recycling ponders

From Colonial times right through the Depression, American women made rag rugs, braided or crocheted. I think this would use up a good deal of old fabric. Likewise, English women used up woolen scraps to make hooked rugs. The technique was identical to that known today as "punch needle".

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

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Why not start a local sewing sustainability group, like the one I'm involved in:

Clicking on

take you to my new, DeviantART gallery. I've been home, restingup the past couple of weeks after all the exhibits, festivals, etc.I'm involved in during the spring and fall, so I've FINALLY starteduploading digital pics, etc. :-)Anyway, most of the materials in my Art Quilts are recycled. Somescraps are from my own, earlier projects and other materials, buttons,etc, were donated by people who wanted to declutter. Almost ALL of thematerials I use in my Subversiv sysl=F6jd (subversive sewing) workshopsare donated; that's one reason I can offer them for free. It is amatter of principal with me to NEVER accept payment from poepleparticipating in Subversiv sysl=F6jd! Erin

snipped-for-privacy@actcom.co.il wrote in news:a3836e6e-008f-4090-8bc6-0106b4d1ba27 @m3g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:

I recycle fabrics all the time. I recycled a Cool Whip container and fabric scraps

) to make a couple of coffee "drip catchers" and a matching coffee grounds container. Most of the sewing I do is deconstructing/reconstructing. That's not to say I never use new materials, but I just have a hankering to reuse for some reason.

And you are also too young to have been part of the "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" generation, right? My aunt (age 93) is a card-carrying member of that. She saves EVERYTHING and reuses it -- which is really the way that most people should be. It seems more ecologically sensible to engage in conservative consumption rather than conspicuous consumption followed by extensive recycling.

Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply wrote in news:48a8b538$0$17158$ snipped-for-privacy@news.sonic.net:

My MIL was like that. She's still alive, but no longer caring for herself, but when she did, I wish I had paid more attention! She actually reused plastic bread bags (washed them and hung them on the line and used them till they died). She was a true folk artist; she had no idea the things she made were unique and beautiful. Her quilts were made with scraps, but she purchased her muslin because you were "supposed" to use muslin.

I learned a lot from her, but think that a lot of my reusing way of thinking is related to being raised in the 60s and being around for the first Earth Day and having "reduce, reuse, recycle" drilled into my head. It's something I can believe in, even if my efforts are but a drop in the ocean.

Plus, anything that gets me sewing is a good thing!

Those are great, Donna! I love 'em. *raising cup of Peet's French Roast in salute*

Today was repair fitted sheets day. I pulled all the elastic out of 2 king size sheets on Friday and yesterday, today and replace it all with new elastic which I put on using my serger. It was a lot easier to put on the new elastic than removing the old. That was dry and brittle. 2 king size sheets were put back in to good shape for about 4 dollars in elastic. Now they fit nice and tight and sure look better on the bed. The sheets were fairly new but the old elastic looked like it was ancient. Juno

Thank you Irene , i will read it in more relaxed hour .. I give a lot of my leftovers [ those i can`t use in my fiberart or craft] to friends and colleagues, but i am not sure, i can organize such a group as your`s . mirjam

That is not a bad slogan, but what I always found ludicrous were things like people who buy glue sticks by the dozens and then say they need to find a way to reuse them so they aren't wasting them. Seems to me that if they had just bought regular glue in the first place, they wouldn't have so many containers to have to reuse.

I am currenlty cutting up and pulling apart old tweed blazers from Thirft shops and washing them. I've done 7 and have one more to go and when I finish the 7th, I'm going to make a patchwork coat (sort of modified kimino style with a black velvet collar). They cost me on average of $2.50 each and the fabric is superb.

Farmi , is the coat meant for YOU ???? i love the idea !!!! mirjam

What gets me are those "Lunchables" pre-packaged meals for kids.

For pete's sake, go buy a rubbermaid container, a box of crackers, a pound of sliced cheese and some salami!

GMTA!

Farmi , is the coat meant for YOU ???? i love the idea !!!!

Yes, it's going to be for me.

I have a friend who started me off on this. She was given a kilt made of the most beautiful tartan wool but didn't want a kilt as she thought they wer now too old fashioned. She took off the waste band and picked apart all seams, treated the pleats with vinegar to get the pressing out and then made a pair of pants. They look wonderful on her and she recycled something that wasn't to her taste but was still a high quality fabric which is becoming increasingly hard to get it seems.

Kathleen wrote in news:14dqk.19927$3l5.4960 @newsfe06.iad:

Better yet, make your own lunch bag!

I dunno. I don't think I would want to carry salami, cheese, and that kind of thing right in a lunch bag.

Kathleen , what about some nice , double[ =3D2 layer] m knitted small cloth bag, an aquaintace of mine , sewed each grandkid a 2 sets of bag + little napkin, like the ones we used to have ,,, she embroidered something nice on them .,,,, kids were reluctant at first now they like it !!!! I thought maybe people having birthdays should , prepare and hand out to the childeren a sandwich cloth bag as birthday present [the kind a child takes home from the party] ,, by making it a present , it might become a NIce thing to have , as we had them !!!! mirjam