Waste not, want not--creatively!
Posted by Rose on 18th May 2017
The reuse-and-repurpose ethic informs sustainable clothing
Growing up I heard the expression “Waste
not, want not” countless times from my parents. Both were the eldest of
large families and reached adolescence just as the nation was
plunging into the Great Depression. My dad was from a farming family
who also had to deal with the challenges of the Dust Bowl during that same time.
Both my parents left school early to work in support of the rest of their families. Even with that sacrifice and extra income, my father spoke of times he went to bed hungry during those difficult years.
In their adult life, my parents carefully purchased, maintained and then reused whenever possible. In the process, they valued creativity and resourcefulness. My dad once built a barn from recycled wood and my mom sewed stuffed animals from remnants for her kids and grandchildren.
Those values must have gone in deeply. I 'm always delighted to see what friends and neighbors fashion from the scraps I pass on from making the Sympatico collection. Projects run the gamut from strip quilting to children’s clothing to three-dimensional crafts.
A long-time customer, Rhonda, stopped by my booth recently to show me the quilt she pieced using my scraps and some other, well-chosen fabrics (below). She was a little shy about having her picture taken so you can just see her eyes in some of the shots. Such a beautiful piece! That she used Sympatico scraps to make this artwork warms my heart!
I’m always looking for new and creative ways to use cast-offs be they clothing or the scraps off my cutting room floor. I always offer scraps to local quilters or really anyone who is interested. And I've organized the bigger pieces by color into quilting and scarf size for future projects.
I know my parents would have approved.
Rose Gerstner founded Sympatico Clothing in 2006 as a way of offering ethically made clothing, artisan crafted in the US and designed for real-world bodies. She regularly blogs about sustainable fashion and eco-friendly apparel.
Share:
