Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials (Paperback)

~ (Author), John Gruen (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

By its nature, do-it-yourself sewing is environmentally friendly. In Sewing Green, Betz White takes stitching to an even higher level of sustainability, presenting 25 projects made from "repurposed" thrift-store and back-of-the-closet finds and organic fabrics.

 

White’s whimsical yet practical designs include an apron constructed from men’s dress shirts (and a wallet from the shirts’ cuffs!), a soft blanket pieced from secondhand cashmere sweaters, and even a tote bag refashioned from used Tyvek envelopes. Along the way, White dispenses tips on everything from how to deconstruct old garments for reuse in new creations to how to wrap gifts with resusable fabric scraps instead of paper.

 

Inspiring profiles about well-known leaders in the eco-stitching movement are sprinkled throughout, and a complete resources section helps crafters make eco-smart choices. With Sewing Green, today’s sewers will be fashioning handmade heirlooms and sustaining traditions for generations to come.

About the Author

Betz White is a renowned felter and green crafter whose work is sold online and in boutiques around the world. Her work has been featured on Martha Stewart’s TV show and in numerous magazines. Her first book, Warm Fuzzies, was published in 2007. She lives in North Potomac, MD.

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Product Details Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book (April 1, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 1584797584 ISBN-13: 978-1584797586 Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #67 in  Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Sewing #70 in  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Environment > Conservation

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More About the Author

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	64% buy the item featured on this page: Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials 4.8 out of 5 stars (13) $16.47
	12% buy Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures 4.1 out of 5 stars (15) $14.93
	10% buy Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects 4.6 out of 5 stars (31) $15.63
	7% buy One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Fabric Projects; Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric! 4.0 out of 5 stars (3) $14.25

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews 5 star:  (12) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 21 of 23 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Another beautiful book from Betz White, March 31, 2009 By  S. R. macdonald (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This book Feels good in my hands, feeds my hungrylittlecrafty-eyes, and is also nice to READ. Betz dicussses fabrics and thrift stores. The projects are: aprons mades from men's shirts (cute!), coasters from wool, (cute and different than other things I have seen), vintage napkins and rings from ruined old tablecloths,lounge pants from old cute sheets, pillows, an adorable draft-buster that looks like a branch, sweater-slippers, a wallet made from a shirt-cuff,a reversible wrap skirt,lunch tote, reusable sandwich wraps,more bags, a pillowcase skirt and MORE! I haven't sewn anything from this book yet, but have "walked" through a couple of the projects and the instructions seem solid. The patterns need to be enlarged, so I need to go to my copy center to get that done. This is a beautiful book that inspires me each time I look at it--I just like having it near! If you like to sew, you will probably find a few projects, at least, that you will want to make right away! 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Different from the rest of your craft books, June 4, 2009 By  Kimberly F. Fraser (Chapel Hill, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I was lucky enough to be able to attend a Betz White workshop recently where I picked up a copy of Sewing Green. My craft and sewing bookshelf is quite full, I assure you, but Betz' newest book is unlike any of the titles I already have and is a welcome addition. There are a number of projects I've bookmarked to make--the little girl's pillowcase dress (actually in progress on my sewing table right now!), the felted cashmere throw blanket (I've begun scoring and felting thrift shop cashmere sweaters and don't know why I didn't think to use them before!), and the baby quilt and coordinating "washies" and stuffed dog projects (for a friend's baby due in the fall). I found the project instructions and accompanying photos very clear, and think they would be very easy even for the beginning sewer. I also appreciate the very thorough explanations of how to treat recycled and vintage materials before beginning your projects. But one of my very favorite things about this book is the collection of essays sprinkled throughout the chapters on "eco-innovators." This makes the book perfect for my evening habit of perusing sewing books on the sofa while my husband watches the news. How many craft books out there provide both plenty of inspiration and good reading? Only this one, on my shelf! I recommend Sewing Green highly to anyone interested in finding new sewing inspiration from old materials! 11 of 13 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Betz White should change her last name to Green., April 12, 2009 By  XOSonja "XO-Sonja" (Northern CA USA) - See all my reviews Betz is an inpiration to me and she kept the bar high on this, her latest book. She continually comes up with cheerful creations that make you want to run to a thrift shop in search of goods to revamp. Like delicious ripe fruit her latest book is fresh without being fake sugar sweet. Items you really want to use or give as gifts rather than something you labor over and then put in the closet. You will be look at old materials in a whole new way.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars absolutely adore this book I absolutely adore this gorgeous and inspiring book. Beautifully photographed, designed and written ~ easy to follow, even for someone relatively new to sewing ~ every time I... Read more Published 3 months ago by Marisa Haedike 5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding choice for any eco-conscious library SEWING GREEN: 25 PROJECTS MADE WITH REPURPOSED AND ORGANIC MATERIALS tells how to design and sew fine modern projects from sustainable and 'repurposed' materials - the latter such... Read more Published 3 months ago by Midwest Book Review 5.0 out of 5 stars sewing green is great This book is great ad has plenty of sewing patterns to use. Those patterns come in handy, especially when you are inspired by all the beautiful pictures! Published 4 months ago by Jeanine Magana 5.0 out of 5 stars Mindful and clever I love how Betz combines her crafty cleverness with her earnest interest in eco-friendly materials. This book gives you lots of options from reusing readily available materials... Read more Published 5 months ago by M. Canonica 5.0 out of 5 stars absolutely the best book on my shelves! This book is just plain beautiful, in every sense of the word. The images are beautiful, the projects are beautiful, and the whole spirit of making new from old, breathing life... Read more Published 5 months ago by Alison V 5.0 out of 5 stars Sewing Green is a fantastic addtion to any craft book library Betz White's new book, Sewing Green, is a great addition to anyone's craft book library. It is full of fresh and charming projects with the emphasis on organic and re-purposed... Read more Published 5 months ago by Erin Harris 5.0 out of 5 stars sewing green is so ... wonderful ! chock full of sunny pictures and easy-to-follow steps, I love this book. It's crafty about re-using fabric items in a smart, stylish way that accenuates their... Read more Published 5 months ago by Elissa Brown Barbieri 5.0 out of 5 stars Save the planet, one stitch at a time I loved this book--the eco-friendly projects are chic and modern (no cereal-box wallets for sure!) and so wonderfully rendered, with gorgeous photographs, a warm instructive... Read more Published 5 months ago by Jasmin Chua 3.0 out of 5 stars crafty reuse of old items There are a couple of projects in this book that are really GREAT! Some look a little too crafty for me, personally. Published 6 months ago by Angi Wang 5.0 out of 5 stars Great ideas I enjoyed every page of this wonderful book. Lots of great ideas for everyone! Published 6 months ago by E. Croley Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584797584
• ISBN-13: 978-1584797586
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #67 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Sewing
  #70 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Environment > Conservation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another beautiful book from Betz White, March 31, 2009

By	S. R. macdonald (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book Feels good in my hands, feeds my hungrylittlecrafty-eyes, and is also nice to READ. Betz dicussses fabrics and thrift stores. The projects are: aprons mades from men's shirts (cute!), coasters from wool, (cute and different than other things I have seen), vintage napkins and rings from ruined old tablecloths,lounge pants from old cute sheets, pillows, an adorable draft-buster that looks like a branch, sweater-slippers, a wallet made from a shirt-cuff,a reversible wrap skirt,lunch tote, reusable sandwich wraps,more bags, a pillowcase skirt and MORE! I haven't sewn anything from this book yet, but have "walked" through a couple of the projects and the instructions seem solid. The patterns need to be enlarged, so I need to go to my copy center to get that done.
This is a beautiful book that inspires me each time I look at it--I just like having it near! If you like to sew, you will probably find a few projects, at least, that you will want to make right away!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different from the rest of your craft books, June 4, 2009

By	Kimberly F. Fraser (Chapel Hill, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was lucky enough to be able to attend a Betz White workshop recently where I picked up a copy of Sewing Green. My craft and sewing bookshelf is quite full, I assure you, but Betz' newest book is unlike any of the titles I already have and is a welcome addition. There are a number of projects I've bookmarked to make--the little girl's pillowcase dress (actually in progress on my sewing table right now!), the felted cashmere throw blanket (I've begun scoring and felting thrift shop cashmere sweaters and don't know why I didn't think to use them before!), and the baby quilt and coordinating "washies" and stuffed dog projects (for a friend's baby due in the fall). I found the project instructions and accompanying photos very clear, and think they would be very easy even for the beginning sewer. I also appreciate the very thorough explanations of how to treat recycled and vintage materials before beginning your projects. But one of my very favorite things about this book is the collection of essays sprinkled throughout the chapters on "eco-innovators." This makes the book perfect for my evening habit of perusing sewing books on the sofa while my husband watches the news. How many craft books out there provide both plenty of inspiration and good reading? Only this one, on my shelf! I recommend Sewing Green highly to anyone interested in finding new sewing inspiration from old materials!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Betz White should change her last name to Green., April 12, 2009

By	XOSonja "XO-Sonja" (Northern CA USA) - See all my reviews

Betz is an inpiration to me and she kept the bar high on this, her latest book. She continually comes up with cheerful creations that make you want to run to a thrift shop in search of goods to revamp. Like delicious ripe fruit her latest book is fresh without being fake sugar sweet. Items you really want to use or give as gifts rather than something you labor over and then put in the closet. You will be look at old materials in a whole new way.