The Institute of Imperfection

The Institute of imperfection is closing in its current form.
We are having a massive SALE to clear current stock and equipment.
Come along and be inspired by what you can make and stock up on supplies.

JULY 1 9am 33a Lethebys rd Sailors Gully

The Institute of imperfection is closing in its current form.
We are having a massive SALE to clear current stock and equipment.
Come along and be inspired by what you can make and stock up on supplies.

July 1st 9am 33a Lethebys rd Sailors Gully

Upcoming Workshops -

Google Drive: Sign-in Access Google Drive with a Google account (for personal use) or Google Workspace account (for business use).

Well I bought plane tickets! Is that overdoing the ‘ Mother’s Day’ justification?

This is a side by side of two women gracing the front covers of two well known magazines.

The one on the right we all know is Martha Stewart, age 81. The one on the left is Apo Whang-Od, age 106, a tribal tattooist in a remote province in the Philippines.

There seems to be an unwritten rule which equates beauty with youngness. In an interview, Martha Stewart told the reporter she credits her organic, home-grown, farm-to-table eating, yoga, and actively healthy lifestyle to her youthfulness. While that’s an admirable journey for her, let’s not forget the amount of privilege that kind of lifestyle requires.

On the left is Apo Whang-Od, who is a 106-year-old tribal tattooist in the Philippines. The wisdom she carries in every forehead wrinkle and frown line is stunning. Her eyes are glass, reflecting back all that she’s witnessed over a century of lived experiences. Her tattoos a reminder of the ancestors she seeks to honor.

Both women are beautiful in their own right. But I wish we as women didn’t play into this idea that we have to look younger—and thinner—in order to fit some unrealistic beauty standard which will grant us acceptance and relevance in the world around us.

I’m writing this for any woman who, like me, may have had a punched-gut reaction to seeing an octogenarian in a swimsuit on the cover of a magazine looking more like a woman in her forties or fifties: Anti-aging is not a beauty standard.

There IS beauty in wrinkles, and saggy skin, and drooping breasts. These are markers of a life hard fought for and well lived. It seems odd to try and erase these battle scars.

So while I applaud Martha for her fortunate body, carefully curated procedures, and pristinely styled makeup, I also applaud Whang-Od for what others may perceive as imperfections.

Anti-aging is not a beauty standard.
Authenticity is.

Credit: Maya Pounds

We are now taking enrolments for term two classes and workshops
For those not already enrolled, there are some vacancies available this term. Our schedule is:
Adults:
Tuesday 10am -12pm, 7pm -9pm
Wednesday 10am - 12pm,
Thursday 10am - 12pm, 1pm -3pm
Saturday 9am - 12pm ( fortnightly)

Kids: Tuesday 4-6pm

Cost is $175 for 5 weeks or $330 for 10 weeks.

To enrol visit our website: www.tioi.com.au or call Cate: 0401 162 860 (or simply reply to email.)

Also, our mid year patternmaking workshop is open for enrolment. July 10 -14th 9:30 -3:30 each day Cost $499 for the week including book and paper. This is a very popular course and will book out quickly. So if interested, please enrol now!

We are planning some weekend workshops, - trousers in a weekend, (A)
an intro to sewing weekend, (B)
make your dog some accessories. (C)
Day workshops would be around the $120 mark and Weekend ones approx $250.

I'm wanting you to let me know which of the above might interest you. (I.E. I'm not taking bookings) I merely want to see how many people might be keen before I start preparing. I'd love to hear from you as to whether A, B or C would interest you.

Look forward to seeing you in class soon.

Institute of Imperfection: Bendigo sewing school The Institute of Imperfection is a sewing school based in Bendigo and also offering classes and workshops online.

CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE

I don’t have crow’s feet,
I have happy happy memories of laughing with friends until the tears flowed.

I don’t have frown lines,
I have the marks of my frustration and confusion, which I battled through, smiling in the end.

I am not going grey,
I have shimmering highlights of wisdom, dashed throughout my silver hair.

I don’t have scars,
I have symbols of the strength I was able to find, when life got tough.

I don’t have stretch marks,
I have the marks of growth and the marks of motherhood. My womanly evolution.

I am not fat,
I bear the evidence of a life filled with abundance, blessings and good times.

I am not just forgetful,
I have a mind so full of stories, memories and moments there is scarce room to hold much else.

I am not old,
I am blessed, with a life of great length, something not everyone can say.

Don’t change the way you look my friend,
change the way you see,

change the way you see.

Donna Ashworth
From ‘to the women’ on amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08LRGWY74/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QXYBP1XQNKBHB07D6QHC

❤️ Art by the FABULOUS Lisa Aisato ❤️

The word ‘vakkar’ means beautiful 🤩