Sewing Green had me hooked at the cover. I am a big fan of Betz White’s Warm Fuzzies so I was delighted to see more of her felted jersey project in this book. Sewing green steps beyond the basic up-cycle and includes remaking with table cloths and shirts, repurposing with place mats and using some unconventional materials like tyvek (builder’s wrap) and juice pouches and considering buying sustainably produced materials.

Format:
The book starts by outlining the principles of Sewing Green and then follows up with 25 projects. The projects are peppered with tales of eco-innovators and resource saving tips. Sewing green finishes with a short chapter of techniques, materials and resources.

What I like:
The felted wool jersey projects are appealing yet again. The Eco-Innovators were also intriguing and have me considering the world of swap-o- ramarama.


What I’d pass on:
The only parts I think I would pass on are those that require materials that I can’t readily find in NZ. The organic cotton stretch velour backing in on the Cashmere Lux Throw isn’t easy to find in NZ (global fabrics came to the rescue there) and I would be sucking back the Ribenna’s forever and a day to get enough to make the car sunshade. Further to that, I’m not sure anyone can readily find Marrimekko Placemats going spare.

The chapter of techniques is relatively sparse, making this book better suited to those who are already confident sewers.


What I’d Like to try:
I’ve already started cutting out leaves for the Felted Foliage Scarf. My sister and I have picked out the colours for her Sweater Slippers. So I can safely say that there are a number of projects in Sewing Green that I will be getting stuck into.

Who I’d recommend it to:
I would recommend the book to sewers who have already fallen for the world of felted jersey goodness presented in Betz’s first book. The book is also a great addition for the confident sewer who is looking to add some imagination to the material that they use in their every day sewing.

For more information you can find Betz's website with her blog, books and patterns here