Why I Started CREATING REWORKED & UPCYCLED CLOTHING
A Little About Susan
Since becoming an adult, it has always been my dream to be able to devote my time to creating beautiful, interesting things that others might enjoy. My family has been inundated with my “creations” for years. And they will continue to be!
A couple of years ago, I was able to lose a lot of weight and, therefore, really needed a whole new wardrobe. If you are a yo-yo dieter like I am, you hesitate to throw away your old clothes and buy all new ones! So, I set out to find some things that fit without spending too much money…because I didn’t know how long I would need them! On a whim, I decided to go into a thrift store (for the first time in my life!) and I was surprised and delighted to find several NICE items of clothing in my new size. Needless to say, thrifting became a habit and I have since purchased clothing for a lot of family members also, at a very nice price! Of course, I wash everything I purchase as soon as I bring it into my home. If it doesn’t survive the washing, it’s not that great a loss--I can cut it up to use for rags, etc. I have been amazed at what people get rid of but thankful they donated it so that others may give their used clothing a second life and prevent it from going to the landfill…at least for a while
Did You Know?
Textile waste accounts for 5% of landfill space according to the US EPA.
The United States generates an average of 25 billion pounds of textiles per year.
That’s 82 pounds per United States Resident!
15% of that gets donated or recycled, and the remaining 85% goes to landfills.
That’s 21 billion pounds of textile waste going to landfills per year!
The average US citizen throws away 70 pounds of textiles.
These numbers are growing exponentially.
All facts from the Council for Textile Recycling, retrieved from University of Colorado, Boulder
What Can We Do to Reduce Our Carbon Footprint?
What can we do about this worsening problem and maybe make a difference for our children and grandchildren? We can stop throwing away clothing. We can donate it to thrift shops or, better yet, charitable organizations who then donate the proceeds to homeless shelters, domestic abuse shelters, foster homes, etc. In thinking about what I could do with used clothing when my closet (and those of my family members) got pretty full, and because I love sewing, crafting, etc., I decided to look into upcycling some of this maybe tired-looking clothing into something new that might be pleasing to others with the thought in mind that I would donate these nicer items to charities. I am always searching for places and people in need who could use them. So my plan is to continue donating but also to create some pieces to sell because…well, who couldn’t use a little more money these days!