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How to Sew Sustainably

Recycling, reusing, and remaking with fabric

Published by CICO Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

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About The Book

A technique-led guide to creating clothes and homeware, using fabric scraps from other projects, discarded home textiles, and used clothing.

Wendy Ward teaches you all the skills you need to refashion garments and reuse fabric from existing pieces you already own, plus ways to use leftover scraps to make household items, and to customize your clothes. Each chapter focuses on a different technique, for instance novel ways to join small fabric pieces, using larger pieces to make pieced household items and clothing, and easy ways to refashion existing clothing. Her "minimal waste" mentality will help you to make simple garments based on your body measurements, and there's a useful section on mending. Wendy also covers the ethical issues involved in buying new, from shopping locally to choosing your fibers carefully and supporting small businesses and other crafters. There is a comprehensive chapter covering all the sewing techniques used, from seam and hem basics through to tips on unpicking recycled garments. Each section includes projects using the techniques covered—a total of 20 makes that can be adapted to the materials you have to hand.

About The Author

Wendy Ward has worked as a designer in the fashion industry since 2000—for a range of companies from niche retailers to large high street chains, including Matalan and M&S. In 2007 Wendy started teaching dressmaking, pattern cutting, and textiles for adults. She has a degree in Fashion Design, an MA in Design and is a fully qualified teacher. In 2012 Wendy opened MIY Workshop in Brighton and launched the first of her own design sewing patterns. Wendy is also a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen. She is a regular contributor to Sewing World Magazine and her first book My Fashion Label about fashion design for kids was published in 2014. Her first sewing book for adults The Beginner's Guide to Dressmaking was also published in 2014, and Wendy is the author of three books with CICO Books: A Beginner's Guide to Making Skirts, A Beginner's Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics, and Sewing Basics for Every Body. Wendy lives in Sheffield, UK.

Product Details

  • Publisher: CICO Books (June 22, 2021)
  • Length: 160 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781800650237

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Raves and Reviews

Whether you have a whole piece of cloth or ‘overlocker spaghetti’ scrap left, Wendy Ward will find an imaginative use for it to save anything going to waste - Simply Sewing

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