This morning, while walking along the road hauling a suitcase, I thought about how much unnecessary stuff I have. I moved house last May and all of my belongings are still in boxes in three different places: a storage unit, my Mum's spare room, and my bedroom at my flat - where I can barely get in the door. I was going over it in my head and trying to mentally get rid of it all; "Mustard yellow jumper (that was a mistake) - charity shop.. black dress I keep wishing would fit again (it won't, I think I was 12 when I bought it) - charity shop.. but what about all the bras?" I can't bring myself to believe that charity shops make a good profit out of second hand bras. Bras are intensely personal, I feel odd even borrowing one from a friend, so the idea that they have any recyclable value is tough to believe but I hate throwing anything away unnecessarily, especially if it's not damaged or faulty but simply no longer fits. So as I trundled on down the road, thinking how unexpectedly hot it is today and how I wish I hadn't worn a scarf, I ran through a sort of word association game to come up with a use for old bras. Bras: pretty, flowery, lacy, padded, puffy, cushioned... Pin cushions!!!
Pin cushions. Why not? Pin cushions are handy, sewing is very cool right now (so is knitting, crochet, cross stitch, embroidery...) recycling is essential, and pin cushions are extremely easy to make. I made one at Christmas out of a scourer sponge (an unused one) and some pretty material, as a sweet homemade gift. Bra cup pin cushions are a cinch! I made six when I got home this afternoon and only stopped because I ran out of unwanted bras.
But why would one buy a pin cushion made out of a bra? I'll tell you why - for a darned good cause, that's why! Bras and women's issues have been joined at the nip (sorry, I can't resist) for as long as we've been boosting, squishing, emphasizing and supporting our boobs. Fun fact - the word "brassiere" was first used in the English language in 1893, but women in ancient Greece are thought to have worn a bra-like contraption called an "apodesmos". For this reason I think the partnership of discarded, unloved bras and women's charities is a no-brainer. I chose two to start with - Eve Appeal, a charity that fund-raises to support the research centre for gynecological cancers at UCL (read their 10 very compelling reasons to support Eve here) and Breakthrough, the breast cancer charity. My plan is to donate any proceeds from this initiative through Just Giving, for transparency and ease.
But I can't do it without good pals!! I need bras, awareness spreading, possibly some web assistance, and anyone handy with a needle and thread who can make some pin cushions at home - I promise it's really not hard!
If you're interested in being involved in any way at this very early stage, please contact me on Facebook, or on sewcurvaceous@outlook.com.
Beth x
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| Black Lace |
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| Olive green |
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| Purple floral |
