Hello fellow circular sourcer.
We've listed a small treasure trove of pre-owned (but never used) coloured threads in GOTS organic cotton. While these certainly wont last long, we'd love to know if you'd like these stocked permanently on the site. They are the perfect size for domestic sewing and are a vital resource for reducing plastic in clothes. Get in touch to let us know if you want more of it.
Speaking of Reduce – you can now shop by Surplus materials! A whole bunch of deadstock treats have been added to the site – check it out and see if these materials can be used for your next project.
Perhaps you have no idea what I'm talking about. Surplus materials are leftovers from mill runs, sampling or production. You can find some really nice surplus fabric – especially in Australia. However, it gets stuck in several stages (ie. the fabric mill warehouse, the designer's cutting room, the manufacturer's store room) and doesn't have a clear path for re-circulation. Sure, you could buy some new fabric from elsewhere, but these fabrics already exist and usually have no retail pathway. This means they lay dormant, despite their high value and quality.
By choosing to work with appropriate deadstock (that is, the material is fit for the purpose of your design), you can offset your impact by reducing reliance on virgin materials. You also get to utilise some pretty amazing, unique and often inaccessible fabrics that are otherwise reserved for larger brands and high end designers. So that's a win for the planet and you. Maybe you ARE a high end designer. Well, working with deadstock is a great way to reduce your impact, keep resource depletion at bay and channel the new-wave of re-use creativity.
Remember, Reduce + Reuse are highest on the waste hierarchy. Do you have a current plan to use deadstock in your future collections or sewing projects? We'd love to know what your goals are in this space.
You can Shop Surplus Materials here.
All my best,
Courtney Holm
Founder A.BCH + Circular Sourcing
