Little Magic: Stash-building sustainably
When I started writing about sewing my own pants, the pandemic was still just a distant problem overseas. I had no idea that sewing would become an obsession-slash-lifeline for me over the next two years— that every weekend, after my husband shut down his computer in the office, I would unleash my pent-up creative energy.
Makers include people of all political and social backgrounds, but one thing unites us: our “stash.” What’s a stash, you ask? It’s your collection of raw materials — your fiber of choice, from fabric and thread to yarn and needles or hooks. I find that my stash expands to fill the space allotted to it.
Many makers are conscious of the environmental impact our stashes can have. Zoe Edwards, creator of the popular challenge “Me Made May” and author of the sewing blog “So, Zo, What do you know?” recently launched a podcast all about sewing sustainably called “Check Your Thread.” And numerous supply resale shops, both online and brick-and-mortar, have popped up in the past few months. Now more than ever, there are many ways to find materials for a more sustainable stash.
Sourcing fabric sustainably is especially important for garment makers or sewists, as the waste we create when cutting out a pattern from a few yards of fabric is often much larger than the waste created in an industrial cutting operation…
