How to Sew Sustainably: Recycling, Reusing, and Remaking with Fabric

Description

A technique-led guide to creating clothes and homeware, using fabric scraps from other projects, discarded home textiles and used clothing. Wendy Ward teaches you all the skills you need to refashion garments and reuse fabric from existing pieces you already own, plus ways to use leftover scraps to make household items and to customise your clothes. Each chapter focuses on a different technique, for instance novel ways to join small fabric pieces, using larger pieces to make pieced household items and clothing, and easy ways to refashion existing clothing. Her 'minimal waste' mentality will help you to make garments based on your body measurements, and there's a useful section on mending techniques. Wendy also covers the ethical issues involved in buying new, from shopping locally to choosing your fibres carefully and supporting small businesses and other crafters. There is a comprehensive chapter covering all the sewing techniques used, from seam and hem basics through to tips on unpicking recycled garments. Each section includes projects using the techniques covered - a total of 20 makes that can be adapted to the materials you have to hand.

Wendy Ward has a degree in Fashion Design, an MA in Design and is a fully qualified teacher. She started MIY Workshop in Brighton and sells her own-design sewing patterns. Wendy is also the author of A Beginner's Guide to Making Skirts, A Beginner's Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics, and Sewing Basics for Every Body, all published by CICO Books. Wendy now lives in Sheffield.

Whether you have a whole piece of cloth or 'overlocker spaghetti' scrap left, Wendy Ward will find an imaginative use for it to save anything going to waste - Simply Sewing