This blog post is a bit out of the norm. I really wanted to do
something to show how much the #makersforfashrev has affected my thinking and
probably my sewing style/speed!
The danger with instagram and
blogging is not having anything to say. I am the biggest culprit of always
wanting to be showing off a fresh new make, hot off the sewing machine for
people to comment and appreciate as much as I do because my husbands 'That's
nice' doesn't quite cut it as much as all the lovely comments in the internet
world. This isn’t a post about body image and how I prefer my internet friends to
appreciate my new dress but a post about making I swear!
I'd not thought about the
impact this is having until this week. I don't know where my fabric is coming
from, if I'm honest I regularly vote for cheap and cheerful fabric rather than
spending any time researching and deliberating. This means I’m churning out
quick makes for certain occasions and not thinking of the sustainability of my
fabric habit!
This is, I suppose, getting
close the issue of fast fashion buying quick and cheap items for specific
occasions wearing them once and not worrying if you never dig them out again. I
am making myself fast fashion, yet I feel better because I have made it and not
been and bought it from Primark or anywhere equally cheap and cheerful.
I also find myself making
things specifically for blog posts or pattern tests because I know of the
exposure this will get me and my blog. Don't get me wrong I am super grateful
for these opportunities and experiences and I love taking part in them, but
this week has made me wonder of the wider impact this may be having on the
world and sustainability of my hobby! The need to have a new picture everyday
causes me to make bad choices about what I am making in the hurry to have
something to talk about.
I find the things I have made
recently with much better quality fabrics are the things I wear most often on
rotation and I have a lot of things that probably won't see the light of day
till it comes to Me Made May again this year and I’m desperate for a ‘new’
outfit to show everyone and not a repeat wear. Also if I give these items to a
charity shop what happens to them? Are they sold as clothing items or weighed
and sold as fabric recycling, is the latter such a bad thing? Please if you
know please tell me!
I like to think myself as being eco –conscious. I’ve always been a
bit of a hippy, when I brought out the tote bags, Tim Minchins song ‘Canvas
bags’ went round and round in my head and it made me a little bit happy people
might take our bags instead of more plastic. I spent so much time researching packaging
for the new products as I wanted to keep the products safe but didn’t really
want to use plastic. So I opted for recyclable and degradable plastic bags to
keep everything dry and clean, but still not quite as bad as some plastic packaging.
I opted for paperbags for my stickers and cardboard envelopes for cards. I felt
I had been much more contentious for this round of my business and not leaving
a lasting impact on the world, yet I’m churning out dresses like they are going
out of fashion without a thought of what went into creating that fabric for my
consumption.
I haven't taken part in the
photo challenge for #Makersforfashrev but that doesn't mean it hasn't affected
me. I am not sure if this says more about me or about the Sewing community in
general but I wanted to write my thoughts down and share if anyone had the same
feelings as me?
I might slow down with my sewing, and my posting and hopefully
this means I will have better more meaningful things to say… I hope!
