Consumerism - are we a throw-away society?
To say I’m passionate about reducing waste is probably an understatement.
Brought up in a home of 3 children with parents who remember post WWII rationing, we were taught to be frugal and to not waste anything. Me and my sisters would often joke about Mum’s elastic meals and wafer-thin slices of cheese that were almost transparent.
But jokes aside the make-do-and-mend ethos of a time gone by has become ingrained and part of my everyday life.
In recent years, in the UK, we have witnessed our society become one of excess, excessive consumerism, excessive food, a throw-away society where we buy more than we need and waste what we don’t use.
However, many people are now rejecting this new ‘norm’ and choosing more sustainable paths.
If reducing waste, reusing or recycling whenever possible, means we are also able to reduce costs in the process, then even better.
Too good to throw away!
Working as a textiles teacher in UK secondary schools for many years, resources were always a problem. Frequent budget cuts meant schools would often send home requests for money or resources, needed for a particular curriculum activity.
However not all parents could afford to repeatedly subsidise school projects, particularly in the field of design and technology.
When people know ‘I make things’ they often offer me unwanted yarns, fabrics and clothing if they feel I could make good use of them and they are too good to throw away. I have got into the habit of always saying yes and storing them in plastic boxes until the right project comes along.
For me personally, sustainability, cruelty free (Vegan friendly) and fair trade considerations are always high on my list of priorities when designing projects and choosing materials. The majority of my designs use recycled fabrics or small scraps left over from other projects.
For many of the tutorials on the Green Dog Dolls website you will need small amounts of a variety of different fabrics and I try to offer advice as to the best types of fabrics to use and where to get resources.
Making projects featured on this website is often a great way of:
- Using up some scraps of fabric left over from other projects.
- Breathing new life into something old by repurposing or recycling pre-used fabrics.
Collect fabrics even if you don't know what you will make with them.
It’s a good idea to collect fabrics and supplies even if you don’t know what you will use them for yet. If storage is limited an old suitcase on top of the wardrobe or a couple of cardboard boxes in the garage would suffice.
I use large stackable plastic boxes with lids. Yes they take up some room and are not the most beautiful of storage options, but they keep the fabrics clean and dry and being stackable means they don’t take up much floor space.
Woven fabrics work best for most of my projects, although I sometimes use bonded or knitted fabrics for adding details. Medium or light-weight woven fabrics are generally best for creating the small stuffed shapes used for doll making, these fabrics have very little stretch and are often used to make shirts, dresses and trousers.
Denim is a type of woven fabric but often, modern denim jeans, have some stretch added to give a good fit.
Most stretch fabrics, like t-shirts are difficult to work with when making dolls because they stretch out of shape when stuffed.
Try to use your own judgement when choosing fabrics based on the weight (thickness/thinness) and the amount of stretch.
Below I have suggested 8 ideas to help get you started collecting fabrics for your projects, either very cheaply or for free.
1. Your own wardrobe (Free)
Your wardrobe might be a great source of recyclable textiles.
I’m not suggesting you charge in with a pair of scissors and hack at your favourite designer dress, but sometimes we have difficulty discarding items that we no longer use or we donate unwanted items to charity for them to sell or recycle.
Try to be objective when deciding whether to recycle or donate.
For example, if you have a good quality winter coat that you no longer use but it has a lot more wear in it, donating it to a local charity to help raise money, for a worthy cause, might be a more appropriate option.
Whereas clothing that is past it’s best or has a stain or tear is perfect for small projects and hasn’t cost you anything.
Yes of course you could repair the tear or ignore the stain, particularly if the clothing is suitable to be worn as work clothes for doing jobs around the home or garden, but if not maybe it’s time for it to be repurposed into something new.
2. Old bedding (Free)
Old unwanted bedding is another source of fabric, that is easily available in your own home.
I often use old duvet covers for testing out new designs, as base fabrics for appliqué or for making little bags to add weight to my artist dolls.
Depending on the fibre content these fabrics can often be dyed or painted by hand to create new and interesting fabrics to add to your designs.
Old polyester fibre-filled pillows are a good source filling material for stuffing your dolls, just make sure you wash and dry them thoroughly first.
Duvet covers and sheets are often medium-weight woven fabrics, either 100% cotton or a cotton/polyester blend but you can check the manufactures label if you are not sure.
3. Friends and family (Free)
Now that you have finished rummaging around for suitable fabrics in your own wardrobe and linen cupboard, it’s time to turn your attention to friends and family.
Present the idea to them as an offer that is difficult to refuse.
You are doing them a favour, helping them to de-clutter and re-organise their wardrobe and in exchange you get to keep any discarded items suitable for recycling.
It’s a win win!
4. Left-over scraps from other projects (Free)
I absolutely love left-over scraps from other projects, so much so that I also collect scraps left-over from other peoples projects.
I create designs specifically to use left-over scraps, personally I think it showcases a textile artists recycling at it’s most creative.
Some of my favourite designs have been designed exclusively to use up scraps. They are usually either miniature versions of the original (e.g. Bob Bag charm – mini version of Yeti Bob) and therefore only need small quantities of fabric or they are unique one-of-a-kind designs (e.g. Nigel – creepy cute monster doll) piecing several smaller pieces of different fabrics together.
I recommend that you keep everything!
I have a box exclusively for storing scraps. I class anything smaller than an A4 size of paper as a scrap but a scrap might mean something different to you, it all depends on what size you prefer to work in.
5. Car boot sales (Very cheap)
In the UK we love a good car boot sale at the weekend.
Weather permitting of course, nothing clears a field or car park quicker than an unscheduled downpour but if you’re in luck and the weather is good, car boot sales are a great place to find lots of interesting and cheap second hand bargains including fabrics.
When I do get time to visit a local boot sale, I usually look out for children’s clothing.
Little girl’s summer dresses are often made from light to medium weight woven fabrics and are usually cotton or a cotton/polyester blend. I find both of these are a good choice for my designs and they also come in a wide range of pretty prints and colourways.
You can usually pick them up relatively cheaply, sometimes for as little as 50p or £1 and generally they are in good condition because children grow so quickly.
This is a great way of getting small quantities of fabric in a wide variety of patterns and colours, perfect for small projects.
6. Charity shops (Cheap)
Similar to car boot sales, charity shops sell second hand items that someone else no longer wants, usually donated to them to raise money for a good cause.
This was always a good way to find a bargain but in recent years the bargains are a little harder to find and if you do find something you are probably going to have to pay a little more than you did a few years ago.
They are definitely worth a mention though because often smaller local charities still have bargains to be had and your money is helping out a good cause at the same time.
7. Sample books (Free or very cheap)
Fabric shops, dressmakers, textile manufacturers and home furnishing specialists, often have sample books of fabrics to show potential clients their product range.
I am very lucky to have a friend in Ireland who makes made-to-measure curtains for some amazing locations.
Her fabric suppliers often give her sample books so that her clients can choose from a wider range than she is able to keep stocked in her warehouse.
If a particular line is no longer available or not a good seller, the sample books are no longer needed.
My friend saves any fabrics she thinks might be suitable for doll making or textile projects for me.
These fabrics can be small swatches, product range sample books or off cuts left over from making-up client orders.
Many textile related industries use sample books of fabric ranges that they either stock or can be ordered from their suppliers. This is potentially a free source of fabric and there is certainly no harm in asking if textile manufacturers, suppliers or retailers, have any sample books or off cuts that they no longer need.
What have you got to lose?
8. Scrap stores (Cheap - one-off yearly fee)
In Cornwall we have scrap stores. Cornwall Scrap Store
I frequented a St Austell based facility and have included it here, last on my list, as perhaps the most expensive of the 8 options, but still a good source of very cheap resources.
What is a Scrap Store?
It’s a community based initiative with a view to reducing waste and supporting community projects, artists and schools.
Local firms and manufacturers donate unwanted ‘waste’ items to the Scrap Store who then arrange collection of the donations and store them in a large warehouse.
For an annual fee, £35 for individual membership, (price correct at time of publishing) you can visit the warehouse as often as you want and take what you need.
Membership works out at as little as £2.92 per month so very affordable, less than a cup of coffee in a cafe.
When I worked as a design and technology teacher in Cornwall, I was a member through the schools where I taught. There were always fabrics and yarns available as well as plastics, wood, paper and card.
Why not check to see if you have a similar community project near you.
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Where do you get most of your fabrics for sewing projects?
Have you tried any of these 8 suggested sources and if so which ones worked best for you?
Let me know in the comments.
Which project will you make first with your newly sourced, recyclable fabrics?
To help get you started and give you an idea of how I repurpose fabrics into my designs, here are some of the fabric sources and prices paid, (if any) used in the two projects above.
Fishy Dolls:
- Large fish – car boot child’s dress (£0.50)
- Medium fish – napkin (free)
- Small fish – scrap of Laura Ashley fabric bought on eBay auction (£1.70)
- Tiny fish – fabric swatch (free)
Nigel Creepy Cute Monster Dolls:
Yellow:
- Check – old apron (free)
- Ears and mouth – vintage fabrics bought on eBay auction (£1.80 – £3.00)
- Eyes – fabric samples (free)
- Other fabrics – scraps left over from other projects (free)
Blue:
- Head, eyes and mouth – fabric samples (free)
- Body and Ears – scraps left over from other projects (free)
All Buttons are vintage and collected from various sources (free)
Do you have any other suggestions, for sourcing fabrics for free?
Let me know in the comments.
Thank You & Happy Making x
