Australian Homespun — May 2017

making new, unique, individualised

clothing, perfectly fi tted to the individual

and their personality and body shape.

Q: You’ve also made various things for

your daughter. Is sewing for a child

even more enjoyable than stitching

something for yourself?

A: Making something for someone

you love is a beautiful thing. You are

creating a memory. But I also feel that

creating your own clothes is immensely

satisfying. The tactile connection to

the fabric and the time spent creating

it adds to the value. I dislike the sense

of disposable clothes and objects.

Homemade clothes have memories in

them and a value often earned by time

and care.

I recently made a dress for Sapphira

for Christmas. It was the fi rst full dress

I’d made and it’s her fi rst homemade

dress. She loves it and it brings me joy

to see her wear it.

Q: Would you list your roles in order

of current priority please?

• Author


• Human rights advocate


• Documentary presenter, writer
  and producer


• Vintage lover
  
  
  • Stitcher
  
  
  • Doctoral candidate at the University
    of Sydney
  
  
  • Journalist
  
  
  • Charity worker
    My focus and work schedule changes
    from month to month and year to year,
    but at the moment, I am writing a new
    novel (my 12th book), working with
    UNICEF, Our Watch and Full Stop in an
    unpaid capacity as an advocate, and I
    am sewing and mending and producing
    a documentary with the ABC. I will soon
    be diving into my PhD again as well.
    I like the contrasts in my life.
  
  
  
  

Tara Moss is an author, journalist,

TV documentary presenter,

human rights advocate and anti-

cyberbullying campaigner. She

is currently executive producer,

co-writer and host ofCyberhate,

coming to ABC TV in 2017,

examining the phenomenon

of online abuse.

• Since 1999, author of 11
  bestselling books, which have
  been published in 19 countries
  and 13 languages.


• PhD candidate at the University
  of Sydney.


• Private investigator credentials
  (Cert III) from the Australian
  Security Academy.


• Her latest book isSpeaking Out:
  A 21st Century Handbook for
  Women and Girls.


• Outspoken advocate for the rights
  of women and children.

NICEF Goodwill Ambassador since

2007 and UNICEF Australia’s National

Ambassador for Child Survival.

• Speaker on cyberbullying and
  online child safety, and in July 2015
  was announced as the Norton Family
  Ambassador on these issues.


• Patron of the Full Stop Foundation
  for Rape & Domestic Violence
  Services Australia.


• 2016 named ambassador for
  Our Watch.


• Host of true crime documentary
  seriesTough Nuts – Australia’s
  Hardest Criminals;Tara Moss
  Investigateson the National
  Geographic Channel; and author
  interview showTara in Conversation
  on13th Street Universal.


• Writes about vintage, sewing, craft
  and body positivity at her vintage-
  focused blog Victory Lamour.

Recent Awards and Accolades:

2012 Australia’s 20 Most Influential

Female Voices

2013 Australia’s Most inspiring

Women ‘who push boundaries, create

change and motivate’

2014 Outstanding Advocacy Award

forManus Island: An insider’s report

2014 Cosmo’s The Women Who Made

2014 Better for The Fictional Woman

2014 Influential Women of 2014,

alongsideMalala, Laura Bates,

Angelina Jolie and more

2014 The Hoopla’s The Female Eunuch

Award for The Fictional Woman

2015 Best Designed Non-Fiction

BookAward, forThe Fictional

Womandesigned by Tara Moss and

Matt Stanton

2015 Part of the University of

Sydney’s Leadership for Good

2015 Edna Ryan Award – ‘Grand

Stirrer Award’

2016 Champion of the West award

for community service

2017 Order of Lambrick Park, ‘recognizing

and honouring Lambrick Park alumni

who have made significant contributions

or achievements since graduation.

• U
  2

TARA’S PROFESSIONAL

BIOGRAPHY

STITCHING CREDENTIALS

“I am pleased to be the Patron of the Australian Sewing

Guild. I also have the opportunity this year to create sewing

video tutorials with Bernina (Sewing Vintage, victorylamour.

com/sewing-vintage-tara-moss), which I really look forward

to sharing. It is my hope that through these tutorials

and my Sewing Guild role as Patron, I can generate more

interest in sewing and mending in the broader community,

perhaps reaching people who, like myself not so long ago,

found it too intimidating or didn’t know how to start.”

FIND OUT MORE

Blog: taramoss.com

‘Vintage’ blog: victorylamour.com

Bernina Sewing Vintage vlog

series: victorylamour.com/sewing-

vintage-tara-moss

Books: Selected bookshops or

from various online outlets, such as

http://www.booktopia.com.au/tara-moss/

author9.html

Homespun 69