Hello again! Welcome to part 2 of my blog. If you’ve returned after reading part 1 - thank you so much, it’s lovely to see you again. If you’re new to Sew Special, a very warm welcome!
(Just a little aside, before I start waffling on - there are a couple of links in this blog episode. They are simply things I’ve found that illustrate what I’m going to be chatting about. I don’t get any kickbacks or benefits from them.)
I love the phrase “tread lightly on the earth” - it is a big part of the ethos behind Sew Special Memory Bears & Keepsakes & I think it says a lot, for so few words! The artwork below is a painting by Brianna Capra (available on Etsy - click the picture) & I love it!
Do you have a motto you try to live by?!
“Treading lightly” can be applied to so many strands of my life, & I try to be a good steward to this amazing planet we call home. Not fanatical or OTT, you understand, just quietly doing my bit. Like trying to use seasonal, local produce; not buying things with tonnes of plastic packaging; turning lights off; rarely using the tumble dryer; generally reducing, reusing & recycling (my fave bit!).
A few years ago, I watched a video that popped up on social media. It was part of the “Nature is speaking” series by Conservation International, & it made a big impression on me. Have you seen any of them? If not, the one with Julia Roberts as Mother Nature I found especially thought provoking.
Watch it here https://youtu.be/WmVLcj-XKnM?si=Lz_7SpZWXEqg9D9g
Each video is about a different natural resource, but the overall message is that Mother Nature is bigger & older than humans, & we need her more than she needs us. How we treat something absolutely essential to our continued existence will eventually have an impact on every aspect of our lives. What goes around, comes around - right?!
Making keepsakes fits right in with this attitude, which makes me very happy! Obviously, I am reusing preloved clothes & other fabrics - repurposing them - turning them from a pile of stuff taking up space in a cupboard or loft, into a beautiful reminder of a special event or person. It’s another reason that my little business makes me smile!
There are very few fabrics that can’t be recycled into new projects, whether that is a keepsake, a new outfit or an item for your home. Some fragile or wispy items such as a sheer scarf, blouse or voile curtain might need lining to strengthen them. Stretchy clothing might need interfacing to control the finished shape of what it’s being turned into.
One of my favourite fabrics to repurpose is old denim. Everyone wears out their jeans sooner or later, or spills something on them that won’t come out. Usually, it’s only a small percentage of the garment that is the issue - the rest is fabulous, free fabric! I bet you or someone close to you has a pair of jeans that are past their best! I have a whole heap (literally) of old pairs waiting to find a new life as something useful or beautiful, or both!
I’ve made a cute bag for taking my stuff to work in, & a big quilt for my son’s bed, amongst other things. For beginners, there are bookmarks, coasters, simple bags or hair bows. For the more advanced, the sky's the limit - book covers, cushions, dresses or upholstery!! There are dozens of friendly & creative groups on social media that are dedicated to denim designs, as well as a plethora of pages to follow to upcycle unwanted fabrics & clothes. Clothing can become household furnishings & vice versa.
Even when there appear to be problems initially with a preloved item or design, I find there are ALWAYS ways to get around or take advantage of the particular properties of the fabric that I’m presented with! Sometimes it’s obvious, & sometimes I have to rack my brains a bit & trawl the internet for help - there are some amazingly clever & inventive sewing bods in WWW land!!
This month has been dubbed Second-hand September” by Oxfam
https://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/second-hand-september/
They are running a campaign encouraging us all to buy more of our clothing from charity shops, dress agencies, vintage stores & online sources such as Vinted, Ebay & Facebook marketplace (there are loads of others, but these immediately sprang to mind!). I love looking around charity shops, & I almost always come back with something I didn’t realise I needed until I saw it & thought “that’s just right for x,y,z”!!
I’ve upcycled tartan skirts into cushions & draught excluders, dresses into tops, & bedding into make-up bags & dresses. And before I send any clothes either to charity or recycling, I have a good think about whether it is useful fabric that I should keep (I try to only hang on to bits which I already have a possible project in mind for, otherwise I’d need a shipping container to keep it all in!!).
(Dresses upcycled from other projects, sent to Dress a Girl Around the World)
Reusing fabric from clothes, or buying outfits from second-hand sources makes a huge difference to the amount of stuff going to landfill. There are loads of statistics bandied about, but it’s estimated that 92million tonnes of clothes-related waste is dumped each year!! Other effects from the fast fashion phenomenon are huge amounts of waste water from the dyeing process, which inevitably ends up leaking into natural waterways; the generation of large amounts of CO2 emissions; & the production of microplastics - a huge scourge on our natural world. I’m so lucky to live in the beautiful Kent countryside - maybe that makes me more aware of nature & our wonderful planet? I don’t know, but for a long time, it’s been something I think about. The difference is that now I’m in a position to act upon those thoughts! I suppose I was always interested in the natural world - thanks to my parents, & I love going out for walks.
(Unless it’s raining & cold - not my idea of a fun time!! I can do warm & raining, or cold & dry, but not a miserable, dull, cold, wet day - not out of choice, anyway!)
So at this time of year, I’m foraging for hedgerow fruits (always leave some for the wildlife), enjoying the beautiful golden light on our early evening dog walks, drying the washing outside as often as possible, & enjoying being outdoors as much as I can. In fact, I’m writing this in the garden, in the middle of a typical British heatwave (ie. one that waits until all the kids have gone back to school before putting in an appearance!).
I can’t remember where I read it, but someone once said “you can’t be miserable in a forest” & it’s true. Walking in woodland is one of my favourite ways to spend some “me time”. The further from civilisation, the better in my humble opinion, but all woods have a sense of calm & majesty about them, I think. I can note the changing of the seasons, listen to the sounds of nature & recharge. Absolute bliss… & it reminds me of my earlier quote - Nature doesn’t need us, we need her. If we keep destroying our forests - & other natural resources- willy nilly (yes, I’m old enough to use that phrase!), in order to make paper, textiles, & creature comforts of all kinds, eventually, humans will be the ones to suffer. The earth will go on, Nature will evolve, as it always has, but our planet might be unrecognisable to us, & we won’t like that.
But it will be too late, so tread lightly on the earth.
NOW is the time to do my little bit to help- where did I put that sack of stuff for the charity shop?!
Until next time…
Oriiginally posted 18th September 2023
