Salvation Army Reusable Bag

Salvation Army Charity Shop Re-usable bag. Offering discounts on future products if you bring back your bag next time you shop at the Salvation Army.

UAL SwapShop -11.02.10

UAL Go Green Week
SwapShop

Including Designer Vintage Pop Up Stall from Milan

Knitting and Crochet workshop

Alterations and Customisation area

Speaker from TRAID:remade

and clothes to swap!

The event was a great success, everyone swapped the clothing they brought with them, many feeling relieved to be changing it for something 'new'. Swapping is a great and sustainable way to get a fashion fix. Celebrating the joy of discovering something new, even if it is no longer wanted and donated by someone else.

Estethica February 2010 Exhibitors

The successful candidates to show at Estethica this Fashion week (February 2010)

Ada Zanditon
Anatomy
Beautiful South
By Stamo
Elvis & Kresse Arts
Emesha
Environmental Justice Foundation
From Somewhere
Goodone
Henrietta Ludgate
Ivana Basilota
Izzy Lane
Joanna Cave
Junky Styling
KAYU
Lu Flux
Makepiece
MAXJENNY
Minna
Nina Dolcetti
The North Circular
Oria Jewellery
Oxfam
Pachacuti
SonyaKashmiri
Tara Starlet

Lyocell - A Poem

by Julia Roebuck

Lyocel is a fabric most commonly known,
As Tencel (its brand name) by those that own,
The Lenzig fibre brand making this fibre today,
It's recyclable and biodegradable, hooray!

It has a soft finish, packs lightly with ease,
And is made of wood pulp from eucalyptus trees,
A non toxic chemical called Amine Oxide,
Is used to break down the wood fibres inside,

This solvent amine oxide has two uses in the beginning,
To dissolve the cellulose and set the fibre after spinning,
Ninety nine percent of the chemical is always re-used,
To ensure the surrounding environment is not abused,

A spinneret device then comes into play,
Producing long fibres, which are dryed out like hay,
To be woven into cloth and used for many applications,
Not just for clothing but also medical situations,

This closed loop manufacture can also conserve,
Energy and water - precious resources to reserve,
The European Union thinks its such a success,
It gave the European Award for the Enviroment to the process,

Lyocel is absorbent, lustrous, drapes well and is splendid,
And also lends these qualities to the fabrics with which its blended,
This material is a winner, they aint playing us for clowns,
It's used by Patagonia, Jigsaw and Acne (stocked in Browns),

Production plant emissions into the air from smokestacks,
And wastewater are significantly lower, so relax!
In comparison to many other man-made fibre operations,
Switching to lyocel must be better for all nations?

However its only manufacture thats closed loop,
A sustainable fibre can only be better if it's used within a group,
Of changes made to the entire supply chain,
But it still leads me to one question:
Why aren't we using more of this again????!!

Nicolas Electric Blanket

My friend Nicola had a broken electric blanket...

She was going to throw it 'away'...(in the landfill)

But I took it apart...
And made it into something nicer...
And now she will keep it always...
But I still need to find an electrical recycling place for the broken wires!

Thrift @ Foyles

Walking past Foyles on Charing Cross Road yesteday I was surprised and overjoyed to see this window displaying book associated with thriftyness, and to see Foyles doing their bit to ease the stresses of recession. Buy a book that tells you how to save money!

As glad as I am to see the Junky Styling book in the window display, I don't understand why they left out three really cool craft/DIY books:

Making Stuff: An Alternative Craft Book

ReadyMade:How to Make (almost) Everything

Remake it-Home: The Essential Guide to Resourceful Living