Sewn Not Thrown by Karin Rubing

Having recently won the Creative Conscience gold award for graphics and advertising, Swedish product designer Karin Rubing has returned to craft, inspiring us to stitch new life into our old clothes with this lovingly hand-made poster.

“All the clothes I own carry their own history. Together we‘ve experienced good times, and bad. They’re pretty much like old friends. So instead of throwing them away when they break, I give them a little love by mending them,” says Karin. “That way our friendship can last longer. Giving a little love to your clothes is giving a little love to the world by being gentle to the environment. Let a needle and thread stitch that sweater back into your life!”

Why?

The UK must overcome the “Primark effect” – that is, the mindless purchasing of new clothes we don’t really need (or want) simply because they are irresistibly cheap. For every item of old clothing we send to landfill another four brand new items get bought. Now that’s what we call unsustainable.

How?

If we cut down on the 1.4 million tonnes of clothes that go to UK landfills each year by just 10 per cent it would generate revenues of nearly £25m, which could go towards stocking the nation’s sewing boxes. To get on the mend, shop for colourful thread and yarn from Sew and So, Sew Over It and Sew Sweet (sigh), then stop by blogging community Sew Mama Sew to sharpen your skills.