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Schools.Oct2021 - Presentation (16:9) by emma

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In an open letter to the fashion industry, OR Foundation cofounder Liz Ricketts insists there can be no sustainability revolution without justice throughout the global supply chain; the time for a circular economy is now.

Dear Fashion Industry,

Let's talk about waste.

We are on the verge of a waste revolution-a revolution of waste technology and of systems driven by a revolution in the way we think about waste. Some people and organizations call this revolution the Circular Economy. Others prefer the language of regenerative systems. Whatever model or lexicon we choose, waste is quickly moving from out of sight, out of mind to the center of design, business, media, and education. The away has moved from a myth to the marketplace, which is to say that waste is no longer "waste," but instead has been reimagined as a "resource," an "asset," a "nutrient," and an "opportunity." Corporate marketing campaigns claim that waste is now " beautiful," and that waste is no longer a "problem," rather it is the "solution." I've heard people talk about waste as a "trend to design into" and other people call circularity the "waste-to-gold" revolution.

When so much of the fashion industry runs on a business model that extracts finite resources to produce an infinite amount of stuff, any conversation about recycling waste feels like progress. If we could just turn that stuff back into resources, then everything would be fine-right? It's not so simple.

Waste and greed are two sides of the same destructive path. This means that waste cannot be revolutionized without a greater reckoning and reconciliation. And I don't see much reckoning. What I see is a mass depoliticization of waste.

The truth is that most of what ends up in Kantamanto is donated simply because fast-fashion requires turn over, not attachment. Fast fashion isn't made to be loved, to be kept, to be cared for... The secondhand trade is the outlet necessary for the firsthand trade to exist.

I remember the first time a brand referred to our research findings as a "goldmine." It was last April and they were talking about the waste from Kantamanto. Hearing this from one of the largest fashion brands on the planet and from a member of their sustainability team, no less, sent my heart into my gut. It confirmed the fears that provoked my not-for-profit to launch Dead White Man's Clothes (and to name our project as such) in 2016, while simultaneously making me wonder if sharing it so publicly would end up doing more harm than good.

This is a company whose leaders hoard wealth gained by exploiting the labor power of disenfranchised women who work in garment factories. This is a company that has no trouble projecting sales across dozens of different countries and cultures while claiming that a living wage for garment workers is incalculable. A company that uses its massive marketing apparatus to prey on the insecurities of young people, making them believe that consumption will solve their problems. A company that relies on disposability to grow with godlike limitlessness.

For this company (and others since then) to call Kantamanto's wastestream a "goldmine" isn't merely absurd. It's violent.

For our Ghanaian team members, the word "goldmine" stings. It evokes an immediate connection to the Gold Coast Colony -a name given to many diverse West African nations by foreigners. It is a phrase that speaks to the historical exploitation of mineral resources and of human life. Heard within the word "goldmine" is also the specific ongoing environmental and human cost of small scale gold mining called ; the politics of which are entangled with the current neocolonial scramble for Africa. It is a reminder that little has changed since the recent time of formal colonization. The minds of foreigners are still capable of collapsing all the richness that Ghana represents into an extraction site for foreign benefit.

Justice will not be the inevitable byproduct of take-back programs, clothing donations, or recycling technology.

60 Seconds on Earth,Anthropocene,Art & Culture,Climate Migration,Black Liberation,Changemakers,Democracy,Environmental Justice,Photography,Earth Sounds,Deep Ecology,Indigeneity,Queer Ecology,Ethical Fashion,Ocean Life,Climate Solutions,The Frontline,The Overview,Biodiversity,Common Origins,Fabricating Change,Future of Food,Identity & Community,Movement Building,Science & Nature,Well Being,

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This Is Not Your Goldmine. This Is Our Mess.

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In an open letter to the fashion industry, OR Foundation cofounder Liz Ricketts the need for a sustainability revolution in supply chains.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rC8_DPINWH681lxpKnDptY0tlLPTqOTt/view?usp=sharing

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rC8_DPINWH681lxpKnDptY0tlLPTqOTt/view?usp=sharing

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Julia Marcet-Alonso - Teachers presentation

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Julia Marcet-Alonso - Teachers presentation

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20. 'What are our clothes made from?' lessons - LJMU students group 7

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20. 'What are our clothes made from?' lessons - LJMU students group 7

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19. Fast Fashion lessons - LJMU students group 6

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19. Fast Fashion lessons - LJMU students group 6

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Thanks to the students for producing these lessons and resources!

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18. Fast Fashion - LJMU group 4 lesson and resources - 2/2

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18. Fast Fashion - LJMU group 4 lesson and resources - 2/2

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Thanks to the students for producing these lessons and resources!

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Group 4 _LessonResources TTC J Ayre  March 2021

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18. Fast Fashion lessons - LJMU students group 4 - 1/2

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18. Fast Fashion lessons - LJMU students group 4 - 1/2

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Thanks to the students for producing these lessons and resources!

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Fast Fashion - Ten Tonne Challenge  Group 4  Primary March 2021 LWC F4C

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Easy techniques to use

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Learn sewing and non-sewing techniques: running stitch / how to sew on a patch / how to sew on a button / how to cut tassles / how to make pleats and flowers / how to use safety pins or ribbon to upcycle clothes.
Part of the Ten Tonne Challenge project with Faiths4Change and Liverpool World Centre www.tentonnechallenge.com

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Aimed at KS2

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Emma Summerscales presentation - fashion designer | textile artist - Studio Thrift 

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Emma Summerscales presentation - fashion designer | textile artist - Studio Thrift 

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Schools.Oct2021 - Presentation (16:9) by emma

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Letter bunting project using recycled fabric and fused plastics.

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Letter bunting project using recycled fabric and fused plastics.

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Full resources for the project (step by step PowerPoints with photos for both processes and letter templates) are available from LWC on request.

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With Beccy Williams

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Primary School - Mock UN Fashion & Climate Conference 

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Primary School - Mock UN Fashion & Climate Conference 

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After I recently wrote about " How To Teach Kids To Sew" and shared some of our favourite beginner sewing projects for kids, it got me thinking, that for many it may be helpful to have a "go to place for" basic hand stitches - ie what are commonly used stitches for sewing - especially for kids and when to use them. So I have put together a list and set of instructions on the stitches that I used the most with MY kids. The blanket stitch how to and the French Knot How To, were probably the most requested! They are both fabulous stitches o learn! These basic hand stitches are great for hand sewing, but also for anyone looking at embroidery stitches.

Here we focus on:
Please let me know if you would like me to add something else to this list of basic hand sewing information!!! I am keen to update and make this post as helpful and relevant as possible.
RED TED ART TV

I have many more " Craft Basics " tutorials for you to browse and bookmark on my YouTube channel - from how to finger knit to how to make salt dough!

Let;s get started!!

Running Stitch

The running stitch is probably the easiest of all stitches and a great way to get kids started. My kids loved making little Lavender Bags and Heart Ornaments using this stitch. It is also great for when you need to GATHER fabric, such as when making these pinwheels or flower brooches.

Overstitch or Overcast Stitch

Overstitch is the "next stitch" to teach kids. As again, it is relatively easy to do. The children need to learn to sew a little neater for this one, as uneaveness will show. However, even when a beginner uses the overstitch it looks lovely. I think the overstitch is great for when you want to have a "varied" edge to your craft, but also for when sewing two pieces of fabric together that frays, as the overstitch can keep the fraying contained. We used it for these fun Pincushion Dolls and Bunny Brooches.

Back Stitch

The back stitch is probably the stitch that I used most when handsewing something where I don't want the seams to show. Ie a sewing project that you need to turn "inside out" afterwards. The back stitch is a very strong and secure stitch and great for keeping stuffing in place. The kids first had a go (but haven't quite mastered it yet), when we made some bunny softies.

How to do a Blanket Stitch

This is a stitch that I LOVE. I just think the blanket stitch is super pretty and great for most felt projects. We used it for our " nature bag" and for our Christmas Pudding Ornaments! I also love this Felt Heart Mobile, as it shows how using different stitches in one project provides a lovely "variation" to your work. I hope you DO like this Blanket Stitch How to and that it encourages you to have a go and give it a try!

How to do a French Knot

Now the French Knot.. is not REALLY a stitch or knot that you HAVE to know. I just LIKE it. I think it is such a quirky little stitch to know and love it as an added detail to our projects. Again, we used it on our Christmas Pudding Ornaments (it makes great "raisins), but also one our Juggling Chooks for the eyes (a great "beady" eye!!). It IS a LITTLE fiddly at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will want to use it over and over again! Here we go, how to do a French Knot:

How to sew on a button

Buttons are really easy to sew on once you know how to sew on a button!! This is a quick and easy video showing you quite how easy it is. Buttons are great for plus toy eyes, as clasps on DIY handbags or simply for fixing a button on a shirt!

So. I do hope that this is a good summary and resource of the basic stitches that we tend to use when sewing with the kids (and for myself!!!!). I do hope that you find it useful too. Please do let me know if there is anything missing, so I can update the post and provide more information for you!!! Which stitch will you try first? I do hope you give the Blanket Stitch How To and the French Knot Tutorials a go!!!!

Don't forget to also check out these articles:

How To Teach Kids To Sew beginner sewing projects for kids
Similarly, I have a great " How To Teach Yourself to Crochet" post and if you know any left handed people, as special " How to Knit Left Handed ".

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Basic Hand Stitches for Beginners - Red Ted Art's Blog

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After I recently wrote about " How To Teach Kids To Sew" and shared some of our favourite beginner sewing projects for kids, it got me thinking, that for many it may be helpful to have a "go to place for" basic hand stitches - ie what are commonly used stitches for sewing - especially for kids and when to use them.

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Mend a tear in jeans (repair what you wear)

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Mend a tear in jeans (repair what you wear)

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Mend a button - easy tutorial (Nicky Callahan)

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Mend a button - easy tutorial (Nicky Callahan)

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How to sew a Button (Craft Basic Sewing)

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Two Girls Sewing - Margaret Wendell Huntington

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8dPIXS9z58

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Global Digital Citizen Foundation's Critical Thinking questions

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Global Digital Citizen Foundation's Critical Thinking questions

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Global Digital Citizen Foundation's Critical Thinking questions

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Global Digital Citizen Foundation's Critical Thinking questions

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Calculate your environmental footprint and learn how you can reduce your impact with WWF’s Footprint Calculator.

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Calculate your environmental footprint and learn how you can reduce your impact with WWF’s Footprint Calculator.

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Using hand embroidery as a mindful and meditative activity. Using stitching in the same way as doodling.

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https://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/projects/embroidery-kids/

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Using 'mending' as a mindfulness activity

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To share with parents

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How to mend school uniforms - from hemming trousers to fixing linings, we've got you covered

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Click into the past issues to find craft activities you can use.

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PDF with clickable links

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Ten Tonne Challenge - Who made my clothes

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PDF with clickable links

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PDF with clickable links

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Ten Tonne Challenge - What are our clothes made from

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Learning to sew - use card with holes pierced into it

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Learning to sew - use card with holes pierced into it

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https://www.redtedart.com/teaching-kids-to-sew/
https://makeit-loveit.com/teaching-kids-to-hand-sew

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Identifying key issues with Textiles and how these connect to the SDGs

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1. Manufacture 2. Use 3. Disposal

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14. Christian faith school - Love Thy Neighbour

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14. Christian faith school - Love Thy Neighbour

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Video connecting Love Thy Neighbour and climate change. Introduces the Carbon Footprint activity at the end.

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13. Christian faith school - Carbon Footprint activity

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13. Christian faith school - Carbon Footprint activity

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Aimed at faith schools wanting to link climate action with RE

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A timeline of key moments in fashion and technology from 1920 to 2020.

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Story board template

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Aimed at KS2

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Aimed at KS3-4. Includes geography, PSHE and art.

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2. Where did my clothes come from_ Ten Tonne Challenge

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Aimed at KS3. Focused on off-screen learning