Sewing in an eco friendly way is really easy once you get the hang of it. Simply by using what you have and upcycling fabrics, you can create so many eco friendly pieces on a budget.
1. Use vintage sheets as backing material for art quilts
2. Source corduroy from thrift stores to use in projects
3. Create your own felt with thrifted wool sweaters
4. Restyle clothes from your closet that don't fit or have stains. You can either embellish, add panels, or upcycle the fabrics and embellishments into new projects.
5. Old curtains and home decor can be upcycled as a source for fabric
6. Thrifted denim is great for making everything from pillows to quilts
7. Make a t shirt quilt
8. Save all your scraps and work them into projects
9. Buy organic muslin and then do your own surface designs to create patterned fabric
10. Use what you already have if possible instead of buying new materials for each project
The main way that I sew green these days is by using every last scrap of material. I work scraps of cotton fabric into pretty much all of my quilts. When I first began sewing in 1999 I bought up every last pair of corduroy pants and jackets at thrift stores and made everything with the colorful, textured fabric. Think outside the box and you can create a whole body of work with unique materials when you sew eco.