I have finished up a dozen more totes, found an online second-hand fabric supplier at http://shop.secondchancefabrics.com/main.sc, as well as have a good friend on the look-out for unique buttons, may have finally found a local company to make my sew-in labels and chose the first charity to be donated to!
The bags are turning out very nicely! I was given a lot of this very big, very floral patterned fabric that I was a little taken aback by, thinking it was a bit loud. But beggars can’t be choosers in this game and I knew I had to make it work. It’s like what we used to say to the kids that I worked with at an extended day program during this past school year, “you get what you get and you don’t get upset!” I love it though, working with fabrics that I wouldn’t normally choose to buy. This is because it really allows me to get creative and come up with one-of-a kind pieces that you will really enjoy! It has also taught me to step a little out of my comfort zone when choosing what I buy. The colors and textures are turing out to be so fun and chic.
The very big, very floral material, wait until you see the bag! So cute.
When it comes to buying my supplies, I prefer buying everything locally but Second Chance Fabrics is a new company and I just love the direction that she is taking it. In an email to me, the owner explained that she gets a lot of her fabric from estate sales and from people she knows, all smoke-free environments. None of the fabric has been used to make anything else, but everything is second-hand so I feel fine buying supplies here to make Reclaimed Threads sustainable bags! She is in business to serve your quilting needs but material is material to me as long as it is good quality and second-hand! I just thought that she has a great concept and wanted to share!
I have also enlisted my good friend Amy, http://www.amysgreenportfolio.com/home/, to go on the hunt for cool buttons. She moved to Sweden last summer after getting married and is now working as a landscape architect there. When she comes home in December she has promised second-hand buttons from Sweden, so that will be really cool! I’ll keep everyone updated on what she comes up with and when I start using them on the totes!
I finally may have found a local company to make the tags for the totes, I am very excited about this and when I have them in hand I will be able to stitch them into the bags and get posting on Etsy.com! Very exciting.
The first charity to be donated to at the end of the August- October 2009 quarter is Dress for Success. You can find more information about Dress for Success and Reclaimed Threads’ vision on giving back on my “Charity” page and www.reclaimedthreads.etsy.com.
‘Til next time, take a look at the link I posted on Twitter (available in the right column) about good reasons and ways to shop sustainably!
Reclaimed Threads 