Low Impact

This cushion cover is partly made from fabric reclaimed from old shirts

One of a number of things my wife has made recently with her new sewing machine is the cushion covers shown in the picture.  They look fantastic and have given new life to old cushions that had, till that point, been consigned to a shelf in the cupboard.

From an environmental impact point of view, they have the added benefit of being partially made of recycled material.  Some of the cover was made with left over pieces from another project my wife had been working on, but some of it was made from fabric cut from old, second-hand shirts.

The shirts were purchased from our local Salvation Army store.  They weren’t a style that either of us were keen on, but fantastic as a source of quality fabric!  By making use of second-hand shirts as fabric, the project has extended the life of a previously-unwanted product and avoided the environmental impact of new fabric.  While organic cottons can be found, most commercial fabric is produced from conventionally grown cotton which typically incurs a large environmental cost in its production due to its need for plenty of water and pesticides.

As an added bonus, these second-hand shirts are incredibly cheap, and the money that we did spend is used by the Salvos in helping families in need.  Low impact, environmentally responsible and helping the community – a big accomplishment from a humble cushion cover!

Categories: DIY, recycle

Tags: craft, recycle