Bannockburn maker in Aussie-made campaign

BANNOCKBURN’S Kirstie Reeve has joined hundreds of makers around the country to promote handmade products during Australian Made Week.

The owner and maker behind Finch and Fae, Reeve is one of more than 850 artisans across the nation who use the online platform madeit.com.au to showcase and sell their handmade items.

The platform initiated the I Love Australian Made campaign which coincided with Australian Made Week and wrapped up last Sunday.

“Sustainability is at the core of all Finch and Fae creations, which are made from upcycled, reclaimed or new fabrics, or designed to replace disposable items, such as microwave popcorn bags and totes,” said Reeve, a former journalist whose grandmother was a seamstress in Launceston in World War Two.

“What drew me to selling through Madeit was that unlike other platforms, which include a lot of drop-shipping, it is Australian-owned and run, and I had to prove that I made the products myself before I was able to sell online,” she said.

“This means that all sellers on Madeit are verified handmade artisans.

“We all make what we sell, which means customers are dealing directly with the maker, and we are all Australian-based.”

Finch and Fae sources materials from furniture and upholstery businesses which donate fabric samples and scraps that would otherwise go to landfill.

They supplement these with new fabric, surplus stock and remnants or end-of-bolt pieces, with new fabric used in anything related to food as a safety precaution.

Reeve has an interest in sustainability, and a 2024 family holiday volunteering at a turtle conservation centre

on an island off Bali renewed her passion.

“Rubbish collection was part of the program, and the visible impact a throwaway culture has on the environment, particularly in areas that don’t have the rubbish and recycling programs that Australia is lucky to have, was astounding,” she says.

“Plastic in particular floats across oceans, and I became more invested in sourcing natural fibres and clothing to avoid adding to the problem.

“Every change and decision, like refillable water bottles, reusable coffee cups, and buying sustainable, local and handmade products makes a difference.”

Madeit also encourages in-person meetups, and the Bannockburn local has become one of the organisers of the Geelong group which meets on the fourth Thursday of each month and is open to all artisans, however they sell their wares.