Make Do and Mend

I’m a big fan of upcycling, recycling, make do and mend. I have always been a bit reluctant to throw things away but since I became a craftaholic I am positively evangelic about it.

I grew up in the throwaway eighties, where wild consumerism ruled and we were all wanting the newest and best. The nineties was an era of throwaway fashion and tech changed so fast it was out of date in months. In the new millennium, we wanted bigger, better, smarter, faster. But we soon came to realise that our throw away culture was ruining the planet just as readily as our carbon emissions.

I had an epiphany when Sky started their Ocean Rescue campaign. Suddenly, I was painfully aware of how much plastic we were using and knew I wanted to do something about it. I emptied bathroom and kitchen cupboards, and decided what I didn’t need and what I could replace with a non-plastic version. Old towels were cut up and used as cleaning cloths, same with t-shirts past their best. I bought non-plastic brushes and paper bags for storing food, single use plastic was used only when their was no alternative.

I started to mend clothing, cover small stains with embroidery, remake long trousers into shorts. I started to realise that there was a vast store of readily available craft materials when I worked in a charity shop. So much fabric in clothing people were giving away. Lovely buttons on garments, beads and gems in old costume jewellery, it was like a treasure trove. Now, I try to include at least 50% recycled material in everything I make. Yarn is the only thing that there isnt a readily available supply of second hand but you cant have everything.

So, my mission is to encourage everyone to make one small change in their habits, because every little bit helps.