A Stitch in Time –Upcycled Shoe Art Workshop

Let your creativity shine using patchwork, paint, and embroidery to upcycle footwear with tutor Annette Atalas.

Research has found that Australians own an average of 5 pairs of shoes they no longer wear, suggesting that the 100 million+ unused shoes collectively sitting in households pose huge landfills and environmental concerns.

Upcycling is a fantastic way to breathe new life into your old footwear, keeping your ‘kicks’ looking funky-fresh and ready to hit the pavement.

About the Workshop.

Do you have old shoes at home that would benefit from a ‘glow-up’?

Join Annette Atalas, founder of the sustainable reuse enterprise Trashy, Penrith, and explore fun and artistic upcycling methods, including patchwork, painting, and embroidery that can be applied to shoes and other apparel. This workshop is suitable for all levels of creative ability.

Where: Trashy Store, 4/92-112 Henry Street, Penrith

When:

• Monday 5 May 2025 (6.00 pm – 8.00 pm)
• Saturday 17 May 2025 (10.30 am – 12.30 pm) 

All materials needed for the workshops have been sourced and generously supplied by Trashy, so you only need to bring your enthusiasm and imagination!

To ensure participants receive close care and guidance from the workshop tutor throughout the event, place availability is strictly limited to 12 people. Click here to secure your ticket for either the daytime or evening event via Humanitix.

This project is a NSW Environment Protection Authority Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy initiative, funded from the waste levy. Supported by Penrith City Council.

These image(s) are examples of the topics that will be covered in this workshop. Please note, they are not the tutor's original work.

About the Tutor

Annette is a creative entrepreneur and sustainability advocate. Born and raised in Sydney’s West, she has always been passionate about creativity, innovation, and sustainability. She uses her skills to transform waste into art and fashion.

With a background as a professional graphic designer specialising in print media, Annette’s true passion lies in fashion, conceptual design, and upcycling. She brings a unique approach to her work by incorporating paint, embroidery, and patchwork into upcycled garments and textiles, blending traditional techniques with modern aesthetics to give new life to discarded materials.

About Trashy

Trashy, a start-up, female-owned and operated enterprise based in Penrith, is dedicated to transforming the community’s perception of fashion ‘waste’ by advocating and supporting conscious consumerism and championing the value inherent in remnant and discarded textiles, haberdashery and other creative resources.

Trashy is a social enterprise that purchases most of its offerings from business closures, retired dress/costume makers, seamstresses, and byproducts of the manufacturing of clothes and upholstery. This incentivises businesses and individuals to see the potential value in quality discards that may otherwise end up in landfills. By purchasing this so-called textile and fashion 'waste', Trashy helps keep these valuable resources in circulation, extending their economic value and helping reduce the demand for new textiles. This helps reduce the impact of textile production and transportation on the environment, aligning with Trashy's commitment to sustainability and supporting the circular economy.

Trashy’s founder, Annette Atalas, is a neurodiverse woman who understands the social challenges of being misidentified, misinterpreted, and misrepresented. This drives her commitment to advocating for, creating, and providing social and employment opportunities for other neurodiverse and disabled individuals, ensuring that creativity and innovation are accessible to all.
 
For more information about Trashy visit www.trashypenrith.com.au.