Tote bag sewing at the Farm

A group of Mangere Bridge locals gathered at the Farm this week to try our hands at creating a stylish tote bag from recycled material.  The workshop was hosted by Friends of the Farm and facilitated by the very talented Stacey Pinique, a Mangere Bridge resident who champions craftiness in the wider Auckland community as co-founder of the General Collective Market in Ellerslie.

Stacey sourced the material for free from Nick’s Fabrics in Otara and pre-cut the tote bag pattern to give us a head start on the night.  While measuring, cutting, pinning, sewing and drinking tea, we managed to fit in convivial conversation, swap neighbourhood gossip, and share ideas for possible future crafty workshops.  By the end of the evening, all 11 of us had managed to produce beautiful lined tote bags that will help us reduce the need for plastic bags in our lives. 

Thanks Stacey for the wonderful evening and for all the hard work you put in voluntarily to making it happen!  The workshop fitted beautifully with our Friends of the Farm vision of fostering a wastewise, caring, connected community.

Written by Justine Skilling