Fi's Day at the Big Basket Sale 2025

The event was run by The Sewing Basket and Achieve Australia, with everyone working together to make it a success. In total, 46 volunteers and staff across Achieve and The Sewing Basket helped plan, organise, and run the event. An Achieve Australia information table was placed near the entrance, featuring a showcase of the new sensory room at Achieve’s short-term accommodation service Summer Hill House — a project proudly funded by proceeds from last year’s sale.  

The new space at Summer Hill House provides a calm and comfortable environment where people with disability can relax, recharge, and enjoy a soothing sensory experience. The sensory room was officially opened on 26 September, with Geraldine, Manager of The Sewing Basket, and Vanessa, Retail Supervisor at The Sewing Basket Newington, cutting the ribbon to mark the occasion. Staff from both The Sewing Basket and Achieve Australia, along with  families and guests from Summer Hill House, attended the opening and enjoyed a tour of the new space. The sensory room is already proving to be an exciting addition to the service, offering guests a place to unwind and enjoy a calming, inclusive environment. 

This year’s proceeds will go towards funding more employment opportunities for people with disability across The Sewing Basket. 

The Big Basket Sale is the result of a huge effort — collecting donations, sorting fabrics, and packaging items to ensure there is a wide range of materials available for purchase. Donations come directly from the community and are distributed across The Sewing Basket’s four locations: Newington, Caringbah, Kincumber, and Balmain. 

This year’s sale featured rows of colourful fabric in every shade and texture imaginable, along with trays of buttons, zippers, wool, knitting needles, tapestry kits, scrunchie and basket-making kits, and even vintage patterns and felt packs. Customers also snapped up quilting fabrics, all at fantastic prices. 

The atmosphere was buzzing as the hall filled early on Friday morning. Shoppers left with arms full of bargains, and there were smiles all around. After a short break at midday, the team reopened in the afternoon and welcomed another wave of enthusiastic visitors. The sale continued on Saturday, ensuring even more people could enjoy the experience. 

It was wonderful to see the community come together in such a vibrant, positive way. The dedication of all staff and volunteers made the event a great success once again. 

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting The Big Basket Sale this year and look forward to seeing how the funds raised will continue to support employment opportunities for people with disability. A huge thank you to everyone who made it such a memorable event!