Patchwork Sofas and Zero-Waste Clothing?

The amount of textile we use on soft furnishing and clothing is huge to say the least. Did you know that up to one fifth of the fabric is wasted? When the pattern of a sofa cushion or dress gets cut out, what happens to the leftovers? Umh… most likely it will end up in a landfill. Although the recycling industry is relatively strong, you will struggle to find a council that would take textiles for recycling.

So, where’s the solution? Zero-waste production. I’m actually giving away a great idea for an unexplored niche, so if you are an eco friendly furniture designer, jump on it and run with it. I was recently looking for a good solid patchwork sofa for one particular project and I couldn’t find anything. There are some designers doing it, though. As you can see from the picture, this Ginny Avison patchwork sofa is a treat! Isn’t it lovely?

Some people are totally mad about patchworking. They’d cover all world in patches if we allowed them to. Se how far Spazio Rossana Orlandi has gone in her art!

What do other people say about this matter? There is a nice short feature here for the fashion designers. If handiwork is your sort of thing you might try some of his suggestions.