Hands On: Gabrielle Treanor, Recycling Crafter
By Gabrielle Treanor and Kerry Wilkinson
Meet Gabrielle, a designer that specialises in recycling old household bits and pieces and fabric scraps to make new!
I’m Gabrielle Treanor and I live in a little cottage with my hubbie and little dog in a rural village in Surrey. One of my favourite things to do, when I’m not making, is to walk in the fields and woods with my husband and dog.
After trying out a few different crafts I realised that sewing is what I really love. It’s a marvel to me that you can take one or two pieces of fabric with a length of thread and create pretty much anything. I also have something of a bunting habit – my prototypes can be seen decorating most of the rooms in my house. In fact I’ve just created a line of Fairtrade organic cotton bags with bunting decoration made from fabric scraps. Although I use some new fabric in my pieces I love to repurpose secondhand and vintage materials and upcycle old clothing. I love scouring charity and junk shops to find items for my home and wardrobe as well as pieces to remake into something new.
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My workspace is only a few weeks old! Before we had the brick built shed at the end of the garden renovated and turned into a studio, I was squashed onto a desk in the spare bedroom. I’m adding to the space bit by bit, I have to resist the temptation to fill the room as I also use it to photograph my pieces. But having everything organised and space to create really helps inspire and motivate me. Plus the double doors that open onto the garden make me feel like I'm sewing in the middle of my veg and flower beds!
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GABRIELLE'S TIP
Never throw anything away. Okay, you can’t keep everything (at least put it in a recycling bin) but it’s amazing what can be given a new use with a bit of thought – an old shirt can become a cushion cover, old jam jars can be made into flower vases or tea light holders, food tins can become herb planters – the possibilities are endless!
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Next week: The Scrappy Fairy