In each issue of Flow Magazine, we ask three creative people: What are you up to? In issue 18, one of them is Sarah Lancaster, the owner of Sew Love. She lives and works in New Zealand.
What do you create?
Most of my projects have been reusable tote bags and seedy nut bags. What triggers the creative process for me is figuring out what needs a sustainable solution. The creative juices get flowing when I am replacing buttons, changing sleeves and hemlines, and turning crazy treasures into new, better-fitting, fun clothes and items. I feel truly grateful to be making things with my hands and I enjoy sharing this with others, so I love to host classes and ‘sew-cial get-togethers’. It’s a lovely thing to make room in your life to explore creativity: to stop and move away from screens and ‘must-dos’.
How did Sew Love come about?
I’ve always been a collector and maker, and after reading some magazines and blogs I was inspired to start a social enterprise. I saw sewing lounges overseas and I wanted to do that here in New Zealand. But I wanted to do my own thing, find my passion and purpose, and learn how I can do it differently. For me that was focusing on the heart of sustainability. So all my sewing resources are second-hand, and very often my classes and pop-up projects have a focus on reuse and repair.
Text Jeannette Jonker
