Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Keeping Perspective

As I peruse social media this time of year, I'm pleasantly surprised at the people, groups, and organizations who actively seek to squash the imprint of busyness and consumerism that tires body and soul.  Just this morning, I read two things that made my heart happy.

Thing One - Each year, the filmmaker Delaney Ruston (creator of Screenagers:  Growing Up in The Digital Age) publishes a list of holiday gift-giving ideas that focus not on things but on experiences.  As she describes, often the perfect gift is not found in a store but in each other - togetherness, connectivity, time spent cherishing friends and family.  You can find Delaney's guide here: 2019 Tech-Free Gift Guide.

Thing TwoFruition Seeds is a seed company in my hometown of Naples, New York.  My mom sent me their recent email posting, and I was especially gratified to discover this poem in the midst.  It makes so much sense to me, especially at this time of year. 


Red Brocade

Naomi Shihab Nye

The Arabs used to say,
When a stranger appears at your door,
feed him for three days
before asking who he is,
where he’s come from,
where he’s headed.
That way, he’ll have strength
enough to answer.
Or, by then you’ll be
such good friends
you don’t care. 

Let’s go back to that.
Rice? Pine nuts?
Here, take the red brocade pillow.
My child will serve water
to your horse.

No, I was not busy when you came!
I was not preparing to be busy.
That’s the armor everyone put on
to pretend they had a purpose
in the world. 

I refuse to be claimed.
Your plate is waiting.
We will snip fresh mint
into your tea.

I'm trying to slow down just a little bit, enjoy what's right in front of me, and maintain calmness at this most hectic time of year.  Won't you do the same?

Peace,
Marsha

P.S. I took the photo this morning, of an iced Japanese Maple branch in front of our house.  

Friday, December 13, 2019

The Goal: Give Gifts, Not Packaging

Yes, it's easy to click and spend.  But along with that convenience comes huge waste in the form of packaging - wadded-up tissue paper, ugly styrofoam, annoying plastic bits.  Most of this can't be recycled and ends up in the landfill. 

And then there's wrapping paper waste (most of which cannot be recycled).  What about considering alternate forms of gift wrap?  There are lots of things that can be reused - fabric, recycled paper, repurposed music sheets, children's artwork. 

This year, I'm using old maps for some of my wrapping.  It's fun, unique, and reminds me of all the places I've been.

I love how these look and I love helping to save the planet just a tiny bit:



Thursday, December 5, 2019

Area Artists, Artisans, Retailers Target Fast Fashion, Cheap Clothes

Two years ago, my plastic jellyfish were discovered in a gallery by a local reporter.  The reporter, Pem McNerney, tracked me down and we talked at length about the problem of the plastic bag (see that article here:  Turning Trash Into Treasure.)

Very recently, Pem and I talked again, but this time the focus was on textile waste - what it is, why it is a problem, and how some local creatives are proactively responding.    

Here is an excerpt of the Guilford Courier (Shore Publishing, Madison, CT) article, published on October 2, 3019.  Thank you so much, Pem, for helping to raise awareness of this important issue.

Area Artists, Artisans, Retailers Target Fast Fashion, Cheap Clothes

 Marsha Borden works with materials like plastic bags and old clothing to create works of art and new clothing. Photo courtesy of Marsha Borden

Marsha Borden was among those cheering loudest when the state of Connecticut enacted a single use plastic bag fee in August, and when several area towns including her hometown of Guilford went a step further still by enacting an outright ban on plastic bags.

As an artist and teacher who uses her work to help educate people about environmental issues, Borden uses materials like plastic bags as part of her medium. Now that the fees and bans are in effect, she says there’s still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to plastics. Even so, she has her eye on a new target: textiles.

Working with upcycled textiles is a big area of interest for me right now,” says Borden, of Guilford. “This fall, I’m teaching workshops, locally and in New Haven, that help others learn how to repair and reuse the clothing and other textiles they already have, rather than throwing them out and going out and buying new stuff.”

As with plastics, Borden is on the cutting edge of a movement, one supported by scientific evidence that shows buying lots of cheap clothes just to discard them months later damages the environment, harms human health, and violates human rights.

How so?

Let the December 2018 issue of the journal Environmental Health count the ways: “Approximately 85 percent of the clothing Americans consume, nearly 3.8 billion pounds annually, is sent to landfills as solid waste, amounting to nearly 80 pounds per American per year...In the two decades since the fast-fashion business model became the norm for big-name fashion brands, increased demand for large amounts of inexpensive clothing has resulted in environmental and social degradation along each step of the supply chain.”

Reversing the damage being done by fast fashion will take time, effort, and education. Artists and artisans like Borden are happy to help with the education part, making upcycled and recycled clothing a sought-after part of art shows and a staple for some area retailers, who not only like being part of an environmental movement, but love the repurposed clothes because they’re cozy, fun, and soft. And they also love them for the stories they tell.

A New Purpose
Borden makes rugs with old curtains, creates wearable accessories with worn-out T-shirts, and mends old sweaters and jeans, giving them new life, she says.

“Rugs, drink coasters, necklaces, scarves, curtains, flowers, garlands, and table runners, to name just a few,” she says. “I use T-shirts, table linens, jeans, men’s dress shirts, sheets—really, anything I find that needs a new purpose and a new lease on life.”

“It’s all very accessible to everybody,” she says. “It’s environmentally conscious because you are keeping things out of landfills, and it’s fun, because you can create really cool, unique, one-of-a-kind mashups for yourself and your home.”

Here is the link to the full article:


And as always, thank you for reading!

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Tackling Textile Waste Workshop

My Tackling Textile Waste Workshop last month was truly AMAZING!  What a great bunch of creatives, all working to reuse the textiles in their lives.

Here are some pics:


Upcycling an Old Skirt

Drink Coaster made with T-Shirts

Fabric Bits Ready for Repurposing

A Circular Crocheted Rug, with Upcycled Fabric

Braided Rug, with Flannel Bedsheet Strips

Can't wait for my next workshop, coming up in January 2020!

Monday, November 18, 2019

Lots of New Classes in the Works!

I'm so happy to be developing new workshops for the coming year.  Here's a sneak peak at a few things I'm working on:

*Boho Bracelets and Headwraps

*Funky Upcycled T-Shirt Hats

*Vintage Button Pins

*Eco-Applique Mending

If you haven't already done so, make sure you sign up to receive my blog posts to your email in box.  That way you won't miss a thing!  Look to the left side and you will see a box that says, Follow By Email.  You can type in your own email there.

Celtic Knot Headwrap

Check back soon for more project peeks!

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Weekend Workshop


So happy to be featured here (from Guilford Art Center):

Tackling Textile Waste

It was just reported in a NYT article, "How Fast Fashion is Destroying the Planet", that more than 60% of fabric fibers are now synthetic, made from fossil fuels, and when/if they end up in a landfill, they will not decay.

One way to combat this waste is to reuse your clothing. Don't toss things out because they're worn or out of style - turn them into new wearables and accessories! 

We'll show you how in the "Creative Reuse" workshop this weekend (Sunday, Oct 27) 12-4pm. Instructor: Marsha Borden. All techniques and patterns will be demonstrated/provided. Bring your own materials and enjoy a playful, crafty and fashion-filled afternoon!

Read more about Marsha and other artists featured in the GAC holiday shop here.