If you’re trying to craft sustainably, there are so many factors to consider, it can become overwhelming. When we crafters source materials for our projects, sometimes we consider where the materials are made. Is it organic? How were the workers treated? Some of us want to avoid anything made with petroleum byproducts or want to support only local businesses. These are all important factors to consider, but what if the fabric, yarn or other materials have already been purchased, used in one way or another, and then discarded? This is where creative reuse centres come in, providing another way for us to craft sustainability as eco-friendly makers.
If you want to reuse textiles and related supplies and keep these materials from going to the landfill, you have great options. Winnipeg’s Artsjunktion and Fabcycle Reuse Centre in Vancouver are two places you should know more about.
Image courtesy of Artsjunktion.
Artsjunktion is a non-profit. It takes donations from manufacturers, businesses, and individuals, then offers free or inexpensive materials to artists, teachers, and the public. On the way out, shoppers weigh their new acquisitions, make a donation or pay for the things marked with a price. This pay-what-you-can model gives everyone opportunities to acquire arts and crafts supplies to make art.
Once housed in a warehouse space, the Artsjunktion now has a bright and sunny maker space, artist workshops, and an outreach effort. It embraces its downtown community with edgy programming that meets the needs of a diverse urban population. Featuring ArtHive community making events a couple times a month, Artsjunktion buzzes with activity. During the pandemic, the organization continues to innovate, providing crafting kits to seniors and online craft tutorials. Even its fundraisers feature amazing finds: paints, canvases, mannequins, sewing machines, looms and more.
On an average month, this single non-profit organization might support multiple projects to help others. It provides refugees with sewing machines, fabric, and other supplies; gives those with mental health challenges or other disabilities a creative place for art therapy; helps support a women’s centre, children’s art-making programs, and more.
I’ve been to Artsjunktion both to donate and to collect art supplies. It’s truly a gift to Winnipeg. In pre-pandemic days, I used to love showing up at their door with my donation, and leaving with all new treasures.
My favourite acquisitions: fabric, yarn, knitting needles, pre-loved knitting books and magazines, cardstock, upholstery samples, and an endless amount of kids’ art supplies.
Image courtesy of Fabcycle.
In Vancouver, Irina McKenzie founded Fabcycle in 2017. Irina’s a social entrepreneur who takes a strong interest in ending textile waste. Her approach was to create a business-to-business (B2B) way for local designers to donate their textile surplus so it can become a resource. Fabcycle offers the Vancouver fashion industry a way to disrupt the usual textile discard cycle by donating rather than discarding their waste. Then, home sewists and small businesses purchase and reuse these deadstock fabrics. It’s Canadian matchmaking for the environment, although it sounds like heaven for those who love fabric!
Fabcycle also focuses on fabrics that have quirks or fibres which wouldn’t biodegrade easily. Although I’ve sourced wonderful natural fibre fabrics at affordable prices, Fabcycle works hard to get polyester and other man-made fashion industry discards to sewists for a new life.
If you’re in Vancouver, you can visit this textile reuse centre in person. However, I discovered Fabcycle online in the midst of the pandemic. (It’s far away from my home in Winnipeg.) Some fabrics come as “bundles” and others are sold by the metre. The website’s descriptions and photos are an attempt to capture what you’re getting, but isn’t like shopping in person. These aren’t new materials. Just like shopping in conventional fabric shops, often the fabrics’ origins are unclear, but by purchasing through Fabcycle, you’re reusing a valuable resource. This gives a sustainable twist to fabrics which might not be produced in a “green” way.
Since these fabrics are “discards,” it’s important to be open to their potential. This online fabric shopping challenge can mean sourcing exquisite deadstock fabrics, trims and other supplies, including patterns, fabric scraps and mystery boxes. It’s a win-win equation: You get fun textiles to sew with and explore, while Fabcycle helps clothing manufacturers limit their waste.
If you’re open to surprises, include scraps or mystery boxes in your order. This allows for environmental reuse and personal creativity. Fabcycle takes donations from whoever offers them. As this business model prioritizes textile waste reuse, certain smaller scraps can be added for free with your order. This landed me some great long rag strips, ideal for making rugs, as well as smaller odds and ends that will end up being toy or pillow stuffing. The mystery boxes include bigger pieces of fabric, zippers, and other sewing odds and ends. In one, I received an amazing piece of wool tweed which colour-coordinated with several meters of wool sweater-knit that I purchased. This tweed remnant quickly became one of my favourite wintertime vests.
You may wonder why this hit-or-miss online shopping option could be alluring. For me, the chance to try sewing knits for the first time or experiment on high-end fabrics that I knew would otherwise be discarded, at an affordable price, was wonderful. If my first shirt project wasn’t perfect, it also wasn’t wasteful or expensive. Turning these fabric seconds into something wearable moves us away from fast-fashion throwaway culture.
When my Fabcycle purchases arrived, in a big, recycled cardboard box, my family gathered to see all the potential new clothes or home goods. Sometimes, Fabcycle’s minimum purchase for free shipping leads me to end up with more than I expected to buy, but it’s an environmentally friendly, guilt-free splurge. For me, that’s worth it.
My favourite acquisitions: Boiled wool, tweed, fun woven cotton prints, knits, scraps, mysteries, and elastic, all during the pandemic. Best of all were the thoughtful mystery surprises from the fabulous Fabcycle team; it felt like they sent me a present.
Featured photo courtesy of Fabcycle.
