The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

recycled

Garden Gate: Episode 85 – Scrappy Dude (Mar. 18, 2016)

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CHEX TV airdate: Friday March 18th, 2016 5-6pm Click link to watch this episode online. I first met Caroline Lepannen at the Cobourg Indie show in the fall of 2015.  I was immediately attracted to her colourful and quirky “Dudes” made from recycled “scrap.”  Her booth was filled with strange and wonderful happy characters in … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 54 – Northern Smittens

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turquois CHEX TV airdate: Friday January 9th between 5 and 6pm Click link to watch video here. On her way back from the One of a Kind Show, Josee Huard, maker of wonderful Northern Smittens dropped in to talk with me about her work. Northern Smittens are one of a kind felted wool mittens handcrafted from recycled wool sweaters found in thrift stores. These sweaters are often stained, shrunk or damaged making them unwearable. ?They often find their way into landfills or are sent by large shipping boats to third-world countries. By working around these problems, the artist is able to take these previously loved sweaters, cut them up and give them new life as beautiful pieces of art for your hands. pilesofsweatersAll sweaters are at least 80% wool. ?The sweaters are processed in hot water so their fibers felt together making them thick and soft. ?This felting process creates a mitten that is incredibly warm and naturally water and wind resistant. ?The mitten lining is made from new polar fleece to ensure warmth and comfort. So warm and comfy!

Garden Gate: Episode 51 – Recycled socks. puppets and mittens!

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CHEX TV air date: Friday Nov. 28th, 2014 Click link to watch video here. On this episode of the Garden Gate I’m talking about recycled content in some of our products. ?Instead of using new materials, these businesses all use recycled materials to make their products. ?This means less pollution in the environment and also that items are being reused before they are recycled! daffodilOur fun Happy socks for instance are made from recycled cotton T-Shirts! Leftovers are recycled into rags mats and other products. ?If a sock isn’t made quite right then it is made into a hat! You should see these fun and colourful hats! Scarves, mittens, baby and kid socks are also available. We also carry some really cute puppets that are made out of recycled wool sweaters. ?The puppets are made by sewers in Toronto. ?One of the owners (Josh Title) has even appeared on Martha Stewart Living! ?Josh showed Martha how to cut the fabric and put the puppets together. ?Puppies, elephants, cats, birds and even moose can be found in the shop!dog-600x600 ? And most recently we added a line of mittens made in North Bay. ?The owner Josee, has in her first year of business, recycled over 1000lbs of wool sweaters into beautiful mittens! ?She is an excellent sewer matching up patterns from really weird sweaters and turning them into warm and fun mittens that she calls SMITTENS! turquois And closest to home are some crazy metal animals and Christmas trees made out of recycled propane and oil tanks. ?Every one is unique. ?These come from Dog Bite Steel in Uxbridge, Ontario,dog with bone

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