Win a Copy of Sewing Green!
CONGRATULATIONS to Tina in Boston for winning our giveaway of Sewing Green! Be on the look out for an email from us for further details.
Thank you to everyone who entered. We here at CAGW have been rejuvenated and inspired by all of your upcycling ideas! Don’t forget your other chances to win this beautiful book, you can find out where to enter here.
I know you’ve waited with bated breath so here it is, your chance to win a copy of Sewing Green, the latest and greatest book by Betz White, author of Warm Fuzzies.
Sewing Green offers 25 cute projects made from repurposed or organic materials. Learn how to make aprons and wallets from dress shirts, and sandwich wraps, and lounge pants from organic and thrifted fabrics. The projects are are direct and easy to follow even for this crafter who likes to skip ahead and tweak things. I especially like the sandwich wrap project and the use of PUL - a material that is not vinyl and one that I need to look into more.
White’s favorite project from the book is the woodland draft buster, a much more refined version of the draft catcher that I created a while back. This version looks like an adorable tree branch that helps you save money on your heating bill. White wanted everything in the book to have a good purpose without being preachy. She wanted everything to be fun and easy and show that any one can do these projects and be eco-friendly. “You don’t have to suffer,” she said. “Suffering is not involved.”
Continue reading to enter the contest!
- » See also: Talent Search: Be a Green Writing Star
- » Get Crafting a Green World by RSS or sign up by email.
Sewing Green also contains great features and side bars that showcase the history of repurposing, tips on thrifting, and advise on how to avoid thrifting pits falls. There are also several interviews and highlights with eco innovators - people in the crafting world, textile industry and various repurposers.
For example there is a write up on Claire Morsmen and Moresbags, a non-profit group based in the U.K. Morsbags was created by Marsmen who was put off by the wastefulness of plastic bags. Morsmen gathers people together to created the bags and then distributes them free to unsuspecting people. A technique she calls “social guerrilla bagging.” It is a great example of how one person can make a difference and perfect for this book full of eco-consciousness.
White worked hard to add dimension to the book. As you can tell it’s not just a project book, it teaches and encourages green living and for us to think about waste and reuse in positive ways. But the best and most amazing thing about this book? Crafting a Green World is mentioned as an additional resource.
We here at CAGW are in awe and completely touched to know that we’ve grown up so much to be considered a good and solid green crafting resource. Thanks Betz.
So now that you REALLY want to win this book, how do you enter?
Leave a comment about your favorite upcycled project that you’ve made or are thinking of making.
I’ll draw a random winner on Friday April 17th, so check back here for the winner’s announcement. Directions on how the winner can claim their prize will be posted here. If you are the winner and you don’t claim your prize within one week of the drawing, you forfeit and the book will be re-drawn.
For other chances to win Sewing Green see a complete listing of all the contests right here on CAGW and over at STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books blog.
Good luck and happy upcycling!
I felt thrifted sweaters: if they fit my daughter, she gets to wear them; when they don’t fit they get added to my craft pile (bag making and other Betz-inspired items). I also recently made my girl a pair of “modesty” shorts to wear under dresses at school–out of a worn t shirt of mine.
I love trying to upcycle things into USEFUL craft projects (sure, teddy bears are cute, but how many do we really need?!) One that I’ve tried is making an apron out of an old pillow case. I love this project http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=123434.0 Because it uses the WHOLE pillowcase. However, I find that half aprons often aren’t that useful, so I’m going to try to make a full apron with the same idea, but out of 2 pillow cases!
This Christmas, my mum brought me the quilt that I made when I was about 14. I used scraps from the big big bag that my mum used to have, and now and then, when I was feeling a bit tired, or poorly, and wanted to cuddle up, I’d get it down from my room and sit with my mum pointing out what scrap came from where: my mum’s summerdress from when we were in France, my grandmother’s apron, my own and my sisters’ nightdresses, etc. My mum would make a cup of tea, and somehow it always felt like a little sliver of time quite set apart from ordinary life. And guess what - I’m doing the same thing now, with my own children.. Feels quite special, that!
I want to take some of my older clothes that I don’t wear anymore - but have nice patterns or designs - and make things like wallets and purses for birthday/Christmas gifts. I would love to learn how to make the reusable sandwich bag from this book, as well as all of the other projects.
sarahbcrawford(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks!
I once made a dress out of old AOL CDs collected from coworkers. I drilled holes in the CDs and linked them with jumprings. It was awesome!
I’m using some vintage fabrics - floursack prints that my husband’s grandmother saved - and making napkins for our everyday use. I’d love to win this book!
I upcycled an old table I found that had stains all over it by sanding and painting it with a cool black and white striped design. It is now the focal point of my dining room and everyone asks where I bought it!
I am about to start making my patchwork wedding dress out of vintage silk saris
that is my new favourite project of all time I think. The saris came in the post today, so I am very excited!
Great info about the book! Honestly, my favorite upcycled project was when I finally cut up the cotton sundress I wore to my HIGH SCHOOL graduation over ten years earlier. I cut the fabric into strips, and then knit it into a bathmat.
On Saturday before Easter, I turned my husband’s old dress shirt into a shirt dress for my daughter. These dress shirt make-overs are all over the internet, but it’s so cute and my husband is so happy to see his shirt on his little girl.