I'm excited to be working with Stitched - another amazing brand you need to know, let me introduce you to them, as we discuss how you can 'shop more sustainably' for your home.
Window dressings and soft furnishings are often an expensive thing to get right when you move into your new home, or when it's time for an upgrade - they can instantly lift a space, create a whole new look for a room, not to mentioned add warmth, filter light and reduce drafts, overall reducing our energy bills - so it's win, win.
There are so many styles of curtains and blinds - from simple wave headings, to interlined twin pinch pleats, to roman blinds, and a huge range of fabrics you could choose! Fabrics made from flax, recycled plastic bottles, and recycled cotton- there's something for every style of home. As well as a being a certified BCORP (pending) business they have a wonderful fabric selection and have just launched a brilliant range of fabrics in collaboration with Ian Mankin
Imagine knowing that your curtains and blinds have been expertly made, and have a neutral impact on the environment!?
Our product offering focuses on using eco fabrics, being milled in the UK and made in UK workshops - Stitched
Being 100% sustainable probably isn't going to happen overnight (but at least this way you can draw the curtains, at least) knowing you've made a more environmentally friendly choice - and they have such amazing ranges of fabrics, together we'll definitely find something that works for you, in your home!
Stitched also take care of your old, unwanted curtains, as they support the charity Newlife - A Charity for Disabled Children provides life-changing equipment for disabled and terminally ill children across the UK.
As always I like to ask questions to get to know more about the brands I work with, and to share with you tips and ideas about how to 'shop more sustainably' for your home! So I spoke to Stitched and asked them...
What is sustainability to Stitched?
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do here at Stitched. It was our focus when we first started and remains a key pillar and what continues to push us to being a better business.
We focus on making sure in every step of the process we’re thoughtful in every way - with our customers, our makers and how we source our fabrics. Sustainability is reducing our impact in a positive way, producing less waste and making a more conscious effort to have a positive impact on the planet.
We’re really proud of being a Certified BCORP (pending) business - it’s a badge of honour that is involved in everything we do (from the curtain makers we work with down to the lightbulbs we use!)
What trends are you seeing following the pandemic?
There has definitely been a shift in how people use their homes but also how much time they spend in them. The pandemic pushed people to look closer to home and make more conscious purchases, purchases that were about quality and making their space the most joyful it could be.
This has definitely meant quality over quantity.
What's the best way to determine if something is made sustainably or not?
We like to say there are a few points that are key to helping you understand how sustainable something is; what something is made of, where it is made and how it is made.
Products that don’t add to landfill are key because they only use recycled or natural materials, like our earth friendly fabrics which only use natural, sustainable and recycled materials in eco focused mills. Our mills are local where possible and our curtains + blinds are made by local independent makers. We also assign our orders to the closest maker to lessen our carbon footprint in shipping. We have a focus on visibility across our workshops and their processes; not wasting materials or energy is key to efficient processes. We aim to reuse offcuts where we can. We try to keep our waste to a minimum as best we possibly can. Brands that have this clear focus are key in identifying how sustainable they are.
How do you aim to be sustainable in your business?
Our product offering focuses on using eco fabrics, being milled in the UK and made in UK workshops. We aim to use better materials, produce closer to home and reduce our carbon footprint as much as we can.
As a business we offer cycle to work and flexibility on working from home. In the office we have reusable bottles and generally have very limited plastic in the office and no paper wastage.
If you're new to sustainability, where should people start?
We think it's important to try to be a more conscious shopper everyday by taking a look at the products you're buying and ask yourself how much packaging it uses and how much waste it is producing (like plastic). If we change demand for more sustainable products, businesses will produce more sustainable products - we are the demand!
"be a more conscious shopper everyday by taking a look at the products you're buying and ask yourself how much packaging it uses and how much waste it is producing" - Stitched
Our behaviour can have the biggest impact on being more sustainable, doing things like recycling, walking or cycling where possible and reusing to produce less waste.
We are really excited about being a Certified BCORP (pending) business, their website would be a really good place to start for anyone looking for brands that are putting sustainability at the forefront of everything they do.
What single thing can people do to be more sustainable in their home?
Make considered purchases; have a focus on who you are buying from and what you are buying. Buyer behaviour will shift businesses to become more eco friendly if the demand is there. We focus on making our fabrics as eco friendly as possible; our Revive fabric is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.
Anything else Stitched would like to add?
We definitely want our customers to feel proud of their curtains + blinds which is why we have such a big focus on quality and origin of our fabrics which are all made from natural, sustainable and recycled materials. We work with forward thinking mills to select over 250 fabrics, each with its own colour, texture and eco story. All of our eco fabrics can be found here.