As part of our Art of Regeneration project, members have been discussing how they can be more environmentally conscious while making textile art. Here are our EDGE members’ ideas for ways of working sustainably.

Sourcing your materials

There are many ways to get hold of unwanted material that could be repurposed into textile art. A good place to start is your local charity shop. They may allow you to buy bags of textiles that are classed as ‘rag’ – damaged items that can’t be resold but could be perfect for making art.

You can also buy second-hand household linens, clothing and vintage materials at charity shops or on sites like eBay. Many fabric stores sell ‘deadstock’ fabrics, which are surplus fabrics from the fashion industry. Look for specialist recycling companies that sell surplus or recycled materials, such as Renée Materials, and sign up to their newsletters.

Another option is to let people know you collect old linens – many people have unused items at the back of a drawer that they’d be happy for you to transform into something meaningful and beautiful. Some textile groups and organisations hold ‘de-stash’ events for fabric and threads, or you could barter and exchange materials with other artists.

Using what you have

A good challenge is to avoid buying any new materials and instead work through your existing stash. Sort scraps by colour (such as warm, cool and neutral) so they’re easy to use. Use up those samples, off-cuts, papers and drawings generated from previous projects. If you have an embellisher machine, use it make use of waste thread and small scraps that you would normally throw away.

This practice follows the practice of circular economy thinking – close the loops in your practice rather than moving from project to project buying more and more stuff.

Repurpose and transform

Other ways of working sustainably include reusing old tablecloths and household linens to explore the art of eco-dyeing or eco-printing, or repurposing salvaged cloth as the base layer for your textile work. Combine small scraps and create interesting samples to explore new material combinations and colour palettes. Use larger scraps as samplers to test out stitches or mixed media approaches. eel free to experiment and let the materials lead the way.

Old picture frames can also be recycled to present your work. And broken jewellery and collected or found materials can be used as embellishments.

The key mindset for sustainable working

The best approach is to use and enjoy everything you have. Don’t keep things ‘for best’. Think of working sustainability not as a single project but as a way of life. Move away from the ‘take-make-waste’ model towards long-term creative solutions that respect the environment.