, or indeed use something out of your own stash or wardrobe, which makes it easier. There are also two categories, the judges choice and the peoples choice, and twice the number of prizes. Seriously exciting! I already have some ideas buzzing around in my head, just need to find time to go shopping for the ingredients!