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Each year, millions of clothes are either donated or thrown away. In America alone, the population generates about 16 million tons of textile waste every year, which makes up just over 6% of municipal waste.

If we want to conserve the environment and make it greener, it is up to us to reduce pollution. One way to do this is by reducing textile waste and preventing landfilling or burning used clothing.

While donating used clothes seems like a good deed, it may be problematic because giving used clothing to the needy does not necessarily signify the end of life for those clothes. 5% of donated clothes actually end up in landfills due to mildew issues, the rest of the donated clothes are sold in secondhand clothing stores at give-away prices, and donated clothes that aren’t sold are either recycled or sent overseas.

Clothes that are sent overseas may serve a few needy people, but a majority of the donated clothing has created an environmental nightmare overseas. While most people try to give these secondhand clothes a new life, a majority of them end up in landfills or washing up on local shores.

The cycle of fast fashion is short and quite harmful to the environment.

As such, it is better to invest in sustainable fashion and ensure that these clothes last as long as possible. For your clothes to serve you for years and beyond trends, you can learn to mend and alter clothes in order to reduce textile waste. Simple sewing not only adds to your handy skills set, it also significantly saves you money and directly impacts your carbon foot print.

Over the years, numerous clients have approached me with requests to assist them with basic mending like:

• Adding a patch or two to a pair of trousers
• Sewing on a button. (Buy a button box for all your button needs)
• Replacing or fixing a zipper. YKK zippers are the best quality for replacing a zipper
• Making a piece of clothing fit perfectly
• Up-cycling a well-loved outfit to make it trendier

There are numerous reasons why basic sewing skills can come in handy.

Let’s be honest, another reason we buy more clothes is because we are bored – every new look in the store has the appeal of “new” fashion. Maybe there is nothing wrong with a current shirt but we feel the need for a “new look”. I have a few articles that can help you to master a few skills and help you reduce waste. With a little creative thinking and basic sewing skills, you can be able to fix numerous articles of clothing and turn them into master pieces that you love.
1. How to alter bell sleeves
2. How to lower the neckline of a knit
3. How to make an elastic pant cuff

Up-cycling your clothes gives them a longer life, reduces textile waste, and significantly contributes to a better environment.

With basic sewing skills, you can explore different trends with clothes that you already have at home. While putting on a new pair of jeans feels great, there is even more gratification in making something that’s old look and feel new.

Virtual Sewing Classes

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