Isn't That Pinteresting? - 6

My pin this week is central to the very theme if this blog!  It leads to a wonderful post by Sarah at The Fuzzy Square, where the author condenses a ton of great ideas for recycling and upcycling clothing onto one easy and inspirational page.

As you know, I do not like to see clothing and textiles go into land fills.  I much prefer that they be donated to others, or, if you're of a creative bent, upcycled into another garment.  I have (literally, I think) a ton of clothing I need to get serious about refurbishing.  If I run out of ideas, this pin will jump start my creative engines, and I hope it inspires yours as well!  What are your favorite upcycle ideas?

HB 2 Me!

I'm sure I'm not alone in treating myself to a couple of goodies for my birthday.  At least I hope I'm not just utterly selfish and the only person who would do such a thing. 

I "found" a new antique shop on the outskirts of town.  Apparently they've been there since February, but who knew?  Certainly not me.  Anyway, I decided that today, being my birthday, I was not going to clean or do other housework, I was going to treat myself to an outing.  So, I went to the antique shop.  There I found two soft cover books of interest to sewists.

The first is the 1940 Simplicity Sewing Book, which sold for 15 cents at the time!  This gem is packed with advice on everything from fabrics to pattern fitting and alteration, and all manners of finishing, including facings, plackets, buttonholes, frogs, edging and hems.  The copy I got is worn around the edges, but still in very servicable condition!

The second item is the 1942 Make and Mend for Victory, produced by the Spool Cotton Company. The inside front cover contains the Consumer's Victory Pledge:

     "As a consumer, in the total defense of democracy, I will do my part to make my home, my    community, my country ready, efficient, strong.

     I will buy carefully -- and I will not buy anything above the ceiling price, no matter how much I may want it.

     I will take good care of the things I have -- and I will not buy anything made from vital war materials which I can get along without.

     I will waste nothing -- and I will take care to salvage everything needed to win the war."

Good advice to this day, really!  This volume teaches how to mend and patch, reclaim used wool, and restyle a variety of garments.

I had also indulged myself in a couple of patterns from Sandritocat's Etsy Shop.  I can make patterns larger to fit me, but I love it when I don't have to.  She had a couple of larger sized patterns I loved, so I treated myself and they came in today's mail.

Butterick 4228 is a skirt and top with the look of a sheath dress.  There is no date on the envelope, but it certainly screams 60s.

McCall's 6199 is copyright 1961, and is a suit with two skirt options, a slim pencil skirt, or a flared skirt.  I'm eager to sew both of these.
As far as the UFO dress, goes, I am working on that as well.  Just a few more tweaks and I should be able to reveal!  Thanks for attending my little birthday party and watching me "open" my gifts!

Sewing a Basic Sustainability Skill?

I've been sewing since I was in junior high school.  At that time, one could pretty consistently sew a garment for less than the cost of ready made.  My first creation was a peasant styled purple maxi dress (that fairly accurately places the time period as the very late sixties/early seventies).  I remember feeling so stylish in it.

With that first garment, I was hooked.  I made skirts and blouses for school, and lovely dresses for parties and proms.  As a young wife I made curtains and small appliance covers for my first home.  And, as my daughter grew and became a dance soloist, I made her many costumes.

Since the time of that first maxi dress, sewing has become more of a boutique hobby.  As I've already posted on this blog, sewing can be quite expensive if one uses all new materials and  full-price patterns.  So why do I call sewing a sustainability skill?

We can pretty much agree that, unless you live in a nudist colony, clothing is an everyday essential.  I'm not talking about high fashion, or the latest fad clothing, but instead about the clothes we need to go about our everyday activities.  The clothing that protects us from the elements.  And that clothing

need not be unattractive.  Adornment is as old as humanity.

Here are just a few of the ways I feel sewing qualifies as an essential sustainability skill:

• Making garments out of other garments, fabric remnants and discarded softgoods.
• Altering existing garments to fit a wearer.
• Repairing garments that are torn, worn, or otherwise compromised.
• Making totes and sacs for carrying things.

The "Make Do and Mend" mentality is essential to a sustainable way of life.  Sewing is one means of keeping your garments functional for many years, and for extending their life into something new when their usefulness has seemingly come to an end.

Linked to Frugally Sustainable and The Thrifty Home.