Ithaca prides itself in being a small town and supporting its local businesses. Every time I go to the commons, I am constantly attracted to the small stores that sell antiques, jewelry, paintings, and crafts. These stores have their own unique charm that makes you feel that you are looking at genuine and creative pieces of art rather than manufactured commercial products.  SewGreen is a great example of Ithaca’s local treasure as it not only sells beautiful fabrics and clothes, it’s also a successful non-profit that caters to environmental initiatives. Walking into SewGreen, I was surrounded by a myriad of colored fabrics, cushions, sweaters, and tablecloths that were displayed so nicely around the store. The atmosphere was inviting as were the stores’ founders who gave us a tour of the the entire property.

After walking through the store, Wendy Skinner, the director SewGreen, took us to the storage room where she showed us the boxes of clothes and fabric that were accumulated throughout the week. Wendy described how people began donating their sewed products and extra fabric to the store, so that they could be reused. I found this initiative very environmentally friendly as I was aware that popular retail stores engage in unethical practices while making and recycling their clothes. Clothing brands such as H&M and Forever 21 use cheap fabric in order to produce thousands of clothes every year, and they end up throwing away clothes once they are out of season. Therefore, it was refreshing to see a non-profit like SewGreen producing high quality clothes and fabrics that can be reused and worn for several years before being completely worn out. Wendy described how she turned her passion for clothing and environmental protection into a full time job, and encouraged us to take up causes that were close to our hearts. I hope to come back to SewGreen very soon, and maybe even participate in one of the sewing classes that are offered in the store.