Whatcha doin’?

Rag Fair is bringing curated collections of fabric and notions, as well as kits and project ideas, to makers interested in exploring the use of upcycled and repurposed materials in their work. I am still in the process of building my initial inventory through thrifting, stash busting, community donations, and the occasional dumpster dive. As I source materials I inspect, sort, and launder them, then break them down to be pressed and cut. As the mood moves me I sometimes dye fabrics and/or apply new surface design with block or screen printing. I also collect threads and notions, and reclaim yarn from knitwear that is past its prime.

I will be offering project-sized bundles of these fabrics, all carefully chosen to work well together based on fiber content and weight, not to mention fun and interesting combinations of color and pattern. In addition I am developing project kits for folks just learning quilting and sewing techniques, with detailed instructions and all the necessary supplies. I will also be offering collections of notions such as perfectly MIS-matched buttons, beads and embellishments, as well as reclaimed yarn.

Why?

I love a crisp, new quilting cotton as much as the next maker, but the manufacture of textiles is resource-intensive and ecologically costly, and there is already more fabric out there in the world than we could ever collectively use, and a lot of it is literally going to waste: the average US consumer gets rid of around 80 pounds of clothing a year, and the EPA estimates that of that 63% ends up in the landfill, another 19% is incinerated, 14% is commercially recycled, and the remaining 4% is shipped overseas (and often ends up discarded there if not easily sold). Even when you donate clothing to charity, as much as 85% of that will ultimately end up in the waste stream instead of being reused.

Obviously, it makes sense to sell, consign, gift, or donate clothing with a lot of life left in it (allow me to put in a plug for your local Buy Nothing Project as a great way to rehome the stuff you don’t need), but what about the blouse with a big spaghetti stain on it? The dress pants with worn cuffs? A sweater full of moth holes? If you drop those things in the donation bin, they will most likely go straight to the dump or (or if you’re lucky, a recycling operation). Same goes for threadbare bed sheets, stained table linens, and faded curtains, and yes, that box of quilting cotton you never got around to using. 

On the flip side, many quilters, textile artists, and other crafters are excited to work with repurposed textiles but find challenges in sourcing materials; let’s face it: it takes time, effort, and a certain love of the unexpected to dig through thrift shops and imagine those out-of-style shirts as something new and fabulous. And then you have to have the space to break it all down and figure out what to make with what’s in front of you.

Which is where I come in: I really enjoy the hunt for materials, and even more, I love finding fun, unexpected, and beautiful combinations of fabric as a result.

So… where are you getting stuff?

I spend a lot of time at my local thrift shops, yard sales, dollar-a-pound clothing sales, and flea markets, where I am always on the lookout for textiles suitable for repurposing. I also collect castoff clothing, household textiles, and fabric destashes in my community that might otherwise be headed for the recycling or trash bin: if you are in Southeastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island and you have a bag (or a carload) of closet castoffs that are past their prime, or of fabric scraps/leftover yarn that you’re not sure what to do with, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram or email hello@ragfairtextiles.com and I will happily arrange to come collect it. I’ll take items in any condition - stains, tears, tatters, and moth holes are all fine - but I can’t accept used intimates (underwear, socks), or any fabric that is wet, moldy, infested with vermin, or saturated with hazardous material (that stuff really DOES belong in the landfill).

If you have done a large closet cleanout and you are overwhelmed by the task of sorting the discard pile, I can take care of that for you; just put it all in bags and I’ll do the work of figuring out what can be passed on for reuse in the community and what can be repurposed. My promise to anyone that donates material is that it will be handled respectfully and without judgement, and that anything I can’t use will be disposed of responsibly.

While I am primarily looking for “upcycling” opportunities and collecting materials that might otherwise go to waste, I will consider purchases (have a large fabric collection that needs to go? some exquisite vintage curtains?) on a case-by-case basis. If you have a special circumstance you think I might be interested in, feel free to send me an email or DM and we can chat.

Ok, but, who are you?

I am a mixed media and textile artist located in southeastern Massachusetts; I make collages, quilts, mixed media embroidery, and the occasional painting. You can see my work at my website and on my personal Instagram page.