Earth Day and Fashion Revolution Week

This week is deep in reflection.  

Yesterday, waking up to the news that Pope Francis passed away was incredibly sad.  It marked the start of nine days of mourning for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.  His words and actions throughout his life will hopefully continue to inspire those to continue to care for the environment and the poor.  

Today is Earth Day.  It's actually the fifty-fifth anniversary of Earth Day but somehow, it seems more important as it falls on a period of mourning for a man so devoted to environmental issues.  And more urgent as the convicted felon down south has withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accord and signed executive orders reversing climate policies.  And yet today, on Earth Day, the White House tries to portray the convicted convict as a hero on environmental issues.  Is anyone buying it?  Sigh.  Does it matter?  What we do as individuals in our everyday lives does matter, whether it's something big like protesting and voting to have our voices heard or something as simple as recycling or growing a garden.  

Even sewing matters in the context of caring for the environment.  Chose sustainable fabrics, be mindful of using scraps, using quality techniques to create items that last.  And embrace repairing and mending to make loved clothes last.  

Today also marks the beginning of Fashion Revolution Week.  This is an annual event to mark the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza garment factory collapse that killed over a thousand garment workers and injured many more.  It brought to light the terrible conditions these garment workers experience while making fast fashion clothing for the global market.  In its aftermath, it highlighted the poverty that garment workers experience while producing multi-million dollar clothing brands.  Along with the environmental impact of the fashion industry.  This year's theme is to think globally, act locally and many of the events surrounding Fashion Revolution Week encourages community engagement, "[c]ommunity is not just a group of individuals; it is a powerful tool for justice that can transform fear, anger and grief into hope." 

It sounds like a good week for some hope. 

April in Review

Sewing, Mending and Alterations 

Top L to R:  Colour-blocked over-sized sweatshirt (OOP Simplicity 8529), wine coloured wool coat (OOP Vogue 8934).  Bottom L to R:  Chambray DVF wrap dress (Vogue 2000), pull-on elastic waist cotton knit skirt (OOP Butterick 5790) and cotton pull-over dress (Butterick 6784).

This month I managed to finally finish a winter coat project started months ago and a wrap dress that was previously abandoned until someone expressed interest in it.  Both of these projects were gifted.  The remaining projects were for moi.  Simple and comfortable pieces.  

Mending and alterations took a back seat this month as I tried to edit and change over the wardrobe to reflect the upcoming spring and summer seasons.  

Stash Busting and Additions

Here are the stash busting stats for this month.  Note:  the fabric for the wrap dress was counted last month.  

• 13.1 metres fabric
• 5 buttons
• 1 metre elastic
• 2 sewing labels
• 2 spools thread

Additions this month:  

• 1 sewing pattern

Stash busted totals for this year:

• 46.4 metres fabric
• 4.3 metres interfacing
• 6 invisible zippers
• 2 metres Knit 'N Stable tape
• 6 metres trim
• 6 sewing labels
• 9 buttons
• 4 metres elastic
• 14 spools of thread
• 4.3 metres basting tape

Total stash additions this year:  

• 14 spools of thread
• 8 sewing patterns
• 10--20 mm buttons
• 7.8 metres trim
• 15 metres fabric
• 1 cover stitch machine

Happy Sewing!

No More Polyester!

There is a new Fashion Revolution Canada campaign, #NoMorePolyester, starting up.  You can read about it here.  

I have, over the years, made abundantly clear what I think of man-made fibres that are overtaking the aisles of fabric stores and are mixed with natural fibres.  So this challenge is one that I can totally get  behind.  In case you want a recap,

1. "Polyester is the worst fabric you can buy," according to bodyecology.com and I happen to agree.  Unless you like your fabric decorated by pilling.  
2. It doesn't keep you warm.  
3. Greenwashing polyester doesn't make it environmentally better because it's still polyester.  
4. Polyester and allergies, is there a link?  

I can go on and on, but I won't.  You get the gist, right?  

So since I make my own clothes, I will be tweaking this challenge to reflect my lifestyle and clothing source.  It will be a challenge, there is still some polyester yardage lurking in my fabric stash.  Regardless, I'm going to give it try this year.  So far, all the me-mades this year have been natural fiber fabrics.  So far, things are on the right track.  

Happy Sewing!  

April in Review...

Sewing, Alterations and Mending Projects

There was some sewing this month.  This month I was in desperate need of pull-on clothes, therefore a new pair of pants were finished.  I'm still in a cast making pull-on clothes my dream wardrobe items right now.  Even though I'm most comfortable in dresses, the weather during most of April was still on the cool to downright cold side and pulling on a pair of tights makes for some entertaining physical comedy.  But I digress.

Most of my free sewing time was dedicated to restoring some items.  These pajama bottoms still fit but the elastic needed to be replaced because somehow the elastic waistline became a little bit snug.  This time there is a little extra length hidden in the front piece just in case it happens again.  Patchwork with some trim to repair a hole on a chair cover.  One of my wool knit dresses shrank and ended up going through a unshrinking process.  Yeah, there is such a thing.  And weight gain meant that more coverage was needed from a silk top.  

Fashion Revolution

Ten years.  It's hard to think that ten years have past since the tragedy that spurred on the fashion revolution movement.  Sometimes, I window shop the RTW and fabric store aisles and I feel like no one cares.  It seems like there are even more petroleum based textile products on the market than there were ten years ago.

It seems like things are not getting any better over the decade.  And then there are young high school students on the radio talking about their sustainability club and the challenges posed by fast fashion.  And they provide hope that things are changing even if it's not necessarily noticeable on a large scale.  

Stash busting

This month I stash-busted 2 metres of fabric and about 2 metres of elastic.  I'm gathering up another bin to take to the Fabric Collective.  It's been two months wearing a cast.  It really made one reassess their sewing stash.  Sadly, I had to say good-bye to the Etsy shop where I was selling some patterns and other sewing supplies.  Between Etsy transaction fee and Canada Post price increases over the years it is too expensive to sell and ship.  Orders dried up once I adjusted the shipping costs to cover these changes.  It just made sense to close the shop.  I am not sure what I will do with the patterns?

Happy Sewing!

Earth Day and Fashion Revolution Week: What Does It All Mean Decades Later?

This year, the beginning of Fashion Revolution Week and Earth Day happens to fall on the same day.  Both campaigns encourage followers to "get inspired, take action and be part of the green revolution."  The Earth Day movement has been around since 1970 and April 24th will mark the tenth anniversary of the building collapse of Rana Plaza from which the Fashion Revolution movement emerged.  

{Photo source}

The fashion industry produces an estimated 150 billion garments a year for a world population of 8 billion.  The problem One of the problems is that fast-fashion is not built to last, it relies on a business model where clothes are discarded and replaced with the next big trend at an unsustainable rate that takes a toll on the environment and human and worker's health.  

Get Inspired.

Shop for vintage clothing over second hand fast-fashion garments.  There is a huge difference.  Vintage clothes are built to last.  Vintage clothes have details that you won't find in fast-fashion garments and they are constructed with a higher quality.

Vintage Sybil Connolly dress details
{Photo source}

Even if you don't purchase and wear a vintage garment, just appreciate the details, quality and workmanship of a by-gone era.  Many vintage pieces are a work of art and a rich source of inspiration.  In the sewing room, they can become an inspiration to research and revive retro sewing techniques.  And they are a reminder that clothes can and should be made to last.  Vintage clothes are not only found in shops, you can visit museums for inspiration.  

Just because a garment is found in a second-hand shop, it doesn't mean that it's made with the same standards and quality of fabric as those found in vintage pieces.  In recent years, in this corner of the world, second hand stores are packed with discarded fast-fashion garments made from man-made fibers.  And then some brands like Levi's have jumped on the second-hand trend of recent years and launch buy-back programs.  

Take Action.

Over the years, there have been many books, articles and documentaries written about the impact of the fashion industry on the environment.  Take the time to watch a documentary or read about the impact of the fashion industry on the environment and our health.  Climate change is real and has serious consequences for all.  But it is the poor and vulnerable that pay the highest price when action, no matter how big or small, is not taken.  Stand up for the poor.  We can do this with a simple act of making informed decisions on what we wear, the questions we ask and demanding better from businesses.   

Take care of your clothes, it will make them last longer.  Pre-shrink your fabric before you cut so that they don't shrink after they are sewn.  Many fast-fashion items skip the preshrinking process and this is a reason why many fill second hand store racks and landfills.  

Before you get rid of that wool sweater that your accidently shrank, wait!  Try to reverse the shrinkage!  Yup, that right you might be able to save it.  

Be Part of the Green Revolution.

In 2015, Pope Francis appealed to the world that we must all work together to protect the environment and that pollution hurts the all of us, especially the poor and is linked to "throw-away culture." 

Most of fashion's environmental impact comes areas that you might not realize.  Did you know that man-made materials like polyester require an estimated 342 million barrels of oil a year?  Obviously getting off our dependency of oil is more than purchasing an electric car.  How often do we think about petroleum products are used in clothing.  A re-think of what we wear is part of the green fashion revolution.  Pesticides and fertilizers used in conventional cotton production are an environmental threat to soil and water used along with a threat to biodiversity and farm worker's health.  Did you know that 2.5% (approximately 106 million acres) of the world's farmland is used for cotton production?  And to think that after all of that, many textile products end out in landfills.  

There is hope and inspiring people out there.  It's in all of us.  

Happy Earth Day!

Pulled From the Donation Pile: Refashioned to Fit

To be completely honest when I purchased this RTW cotton knit dress I had no clue where the Northern Mariana Islands were located and I didn't give it much thought past the USA printed on the label.  This Jones New York dress is decades old, purchased a long time ago, predating the Fashion Revolution Movement.  I had no idea about this New York Times article about labour practices in the fashion industry on the Northern Mariana Islands.  Exploitive labour practices in the fashion industry is something that is often associated with places like Bangladesh and China rather than hiding beside the USA lettering.   Let me be real for a moment, Canadian companies have a way to go in cleaning up their own act in the fashion industry.  It is a global issue that has an impact on the way workers and the environment are exploited in the name of capitalism vs. our need to clothe ourselves.    

But here I am looking at the label of a dress that I was so ignorant about in the past wondering if someone was exploited in the creation of this item.  I'm a different consumer and activist than I was back when I found this dress.  But still it's here and it doesn't fit.  What do I do with it?  

I'm trying to save things from the donation pile since often charity and second hand stores can't keep up with the amount of donations that walk through their doors.  Billions of fast fashion clothing end up in land fills.  

By thinking of garments we wear as short term tools rather than long term investments, we contribute to wasteful consumption patterns that inevitably lead us towards drastic climate change.  (Source)

So, I'm refashioning this dress to fit because that was the only thing that prevented me from not wearing it.  The cotton knit was in perfect condition, the shoulder and armscye seams were perfect for my frame, and even the neckline was comfortable.  I just needed more ease around the mid-section.  Well, actually I need to lose weight, but that is another topic.  

The side seams were opened up and side godets were cut in black denim scraps left over from this project.  

And it was coming together until

The hem of the sleeve got caught and cut while serging the interior seams of the godets.  

So I went back to the cutting table to hand mend the hole I accidently created and to cut a denim patch to sew at the sleeve's hem.  

It wasn't the only miscalculation that I made in this refashion project.  The godet length was uneven and there wasn't enough to do a traditional hem.  I did give some consideration to giving it a frayed look but in the end decided to do a machine rolled hem edge for the denim pieces.  

Loved clothes last.

Make Do and Mend: Wool Socks

It is sock wearing weather.  Now, I do have a batch of me-made wool socks that should keep me warm and toasty this winter.  But there is also a box of wool and cotton socks sitting in the sewing workspace waiting for some make do and mend attention.  Not the American band, rather I'm talking about the act of taking care of one's clothing.  

Make do and mend:  To maintain one's possessions for as long as possible, repairing rather than replacing them when needed, with the goal of not buying and/or consuming more than is necessary.  

I'm not sure if it's a sign of the times with consecutive interest rate hikes to try and cool eye-brow raising inflation and talk about a 2023 recession coming but there seems to be a lot of focus on the bookstore shelves dedicated to mending.  Could mending become the cool thing to do?  

It appears so.  Lladybird and WinnipegSews along with so many others offer mending workshops.  Mending has moved from the bookstore shelves to sewing community gatherings.  This is wonderful news.  Taking care of what we have has so many benefits not only for individuals but the community at large by keeping our possessions out of the landfill as long as we can.  

The chill in the air nudged me to pull out a couple of wool socks to mend.  I used an old lightbulb to fill the interior of the sock and give a curved surface to sew.  Then I cut out some "patches" from an old wool sweater that no longer fits and threaded my needle with silk thread. 

Then I got to work with some visible sewing stitches working in a circular direction from the outside edge moving towards the centre.   

My favourite SmartWool socks were also mended.  I used the ribbing edge of the sweater to give a texture that mimicked the cable-like texture of the socks.  

It feels good to have these two pairs of socks back in rotation this winter.  And I have to admit I like the cushioning effect of these wool patches on the heels of the socks.  

Happy Mending!

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!

#Lovedclotheslast: A Love Story Dedicated to OOP Vogue 8709

Today marks the start of Fashion Revolution Week.  

Fashion Revolution week happens every year in the week surrounding the 24th of April. This date is the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse.

Rana Plaza, a building in Bangladesh, housed a number of garment factories, employing around 5,000 people. The people in this building were manufacturing clothing for many of the biggest global fashion brands. More than 1,100 people – mostly young women – died in the collapse and another 2,500 were injured, making it the fourth largest industrial disaster in history. 

No one should die for fashion.

Today, at the start of Fashion Revolution Week we're asked on reflect on our most loved pieces of clothing because we know that loved clothes last and are not easily discarded.  

One of the most loved pieces of clothing currently sitting in my closet would have to be a me-made jacket, out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 8709.  I made this item eleven years ago and I wear it as a top rather than a jacket.  It is nothing fancy or flashy rather it's comfortable and well-constructed.  I took care making this item. I stitched details that are unseen or found in RTW and fast-fashion.  And it's been mended and patched with care over the years.  

It is a Marcy Tilton design and I come to admire the unique detailing that she puts into her patterns.  I didn't even care about all the people who made fun of this jacket when I first wore it out into the public sphere.  At the time, I was working at a conservative Catholic school in a jean-wearing city where pants or leggings ruled superior in the era of athletic wear trends.  To say that my fashion choices did not fit with the city I live would be an understatement.  I didn't care because it had pockets and it was loose-fitting across my mid-section and it has sleeves that sit at the shoulder.  In my eyes, it has always been a perfect design even if my then work colleagues did not share the same view.  I don't dress to impress others.   

It is made in a 100% cotton fabric that I found at The Fabric Center during their closing sale eleven years ago.  This is also a tribute to quality fabrics once found at businesses that are no longer here.  And with the closure of these once retail treasures it has become harder to locate quality fabrics locally.  Today, shopping for fabric is searching for that gem buried deep in a jungle of man-made fibres.  I have a preference for non-blended natural fibres when shopping for fabric.  Fabric fasting has been an easy task of late.  If I do find a fabric that meets my personal criteria, it's likely out of my budget.   

So, it's important to take care of this gem.  To me it's priceless, something that would be irreplaceable even thought OOP Vogue 8709 is still part of my pattern stash.  I know that fabric like this one is hard to source in today's market.  I think sewing one's own clothing enables us to see the true value of clothes, quality fabrics versus what fabrics are chosen for RTW and fast-fashion clothing and the importance of mending and caring for them.  

For these reasons, I have to come to appreciate and cherish this garment.  Sewing this jacket allowed me to adjust the pattern pieces so that I have a garment at the length I want and with cuffs that actually sit at my wrist.  Fit is so important to me and we're all different sizes.  Don't be fooled by fast-fashion's oversized one-size-fits-all designs as a way to avoid proper fit.  One size does not fit all.  

Perhaps, one day I will create another jacket using this Marcy Tilton design.  Until then, I will still continue to love this piece of clothing for the many little joys it has brought over the years.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!  

In Sewing News Today...

This weekend, CBC's Marketplace episode was another glimpse into the impact of fast-fashion.  

This is a screen shot from the episode.  And that little red purse contains "over five times the amount of lead..." [Yup, I typed lead.]  "that Health Canada considers safe in children's products."  

The show really just scratched the surface suggesting that this is a online shopping phenomena.  It would have been interesting as well if the show storyline also tested items found in regular stores.  I wouldn't be surprised if the same would be found at in-person shopping venues.  I found what U of T professor, Miriam Diamond had to say about the impact of toxic materials not only on the consumers who purchase the items brought in for testing but also the health consequences of the workers producing these products and impact on the global environment.  I really wish the interviewer followed those pieces of information that Diamond shared.  

For more on this topic check out this Tedx talk as well.  

And how exactly does this relate to sewing news you might ask.  Easy, sewing our own wears provides us with quality control that is missing from fast-fashions.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

Fashion Revolution Week: Eight, really? It's Been Eight Years Ago...

I don't know what to write today, on the anniversary of the building collapse in Bangladesh that killed over a thousand innocent people and injured another twenty-five hundred. I don't know what to write because when I reflect back, I fear that very little has changed.  This is what I wrote back then

I've been [...] watching the news channel talk about the sewing factory collapse in India. It is heart breaking to say the least. Words can not explain how painful it is to watch the news coverage, again. Is it me or does it seem that there are a lot of fires or building collapses in that part of the world's garment industry?

Some people in the media are blaming the shopping attitudes of North America for the tragedies that have been occurring in the East surrounding the billion dollar garment industry. North Americans, they argue, want cheap fashions forcing India and China to compete with cheap labour. Then there is another segment that blames the owners of the factory that ordered the workers back to work even though the building was deemed unsafe. Everyone is blaming everyone! But no one is offering any solutions. Some people want to boycott Joe Fresh one of the Canadian garment lines whose labels were found at the collapse building site. Where others are pleading with North American shoppers to not boycott the garment manufactures because they bring much needed work to the region.

Tonight on the local news station they asked a poll question and when I went to check the result, it made me even more sad.

CTV Winnipeg Web Poll - April 26, 2013

Would you pay extra to buy clothes made in fair trade factories?

Yes		177	(53 %)
No		154	(47 %)

Total number of votes: 331

I would have thought that the "yes" response would have been much higher considering the heart-breaking images that have been on the news. But I don't know why I am surprised. As a person who sews, I am often asked to sew for others who are ignorant of the time and work that goes into sewing something because they have been conditioned to paying such low prices. Of course consumers are often getting low quality as many fast fashions are simplified in style and technique.

{Source}

I am often saddened when "home economics" classes were taken to a new direction since I was in junior and high school.

It seems that if a school offers home economics now-a-days the sewing component of home economic classes is pushed to the sidelines as cooking and finances take centre stage. I don't feel that one component is more important than the other rather they are equally important.

I often wonder if there was a greater focus on the sewing component of home economics maybe, just maybe we could educate a future consumer that has an appreciation for the work and skill that goes into creating a garment. Sewing a garment is not just about making something, it is also involves math and communication skills and lessons on aesthetics and ethics.

Even if a student does not continue onto a career that involves sewing or sews their own wardrobe, they would develop skills to help them make more ethical and informed consumer decisions about quality fashion and the work involved in creating such items.

I wonder if the lack of sewing skills currently taught in school contribute to the callous way we think about fashion. This is such a complicated issue. What can we as consumers do? How can consumers be sure that the products they purchase are ethically made in safe working conditions? There are so many questions that arise in yet another tragedy. I pray for those who have lost their lives and who are exploited in horrified working conditions and that cultural attitudes towards fast-fashion change. There has been way too many deaths and injuries in the name of cheap fashion, way too many.

The Fire and Building Safety Accord in Bangladesh, signed after the building collapse, is set to expire at the end of next month. Not one clothing brand that had signed the accord has stepped up to re-sign the agreement. Although, Canadian clothing purchasing habits declined and changed during the pandemic, overseas garment workers continue to pay the price. 

Clothing brands are not stepping up and honoring their purchase orders and someone along the line will have to pay for it.  

When global brands do not honor their purchase agreements, it is the garment workers who are once again punished.  Someone always pays when it comes to cheap fast-fashion. This hasn't changed in the eight years since the Rana Plaza tragedy.  

The pandemic has monopolized  media coverage on the local news this year. If it weren't for the social media coverage from #FahionRevolution this issue would have quietly faded to the background this year.  

#FashionRevolution still has an important role in bringing awareness to issues that are still relevant today as it was eight years ago. And perhaps the pandemic might just shed some more awareness on social justice issues that remain in the fashion industry.   

Fashion Revolution Week: The Environmental Impact of Face Masks or Why We Should Wear Re-Useable Masks

More than a year into the pandemic, wearing a face mask has become the norm for many of us. Unless you were a spectator at the Texas Ranger season opener, then you may have been a baseball loving environmentalist worried about the environmental impact that disposable face masks is having on our global home? But I digress...

Locally, these things are littering our streets and boulevards. They are everywhere. It was recently estimated that 129 billion BILLION face masks are being disposed of globally each month.  Many of these make their way into our rivers, lakes and oceans and have a dire impact on these ecosystems. Medical grade and disposable consumer use face masks are made from polyproplene, a type of plastic. And it is estimated that it takes hundreds of years to degrade. 

So what can you do?  It is said that even after we get a majority of our population vaccinated we'll still be wearing face masks.  

I'm all for making re-useable face masks. At work I have to wear a medical grade face mask but I also wear a me-made mask on top of it. I prefer to use cotton, linen or hemp fabrics and include a third layer with an organic cotton knit. Not only is it about using a natural fibre for some added kindness towards the environment, it's also about finding that perfect fit.  

Happy Earth Day!  

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!  

Fashion Revolution Week: Sustainable Sewing Tips

What does sustainable sewing mean to you? Does it mean being a conscious consumer? Or do you go further and realize that even though you're a conscious consumer you're still consuming. How and what we consume has an impact on our communities, human rights and the environment.    

I've been sewing my own clothes consuming textile products for a long time. It all started restarted as a quest for clothing that fit. It evolved over the years as I learned about the impact of fast-fashion on human rights and the environment. And it is an awakening of sorts to the impact that deforestation and water diversion in the name of fashion has in other aspects of our lives. 

There are big steps (education) and small steps (how we sew) that we can take in order to have a positive impact no matter how small they might seem.  

1.  Sew the Stash!  

Okay, I realize that fabric shopping and sewing with fabric are two completely different hobbies for some of us. 

Sure, it's fun a distraction during the pandemic to scroll the online fabric collections now that the pandemic has striped away the ability to walk into a fabric store and touch textile products like we once did in the past. If anything, lockdowns provide the time to shop the stash and rediscover pieces that might otherwise be overlooked or forgotten. Along with searching for the last bits of elastic during the great elastic shortage of 2020.  Oy!

Can't find the right colour of fabric in your stash or want to jump on the tie-dye trend? Consider dying fabric that is already in your stash. You don't even need to run out to the craft or fabric store for store-bought dyes. You might have all the materials needed in your pantry or garden. Added bonus, natural dyes are kind to the environment. It will feel like you have a new fabric that you pulled out of the stash.   

2.  Wear What You Make, Make What You and Your Community Needs

In a few short days we'll be in the midst of Me Made May festivities. It's an annual online celebration of what has been created and worn.  You don't even have to document the process if you don't want to, it's just a time to be mindful of the clothing items that are waiting to get out of the closet and be worn. 

Lately, most of my sewing projects have not been photo shoot material. There hasn't been much fancy pretty things coming off the sewing machine. Instead, my sewing projects have been highly worn needed items. Face masks, undergarments, and scrub caps are not the most glamorous projects but they are the most appreciated.  

And on a sustainability note, these prized and highly sought after items are small enough to use up small remnants of fabric left over from other projects. There are many groups (hospital / health care workers, homeless shelters, community groups) that would benefit from any left over face masks, undergarments and scrub caps that could be send their way.  If it's possible to do, it's a great way to care for our communities.

3.  Care for Your Clothes

"Loved clothes last," is the catch phrase but it's also true.  We all invest a lot of time into creating our me-made wardrobes. Doesn't it make sense to care for them after they leave the sewing machine? 

 

Let me tell you a tale about this white shirt. Back in 2019, I was so thrilled that I finally managed to sew a white shirt that was comfortable and fit. It's all about sleeves that hit my wrist area and enough ease around the mid-section.  And then in my joy over finally having a white shirt that fits, I wore it out in the public sphere and while at work a blue ink stain appeared on the front band.  

I know, I was shocked as well.  I have no idea how it happened, I'm usually very careful except for this time.  I tried every commercial product stain remover I could get my hands on, from a Tide™ stain remover stick to Shout™ spray stain remover, but nothing worked. In matter of fact the ink stain spread.  Sadness quickly followed when I realized that the there was no more white cotton with stretch in my fabric stash.  

The once loved shirt sat in my mending pile for months waiting for me to recycle those buttons and cut it up for rags. It sat there for that long because I just couldn't do it. And during that time, I started to wonder about that urban legend out there that says, hair spray can remove ink stains. Could it be that it might actually be true? What did I have to lose?  Well, besides a stack of new rags.  

It did work despite all the online posts that hair spray contains less alcohol as it did back-in-the-day. The current advice seems to be to use a bottle of alcohol instead but with the pandemic making alcohol supplies at the drug store a rare find, I'm glad I gave the hair spray trick a try. I invested in a non-aerosol bottle of extra hold hair spray and it worked, much to my relief. The moral of the story, sometimes it's worth the risk. And if it doesn't work, there is a source for rags oh let's not go there. 

4.  Learn to Mend and Love the Process  

Mending is the greatest sewing technique that you can bring to your sewing process. Yeah, I can hardly believe that my fingers hit those keystrokes to spell that out. I've come a long way in my view on mending. There has really been a mind shift over the pandemic. 

The above ready-to-wear shirt has ended up on the mending pile once again. I'm thinking about how I want to repair the small hole developing on the upper back of this top. And I'm thinking about doing some visible mending with this one. I've been intrigued by Sashiko, the Japanese technique of visible mending. I think it could look quite pretty, maybe try it out with some silk thread so not to compete with the light-weight fabric.  

5.  Use Old Clothing as Your Fabric Source

According to a report by the United States Environment Protection Agency, many of the previously desired clothing that we donate to charity and second hand shops still end up in landfills and contribute to greenhouse gases.  

Have you considered using your old clothing as a fabric source instead of donating them? It couldn't be a better time to consider it as the patchwork trend is sticking around for 2021.  

How about using big people clothing pieces to recreate little people clothing? The above dress was created with a much loved piece of cloth from a me-made skirt that no longer fit. Fabrics have certainly changed over the decades as manufacturers blend natural and man-made fibres in order to save money. Those quality natural fibre fabrics are becoming harder to find in fabric store shelves replaced by polyester options. But those gems might still be sitting in your mending or donate piles waiting to be recreated into something new.  

Stay Safe and Happy Sustainable Sewing!

Fashion Revolution: What Does It All Mean in the Time of a Pandemic?

Today marks the seventh year anniversary of the collapse of Rana Plaza and the birth of a not-for-profit global movement to try to hold fashion brands accountable while putting a spotlight on the devastation caused by fast fashion. Fast fashion and the fashion industry in general have been producing an enormous amount of clothing of increasingly man-made materials that harm the environment.

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Nothing could have changed consumer behaviour greater than a State of Emergency and lockdown of all non-essential business as retailers tried to shift to expanded on-line business models. I found myself ordering what was advertised as Dr. Scholl's diabetic cotton socks via Amazon only to be disappointed that they were polyester crap that was manufactured in India. Why even bother asking questions about the supply chain when we're just fed a bunch of lies.

Why are the fashion brands lying about the fibre content in their products?

I only wish that I read the reviews hidden below the advertisement that revealed the untruth portrayed in the ad. Instead, I had a misplaced trust that Dr. Scholl's was a good brand. I should have known better to do my research to prevent being ripped off with a polyester sock. That was not what I was shopping for and I certainly learned my lesson about ordering items untouched from an online retailer. Never again.

This is an opportunity to reimagine what could be as the world's global and economic activities has slowed down. A cleaner world has emerged with the slow down. But I have little hope this year that things will continue towards a cleaner world.

And there was a re-imagination of home sewing activities as people dug through their sewing supplies to create and donate face masks and protective gear as politicians call us to help out in this humanity crisis.  And shortly after, as these random acts of kindness emerged, word came that there was an elastic shortage as pleas for elastic donations emerged from online communities. Many again answering that call and offering alternative solutions.

Traditionally held Fashion Revolution week activities such as clothing swaps and film screenings had to be reconsidered in an age of social distancing. This week shows that a fashion revolution doesn't need to be an organized crowded event. A fashion revolution starts with the individual, a change (tragedy or pandemic) that ignites a shift in thinking and re-evaluation of what is really important in a time of need.  

There has been a lot of that happening around the globe this month. Giorgio Armani wrote a reaction piece to the April 2, 2020 article, "Tipping Point:  Will the Flood of Collections Yield to Slower Fashion?"  In Armani's reaction published on April 4, 2020, he highlighted, 

This crisis is an opportunity to slow down and realign everything; to define a more meaningful landscape. I have been working with my teams for three weeks so that, after the lockdown, the summer collections will remain in the boutiques at least until the beginning of September, as it is natural. And so we will do from now on.

This crisis is also an opportunity to restore value to authenticity: Enough with fashion as pure communication, enough with cruise shows around the world to present mild ideas and entertain with grandiose shows that today seem a bit inappropriate, and even a tad vulgar — enormous but ultimately meaningless wastes of money. Special events should happen for special occasions, not as a routine.

The moment we are going through is turbulent, but it also offers us the unique opportunity to fix what is wrong, to regain a more human dimension. It’s nice to see that in this sense we are all united.

Will the pandemic redefine the fashion landscape in a way that Rana Plaza could not? Time will tell if the conversation falls on deaf ears or finally emerges as a call to action that results in a significant industry and consumer change in behaviour.   

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!