April in Review....

Sewing

Sewing activities slowed down this month.  There were some more reusable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851), a cardigan jacket (Butterick 6495) that was gifted and new top for moi (OOP Butterick 5891).  This month was mostly focused on a physio exercises for my hand and a new brace appears to be a game changer in the sewing workspace.  

Fashion Revolution

This month, once again awareness was brought to the forefront on the tragedy of 2013 at Rana Plaza where over a thousand garment workers died at a factory collapsed.  Inside workers were sewing fast-fashion for western consumers.  Out of that tragedy, Fashion Revolution was born.  

Is the Fashion Revolution movement even relevant anymore?  It's sad when I think about the process made since the 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza.  Have things got better?  And if so for who?  The big brand names outsourcing their production or the workers who often work in unsafe conditions for much less than a living wage?  Joe Fresh here in Canada and other brands around the world are still pumping out fast fashion created in less developed nations.  Workers are still being exploited and fast fashion is still producing garments at rates that are not sustainable.  Progress is slow.    

If anything I hope at the very least there is more awareness about the social justice and workplace safety issues that fast-fashion and textile industries tries to hide.  And that consumers have an epiphany that consumer habits can make a change towards a better world with compassion for others.  There are a lot of books out there about the impact of fast-fashion but if I may recommend a book this year, it would be Fake Silk .  This book highlights that this is not a modern day issue.  

Stash busting

This month's sewing was all about sewing with left-over fabrics found in the stash.  The four blue reusable grocery bags were made with left-over fabric from this 2019 project.  The burgundy reusable grocery bag is made with left-over fabric from this 2022 project.  The top is make with left over fabric from part of this 2020 project.  And the cardigan / jacket is made out of left-over fabric from this 2021 project.  It felt great to use up scraps.  

Stash busted this month:  7.8 metres of fabric, 3 buttons, 3 metres of Knit 'N Stable tape and 3 spools of serger thread.  Added to the stash were six buttons that were used right away.  

Would you believe that Northwest / Marshall Fabrics is having a moving sale and even though social media posts are popping up advertising up to 70% off fabrics I haven't even been tempted to check it out.  It might have something to do with the eye-brow raising prices at the grocery store and the gas station.

Yup, that's right a pound and half of grape tomatoes for twelve dollars.  And notice that they are Alberta grown?  They are not imported from Mexico or the United States.  They are locally grown a couple of provinces over.  Rising grocery prices and the increasingly high cost of basic needs are a great motivation for stash busting these days.  At these prices, those reusable grocery bags won't be packed full.  And this sewing hobby might be replaced with vegetable growing over the summer.  

Past & Future Plans

I can check off the cardigan jacket but deciding on a pattern for an eyelet dress didn't materialize.  Right now there are a couple of projects cut and in the works, a new shirt with a wee bit of extra ease for moi and another pair of pull-on Men's pants that were requested.  And who knows what else will hit the cutting table after these projects?  Maybe that eyelet dress.  Or maybe I'll be busy planning a tomato garden.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!