reduce.reuse.recycle.

reduce.reuse.recycle.

i try and use a lot of second hand fabrics and objects in my work. i spend a lot of my time in charity shops, at car boots, and rummaging through flea markets.

i enjoy making things out of things people don't want anymore; saving it from going to waste and to make it into something useful and lovely again.

this automatically creates a vintage, nostalgic and charming vibe to whatever i'm making.

  last year i requested to volunteer at Brightons' TRAIDremade shop;

'TRAIDremade is an environmentally conscious fashion label launched in 2002 by clothes recycling TRAID. TRAIDremade design and produce gorgeous clothing for women and men using second hand textiles that would otherwise be thrown away. 
Buying TRAIDremade helps to protect the environment by reducing landfill and the profits raised from every garment sold, support international development projects to fight poverty.'

http://www.traid.org.uk/remade.html

unfortunately, after the first reply from head office, the Brighton shop never replied to me so i never got the chance to volunteer. However, what they're doing is great, and everyone should learn how to customise and re-style their clothes.

sustainability project.

i experimented with a range of materials for this project to develop my understanding of recycling and reusing. 

i made recycled dream catchers, lace pebbles and a jewellery board.

recycled dream catchers;

i made these out of second hand material and crochet samples and took them to the south downs to photograph.

lace pebbles;

these are simply pebbles from the beach wrapped in old lace and stitched in place. i think they're really effective for decorative ornaments.

jewellery board;

this was my 'final' outcome for this short project. it consisted, initially, of stitching a crochet circle onto a found pillow case and experimenting with different types of stitches over the top. then, i found my mother's old laura ashley patchwork and decided to stitch my pillow case over the top. i added lots of lace to work as loops for earrings and broaches. and finally mounted it onto a piece of wood with a stuck down old clock face to make the middle raised.

 my handmade jewellery.