
- This event has passed.
Enid Gilchrist: She taught Australia to sew
1st October, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
free with entry to the Melbourne Royal Show
Enid’s was a household name. From the 1930s to the 1970s, her sewing patterns and advice appeared weekly in The Argus and New Idea, while her 66 pattern collection magazines sold throughout Australia and overseas, reaching millions of readers.
A pioneering designer and businesswoman, Enid encouraged generations of women to make practical, fashionable and durable clothing. Long before today’s conversations about sustainable fashion and the circular economy, she promoted adapting existing materials and making clothes to last.
The exhibition will feature original patterns and publications, clothing, photographs and other material relating to Enid’s life and work. Visitors will also be invited to share their own memories of Enid, sewing and home dressmaking.



