Purl Patchwork is pleased and honored to host a workshop and book signing with artist and designer Betz White, author of Sewing Green, one of our favorite new craft books out this spring! Join us at Purl Patchwork (you can find a map to the shop here) on Saturday, April 18, from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm for a special workshop taught by Betz, where she'll show us how to make the sweet springtime nest brooches pictured below using colorful wool felt scraps. She'll demonstrate simple cutting, stitching and gluing techniques, accented by needle felting. These brooches are perfect as a little gift add-on or to pin to your bag or jacket, and they're an economical project you can make in just a few hours!

Class space is very limited due to the size of our shop, so call us today at (212) 420-8798 to sign up, the class cost is $50.00. (You can find a link to all of our sewing classes here, and all of our knitting classes here). Class kits that include all the felt, roving, sewing needles and thread you'll need for the brooches are available for approximately $20.00 and include the following things:

• compressed felt in green (for the leaves)
• felted wool in brown (for the nests)
• other felt colors (for the flowers)
• roving (for the eggs)
• pin backs
• hand-sewing needle
• thread
• fabric glue

If you can't make it to the workshop, Betz will be at the shop from Noon until 2:00 pm to talk about Sewing Green, sign books and talk about the inspirations behind it. Don't miss this chance to meet and talk with Betz and have her sign your copy!

Subtitled "25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials," Sewing Green is the right craft book at the right time. Crafters often have a sixth sense for thrift and creativity (ask any quilter!) and Betz talks about how sewers and crafters can use this sensibility to have a positive effect on our planet. By choosing organically produced fibers, cutting up unwanted garments, poking around thrift shops and flea markets, and even saving packaging material you might once have discarded without a second thought, you can transform once unwanted sweaters, table linens and even mylar juice pouches into beautiful, useful, longlasting and special objects, all the while making a positive impact on the environment, engaging your creativity and saving money!

Betz's discerning designer's eye brings fresh bright color and whimsical detail to each project, like the Girls' Easy, Breezy Sundress, which was refashioned from a pillowcase and maintains the original rickrack-trimmed opening as the hem.

The Woodland Draft Buster, made from old corduroy pants, keeps chilly drafts away without turning up the heat. Betz suggests stuffing it with all those plastic shopping bags you've been saving for another use, and the little felt scrap mushrooms are an example of the endearing accents that make Betz's projects so special.

This Felted Foliage Scarf is made entirely from recycled sweaters and will work up in a snap: the knitting has already been done for you!

The book also highlights other craft artists who bring a green approach to their work. Interspersed throughout Sewing Green's many project ideas are profiles of what Betz calls "Eco-Innovators," designers and activists like Natalie Chanin, author of Alabama Stitch Book, whose company Alabama Chanin uses recycled and found materials to produce custom and locally made home furnishing, garments, and jewelry; and Claire Morsman, founder of Morsbags.com which brings together groups of stitchers to make reusable grocery bags out of fabric remnants, like these.

So join Betz as she inspires you to imbue your passion for sewing with an eco-friendly consciousness. From the introduction to Sewing Green:

"My hope, as I invite you to explore the pages of Sewing Green, is that sewing will become (or will continue to be) a meaningful expression in your life while you simultaneously embrace this earth-friendly approach. This book combines a time-honored tradition with a commitment to protecting the environment. When you make the choice to use sustainable or recycled materials, you'll see just how compatible sewing is with being green. And most importantly, you'll ensure an enduring legacy - both in creating a handmade heirloom as well as sustaining traditions - for generations to come."

We hope to see you Saturday, April 18 at Purl Patchwork to learn how to sew green with Betz White! She'll be at 147 Sullivan St. New York, NY (click here for a map to the shop) from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm for a special workshop and signing copies of Sewing Green from 12:00 until 2:00!