This past Saturday I had the opportunity to go to the non-profit Sew Green in downtown Ithaca for the first time. When we arrived, the director of the non-profit, Wendy Skinner, greeted us and gave us a tour of the building while telling us some of the history of the organization. She explained that the idea for the non-profit came to her after reading a book on sustainability that suggested that anyone can practice their career in a sustainable manner. She then decided to take her passion for sewing and open an organization where people could donate their left-over sewing materials to be resold at a fraction of their original price. While walking through the store, I was struck by the wide variety of sewing and knitting materials for sale in such a small place and the really artistic ways in which they were displayed. In addition to this store, Sew Green now also offers classes teaching beginners how to make their own articles of clothing with a sewing machine.

Later we sat down with Wendy in the sewing classroom and she shared some more thoughts with us on the importance of sustainability. I was shocked when she told us that up to 85% of cloth in the United States is currently thrown out rather than reused. She further explained that the concept of “fast fashion” promoted by malls and cheap chain clothing stores is a huge component of this wasted material. The trip to Sew Green definitely inspired me to be more conscious of what clothing I’m buying and to look into maybe taking a sewing class myself sometime in the future.