The apron book

If you’re like me and you love to make aprons, then you’ll probably love The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort by EllynAnne Geisel. This book is a great one to indulge in during a break from all those sewing projects.  It includes three simple apron patterns for a half apron, a basic bib apron and a smock apron, and plenty of ideas for varying pockets and other embellishments on your handmade aprons.  There are also beautiful pictures of vintage aprons and lots of apron anecdotes.  The next time I make an apron out of repurposed fabric as a gift, I’m tempted to include a copy of this beautiful book.

Crafting a Green World

If you’re interested in repurposing fabric and other materials then this website is probably going to be of interest to you.  The blurb on their homepage says “Crafting a Green World features do-it-yourself projects that incorporate reused, recycled, and natural materials. Find knitting, sewing, crocheting, and other project ideas for eco-friendly and fashionable clothes, crafts, gifts and more”.  I’ve had a subscription to this site for a couple of weeks now and find it really interesting and relevant.  Check it out at Crafting a Green World.

Recycling sails into Sea Bags

Sea Bags is a company out of Portland, Maine that we love because they’ve really made the concept of repurposing fabric work.  This company takes used sails and makes them into awesome bags of all shapes and sizes.  Take a look at their bags made from recycled sails at http://www.seabags.com .  We particularly love the totes because the strength of the sail cloth means that you don’t have to worry about how many things you jam in there!  If you have any used sails that you would like to find a new home for, email them at sails@seabags.com .  They’ll arrange for shipping or pickup.

Where to get your fabric from – #2

Thrift stores, garage sales, and rummage sales are another great place to get your fabric from.  For larger pieces of fabric look for sheets, tablecloths, bolts of fabric and extra large skirts.  When repurposing fabric it really doesn’t matter if you include already existing seams when cutting out fabric to make a new item.  This just adds to the repurposed look.

Is it repurposing or upcycling?

I’ve noticed that repurposing of fabric is sometimes now being referred to as upcycling.  The explanation seems to be that it’s not recycling, whereby something is broken down into its component parts and then recreated again, but upcycling is when something is broken down and then made into something bigger and better than before.  In any case, whether it’s repurposing or upcycling it’s still a great thing to do.

Where to get your fabric from – #1

If you’re thinking of working with repurposed fabric, but are wondering where you’re going to get it all from, well the first thing to do is to tell everyone that you know that you are embarking on this venture.  I’m sure you’ll find, like I did, that lots of people have scraps of fabric (sometimes large scraps too!) that they don’t want anymore and don’t know what to do with.  Accept these gratefully and congratulations you’ve started your collection of fabric to be repurposed!

sewZen purses

SewZen purses are now available from La Chic Thrift and Vintage Apparel on South Golden Road in Golden, Colorado.  These purses are made from repurposed fabric and have a magnetic snap and inside pockets to hold cell phones and car keys.

Dotty purse

Dotty purse inside

New – sewZen aprons!

The sewZen aprons have finally arrived!  Made from interesting combinations of beautiful repurposed fabric, each one is a unique work of art.  At the moment the only place to get one is from La Chic Thrift and Vintage in Golden, Colorado.  These are definitely a limited edition!

Have you received a sewZen Gift Bag

Have you received a sewZen Reusable Gift Bag?  If so, tell us about the adventures of your Gift Bag.  Where has it travelled to and from?  We know its life began at sewZen in Golden, Colorado in the USA, but where is it now?  Tell us your unique Gift Bag Number (which is included on the Gift Bag Passport) and we may even be able to show you a photo of what it looked like at birth

sewZen Gift Bags

Large numbers of trees are cut down each year to provide gift wrapping paper which is often used once and then discarded. 

The sewZen reusable gift bag, made from repurposed fabric, is a sustainable solution for those people looking for an earth-friendly way to package a gift.