REPURPOSING
Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Attributed to President Calvin Coolidge, a Vermont native. We New Englanders are known for our thriftiness and pinching pennies. We love to repurpose and upcycle. T-shirts become superhero capes and tote bags. Jeans are turned into purses and clothespin bags. Plastic feed sacks find new life as aprons for messy chores and almost indestructible grocery totes. Sustainability is everywhere.
We believe in second chances and in creatively reusing items that are all around us.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, face masks were often unavailable in Maine, so cadres of sewists created them and gave them away. We recently deconstructed several well-worn masks and used the ties for a special project.
We have long been inspired by Madonna's beautifully embroidered jacket in Desperately Seeking Susan. We wove a triangle with repurposed face mask ties and added it to a panel on the back of a very colorful jacket.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, face masks were often unavailable in Maine, so cadres of sewists created them and gave them away. We recently deconstructed several well-worn masks and used the ties for a special project.
We have long been inspired by Madonna's beautifully embroidered jacket in Desperately Seeking Susan. We wove a triangle with repurposed face mask ties and added it to a panel on the back of a very colorful jacket.
We believe in thrifting. Here in Maine we're fortunate to have access to relatively inexpensive thrift shops and yard sales. There's a lot of yardage to be found in second-hand clothing and household linens. You too can turn someone else's castoffs into wonderful, useful items. See the slide show below for ideas.