Advocacy Through Needlework
aka how to have a good time this month!
Welcome to Better Together’s bi-weekly newsletter, where we believe that the more we work together, the greater impact. Written by Rachel Ceruti, Director of Community @ FABSCRAP. This quarter’s theme is - Sewing Circles & System Change!
Ya’ll... I’ve been busy
But I can guarantee a good time this month! TBH, I’m really craving community - like I haven’t seen ya’ll in a minute, right? So, let’s have a good time this month, I really want to see ya’ll (hopefully at the events I’m hosting this month [see below])! I mean, summer is all about having a good time and what’s better than starting or picking-up those projects you’ve been meaning to tackle with other makers?!
Here’s how to have a good time this month:
MAKERS SHOW & TELL + SEWING CIRCLE
Showcase and celebrate all the creative ways you use FABSCRAP’s material while mending with community!
Another Tomorrow, 135 Wooster St., NY, NY 10012
Tuesday (tmrw), June 10th from 6-8p
We're chatting wtih Aja Barber about her book Consumed ya'll!!!!!
Virtual, Zoom
Wednesday, June 18th from 12-1p
EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP for ADVOCACY
Learn & practice 3 embroidery stitches then embellish a community banner in support of The Fashion Act!
FABSCRAP, 140 58th Street, Brooklyn NY 11220, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Building B, Unit 5H-3
Tuesday, June 24th from 6-8p
SUMMER TUESDAYS VOLUNTEER SESSIONS
All summer long we're hosting an evening sorting session at FABSCRAP on Tuesdays from 5-8p (plus the shop is open until 7 too)!
FABSCRAP, 140 58th Street, Brooklyn NY 11220, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Building B, Unit 5H-3
Tuesday, June 10th, 17th, & 24th from 6-8p
🔗Textile Resources
How Rent the Runway Lost The Plot
Archive helped Faherty expand its resale business to include customer trade-in, and partnered with Rachel Comey to relaunch Rachel Comey Archive, a resale business that includes a "hidden gems" section.
[LISTEN]: The true crime story of forever chemicals
Why South Carolina’s Textile Manufacturers Want to Talk To Scott Bessent
Circ signed a five-year partnership with Acegreen, which will purchase Circ’s recycled pulp and polyester to make next-generation loycell and polyester for future clothing manufacturing.
WATCH: Why Fashion Is Still Paying Tariffs
Experts issue warning over concerning trend in clothing production: 'This is a very opaque process’
Shein Just Got SBTi Approval. The Internet Has Thoughts.
Ravel (early-stage textile-to-textile company specializes in processing polyester and poly-elastane scrap) to introduce textile-derived PET into the fashion industry
Cracking the Code of Making Old Clothes New Again
<3: How to host a mending circle
Don’t hesitate to reach out to me/FABSCRAP for help too : )
*To volunteer at FABSCRAP, you are required to create an account. This is a big step for our business and we’re so excited to continute rolling out the capabilities this allow us (& you)!
👁️ [highly recommend] Deep Dives
“CONSUMED (we’re chatting with the author on the 18th!)”
YOU CAN CHAT WITH AJA BARBER (& FABSCRAP) JUNE 18TH @ NOON. You know it - our Book Club selection, Consumed by Aja Barber is a MUST READ! Not only is this book so well written but it captures the nuances, elephant(s)-in-the-room, and actionable steps to challenge the fashion industry to do better. It’s sassy. It’s serious. It’ll open your eyes even if you’ve been in sustainable fashion (or something similar) for years. I’ve read this book twice and am SO excited to read it again. Cannot reccomend enough.
👉Grab your copy @ 15% off from Books Are Magic
*Discount automatically applies in store & online!
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“FASHION ACT”
We’re joining many historical groups that used needlework for advocacy. As the last workshop for this quarters theme, “Make, Mend, & Mobilize” we will be learning embroidery techniques then using these new stitches to embellish a community banner to support sustainable textile legislation, The Fashion Act.
The first half of the workshop, attendees will practice 3 embroidery stitches in small groups; then, attendees will select a pre-traced fabric scraps to embellish with the embroidery of their choosing. These embroidery squscraps ares will come together to create a community banner in support of The Fashion Act that will be displayed in FABSCRAP’s warehouse!
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“EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY”
A great article that explores how states like California, Massachusetts, and New York are leading the charge with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws to tackle the growing crisis of textile waste. It also highlights Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s push for federal coordination and investment in circular fashion infrastructure. If you’re tracking how legislation is shaping sustainable manufacturing and waste policy, this is a timely and insightful read.
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Thanks for reading!
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