And back to the thought of using what you have…

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if we only brought products (things) into our homes that we wanted to keep for the rest of our lives?  And when those products and things become old, we simply recycle them into our own lives.

So it is with this coat that one day no longer suited my life but is now one of my favorite pieces. I am continually stopped in airports, shops, and restaurants and asked, “Where did you get that coat?”

“Recycled,” I answer.

I used the Rose Stencil – from Alabama Stitch Book and new to our online store – to paint the bottom of my coat with our textile paint and then appliquéd the Rose stencil in our 100% organic cotton jersey fabric using our burgundy color, burgundy Button Craft thread and a whip stitch.

William Morris said: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

I would say it this way: “If you want to make a difference on the planet, this is it: Have nothing in your home or life that you do not know to be useful, believe to be beautiful or know that you will strive to keep in your life forever.”

**Photo of my (not yet finished) coat in our studio taken by me.