Andy Barve

A little experiment in making the most of what I already had lying around.

I recently picked up embroidery and, naturally, ended up with a pile of leftover threads. Throwing them away felt not quite right, so I started using them on an old Zara shoe bag that I use as a cash bag now.

The Zara logo became the starting point. Then came a smiley. And now I’m apparently in a rabbit hole of embroidering random things onto this bag. 🪡

It got me thinking about sustainable design, which is about making the most of the resources you already have. It's not about aesthetic and it's definitely about this perceived idea of perfection - symmetry and balanced.

The smiley, as initially planned, didn't turn out all yellow because I ran out of yellow thread. So I worked with what I had and added in a peachy pink. And honestly, that’s where creativity gets interesting — when perfection, symmetry and having everything you need aren’t an option, they are limitations. Good limitations that challenge your conditioned notions of creativity.

So this little cash bag is now becoming an experiment of sorts, in resourcefulness, creativity and using things a little more intentionally — including the money I put inside it. ;)

More leftover threads! More random embroidery! 🩷

#repurpose #sustainablecraft #reuse #makethemost
#slowdesign