Zero Waste Patterns: 20 Projects to Sew Your Own Wardrobe

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At its heart, it's an oxymoron. You can't produce new things and ever be "zero waste". But just like the zero waste movement as a whole, it's more about the spirit of attempting harm reduction toward the planet than anything else. Tonlé - Tonlé champions a restorative, regenerative, and just future for fashion. They prioritize workers rights alongside reducing their waste through zero waste sewing practices. Their garments aren't cheap but their pricing isn't high-end, either.

The Spritz is a flattering, relaxed dress perfect for hot summer days and vacations. This very simple design can be dressed up or down, or worn as a cover-up over swimwear. Oh so comfortable, the Spritz Dress will become your go-to weekend outfit in no time. The Spritz is designed to be worn belted, with either a matching length of cord or a commercially made belt. I also think that zero waste design can be an awesome intellectual challenge. It’s a very different way of looking at shapes and it does become creative problem solving at its best.

Lauren at Elbe textiles is a massive fan of sustainable sewing, and she has a wonderful free tutorial how to make a zero waste robe – find it here. So in this post, let's talk through what zero waste fashion is along with the many different ways you can engage with it. What is zero waste fashion? As mentioned earlier, my next post will look at just a few of my makes, and the patterns I have tried in the hope that I can inspire some Sewcialist readers/followers to give it a go themselves.

This book also has lots of useful sewing tips and shows you a lot of sewing basics when making your own clothes or upcycling old clothes. So it is well worth a look. Zero Waste Sewing Patterns Online I think that really zero-waste is a bit of a red herring. As several people have said, clever pattern placement can result in a better item more likely to be used because of the fit. I see that many of the zero waste patterns look best on the tall and slim, often with a smaller bust. These would be unsuitable for a lot of body types. As mentioned before, it’s very different to think about zero and minimal waste design when creating large amounts of the same pattern at any one time. The reason being you have much more flexibility on how to use up the available fabric; large pattern pieces can be nestled against smaller pattern pieces from a different size of the garment. It’s therefore entirely possible to use a very high percentage of your available fabric (think 90%+) without changing the pattern a great deal. It’s also worth remembering that clothing factories are often using wider fabric sizes than are typically available to the domestic sewing community and so they can fit more along the same length. Zero waste patterns can be adapted to fit any size or style, making them a great option for any sewing project. These patterns require a bit more creativity and problem-solving than traditional patterns, which can be a fun and rewarding challenge for any sewer! Zero waste will continue to grow with innovation and experimentation. It’s a small part of the bigger picture of using our resources wisely, taking care of the environment, and valuing fabric and clothes. Zero Waste Sewing Pattern Designers

Reusable Sewing Projects for the Kitchen

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My Pattern Project dress takes a painstaking four hours to sew, although a professional could make it in an hour. The experience gives me a new appreciation of the skilled stitchwork of millions of unthanked garment workers around the world. “The more you make for yourself, the more you realise the time and effort it takes to make things – and how cheap things are on the high street, compared with how long it takes,” says Azmi. “The value people place on fashion has been diminished because of cost.” The value people place on fashion has been diminished because of cost Atia Azmi Sizing: 0 – 34 (approx. UK 6 – 34, based on our standardised size chart). Available in the shop: PDF or PDF + printed copy shop. That connection is tangible to those in the maker community. “When you’re wearing something you’ve made, not for one second are you not aware of that,” says d’Angelo. “Every time I look down, I think about the mistakes I made and the way I saved it and I’m filled with pride. It’s the ultimate in conscious consumption.” These projects are just a few of the fun and fashionable ways to embrace sustainability. Making use of your extra fabric, or creating items from other misfit materials, are some of the ways you can practice zero-waste sewing. Plus, these patterns are a great way to improve your sewing skills with items you already have at home.Have you discovered zero-waste sewing yet? It has been a hot topic with sewists for some time now, with loads of stitchers giving it a go to see what all the fuss is about.

The only negative point (if you can call it that) of zero waste is that it requires an exact amount of fabric and if you are using stashed fabrics, which is my preference, you almost never have that exact amount of fabric required. Pattern Tetris is not a possibility, so you always have to select a piece of fabric that is perhaps bigger than required. This means that there will be leftover fabric, although it is generally a symmetrical shape, which is useful for other garments/makes. As I am not buying fabric I do spend an inordinate amount of time burrowing in my stash looking for the perfect fabric for my makes. I am always surprised that I can usually find something that will work. The designer needs to be the patternmaker as well, or have a knowledge of patternmaking, and experience with cutting layouts is also needed. This zero-waste, beginner friendly envelope dress doesn’t even require a paper pattern. Sizing is customized to your measurements, and you can try it in various fabrics for a range of different looks. This dress is an easy way to create something unique to you.I thought I would talk about how I make a zero waste pattern and show you an example from the book.