As a sewist, you’ve probably heard the term “deadstock” circulating in fashion and sewing circles, but it’s not just another buzzword—it’s the coveted material for DIY enthusiasts and eco-conscious designers alike. But what exactly is deadstock fabric, and why is it on the radar of home sewists? Deadstock fabric is like a rare jewel of…
Category Archives: SUSTAINABILITY
Last fall, my family and I relocated to a small rural town south of Phoenix, Arizona—a stark contrast to our previous urban lifestyle just minutes from downtown LA. One of the things I knew I would miss was the easy access to the Fabric District, where I could find endless bolts of deadstock fabrics. As…
The colossal, tactile artworks of contemporary Ghanaian artist El Anatsui have a ghostly, liminal quality that is impossible to pin down, hovering somewhere between sculpture, woven textile, and installation. Made from salvaged scraps of plastic, wood, and, most recently shiny metal, his suspended structures perform the challenging trick of turning discarded scraps into treasure; whether…
Buying new fabric, especially online can be intimidating, even more so if you are new to sewing. The cost can seem overwhelming. Luckily there are alternative sources where you can explore fabric options. A great place to start is a secondhand craft store, or a thrift store (a goodwill type) or you can search for…
As a kid, my family was pretty intentional about how we used things. I can recall my parents sorting through the trash and washing out our recyclables and taking them to our local recycling facilities every week, finding new uses to jars and bottles after they were empty (shout out to everyone’s grandma who stored…
In a world inundated with fast-moving fashion trends and mass-produced textiles, there’s an undeniable allure to what unique things I can find while secondhand shopping, thrifting, even yard sales. Fabric shopping is no different. It’s not just about finding a special piece; it’s about the thrill of finding something one of a kind and ultimately;…
Eileen Fisher and her eponymous namesake brand have never been trend followers. From fashion mission to environmental mission, Fisher has long been a trailblazer of what are now prolific buzzwords – minimalism, capsule wardrobe, sustainable and ethical fashion. Founding her namesake brand in 1984 for just $350, Eileen Fisher stepped away from stints as a…
After living in the Southern part of the United States for the last six years, my husband and I packed up all of our belongings and drove over two-thousand miles across country to Portland, Oregon. To say this move was a long time coming is a bit of an understatement; we’d been looking for a…
Worldwide, short product lifecycles, including cheaply made garments produced at high volumes, textile waste, and production waste byproducts occurring down the supply chain have resulted in 92 million tons of annual landfill and incinerated pollution. Beyond the physical waste produced, the exploitive working conditions in clothing manufacturing have broad social ramifications on human health and…
In a world fit to burst with excess, contemporary Greek-born, London-based textile designer Maria Sigma still believes fabrics should play a significant role in our daily lives. She produces what she calls “zero waste woven textiles” from naturally derived, recycled, or upcycled yarns, which are designed to bring depth and warmth to interior spaces. These…
There is a sensorial quality to the work of the award-winning, London-based textile artist Alice Burnhope, tapping in to our primal needs for touch, comfort, warmth, and a connection to the natural world. Burnhope creates experimental forms of wearable art and sustainable textiles made from recycled fabrics in soft, ambient tones and hues, coloured with…
Icelandic textile designer and artist Ýr Jóhannsdóttir has recently been making waves in the realms of fashion and textiles for her whimsical, colourful and fabulously eccentric garments, all produced under the label Yrurari. Knitting is the backbone of her practice, but her response to the craft is far from traditional, ranging from upcycling old jumpers…
The quilters of Gee’s Bend have achieved worldwide recognition for transforming the act of quilting into an artform, one which they have passed from generation to generation over the past 200 years. Their work is now held in museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum and the Smithsonian. But it is only in recent years, thanks…
Sustainability and zero waste might be buzz words in the world of fashion today, but legendary Belgian designer Martin Margiela was one of the first to experiment with the genre. From 1988 to 2008 he produced some of the most bizarre and eccentric garments the fashion world had seen, making necklaces from champagne corks or…
British-Iraqi designer Walid al Damirji is obsessed with fabric. His London studio is bursting to the brim with a fascinating treasure trove of historical textiles, from embroidered Chinese silk to Victorian taffeta, Edwardian linen and 19th century religious robes. This rich archive of collected fabrics is the backbone of his eponymous fashion brand By Walid,…
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