The Bower Reuse and Repair Centre

Hello 2012!

2012-02-02T16:41:00.000+11:00

A brand new year is upon us! we solemnly swear to keep salvaging the same great variety of pre-loved goods, keeping it out of landfill.
We'd like you to solemnly swear to be more involved! Stop by, sign up, borrow a book, a DVD, purchase a food Connect Subscription online, Volunteer to host a workshop, a talk, email feedback and tell your friends! It's the international year of the Co-op, so lets get co-operative!

Happy New Year from the Marrickville Men's Shed

2012-01-24T13:56:00.001+11:00

2012 is off to a flying start here at The Bower! The Marrickville Men's Shed resumed 2 weeks ago, and it looks like Michael (our facilitator) never stopped! Check out his iphonograph on instructibles.com!!
The Shed meet every Thursday at 10am here at The Bower, and all visitors are welcome

Christmas is sustainable at The Bower!

2011-12-12T12:24:00.001+11:00

On Saturday, we held a DIY Christmasgifts workshop in our Eco-Library. We made boxes, notebooks andluminaries; Staff had fun preparing lots of examples made out ofreused postcards and different papers so that everybody could choosethe perfect presents to make for their families and friends.

Thanks to Adam from Alfalfa House, whowas the co-organiser of the event, we had one and a half page ofadvertisement in the Inner West Courier which was amazing, thank youa lot to our friends at Alfalfa House.

The workshop was supposed to last fortwo hours, but everybody had so much fun that we stayed for over anhour more, until the store closed and The Bower staff sadly had to gohome, including Thuy, who gets special thanks for helping out andlending her binding machine.

It was great to see the participantsbeing so creative: I explained the basics of every project at thebeginning of the workshop, and everybody modified and improved themwith their ideas.

A big thank you to all theparticipants! We had lots of fun here, and we hope your families andfriends will enjoy their handmade presents!

Claire M

DIY Gift making workshop

2011-12-07T16:49:00.001+11:00

Christmas is a great time for all thepeople who love to receive and offer presents! But do you really wantto buy your friends and family another pair of socks or a newnovelties tie? We have the solution!

The Bower and Alfalfa House areorganising a DIY Christmas gift workshop together this Saturday tohelp you offering more sustainable presents this year! Come to learnhow to make boxes, notebooks and luminaries out of reused postcards,paper and thread. They will be great unique and handmade presents foreveryone!

So don't forget: the workshop will beheld at the Eco-Library of The Bower, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville,on Saturday, December 10^th, 2-4pm. There will be a $5donation for the material.

See you all there!

Back from the Finders Keepers market!

2011-12-07T12:09:00.001+11:00

What a great week for Curb Collective!After the graduation night last Tuesday, we attended the prestigiousFinders Keepers market, which happens twice a year in Sydney atCarriageworks, on Friday night and Saturday.

Maaike and Claire went early to the shed toprepare everything. A big THANKS to John Bartholomew who transportedthe furniture from Redfern to Carriageworks on Friday afternoon andthe unsold furniture to The Bower on Saturday evening after themarket!

We had one of the biggest stalls there,which allowed us to display all our furniture, and we were situatedjust in front of the fashion room, so we were highly visible.

A lot of people were interested both inour work and in joining the class, and the enthusiasm was palpable.We had a lot of questions about how the class had been set up, how wehad found the furniture and the fabric, and a lot of customers askedif we we interested in restoring/repairing/reupholstering theirfurniture. By the way, we are! Send a mail to Maaike atgm@bower.org.au with pictures ofyour furniture and explanations of what you want to be done to them,and we'll keep in touch!

If you saw a piece of furniture duringthe market but hesitated to buy it, come and have a look here at TheBower! Some furniture were not sold, and they are in our consignmentarea!

Don't forget to follow the activity ofCurb Collective on facebook too by liking the page:http://www.facebook.com/Thebowercoop

Graduation Night at Shed 107

2011-12-02T10:45:00.001+11:00

Tuesday was a long dayfor Curb Collective! We rushed faster than ever to finish all ourchairs in time for the graduation night on Tuesday evening and forthe Finders Keepers market this weekend.

Sam and I sanded andpainted two dining chairs on which we will put the butterfly cushionsthe group made last semester. You could feel our stress of notfinishing on time, but we made it! Stuart and Mick finished anotherdining chair with the help of Maaike and Jeanette - one of thebrightest of our collection: it's orange and red!

Miki and Dominiquetried as hard as they could to finish the pair of yellow and pinkchairs started at the Newtown festival, but unfortunately they wouldhave needed more time as they refused to sacrifice quality torapidity... You'll therefore be able to see them next term! They willbe great as first pieces of the new collection!

Some students stayedafter the class to set up everything for the Graduation Night. Wewere hugely proud and excited: our furniture looks so different whenthey are on platforms!

A big BRAVO to Maaikeand Richard who created an amazing screen out of wooden doors foundat The Bower, where they displayed pictures of the transformation ofthe furniture. This new way to raise awareness about reuse impressedeverybody, and our only problem with it will be to prevent peoplefrom buying it at the market!

The Graduation Nightwas a great success. 5 different courses from TAFE Outreachgraduated, among them our Shed neighbours WEAVE's constructionand repair students who did an amazing job patching, fixing,organising and painting the shed and Hobo Gro who createvertical gardens in reused palettes, and, of course, CurbCollective!

And guess what? Wealready sold 5 pieces of furniture!!! So come as soon as you can tothe Finders Keepers market on Friday and Saturday if you want toadmire/buy our work, the furniture won't stay there for a long time!

- Claire M -

December e-news

2011-11-30T16:23:00.001+11:00

An early treat for you all - the December Newsletter for your reading pleasure, before the silly season kicks in and you've no time to think!

We hope you'll try and make this Christmas a reuse affair on all fronts - Those of you in the market for furniture sized christmas presents should be sure to come along to Finders Keepers at Carriageworks this Friday night 6-10 or Saturday 10-5 and pick up a genuine Curb Collective refurbished wonder.

A quick reminder also that we will be closed 24th Dec - 2nd Jan inclusive so hold on to your donations till we get back please!

The Home Stretch

2011-11-18T14:53:00.001+11:00

With only 3 more classes before Curb collective graduate and show off their debut collection at Finders Keepers, there was no messing around this week!

Pete got stuck into a second coat of choc-walnut stain on the dining suite. Mark elected to start a brand new project, taking on the challenge of the 'mummy chairs' it took 4 hours for Mark, Sam and Sam to strip just one of these uglies back to basics. They won't be recogniseable when the group are finished with them though!

Jeanette and Jane chose a lovely red jaquard for an occasional chair - all Jeanette's research on upholstery is obviously paying off!

Fiona got a lesson in measuring and mitring timber from Cathy, using a length of old skirting board that provided just the right channel for her latest project - a perspex topped coffee table.

Speaking of tables, This table was donated to The Bower with the top raw and unfinished. We took it to Curb Collective to see what they could do.

In between classes, Lesley tightened the legs and applied widths of walnut laminate to the top, she added a few coats of diluted timber stain to make the top match the legs and now it's ready for resale!

Finished with the table, Lesley joined Min and our newest collectee Tanh; applying the patchwork of fabric swatches to the plantation chair. The group learned how to cut templates on the fly, to fold, roll, niggle and tweak until the edges can be tidily tacked into place.

Next week we'll put the back on and our two big upholstery projects will be complete!

Miki and Claire were determined to finish their duck egg blue timber arm chair - but not at the expense of perfection! The pair worked very hard to match their stripes and make their final stitches invisible.

We stayed back for 20 minutes in the end, so determined were we to finish the chair!And voila!

You can't appreciate the delicate blue/lemon stripe on the back of this chair from a photo - you'll have to come and see us at finders keepers. Here's a peek at other things you'll see if you stop by the Curb Collective stall on the 2nd or 3rd of December;

All proceeds from the sale of restored items will restock our shelves with paint, glue, laquer, needles and thread so we can keep flying the reuse flag in the city of Sydney.

Newtown Festival 2011

2011-11-15T12:12:00.001+11:00

The sun was shiningthis Sunday for the 75,000 visitors of the Newtown festival!

Curbside Collectivewere there, right in the middle of the Local Vocal Village, easilyvisible thanks to the amazing tent built out of reused materialspicked up at The Bower by John, our chairman of the Board: thestructure was made out of palettes and the top out of an advertisingbanner which provided shade to everyone. A big thanks again fromeverybody, John!

Fiona and Emmanuel ranworkshops during all day to show people what Curb Collective do at107, seconded by Amanda, Cathy, Jeanette, Peter and Lesley who cameto give them a hand at various stages throughout the day. We workedon an occasional chair collected weeks ago by The Bower and on abeautiful white rocking chair found by Fiona... on her way to thefestival!

The Curbside Collectivespirit has definitely gotten under her skin!

What's more, peoplewere welcomed to bring their own pieces of furniture to learn one ortwo tricks on them. Many thanks to the lady who brought us 'thank you' chocolates, such a lovely surprise!

In front of the stall,John was building an impressive sculpture out of dozens of littlebits of woods found in the backyard of The Bower, with the aim ofbuilding a huge arch for the ARC. Come to admire it, it's in front ofThe Bower at the moment!

It was a very busy dayfor each of us. We talked to a lot of people and were positivelyimpressed by the number of signatureson our mailing-list from peoplewanting to be kept in touch with the activities of CurbsideCollective. If you forgot to write your name down, it's not too late!Just send an email to gm@bower.org.auand we'll add you to it!

- Claire M

Fabric Fantasies - Week 12

2011-11-11T10:05:00.002+11:00

Time is a funny thing. It feels like we're only just getting started, but we're already on the home stretch to exhibition. By the end of next week we should have most of our chairs finished.

Miki and Fiona are working on a 50's timber arm chair. Last week Miki found a lovely blue and lemon stripe she wanted to use, but there wasn't enough to cover the whole chair. We were fortunate to find some new duck egg blue linen to help our reuse fabric stretch the distance. It's hard to believe but this will be finished next week, Timber arms and all!

Speaking of timber, Sam and Jeanette got stuck into the choc-walnut stain, giving our ever-growing dining suite a brand new look. 5 of these chairs have Street banner seats ready to go, and a very similar looking pair have elegant neutral seats. We're waiting till that stain is totally dry before we put the seats in place though!

Min & Leslie started a sample swatch patchwork for the timber plantation chair. In their absence, Emmanuel chipped in, completing a third section of patchwork for the outer back of the chair. Next week this will all suddenly be finished too!

And finally, we attached and covered the backs of some chairs, an d learned about using hot-glue-guns (scary stuff around fine silks!) to apply decorative trim so the backs of our parisian triplets could be completed.

There are other projects in the pipe line - a small table that Leslie is going to laminate, a pair of steel table legs sprayed up and attached to a new (recycled) timber top, and a bedside unit or two - proving we can break the chair mold!!

Can't wait for next week?! Stop by The Newtown Festival and say hi to Curb Collective and The Bower This Sunday 10-4

-Maaike

Curb Collective Week 11

2011-11-07T16:31:00.000+11:00

Now that we know wewill participate both in the Newtown festival and in the FindersKeepers Market, it was high time for our group to find a name. Aftera lot of propositions, one finally stood up amongst the others as itreflects different aspects of who we are and that we do during thecourse : we are a group attached to the reuse of objects nobody wantsanymore, transforming the trash into treasure... We are CURBCOLLECTIVE!!

With this new name inmind and only two weeks before our first display at the NewtownFestival, we were faster than ever this week! We are trying to finishas many projects as possible, working in groups to be quicker: timeis running out, we will sell our furniture in only 5 weeks!

Richard, Dominique andI worked on the beautiful French metal chairs. After dozens of trieswith all the lovely fabric we have, we finally took the decision tohave the seats brightly striped, and the backs covered with flowersand birds. It was a good time to remember what Maaike had taught us afew weeks ago about reupholstering with a striped fabric. Indeed, thestripes have to be perfectly parallel to the side of the seat and tobe perfectly straight, which means you have to apply the samepressure on each side, or they can quickly become bumpy and wavy. Andto finalise the chairs, we added an orange dust cover. Next and finalstep next week: to assemble everything!

Mark finished his blackvelvet chair: after the cushion he had made a couple of weeks ago, headded a lovely bow to its back this week with the shiny diamantestuds we ordered from China. Now this chair is fully finished! If youlove it, come to admire it next weekend a the Newtown festival!

Mikki and Stuart tookcare on a large chair: they put a mountain of flock on it beforeadding the dakron so that it would be very comfortable. We can't waitto know what fabric they will choose to give it its final look!

Jeannette and Michael went on with thearmchair they started two weeks ago: they put linseed oil andre-webbed it. It is now completely unrecognisable when you compare itto the poor armchair The Bower received as a donation months ago!

Do you remember the setof 4 red stools we finished a month ago? Min put linseed oil on it,with the project to have a set of two stools completely different tothe four first ones: these two will be more classical and more sober,fitting in any house!

We are sure that newamazing furniture will be created in the short period of time beforethe festival and the market! And it's absolutely wonderful to be apart of it!

- Claire M

Newtown Festival 2011

2011-11-02T15:26:00.001+11:00

Curbside Collective (Our TAFE Group) will be sharing The Bower Tent at the Newtown festival thisyear!

With more than 80,000visitors each year, the Newtown festival is unmissable for a largepart of the Inner West population, so it was unmissable for us too! Curbside Collectivewill show the public the pieces of furniture they have amazingly beenrestoring for the past four months, as well as demonstrating a few tricks of the trade.

Be amongst the firstones to admire them: come and say hello to Fiona & Emmanuel who will be thereall day. Fiona will explain how she and the others managed totransform ugly or broken furniture donated to The Bower into amazingly beautiful ones ready to be bepresented at the Finders Keepers Market, one of the most popularmarkets in town!

The festival will be inthe Camperdown Memorial Rest Park on Sunday November 13^th,from 9.30am to 5.30pm. The Newtown Neighbourhood Centre asks only a gold coin donation as an entry fee - it's their major fundraiser, and with your help they can continue the many community programs they offer in the Newtown Area.

The Bower and Curb Collective will be sharing a tent in the Local Vocal Village - you'll find us on the Newtown Festival official maps - and on the Australia Street side of the park just past the stage. We'll be next to other social enterprises and community groups including ex TAFE students, Hobo Gro, PLACE initiatives, Salvation Army Groups and many, many more

Don't miss thisopportunity to realise how to transform trash into treasure and tolearn one tip or two to try it yourself at home!

Finders Keepers, winners grinners

2011-10-22T14:42:00.000+11:00

This week we found out our application to Uber-cool design/hand made market Finders Keepers has been accepted. These guys have a great reputation, a great crowd of followers and a great set up.

Carriageworks at Everleigh is a dream space for furniture display, being urban industrial and hugely spacious. We're ecstatic just thinking about the hustle & bustle.

Fiona, Claire and I have been busy working on promotional posters and a brochure about the benefits of Reuse & Repair to spread the word before and during the event.

All of this has the crew thinking hard about the future - we all want to keep going, but as what? A course? A business? A social Enterprise or a People's Shed? And more importantly, what shall they call themselves?

Devastated to find "Bowerhaus" is already taken...

- Maaike

Business Time!

2011-10-20T14:35:00.001+11:00

Last week we stood back and took a furniture count - We've started no less than TWENTY FIVE pieces in 9 weeks. Now we're at the business end of the semester, we've split into smaller working parties, working in twos and threes to determine the final look of each chair.

Miki finished her pair danes with a bedspread akin to woven sunshine from Pollyanna's own collection. I like to think of these as a pair of kitsch-en chairs. They remind me of kitten heels and martinis and Summer - all good things!*

*Good things outside of a workshop environment. Inside, we like steel caps and fruit cup cordial with our Summer.

Mark has been working patiently on his own black velvet glamour piece. We're waiting for diamante studs to arrive from China to finish off his elegant concept - fingers crossed they come for next week!

Min and Leslie found themselves responsible for a plantation chair that has done the rounds, so to speak. The girls began the piece late last Semester, then Fiona and Anthony have pitched, Stuart and Mick helped spring it, Claire and Glen padded it, and someone else again did the linseed oil!

Min took some time to sew up a lovely neutral patchwork for the final upholstery during the week.

Peter put a few coats on his ply stool and sanded down the chrome legs - You'd never know it used to be a timber laminate chair!

Cathy was hard at work helping all of us redowel, drill, clamp and sand as necessary, and even took the time to show us a little bit of home maintenance - the art of masonry drilling and plugging is a very useful one to know!

All of us are super excited as we were accepted in to The Finders Keepers Market.
Not only is it one of the most selective markets in Sydney, it draws a HUGE crowd, allowing us to promote our Reuse & Repair ethos to plenty of customers, just in time to inform their christmas shopping.

More info on that coming soon!

- Maaike

A little bit fancy

2011-10-13T16:33:00.003+11:00

Yesterday we took some fancy photos of the group's work so far as part of the Redfern TAFE/Bower Project

The work so far has been so great we wanted to get something nice for the group, so we went to visit our friends at Bev's Remnant House who gave us great prices on some beautiful remnants we can piece together - fitting in nicely with our belief in lifecycle extension wherever possible! You can see some of those pieces below. Will they end up on the plantation chair? We'll have to wait and see what each working group decides!

We're gearing up towards a final exhibition/end of year extravaganza in late November/early December - Stay tuned!

More time for more fun

2011-10-13T07:32:00.000+11:00

sanding 101

2011-10-07T17:27:00.002+11:00

TAFEWeek 7 : A lot of woodwork!

This week was Phil's last time with us,so we decided to learn as much as we could from him before hisleaving.

We got done to the job of salvaging aset of six chairs whose upholstery had been done last term. Some ofthem were broken: would we buy new parts to fix the ones beingunusable, or would we take the good parts from other chairs and mixthem up to have a smaller set? After a lot of talks, we decided thatwe preferred to stick to the “reuse and repair” ethos and to have4 or 5 beautiful chairs, rather than buying new parts to have acorrect set of 6.

Once this important decision was made,it was time to set to work! We dismantled the chairs, took the goodparts from the bad ones to replace the bad parts of the good ones. Ithappened to be tricky for some bits as they were glued together, soPhil showed us how to do so with pieces of wood and a mallet.

And then you have... A lot of woodparts!

After that, now that we had the partswe wanted to use, we had to sand all the chairs/parts of chairs...which wasn't to everyone's liking: look at Miki's horrified face!

We formed pairs and triplets to quicklysand the set, and we happily realised that sanding those chairs wasfar easier than sanding the other ones we had done some weeks ago.

Thanks a lot for all you taught us,Phil! Everything we learnt from you was very interesting andinstructive!

- Fiona & Claire

October e-news

2011-10-03T12:25:00.000+11:00

Those of you who watch our blog regularly score lots more info and photos of weekly life at The Bower, but sometimes things sneak into the e-news sheet that haven't made it to the blog yet - like this year's AGM!
The date has been set, and active members should keep an eye out in their inboxes and post boxes for their invitation and full details.

Not an active member? Get in before the 15th of this month if you want to join us for a night of nibbles, drinks and discussion.

Reuse Fabric Upholstery

2011-09-30T14:25:00.000+10:00

107 : the place where thesun shines even when it’s raining outside!

Yesterday,Maaike started the course with a lesson: Phil had brought seats from home, and Maaike took this opportunity to teach us how to cover aseat cushion with some striped fabric, to show us how to watch out for pattern distortion. Thesecret? To smooth the cloth carefully, without pulling too much onit, and to take one's time, not hesitating to reposition staples.

To finish the cushion properly, welearnt how to put a dust cover under it to avoid the dirt from goingin the chair.

It was then time to take care of achair we've all had a hand on to finalise it. The fabric chosen wassome black velvet, and the tricky part was to fix it getting aroundits legs on the corners. It was not easy as we had to cover all theDacron, but to leave the wood apparent. After having cut the excess offabric, we put tackles on it so that it doesn’t move, and then wesew the two pieces of fabric with a curved needle.

After that, each of us went on to other projects. Look atthe armchair I filled with Glen: we first put coconut fibre until wecannot feel the springs anymore, then some flock to smooth it, andfinally we covered everything with some Dacron to suppress the lastbumps.

It was about time for the final test: sitting on it!

After the habitual feast, Miki and Peterwent on with the gorgeous sunny yellow chairs we had started last week,using the curved needle tips Maaike had just taught us.

HURRAY!One of them is almost finished!

With the black velvet one and the red stallspainted last week, our efforts start to bear fruits and we areprouder than ever of our projects!

- Claire M

And Then Came Colour

2011-09-21T18:10:00.000+10:00

Another industrious week with TAFE Outreach in Redfern! A quick round up revealed no less than 45 chairs in various stages of repair. While there are plenty waiting for some attention, I'm amazed to note that the group is tackling 3 arm chairs, 2 occasional chairs 6 cafe stools and 7 dining chairs all at once!

We're trying to work in stages - getting through the sanding on selected projects before applying finishes, so that we don't ruin great paint jobs with fine dust from sanding.

We can't help ourselves though - slowly the colour and the final fabrics are sneaking into the work pile and onto the furniture. And Oh! What a difference it makes!

The red stools got another light sand between coats of paint. A pair of scandinavian dining chairs that were stripped of one cover last week were stripped again in a game of Reuse Pass the Parcel. Miki, Claire and Lesley used steel wool to rub in a 50/50 solution of mineral turps and linseed oil - finessing the timber finish to a smooth dark caramel.

Our lunch break was suitably gourmet - We're becoming far too accustomed to baked treats and vegetarian delights. Cashew nut rice, apple crisps, home made hommous, dolmades, orange and avocado salad and guacamole! Why would you eat anywhere else?

After lunch we gave in to the fabric temptation.

Fabric donations have been rolling in, from upholstery designers and Bower Donors. Miki spied a deliciously happy yellow bedspread that provided just the antidote to the somber black vinyl that had once sat on these frames.

Bedspreads are a great option for reuse upholstery, usually thick and durable, they are often beautifully patterned and textured as well. Just remember to avoid fade marks and any wear and tear in the fabric when selecting a section to use!

The result is disarmingly charming - I can't decide if it's 50's madmen or 70's kitsch in style, but it's like no other pair of danish chairs in town, and definitely brings a smile!

I'm ecstatic to see so much enthusiasm and productivity in the Redfern Bower Reuse & Repair Centre and can't wait to see what everyone acheives next week.

- Maaike

Paint, oil and other fun things

2011-09-19T18:08:00.002+10:00

Wednesdaycame around again and the enthusiastic team of Furniture Reuse andRestore students assembled at the Redfern workshop to continue ourprojects and learning. Once again it was a 2 team approach, but withlots of swapping over of personnel between the woodworking andupholstering teams so that most got some hands on experience withboth.

Alovely old Oak Armchair is coming along very nicely with there-springing completed, and the timber arms sanded back ready forvarnishing.

Atthe upholstery bench a team was eagerly continuing work on a set ofRomanian chairs that are being converted to more modern lookingstools. Extra attention was required to day due to the trickyre-assembly of 8 chairs into 6, and some parts requiring a littlehand work to get things together.

Atthe timber work bench a set of children's size bench seat and tablewas being continued with a lot of drilling and screwing work requiredto get them all together. In previous weeks the timbers had beenbevelled, sanded, and oiled in preparation for this assembly, andtoday was the day.

Allthe team took a hand in the work and gained first hand experience inthe use of power drills to drill, countersink, and installwoodscrews. Thing wet very smoothly and before long the benchesstarted to take shape

Mentionmust be made of the spectacular ‘bring a plate’ lunch. Once againpeople broght along an amazing assortment for our buffet style lunch,and it was an culinary success. Special thanks must go to Maaike forpreparing not just one, but several delicious dishes. There was noshortage of dessert either with cakes, strawberries etc galore.

Somehowwe managed to push on after all this into the afternoon with ourprojects getting further keen attention, and many getting very closeto completed. Some of the converted stools were even able to getthe first coat of brilliant red paint

Andthe Oak armchair was oiled with linseed oil. You’d never believe it had oncebeen discarded.

Weall look forward to continuing next week…..

-Glen

Redfern Week 3

2011-09-15T10:46:00.001+10:00

The Recycled Furniture class continues to get in the swing of things, with the Redfern workshop feeling ever more comfortable.

Phil began the week’s session with a sanding lesson, including some handy tips on how to get in to hard-to-reach grooves.

He also provided some info on staining, stripping and some of the OH&S issues that go along with these practices.

Following the allocation of some dust masks, we all got down to sanding back a number of chairs that had recently been acquired through The Bower’s Reuse Referral Service.

From there it was over to Maaike, who demonstrated how to manually re-spring an armchair.

It was clearly an illuminating process for many of us.

A number of those present remarked on how they were continuing to gain a much greater appreciation of the upholstery process and the time involved.

It was also revealed that Sam perhaps did too good a job on his reupholstered chairs, which have now been “kidnapped” by his daughter.

The “bring a plate” lunch is now in operation, with particular compliments to Miki’s remarkable couscous. Full marks to all for resisting the urge to nap after partaking in such an impressive spread.

The Bower would once again like to thank everybody for their keen participation and speedy learning.

More next week, when we look set to tackle some timber work.

_________________________________

Save the Green Way Project

2011-09-13T10:43:00.000+10:00

Download a petition to Save the Greenway

read on for the full letter from Carmel Tebbutt, MP For Marrickville

From: ElectorateOffice.Marrickville@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:26:10 +1000
Subject: Save the GreenWay - Petition
To: marrickville@parilament.nsw.gov.au

Dear Resident

Thank you signing the petition to save the GreenWay.

Despite overwhelming community support for the GreenWay, the O'Farrell
Government has confirmed our suspicions and scrapped the funding in
the 2011/12 State Budget.

Over the past few weeks I have been inundated by messages supporting
the GreenWay, as has the Member for Canterbury, Linda Burney. Already,
we have received thousands of signatures backing our petition to save
the project, and more are coming in every day.

The GreenWay provides much needed green space for walking, cycling and
recreation and a safe habitat for local flora and fauna. Labor
committed to this project to translate the community's vision into
reality. Barry O'Farrell has ignored this vision and the views of
Inner West residents.

However, we will continue to fight for the GreenWay.

We want the voice of the Inner West to be heard loud and clear in the
NSW Parliament, and we will continue working towards our goal of
10,000 signatures.

I have attached a copy of the petition [at the top of this post] which we will present to
Parliament. If you have friends and family who also want to show their
support for the GreenWay, please send signed petitions to:

Carmel Tebbutt MP
244 Illawarra Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204

Thank you again for your support.

Kind regards

Carmel Tebbutt MP
Member for Marrickville

244 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204 | PO Box 170, Marrickville NSW 1475
Phone (02) 9558 9000 | Fax (02) 9558 3653
marrickville@parliament.nsw.gov.au | www.carmeltebbutt.com.au

The Marrickville Men's Shed

2011-09-13T10:29:00.001+10:00

The guys continue to roll up on Thursdays and are hard at work sorting out 11 years worth of donated tools and hardware into custom built cabinets. If you know someone who might like to join in, tell them about the Shed - there's plenty of room. The guys meet Thursdays 10am-1pm.

Bowerography 2.0 gets hands on!

2011-09-07T16:41:00.000+10:00

Saturday September 10th, 2.00 to 4.00pm – Bookbinding Demonstration

(book and pic by someone else)

BOWEROGRAPHY 2.0 is in full swing. We'd love to see you next Saturday at The Bower for a spot of DIY bookbinding, or if that's not your cup of tea, maybe some aromatic candle making the following Saturday or DIY upholstery after that.

All Bowerography events are free and held in The Bower Eco-Library (up the stairs in the middle of the shop) Hut 34, The Addison Road Centre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville.

The noble art of DIY bookbinding is the topic for this coming Saturday. So sign up for some seriously creative re-use. Joanna will show you how to bind scrap books, notebooks, albums and more from re-use stationery and other salvaged materials in The Bower.

Saturday September 17th – Candlemaking
Our lovely co-op brothers and sisters from Alfalfa House have kindly donated some beautiful homegrown bees wax for this candle making workshop. We will show you how to use unused bric-a-brac, glass jars and bottles and everyday packaging to create beautiful centrepieces, gifts and mood lighting options. Come along to this wonderful demonstration and take home some beautiful candles!

Saturday September 24th – Upholstery
Suppliers, materials, techniques - anything stopping you from doing your own re-use upholstery? Stop by for an upholstery demonstration and ask any questions you might have. This is not a BYO workshop as space is limited, but you will learn sound basics of DIY upholstery.

Please RSVP to reserve your place and pass this on to your friends and networks. All are invited!

Week 2 in Redfern 107

2011-09-06T11:22:00.001+10:00

We have rarely encountered a more enthusiastic bunch of people, the new space was alive with chairs being pulled apart, benches being sanded and planks stained.

Our Reuse Repair Recycle Furniture classes continued this Wednesday with the second week of teaching timber and upholstery skills in our Redfern Workshop space.

__________________________________

The Group split into two with half focusing on timber, finishing wooden benches and staining timbers ready for next week and the rest of us getting stuck into our upholstery again.

Some people grabbed the larger chairs we started last week and some of us started stripping 3 new metal frame chairs that came into The Bower the day before.

Everyone worked at lightning speed now starting to feel confident with even the most dilapidated of chairs, and before long the gorgeous timber and cane arm chair from last week got it's final sand and we started re-weaving the base with hessian strips and adding coconut fibre to match the back of the chair we had completed the week before.

Maaike focused on the retro armchair and showed us all the special tricks to replace the unusual missing spring with a new one and then tie off the springs before adding a layer of hessian sack ready for padding and the final layers of fabric.

We all decided the old fabric on the metal frame chairs we found the day before was too tatted and damaged to save and set about pulling out all the staples, which takes a little bit of time but with five people pitching in and taking on three chair it was finished in no time at all, and once we had stripped the fabric off the back and seat they were in surprisingly good condition and all that was left was to deciding what look we wanted and what salvaged material we would cover them in next week.

The single old dining chair which started the day with just its springs re sprung, also got a lot of love with every one of us lending a hand to sand the frame and before you could blink - re-web, stuff and cover the back and seat, then add mountains of recycled flock to the seat ready to be squashed down into a plump cushion.

We really can not thank all the participants enough for such an enjoyable day, everyone helping each other and working as one giant team to accomplish vast amounts of work and breath new life into the forgotten chairs, everyone having fun with a smile on their face making reused creations out of 'junk' to last for generations to come.

- Richard

The Footprints EcoFestival

2011-08-29T16:29:00.001+10:00

The last Sunday of winter was a beautiful day: spring is definitely coming back to Sydney! It was a perfect day for The Bower to promote the Eco-Library: that is why Claire, Claire and Clare (no, we’re not kidding, we’re all called Claire!) took part in the second edition of the Footprints Ecofestival in Annandale.

We wanted to emphasize three particular activities of the Eco-Library: the zines, the library loans service and the Seed Savers group.

We brought some zines and a type-writer so that Claire could show how she works. We had chosen a dozen books about bush plants, sustainable design, reuse crafts and recycling to show a sample of the variety of information you can find in the Eco-Library and we also had some seeds to sell from the Seed Savers: yellow tomatoes, parsley, peas, lettuce, celery, etc…

The sun and the warm weather brought many people. We had very positive feedback from people who wanted to know more about The Bower, whether they had already heard about us or not. The Seed Savers was quite intriguing to many people and quite a lot of seeds were sold. Hopefully they will grow up happily in new welcoming homes!

Finally, it was great to chat with our neighbours: the Wilderness Society, our friends of Alfalfa House who had cooked delicious organic cakes, Sydney Bike Polo who organised free rides on electrical bikes, the No Gas Mining group who had petitions to sign, or WEFTS who gave 100% biodegradable balloons to kids, just to quote some of them. Let’s not forget the giant tree men, too, who wanted to cut every human with loppers and chainsaws!!!

It was a very good day for the three of us: we really enjoyed being a part of this festival and chatting with all these people explaining what we are doing in our Eco-Library!

- Claire M

Week 1 in 107

2011-08-25T10:44:00.001+10:00

This week was our first week working in OUR NEW WORKSHOP SPACE! Ok, so it's TAFE Outreach's space, loaned from the good folk at City of Sydney Council, but we get to play in it!
Furniture Reuse classes began on Wednesday with a burst of enthusiasm we could only have imagined!!

Check out below for Teddy's take on his first class in Reuse Repair Recycle Furniture

________________________________

What a joy it was to ride my bike to 107 Redfern St this morning! A gorgeous almost-Spring morning, perfect for getting my hands dirty!

The motley gang of eco warriors, furniture restorers and handy types gather around, anxious to start, feet tapping, hands twitching...we want to make stuff!

We've found ourselves huddled in a huge warehouse space in Redfern, Banksy stencils littered carelessly across the walls, hints of glitter and charisma are all that remain from the presence of Mardi Gras and our teachers are ready to roll! Today is upholstery! Chairs and chairs and more chairs are pulled out, foam, flock, dacron and calico swing in bags around the warehouse, staple guns, tack removers and hammers are held at the ready as Maaike explains and demonstrates how we are going to make mess into magic.

My accomplice Fiona and I tackle a gorgeous timber arm chair. All that is left of it's former glory is a well sanded frame and a few rusted springs, a gem of a project!

We begin by weaving the base and back with hessian strips. It's tricky but once we got used to the stretching tool and handling the tacks we were on fire.

Next we stuffed coconut fibre and the soft downy flock on the back and covered it with half a hessian sack. The back really started to take shape at this point.

It felt great to see a tangible outcome so quickly! Why is it that we are so scared of making things? Of fixing things? All it takes is a little information, the right kind of basic tools and a bit of motivation and virtually anything can be phoenix-ed out of the ashes! /end rant

The dacron came into play next, we shaped a piece and stapled it in place. The group gathered around us as we worked, gasps of awe escaping alongside the fire of the staple gun.

Every single person around that workbench was smiling and we left excited about what we would create next week! Can't wait!

-Teddy

Marrickville Men's Shed Week 4

2011-08-23T11:23:00.000+10:00

Another week of planning and scheming - The guys are in the shed and in the yard building, whipping The Bower workshop into shape. There's plenty of room if you want to come along and see what's happening.

The Men meet each Thursday from 10am to 1pm.

Bowerography 2.oh!

2011-08-18T16:34:00.000+10:00

Special shout out to Thuy, our Bowerography mastermind, for all her enthusiasm and hard work on the latest series of events starting this Saturday at the Bower. If you're a Saturday regular be sure to give her a pat on the back!!

Events will be on Saturdays 2pm- 4pm Upstairs in the Eco-library

August 20th- Bike Club!

Fiona Cambell, City of Sydney's Cycling Stategist, will be discussing Bike Culture from all over the world!

She will show how the humble bicycle is a great means of transport, a fun past time, an easy way to keep fit and environmentall friendly. What communities from other cities are currently doing in recognition of all these pluses will also be discussed.

She will discuss Sydney's own bicylcle's paths and plans and will direct the novice to the enthusiast to some great sites and resources.

August 27th- www.nogasmininginsydney.com

In November 2010 the residents of St Peters, Sydney, were alerted to the fact that the NSW government had granted an exploration licence to drill for Coal Seam Gas (CSG) close to homes and schools in St Peters.

Come watch a free edited screening of the arard winning GASLAND (2009) to witness the long term health implications to people, animals and the environment.

Jacinta Green from the St. Peters action group will explain how this exploration process is going to impact the residents of Sydney.

September 3rd- Food Matters

Adam Taylor, Coordinator of Alfalfa House Community Food CO-OP in Enmore will be discussing a range of issues including

factory farming vs. local and organic growers, GMO crops, product packaging and the plastic islands floating in the oceans.

Adam has been active in food justice around the world, and is really excited to discuss the idea that we do have options.

Adam will be taking a solutions based approach to these issues so bring a notebook and pen!

September 10th- Bookbinding

Sign up for some seriously creative reuse with Joanna. We'll be binding scrap books, notebooks, albums and more from reuse stationary and other salvaged materials in The Bower.

September 17th- Candlemaking

Our lovely co-op brothers and sisters from Alfalfa House in Enmore has kindly donated some beautiful home grown bees wax for this

candle making workshop! In this session we will show you how to use unused bric-a-brac, glass jars and bottles and everyday packaging to create beautiful centrepeices, gifts and mood lighting options. Come along to this wonderful demonstration and take home some beautiful

candles.

September 24th- Uphoslstery

Suppliers, materials, techniques - anything stopping you from doing your own reuse upholstery? Stop by for an upholstery demonstration in the Eco-library and ask any questions you might have. sadly space is limited so this isn't a byo project workshop - we're hoping to fit another one of those in later in the year.

Don't forget to RSVP to score priority seating/participation etc! Call up, call in, sign up on facebook.

EcoSnapshot Day

2011-08-17T12:19:00.002+10:00

A day out of The Bower teaching kids about reducing, reusing and recycling

On August 10^th Maaike and Claire were invited to join the SCRAP team once more in teaching kids and schools to be more sustainable.

Scrap ltd is a non-for-profit company dedicated to teaching resource conservation and management to schools through a fun activity based audit run by students. There are 5 teams involved in creating an Eco-Snapshot - Water, Energy, Resource recovery (Waste), Biodiversity and Material Use and Management (MUM).

The Bower has run the MUM audit in schools with the Scrap team for many years as part of our commitment to education about reuse and sustainable practices.

Kids in all groups conduct investigations, surveys and audits on their school, relative to their topic. The information they find on the day helps the SCRAP team build a picture for the school staff on their performance in terms of environmental sustainability. SCRAP collates this information, along with details given by staff and provides a number of recommendations to help the school improve future performance.

Last week we visited St-Ignatius (Regis campus), in Lane Cove. The year 6 kids split into groups to spend the day focusing on their particular environmental issue such as biodiversity, solid waste or energy.

Maaike and Claire worked with 20 pupils to discuss the importance of the 4 R's – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We talked about the lifecycle of something as simple as paper, and why we should consider it a precious resource rather than a disposable item. We also talked about other materials and their reuse potential, and admired the class's softdrink bottle terrariums as a great example of this idea in practice.

We also talked about lunch box reuse.
The boys examined their lunch boxes and thought about reducing the waste they bring into the school each day. Resuable packaging such as lunchboxes, and smaller tupperware for sandwiches or small portions of yoghurt, muesli, biccies etc eliminates gladwrap and foil waste, as well as plastic single serve packaging for chips and biscuits. Most kids had a resuable drink bottle to avoid single serve drinks like poppers.

After a talk about their own consumption, they were divided into 4 groups, each of them having a particular audit to conduct. The groups surveyed canteens, staffrooms, paper stores and other class's lunch boxes to provide a snapshot of reuse culture in the school. Later they collated their information and decide what the message is that they want to pass on to their peers at the final assembly. Snapshot kids share their information at the end of the day through video, play, rap, interpretive dance and/or poster.

The St-Ignatius kids seem particularly well-aware of the recycling issues, and were very enthusiastic about the day. They did their best to find all the information required. At the end of the day, our four groups expressed their creativity making posters on industrial discard paper from Reverse Garbage.

St-Ignatius Regis were found to be excellent at recycling paper and the kids had lots of great ideas to increase paper use. The Resource Recovery team discovered 90% of their day's 'rubbish' was in fact a recoverable resource. Energy, Water and Biodiversity groups all also reported encouraging information and many new ideas for improvement.

Ultimately a very positive day, both for the kids and for Maaike and Claire who really enjoyed the energy, involvement and creativity that the children demonstrated!

The Bower on Top Design - Upcycle Challenge

2011-08-16T16:33:00.000+10:00

This Wednesday at 8pm we'll be featuring in Jamie Durie’s latest reality show, ‘Top Design’.

The Channel 9 program’s participants are a diverse group of Australians with a passion for renovation and design. Contestants had a budget to spend at The Bower, selecting items to upcycle in to something else; such as old fridges, bike parts and filing cabinets.

We're chuffed about the prime time exposure the program will bring to The Bower’s ethic of reuse and repair. Reuse and repair is an effective solution to the mainstream issue of waste and limited landfill.

Hopefully the episode will illustrate that just because items may no longer be functional as originally intended, they can still be extremely useful.
One of our core aims has been to advocate for long life design, through the creation of repairable products or inclusion of upcycle possibilities.

We strive to keep reusable items out of landfill and to involve the community in the achievement of these objectives. We hope the show will reach a whole new section of Sydney who will be able to start considering the possibilities of their own unwanted goods before throwing them away in the future.

The Bower episode of Top Design is aired on Channel 9 on August 17 from 8.00 pm.

Bowerbirds Zine Making Week 1

2011-08-08T10:46:00.000+10:00

Week 1 of Bowerbirds Zinemaking went beautifully.

Part of probably the most exciting afterhours event Jurassic Lounge- held at the Australian Museum- the zine zone was a quiet refuge as well as a creatively buzzing little nook set with the backdrop of a cave.

Participants could choose a piece of handcrafted recycled paper (made by Eco-Library volunteer Clare) and then peruse the cut-out images and words spread around the room. There was lots of lovely feedback about the paper stock as people really appreciated the value of each and every piece. With a loose theme of DISCOVERY, a total of 45 pages were made using collage, drawing and text and pinned up within the cave. The selection from our zine library introduced newcomers to the zine world on what a zine actually is and inspired people to get crafty. The pages will be collated each week to go towards our big Jurassic Lounge zine.

The Bower Re-use & Repair Centre and Eco-Library will be hosting the zinemaking using recycled and re-used materials again this coming Tuesday 9th August with the theme DREAMS.

Jurassic Lounge will also come alive with burlesque, bands, swing dancing, karaoke, live projections and video installation, films and exhibitions.
Entry is $15 plus a free drink.
Tuesday 9th August from 5.30-9.30pm.

August Newsletter

2011-08-03T17:11:00.000+10:00

Jurassic Lounge

2011-08-01T10:38:00.000+10:00

The Bower Reuse & Repair Centre Eco Library

presents

Zines made out of zines and other things.

TUESDAYS
5:30pm TO 9:30pm
2 August - 20 September

OVER 18 EVENT
AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM
6 COLLEGE STREET
SYDNEY

JOIN US!

$15 AT THE DOOR (INCL. 1 FREE DRINK) OR BOOK ONLINE

(Pic borrowed from The Paper Collective)

Every Tuesday night this Winter, the Australian Museum opens its doors to present Jurassic Lounge - after-hour sessions featuring art, live music, drinks + new ideas.

As part of this awesome series, our Eco-library volunteer Clare will be running a zine workshop with reuse stationary and other bits from The Bower;

Scribble it down stream of consciousness style, record it digital wise then.... rip it up into little pieces and beat it to a pulp!

Relax between acts and contribute to the communal zine- a piece of art created at each event which has little bits and pieces from and of jurassic lounge folk.

All materials are from re-use, paper is handmade each week out of the pages you contribute with special surprises along the way.

Our first event will be all about discoveries, re-discoveries and treasure! Maybe you will find something glinting between the fossils at Jurassic Lounge- come etch it for us in the zine zone (Indigenous room) and whilst you are there bring your friends to play some retro games and choose your tune on the Jukebox...

The Marrickville Mens Shed is in Session!

2011-07-29T10:26:00.001+10:00

The Marrickville Shed is officially open!

We welcome Michael to our working party, and to our Bower Team - many thanks to Marrickville Council for making his position possible at this early stage.

Michael is a Bower Member with loads of ideas, enthusiasm and experience in reuse, repair and community engagement so we're excited to see what he and the shedees come up with in the coming months!

Click on the image below to read his wrap up of our first meeting.

July News (Early Bird catches the worms?!)

2011-06-29T17:22:00.000+10:00

In a spectacular display of efficiency you ought not to get used to, please find below the JULY NEWSLETTER!

We struggled to make room for pictures we've so much to share - you can find more info scrolling through earlier blog posts below.

Reuse Textiles!

2011-06-27T12:27:00.000+10:00

Some of us spent last Wednesday working with the furniture repair students in the TAFE Outeach course.

Last week they made their seats comfy, and this week was the fun part - reusing a city of Sydney Street Banner to cover no less than 5 dining chairs - with plenty to spare!

The group learned how to stretch and place fabric coverings on dining chairs in preparation for 2 larger projects they've already started pulling apart. The fun part is seeing the diverse styles of chair coming from one piece of fabric - An awesome result of reuse in action!

Next term we'll be looking at repairing and re-finishing the dining chairs that match these seat pads.

But for now, just for fun, we're pulling apart 2 armchairs to see how they work. These 2, like the suite of dining chairs, will be a team project, and we're looking forward to seeing what they come up with!

Marrickville Men's Shed - Open Information day

2011-06-25T12:21:00.000+10:00

We're proud to announce that the Bower is the new home of the Marrickville Men's Shed. We've been working with Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and Marrickville Council to come up with a way to fit Reuse & Repair into the seniors activity program here in Marrickville, and this is it!

Men's Sheds are a great way to learn new skills, improve your old ones, meet new people and contribute to your community through charitable projects (in this case reuse and repair of items to keep them from landfill).

Tuesday the 19th of July, older men interested in the Marrickville Shed are invited to come along to an open info day. The morning will provide participants with opportunities to hear from other Shedees about their experience, the Australian men's Shed association and ask questions.

There will be a light lunch and some demonstrations as part of the day.

The Bower shed remains open to extended members outside of Tuesdays to ensure all our reuse friends can use our resources.

PLACE Course in Full Swing

2011-06-21T09:40:00.001+10:00

Some time back The Bower made a decision to focus on reuse and repair education in the broader community, rather than simply indulging our passion in house.

We told you a little bit about our grand plans back in April Here, and now we've finally got photos and a spare minute to share more.

There have been a few hiccups in the provision of space for the program, so currently we have 8 or 9 students attending timber classes at Annandale TAFE, helping to build tables, benches and chairs for a local pre-school (photos later in the week).

The other half are at the Darlington Activity Centre (thanks Pine Street Gallery!) and we're in chair restoration heaven.

We've been pulling broken, weary bits and pieces off the floor here at The Bower for the team to learn from, and learn on. Our friends at Padgham Uphostery donated half our upholstery tools so we could learn with the real thing rather than making do.

Last week we covered structural upholstery;

Webbing & springs

hessian overlay

and teasing flock

Tomorrow we're ready to cover our dining chair seat pads with reuse fabric - City of Sydney Street banners!

All the finished pieces from both teams are being stored up for an exhibition of reuse glory later in the year.

Reuse Advertising

2011-05-31T09:29:00.001+10:00

You guys know the spiel, The Bower is an independent environmental charity co-operative. We survive predominantly on funds raised through the sale of goods, and are beholden only to our members, having no parental or auspicing body.

That said, Marrickville council have been one of our most staunch supporters since our founding days.
They strongly believe in our aims and objectives here at The Bower. Through word of mouth and contributions to our Reuse Referral Service they've helped us greatly increase the amount of waste we can divert from landfill - often without even seeing it come in to the store!

When we approached Marrickville council for a grant to update our signage last year we did so because we wanted new signs that were highly visible, that mentioned some of our more recent initiatives, like our Eco-Library. Mostly we wanted some giant signs for our 'new'(reused) truck. We're super excited and grateful that Marrickville shared our vision and funded this project, and we look forward to an increase in waste diverted from landfill through The Bower as a result of our raised profile in the area.

What we hadn't considered, probably because it's second nature for us, is just how great an example of reuse the project would turn out to be.

To practice what we preach, we agreed to sand down our old hand painted boards, and cut new sheets for A-frames without boards from donated metal. When the donated metal ran out, we found the back of some metal shelving that was missing other parts, and put it to new (re)use by cutting it down to size with an angle grinder. Some A-frames were re-glued, re-hinged or de-rusted during this process as well.

We also limited the number of signs/A-frames required by making them dual purpose. we have 'Open' on one side and 'closed' on the other of a single Aframe for example, and our direction boards for throughout the Addison Road Centre double as signage for markets and festivals.

To reduce embedded energy (from transport) and costs we opted to go with a local business who understood our reuse & repair ethos and were willing to work with us on our old boards and signs. Sign Kiosk have been fantastic, accommodating us at every turn, and double checking everything to ensure we wouldn't be wasting money on typos or size errors. If they could stop the rain to get to our truck signs applied sooner, I'm sure they would!

Bowerography

2011-05-24T10:03:00.000+10:00

For a long time now we've been wanting to harness the knowledge and expertise of our friends, family and Bower regulars and share our collective knowledge.
It's finally happening!

This June, The Bower presents Bowerography in the Eco-Library
A weekly talk on issues of sustainability, local living and much more.

Each Tuesday we'll meet at 6pm for a 6:30 start and enjoy a talk from somebody passionate about ethical food purchasing, Coal Seam Mining in metropolitan areas, 3 fold social order or social enterprise. (See below for full details)

Presentations will be followed by Q&A, and knowing us, some lively debate and tea, coffee and sweeties.

Places are limited (if you've ever been up to the Eco-library you'll know why!) so please check out the synopsis below and call to reserve your seat(s) for the talks that interest you.

BOWEROGRAPHY EVENTS for June 2011

BOWEROGRAPHY EVENTS are aim to give people the opportunity to engage with socially & environmentally inclined groups, individuals & organisations through a series of lectures, forums, debates, panelled discussions, screenings or workshops held at The Bower Co-op. All events are open to the general public & co-op members.

Where: The Eco-Library, Building 34, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville, NSW, 2204

Phone 02 95686280 email info@bower.com.au

Why: To raise awareness on social & environmental issues in an accessible & laid back setting and also to establish & maintain strong active membership & community ties. As all environmental & social issues are also political & economic ones too, a wide perspective is needed & we are acting as a facilitator, platform & venue for this idea.

When: All events are held on Tuesday evenings, 6pm for 6:30 start- 8:30pm. Light refreshments served. By gold coin donation.

Please check our website or FACEBOOK page for more info, directions and bus & train access to the centre.

Below is the schedule of winter events for June/ July 2011. Please call to reserve your places as spaces are limited.

“THE NEW WORLD ORDER, WIKILEAKS & THE 3FOLD SOCIAL ORDER”

Tues 7th June- Karla Cryer

Where is globalization taking us? What is the current global power structure & what are its outcomes? What is the intention?

Why are we constantly at war? Are there alternatives? How do we achieve them?

Karla Cryer, psychologist, college teacher & writer tackles these questions & provides some intriguing answers. She introduces a 3 Fold Social order based on the teachings of the initiator of biodynamic farming, Steiner schools & anthroposophical medicines. This lecture will highlight an effective alternative economic & political philosophy that could benefit the whole of society and not just a privileged few.

“AGRIBUSINESS AND HOW WE ARE LITERALLY DEVOURING THIS PLANET”

Tues 14th June- Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor, Coordinator of Alfalfa House Community Food CO-OP in Enmore, will be discussing issues relating to human consumption and some of the destructive consequences for our Earth. The session will tie together issues of factory farming vs. local & organic growers, GMO crops, product packaging, deforestation & the plastic islands floating in the oceans.

Adam has been active in food justice around the world and his talk will be full of positives to counter the negatives & he will be taking a solutions based approach to these issues.

“FRACKING- WHY IT’S WORSE THAN IT ACTUALLY SOUNDS”

Tues 21st June- nogasmininginsydney.com

St. Peters in the inner-west is being proposed as a coal seam site. In the race to meet our insatiable energy needs, the chemicals and by-products injected into and produced by the “Fracking” process is causing damage to aquifers and the disposal of extracted salt water are concerns for residents, farmers and rural towns and the general public.

Come to a free screening and watch this edited version of the award winning GASLAND (2009) and witness the long term impact of this industry to communities, their health, the atmosphere and our water sources. Truly shocking.

“PROFIT’ IS NOT A DIRTY WORD: REINVENTING THE NOT FOR PROFIT SECTOR”

Tues 28th June- Lisa Sampson

What is social enterprise? What does it mean for Co-op’s like The Bower? Where could it take the organisation in 10, 20, 50 years? What does it mean for the re-use and recycling industry? How do we create partnerships with government, not for profit and commercial entities that ethically further a social purpose? How does social enterprise interact with modern consumer society within the context of the welfare economy and some of our basic drivers as human beings, such as the struggle for recognition?

Join writer, producer and social systems architect Lisa Sampson for a robust discussion about the state of play and the possibilities.

May News

2011-05-02T09:41:00.000+10:00

Food Connect - Coming soon to the Eco-Library

2011-04-21T10:49:00.000+10:00

Last week we met the lovely Julian of Food Connect, who stopped by to talk to us about his social enterprise. Here's what he had to say;

"Food Connect Sydney aims to make ethically grown food from local farmers accessible to any household in Sydney. Food Connect Sydney buys direct from local organic and chemical free farmers and packs it into three sized boxes — $35–$65.

These are then delivered to a local host or "City Cousin" where subscribers come once a week to pick up their pre-paid box.

Fruit and Veg from Food Connect supports farming and local communities as it is:

Fair : 40c in every dollar goes back to the farmer
Organic : 100% of the produce is certified organic or chemical free
Local : average food miles of around 250km
Direct : over 90% of the produce is bought direct from the farmer
Community driven : Local communities come together at their City Cousin

Food Connect Sydney is based on award winning Food Connect Brisbane who have been trading for over six years. Food Connect Sydney’s Enterprise Coordinator was recently recognised as the Sydney Social Entrepreneur of the Year. "

Food Connect Sydney also offers a wholesale service, and supply our good friends over at Alfalfa House. Alfalfa are as excited as we are for The Bower to be extending the number of resources and services available to residents interested in living locally and minimising their environmental impact.

Starting Wednesday 11th May 1-7pm, you'll be able to pick up your pre-paid boxes of produce from our Eco-Library.

Alfalfa House recently loaned their collection of cookbooks to the Eco-Library, so you'll find a host of convenient references to help you decide on tasty recipes for your fresh produce each week. Before long you'll find our Eco-Library has a wealth of information on related topics, including living locally, organic and chemical free gardening and much, much more.

Our hope is that before long, you won't just drop in to pick up your vegies, but stay for a cuppa and a chat with some of the other like minded subscribers.

SO! Checkout http://www.foodconnect.com.au to find the answers to any lingering questions, sign up to test out the service and organise your subscription payment.

Reuse Repair and Recycle Furniture Course

2011-04-15T16:01:00.000+10:00

Workshops, workshops workshops!

We've been hard at work trying to figure out how we can give you what you want!
The second part of the solution involves cloning ourselves, so we'll leave that (and the ethics discussion) for another post, but the first part of the solution is Bower staff getting skilled up in timber repair and finishing ourselves!

To achieve that, and meet some of our other objectives including community education of reuse and repair, we've buddied up with our new best friends - TAFE Outreach.

Outreach at ultimo are dedicated to tailoring courses specifically to meet community needs, providing pathways into social enterprises for people from all walks of life. They're also working with PLACE, a 2 year program concerned with people learning skills towards social enterprises - giving people pathways to employment and financial independence as well as opportunities to socialise and learn new skills.

Over the coming weeks, The Bower staff will be working with TAFE and a TAFE appointed tutor, learning new skills and working with other participants, learning about teaching, mentoring and community engagement.

The aim is for participants to have a taste of furniture restoration and timber work, and for the group to produce a number of pieces that exhibit their new skills, their creativity and passion - all through items donated by The Bower. We hope that some student will discover a true passion for furniture restoration, and that our staff will discover a passion for teaching!

We can't wait for class to resume after the easter holidays, and to show you some of our work in progress.

Once we're skilled up we'll be able to increase the range of workshops we offer to you!

The Bower Upcycle Challenge

2011-03-31T14:04:00.000+11:00

We're full of secret plans and clever tricks here at The Bower, and we know you are too. We're putting out the call to handy, arty crafty farty types to show Sydney what you've got.

We're asking you to upcycle found, preloved, salvaged goods into new and exciting things of a totally different function. Show us the hidden potential in items and materials that seem like rubbish at first glance.

We want your washing machines turned into barbecues, your barbecues turned planting trollies and your kayak coffee table. We want something great made out of a toaster, a TV, a stack of CDs.

The winner will be determined by popular vote and will receive a $100 Bower store voucher and a 12 month subscription to Renew, G or Green Magazine.

Not 'handy'? Come on down during the exhibition period (30th April - 8th May), vote for your favourite and get inspired to try your hand at something new.

---------------------------------------------
Download the entry form, terms and conditions
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The low down (terms & conditions);

Entries Must;
    1.    Feature goods & materials that have been reclaimed/reused/repurposed for a new function
We'll host a refurbishment challenge another time, but this challenge is all about finding the potential in pre-loved goods and materials.
Think turning bike wheels into a coffee table, or a fridge into a book case... visit our Reuse Gallery in the Eco-Library for more inspiration.

    2.    Be the unique work of the entrant
There are plenty of original ideas out there, and plenty of ways to spin an old one, this challenge is all about getting creative and inspiring other to see the potential in salvaged goods

    3.    Limit 1 entry per participant.

    4.    Staff are encouraged to display items but are not eligible to win prizes.

Safety
    1.    Item must be safe
    •    No broken glass, sharp edges, super pointy protrusions etc.
    •    No toxic or hazardous materials.

    2.    Electrical items must be tagged and tested by a qualified person to be displayed 'in action'.
    •    The Bower electrician may provide this service at a fee of $5/item no later than Wednesday 27th April 2011.
    •    The Bower takes no responsibility for electrical goods found to be unsafe and these items will not be displayed 'in action'

Size
    1.    The entry MUST fit inside a hypothetical box measuring 100cmx100cmx150cm high.

Or, if the item is too large/unmovable/precious,

    2.    Pictures, explanation and diagrams of the project must fit on one a2 board or the equivalent (2xA3 or 4X A4)
    •    Items need to be mounted on card or similar (check out Reverse Garbage for reuse options) for proper display.

Voting
    1.    All visitors to The Bower during the display period will be encouraged to vote.
    2. Paper and pens for voting will be provided at the sales counter.
    2.    Votes will be added to the ballot box behind the counter by Bower Staff and tallied at the end of the display period.

Due Date
    1.    Entry Forms are due before midnight on Sunday the 25th of April to secure your position in the display (download the form at the bottom of this post or pick one up in store)

    2.    Actual item/presentation to be delivered 29th-30th April
    •    10am-5pm or Saturday 9-11am.

Reasons to get in on the action;
    1.    Sharing your reuse ideas is an awesome way to get others excited about reuse and repair

    2.    You might get famous - select items will be featured on The Bower website, blog and facebook and emailed (with your permission) to a number of local media sources.

    3.    You stand to win $100 Bower Voucher and a 12 month subscription to a magazine of your choice (choose from G magazine, Renew or Green)
    •    Entries will be displayed 30th April - 8th May in The Bower to delight and inspire our members and customers.

April News

2011-03-31T13:48:00.003+11:00

Hi All!
This month we're asking you to get involved! Donate, upcycle, email, chat to us in store tell us about your sustainable achievements and goals.
Members, we're asking even more of you - we would love for you to take 5 minutes and answer 10 questions to help us serve you, the community and the environment better. So please click here to complete the member survey- we'll be your best friends...

March News

2011-03-07T12:52:00.002+11:00

March, March, March...MARCH!

Oh what big plans we embrace. This month, we're asking you to get involved;

* Add us on facebook and tell us what you love about The Bower.

* Tell someone else what you love about the Bower.

* Sign up to tell everyone about your passion as part of Bowerography - want to know more?

READ ON!

Upholstery in the Eco-Library

2011-02-10T16:35:00.000+11:00

We're going to try something a little bit different. We hope you're going to like it. It's bound to be a little bit hap hazard but we think we're on to a good idea.

Please email to register your interest in the group below. If the first session goes well and we have enough interest we'll be able to run regularly, and we'll keep you posted.

Upholstery in the Eco-Library @ The Bower

1st Session Wednesday 9th March

(Future sessions to be advised)

6:30 - 9:00 PM

4 participants MAX - bookings essential

Cost; $25/session + $5 Materials/chair*

Book: gm@bower.org.au/95686280

An evening in the Eco-Library to help you kick start that chair you've been meaning to resurrect for ages. Bring along your own curbside find from hard rubbish day, or those dining chairs you've always wanted to zhush up a little bit.

We'll show you the basics of upholstery using salvaged industrial offcuts and 'end of run' fabrics.

All you need to bring:

1. Your chair/project - Ideal projects include dining chairs, occasional chairs, simple armchairs. Be advised you'll have to be able to carry your chair upstairs to our Eco-library.

We won't be covering machine sewing and pattern making due to space constraints so please;

- try to avoid chairs with piping, or more than 1 loose cushion per chair as these items definitely require a sewing machine and sewing experience

- Avoid buttoned back chairs - Buttoning is long, painful and frustrating, we can work up to it in later sessions if you're still keen.

2.Chosen fabric if desired - Make sure you leave enough allowance in the fabric - email pics gm@bower.org.au for more help on estimating fabric if required.

3. Staple gun & staples - These are available from hardware stores, Kmart/Big W, Spotlight etc - a regular duty gun will do, around $15-$30. Bringing your own means you won't have to share - and you'll want one to finish your project (or start the next one) when you get home!

*Material cost includes foam, hessian, webbing and other padding materials for 1 chair.

All proceeds contribute to the running of The Bower Reuse & Repair Centre

(An environmental charity)

Feb News

2011-02-02T16:41:00.000+11:00

We're still on the hunt for a Customer Liaison. We've enlisted the help of our friends over at Ethicaljobs.com.au - the best place to go if you're looking to work for a meaningful organisation.

For more about what's going on at The Bower right now, check out our newsletter below.

Wanted: New Customer Liaison

2011-01-27T14:44:00.002+11:00

We're simultaneously sad and excited to announce we have a new opening on The Bower Team.

Phoenix has left us to pursue a different track in the city, and while we're very sad, we wish him the best of bestest luck in his new position.

Have you got what it takes to fill his shoes? The Customer Liaison role requires someone outgoing, positive and solution oriented. We'd love to meet someone who will get excited about the possibilities to develop the service, with the drive and skills to make it happen.

If you've always wondered how you can get on board The Bower Train in a paid capacity, this is your moment!

Check out our employment opportunities page and download our job description for full details.

We need to see your response to the job description and your resume by 5pm Thursday 10th Feb.

January Newsletter (of sorts...)

2011-01-19T14:28:00.000+11:00

Oh HI!
Welcome to 2011 - Reuse Style.

Sorry you guys have had to do most of the visiting/talking in our relationship of late, we've been caught up in making site improvements, a little spring cleaning and a little re-organisation.
We promise to get back on the proper communication track ASAP, we've just got a few ends to tidy up first, so in the interim, please accept this as our Newsletter for January 2010.

Our fearless chairman is still working hard on improving our timber workshop for future use, with lots of help from staff and volunteers - Thankyou for all your support!

Today we caught up with Rhonda from Flood Light - she and her cohorts have also been super busy organising a Flood Relief Benefit Night to aid and support our friends in Queensland. We've donated a $100 voucher to their prize stash for the big night, to support them in supporting Queensland's recovery from this terrible natural disaster.

All the talk of extreme weather has Claire doing some reading on climate change in the Eco-Library.
Some very accessable books we have in the Eco-Library include:

"The no-nonsense guide to climate change" by Dinyar Godrej
"2 Degrees too high: understanding the Copenhagen Conference" by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
"Before the deluge: coping with floods in a changing climate" by the International Rivers Network

Of course these are just a few titles in our collection of Eco-minded titles.
Don't forget to take a closer look upstairs next time you drop by.

And finally a quick note that we will be closed next Wednesday 26th January as we're all off to celebrate Australia Day in our various ways.

Stop by before then to pick up extra preloved goodness to help you celebrate Australia Day too - think chairs, barbecues in need of a little TLC, umbrellas, sporting equipment, picnic paraphenalia and much much more.

See you soon!
-The Bower Team

Happy New Year

2011-01-04T10:58:00.001+11:00

Happy New Year!

We know at least one of you had an amazing holiday season - Congrats to Jeremy of Glowworm Bicycles, who won our Peats Ridge Competition last month.

Funding from Marrickville Arts Grants, allowed us to get stuck into fixing drainage around the north end of the building, enclosing more space for our workshop and building some secure storage. The ultimate dream is to make the space clean and organised for frequent communal use by members and community groups. Stay tuned!

Inspired by those works, we've spent the holiday season doing maintenance on the rest of our strawbale home and surrounds. Many thanks to the staff and members who volunteered their time and enthusiasm over the break, we couldn't have done it without you.

Many thanks to all our Bower friends and members, we know it's been painful having an enforced break from our Reuse wonder, but we're open for business as usual from today, and we'll make it up to you with rocking horses and kiaks, wicker chairs and shagpile rugs - all at great prices as usual.

In the interim, here's a look at our hard labour over Christmas and New Year.

* Fixing drainage issues that have long plagued our workshop and side drive. It might look the same by the time you next visit, but we've planted some seriously sophisticated drainage under the concrete and pavers.

* Improved ventilation in our Eco-Library to help hot air escape

*New drainage and concrete in the Staff area instead of saggy pavers

* A second water tank and some serious gardening all round

Ring in the New Year at Peats Ridge

2010-12-13T16:02:00.001+11:00

You've been a loyal Bower fan, you've followed us on facebook - now here's a chance to reap the rewards!

To thank us for providing pre loved bar furniture, The Peats Ridge Festival Folk have given us a pair of season passes to the Peats Ridge Sustainable Festival (New Years 2010)

And to thank YOU, we're putting them up for grabs.

You can go in the draw to win.

HOW TO WIN
like us on facebook
Spend $40 in store and tell us you saw it on facebook.
Leave your name and contact details with staff

ENTRIES CLOSE 4PM Sunday the 19th of December.
Don't forget you must like us on facebook.

The winner will be notified on Monday December 20.

HOW TO STACK THE DRAW
Don't forget there are two season passes up for grabs - so tell all your friends and get them to enter as well - Once they've agreed to take you as their buddy, of course!

HOW TO SPEND $40 AT THE BOWER?

You should consider Bower Membership. It's just $5.50 for students and pensioners, and an earth shattering $11 for everyone else. There are loads of perks, including 10% off Bower goods once you're approved.

The remaining $30-35 will buy you a heap of sustainable festival gear at the Bower - from cricket balls to crazy hats, picnic sets and outdoor umbrellas - not to mention picture frames for the memories later on!

See you in store very soon!!

Santa Claus Has Come Early!

2010-12-10T14:02:00.002+11:00

Around these parts, Santa drives a ute, dresses in King G and delivers restored, refurbished and resurrected goods in bulk.

Of course we just call him Steve...

Steve Swan has been contributing to The Bowerhaus since before there was a name or policy to do so - you can read a little more about what drives him here.

You can spot stuff by Steve - it's stencilled, branded (sometimes literally with a firebrand!), often brightly coloured and always interesting. Lately he's been playing with Arnott's biscuits logos - giving quality dining suites and dressers a new identity you won't want to part with.

Today he has very cleverly brought a ute load of smaller items just in time for christmas.

Someone's already bought the entire suitcase collection, but there's still some gorgeous vintage items and branded boxes - including the smoothest lego chest chock full of divider drawers to keep your collection in style.

You'll also find an array of occasional tables, stencilled, branded, painted, themed or made from wake boards - you'll find just the table you never knew you needed.

We even got our own very special Bower Coffee table - It's in the Eco-library with the rest of the Reuse Gallery.

The Bower Christmas Newsletter

2010-12-07T09:08:00.000+11:00

Good Tidings and Joy, Bower folk,
for the internet is back in the house!

After 4 days of frustration, isolation and more frustration, we can finally;

Respond to your emails
Play with the Website
Keep up to date with sustainability in the rest of the world

So thank you for your patience!

Community Partnership

2010-12-02T12:24:00.000+11:00

On Wednesday the 25th of November, Target Sustainability @ Marrickville held their annual environmental awards on the banks of the Cooks River.

Target Sustainability is a fantastic program from Marrickville council that involves 108 local businesses. The program supports, encourages, educates these businesses in sustainable business practice, services, and systems, and then supports us all some more.

Participating businesses elect to focus on areas of waste, energy, community or carbon reduction.

This is obviously something that should be applauded - particularly amongst commercial businesses, where doing the right thing is perceivably harder on the business initially.

What we loved about the awards night was hearing how any tough times initially are now bringing in great rewards financially, environmentally and emotionally. And of course we loved the food!

The event was largely catered by Long Black Cafe from Dulwich Hill, a favourite amongst all participants, and some of our members - Check out Long Black + Green, a great blog by a fan of both The Bower and Long Black, on all things sustainable, kitchen gardeny etc.

Serendipity Icecream made us all weak at the knees with their coconut macaroon 'cold cookies'. They won the Leadership in Sustainability Award for all their efforts. They run on 100% green power, and managed to increase their production dramatically while retaining the same (if not lower) energy and resource consumption. Truly inspiring and well deserved. We should all eat their icecream in celebration!

Other winners and notable mentions included Scrambled Cafe in Enmore, vegan and yoga restaurants, St Vincent DePaul and their 50 year sustainability plan, a uniform and dry cleaning business that reuse their chemicals to reduce harmful waste and so many more! Did you know that there's a SUPRE with a community garden for their employees among (one of several great initiatives they have).

(Richard, Maaike, Fiona Byrne (The Mayor), Oliver (Board Director), Greg)

The Bower were finalists in 3 categories, but mentioned in nearly all as many other businesses came to us to furnish their offices, shop displays etc.

Ultimately we won The Community Partnership Award, and we're absolutely thrilled. As a co-operative and a not for profit we work with a huge variety of people on a regular basis. A big thanks to the membership and volunteers, without you not only would we not win an award, but we couldn't achieve what we do.

More recently we've been lucky to seek out other partnerships in the community, and we look forward to sharing more of our plans as they come to life.

Our thanks go to Marrickville Council, for the Target program, the awards night, and connecting so many local and inspiring businesses.

Instructable Christmas

2010-11-30T11:30:00.001+11:00

Christmas Celebrations?

Do it yourself with reused goodies -You've heard the mantra from everyone on Better Homes and Gardens to Grassroots and school teachers, not to mention our lovely selves!

Here are a few awesome Christmas projects for the kids at home, the kids at heart, and the too cool for school to get you started these holidays.

Gift Bows from magazines and scrap paper

A super simple idea to bring a designer touch to your christmas wrapping - without spending ridiculous amounts of money.

Brought to you by How About Orange

Christmas Tree Alternatives

5 options to cutting down a live tree - from investing in a potted tree to cardboard and drift wood trees. Our favourite is the random objects tree. We've got plenty of random objects at The Bower!

These ideas from Crafting a Green World

DIY Tree Ornaments from Scrap Paper

Make your own great Christmas ornaments this year! Dig into these Christmas ornament Instructables for some helpful methods involving origami and other methods. None of it is too difficult and before long you'll have something new to add to the tradition.
From instructables

DIY CD Snowflake Ornaments

This could either be the best way to break a paper shredder or the most awesome extreme craft... You tell us!

From instructables

Now you've got the ideas, bring that shopping list down to the Bower!

We've got magazines for gift wrapping and origami, cds for $1 ea, gift boxes for 20c each, christmas baubles for 10c each, DIY plaster ornaments ($2ea) and the fantastic Bower Reuse Christmas Tree to inspire your own creation this year!

November News

2010-11-05T10:31:00.002+11:00

The November Newsletter is out there in the ether.
Normally we'd post images of it here, but we're experiencing technical difficulties so
Click here to download the PDF.

Go on - click there. It'll change your life!

Creative Enterprise Hubs

2010-11-03T16:00:00.002+11:00

Yesterday we were privileged to hear Marcus Westbury speak about creative enterprise hubs, and how he has created precisely that in Newcastle with the Renew Newcastle Project. Such is his success that The Lonely Planet named Newcastle number NINE of the top ten cities IN THE WORLD to visit in 2010.

If you see this man, anywhere in your travels, you must buy him a beer.

Why? First he had an idea about regenerating the town centre of Newcastle.

Then he got out of bed, got fired up, and got others fired up. Then he set about brokering deals in which owners of disused and empty buildings in the CBD granted access rights to 'initiativists' - budding artists, craftsmen and people with projects but no place to put those plans in to practice.

Each initiativist that was linked with a space went in, overhauled it in the cheapest, simplest manner possible - Claiming items from hard rubbish, mixing paint remnants in to crazy custom shades, and generally championing REUSE. And then they used that space to work, dream, sell, network and ultimately build their careers.

(Image from Renew project Make-Space - click for more info)

At The Bower we see a lot of you picking up odds and sods for ingenious and inventive artworks, DIY projects and shoestring makeovers, and we know all too well that lack of space is what prevents a lot of people from making their projects bigger and more challenging.

Many of our consignees work out of their loungeroom or in the open air (challenged by this wet wet spring!), so it was more than inspiring to hear Marcus talk about just what is possible when you give a red hot go. Renew projects are popping up around australia, and the model built by Marcus has been adapted by Arts NSW - you can read more here.

So, as I said - Buy this man a beer.

Upscale Your Upholstery Weekend

2010-11-02T09:09:00.001+11:00

One of the coolest things about my job with The Bower is getting people excited about the possibilities that come with reusing, renovating, and repairing things. Waverley Council have set up a fantastic series of events to inspire their residents on precisely this topic in the areas of furniture, clothing, bike maintenance and even Nanna and Grandpa Skills - more about those last two next time.

This past weekend a very generous member donated her time both days to help me help a mob of excited soon-to be upholsterers on their projects.

We saw a huge variety of furniture from dining chairs to arm chairs, telephone tables and piano stools - not to mention a wide array of fabrics from The Salvos, Reverse Garbage, old designer fabric swatches and much much more.

We'd love to be running more of these closer to home (The Inner West) but we need teaching space with solid tables and preferably a roof - although we hate to be so fussy about these things! Check out some of these projects and get inspired!

Waverley Workshops

2010-10-27T09:07:00.001+11:00

This weekend The Bower will be running a pair of workshops on behalf of Waverley Council.

Upscale your Upholstery will help 20 residents from the Waverley region get started on their own furniture resurrection projects. Folks have been sending through their curbside finds in the lead up to the big day and I have to say I am both excited and amazed at the variety of finds, not to mention the guts people have when picking a starter project.

It's promising to be an exciting weekend, I can't wait to post the results.

If you'd like to squeeze in a DIY upholstery workshop before christmas, email me with your availability and what you'd like to get out of the workshop - If we can get a group of 6 together then I'll find the time to run one more before the end of the year.

Maaike

Welcome!

2010-10-26T08:57:00.001+11:00

It's been awhile in the making - here at The Bower we're so committed to Reuse and Repair that we even reuse our staff in various positions - And so Phoenix mans the referral service but also does the coffee run, Greg drives the truck but also keeps an eye on tool maintenance, and Maaike is the General Manager but also the homegrown IT girl.

The old website gave you lots of info, but it didn't really tell you about just how cool our little strawbale co-op really is, so we're very pleased to have this version up and running.

You'll notice it's still a work in progress, with some content still marked 'coming soon' - please be patient with us! if you're a consignee with stock for sale in The Bowerhaus, please email us pic and a short paragraph about your work for inclusion on our contributors page.

Please feel free to pass on any comments, feedback, notify us of broken links etc!

In other news, it's been a busy 6 months for The Bower, with 3 new team members, an unprecedented number of members joining up and a number of new projects in the pipeline.

We're working on advertising on a shoestring - which means in-house construction with whatever we can get our hands on - donated fabrics, canvas and paint, old silk screens and salvaged building supplies.

The plan is to use this blog space to keep you up to date on working bees, member events, special projects and the like, but also as a bit of DIY inspiration for you all to get stuck into your own reuse projects.

Looking forward to seeing you in store soon,

Maaike