Friday, June 1, 2012

Reverse engineering - sewing time and sustainability

Hmm. I am feeling like a dirty stop out, going so silent for so long. Of course my devoted followers know it's because I am up the the gunwales in Made on Marion, which is a 7 day, 80 hour a week commitment, but I don't want to go down the rabbit hole!
And so in the interest of being of interest, I am reverse engineering this post based on the photos I have taken recently.
First up is the sewing machine area set up in the shop. This is my beloved Bernina 1230. It's awesome to have one's sewing machine set up at one's work, although I don't often get time to use it, but I am working on a couple of ideas and it means I can snatch a few minutes sewing from time to time without having to drag all my kit out and set up. Do you like our wallpaper? It's only in one place - I don't think it would be easy to live with beyond that one wall!
My friend here the organic cotton stand gets a photo and a write up because lately I have been thinking about sewing and knitting etc for vegans. A dear friend of mine is an avid crafter and a vegan, and for her this means editing out wool and silk too. I should add she is not at all righteous about this commitment, but I find it intriguing and have been looking for products that are vegan friendly, because usually that means they are also more sustainable by nature. Take this organic cotton as a case in point - cotton not being a food crop, gets sprayed out the wazoo with evil chemicals that kill lots of insects and probably other wildlife and probably don't do much for the Egyptian farmers who grow it either. So the organic type is much kinder to wildlife. It's a slow seller, by the way, mostly I feel because it comes in 200m reels which makes the price point a lot higher. Pity as it is only, pro rata, a few cents dearer than the 100m cotton thread we also sell far more of.
My search for vegan alternatives has also led to stocking linen and bamboo 'sliver,' which is the carded, pre-spun state of the fibre. Incidentally, I think linen sliver would make an excellent 18th C wig. I only have a little bit, as much for curiosity sake and because the design students who comprise such a big part of our clientele are always looking for unusual materials to make unusual things.
Last randomly selected image is of these wall hangings made by the Embroidenator. She loves poppies as much as I do and I love having these beauties in my line of sight all day! :)



5 comments:

  1. I'm too lazy to count out how much the organic cotton would be in CZK, so I don't know if I'd buy it as it is; but if I operated in dollars, I think I would. I'm one of those crafters who go for the bigger reel, especially if it's an often used colour like white! Hey, I went for the 500 m reel last time I bought black and grey! :-)

    I love how colourful these photos are. I hope your shop is going strong - and you too!

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  2. I have an old sewing machine set up at work too. About three times a week I get a few minutes to sew and I love it. And it comes in handy for mishaps too: I had a coworker who split his pants and boy, was he happy I had my sewing things at school!

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  3. Dear Mrs. C.,

    Good fun to see more images of your shop; am beginning to learn my way around, here on the other side of the world.

    Am with Hana-Marmota: I'd rather have reams of good thread than bits of iffy, bee-and-earthworm-killing thread. Too bad we're in the minority. Can't the maker consider offering smaller spools? The colors are great!

    Oh, I hope you are getting some rest,

    Natalie

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  4. I prefer to buy the bigger reels if I can (for the colours I use the most)...means I spend less time traipsing back and forward to the shop to buy it.

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  5. Ooh, having peeks of your emporium's space is wonderful....

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