The Red Gypsy Bohemian Mission Statement:
To create artsy, eco-conscious and functional home decor that expresses your unique style and brings more joy to all that you love.
I've been crafting and making things for as long as I can remember. Starting with construction paper and glue, moving on to sand castles and mud cakes, then using yarn and fabric.
I've always found joy in discovering items that are available in excess, and then figuring out what I can do with them.
I love collecting things like pine cones or old buttons. When I taught myself how to sew in 2011, I knew discarded clothing items would be a never-ending source of fabric.
I also love the planet. Don't you? She's like a big, round mama to us all. (Or flat, depending on your belief system.) I already had an inherent knowing that the upcycle process would be helping the planet. Along my way, I found an article on a New Zealand website called Make.Good that outlines the amount of used clothing that goes to landfills. Further, they explain what thrift shops actually do with your donated clothing.
These are things we already know in the backs of our minds, but when you read the statistics, it's shocking.
You can read that article in full HERE.
So I'm a believer in do what you can and choose your battles. I know I can't do it all. I tried for a while. So with Red Gypsy Bohemian, I feel we're doing our part to make a tiny dent in the insurmountable amount of discarded textiles being dumped here and there all over the world. Not only that, but upcycling clothing and other gently used fabrics makes for a beautiful product. Here are some of the benefits of our upcycling process:
- Using discarded and gently used clothing and textiles is an eco-conscious choice
- Upcycling provides a never-ending stash of materials in every color and pattern imaginable
- Material available as it comes means your end product will be 100% one-of-a-kind
- Handmade items hold the energy of the maker, meaning when it's made with love, you (and your pets!) will feel that love as soon as you open the package
Another philosophy at Red Gypsy Bohemian is that beauty does not require perfection.
Change what you want to, accept the rest and love it all until it becomes beautiful.
Handmade products are usually not perfect (though I still find myself trying like crazy!) Sometimes my sewing machine has a bad day. Sometimes my fabrics bunch and crunch. Sometimes a stitch gets skipped. Occasionally, we have to cheat and sprinkle in new fabrics to get the perfect color results to match your custom requests. And occasionally I see a jelly roll or bolt of fabric at the shops that I just cannot live without and have to make something beautiful with it.
Most of us can't really be more, do better, or get it perfect. We're trying and that's enough. We strive for perfection, knowing that we'll never get there. We find beauty in the journey. We find a perspective sourced from love.
We do our best and hope to share the message that you're beautiful, too. Especially when you're not perfect.
My future plan for Red Gypsy Bohemian is to elevate our eco-consciousness even further by making use of even more recycled materials for other activities such as packing and shipping. We're not there yet, but if you are aware of any eco-friendly resources already available, I'd love to hear your opinions. Leave me a comment below and share what you know for us to consider.
Thank you for being you and being a part of this journey with us.
Much Love and Many Blessings,
~Jeannie Pitt~
