Sewing Green

Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed and Organic Materials by Betz White caught my eye on the hot new bookshelf at my local Library and I quickly snatched it up. It holds a variety of projects that the sewing novice may be able to approach and use. At the least it gets the creative juices flowing for how one may be able to repurpose existing resources.

The introductory chapter has information on how one can start to think with a repurposed mindset as well as a few tips of keeping vs. cluttering. Author Betz White also gives handy tips on types of materials, and intersperses the book with green tips of an interesting nature. She includes a wealth of links for more information and resources, and introduced me to the concept of fabric swaps and swap-o-ramas.

My favorite project in the book is the Take it Easy Lounge Pants, and one that I may actually try. They look comfy and light, perfect for some old sheets that I have been hanging out in my closet. I actually seem to back burner buying things like nightclothes and jammies for myself, so this seems like a nice project to try that would be guilt free. The wool shrunken socks look like a great way to make slippers off the thrift store sweater that we all encounter at the end of season.

I'll admit that I might not try the Capri Sun auto shade, but some of the other projects like Reusable Sandwich Wraps seem right up my alley. Plenty of pillows, a leaf themed scarf, draft blockers and napkin rings are just a few of the other projects included in the book.

This is a book that I would recommend for some concrete projects, good for the crafty seasoned or a nice jumping off point for the Greenie seeking ideas. 143 pages, indexed, lots of additional resources and ideas, beautiful photography and patterns.