In today's episode of Material Whirl, host Kelly Bryden is joined by Kavitha, a sustainable maker who teaches sewing, mending, and upcycling as a form of mindfulness and activism.

Kavitha runs Isifiso Clothing, offering workshops for all ages where she helps people reconnect with hands-on skills that have quietly disappeared from everyday life. She's been sewing since she was 12 after hustling her way into a dressmaking class that didn't take kids, and she hasn't stopped since.

Together, Kelly and Kavitha take on this week's DIY challenge using three surprise materials and share the full creative process behind their finished projects.

Kavitha opens up about rescuing fabric from landfill, harvesting usable components from old garments, and why she believes knowing how to maintain your clothes is a basic life skill. She talks through the problem-solving behind her project, from working out sewing maths to navigating a material she'd never used before.

Kelly shares her own process of upcycling something she already owned, testing out an unfamiliar technique on scrap fabric first, and learning that practice really does matter when you're working with specialist materials.

Throughout the episode, Kelly and Kavitha discuss:

• Using rescued and upcycled materials to create something new
• Why one of the materials stumped them both and how they worked around it
• The lost art of sewing and mending as a life skill
• Practicing on scraps before committing to your final piece
• Crafting as a mindful, slow practice for stress and anxiety
• The fine line between being a crafter and being a hoarder

By the end of this episode, you'll be inspired to look at what you already own with fresh eyes, rescue something from the back of your wardrobe, and make something with purpose.

Want to join the challenge? Try creating something with this week's materials and share your project by tagging @MaterialWhirlPodcast or using #MaterialWhirl.

Follow @isifisoclothing to learn more about Kavitha's sewing workshops and sustainable making mission.

This episode — and Material Whirl as a whole — was brought to life using Google tools, including filming on the Google Pixel 9 Pro, planning and prep with Google Gemini, and production notes on a Google Pixel Tablet.