Delivery Team Officers learn new skill for giving old fabrics a new lease of life

The Highland Community Waste Partnership (HCWP) Delivery Team got together at Lairg and District Learning Centre (LDLC) yesterday for a catch up and some Peg loom weaving!

Jo Henderson, the HCWP Officer at LDLC has been running workshops on how to transform old fabric by weaving scraps torn from duvets, sheets and old clothing from kind donations for the local community.  These textiles could not be used or passed on, so were repurposed on a handmade loom, made by the LDLC’s woodworking tutor Graham Rennie.

Jo showed the team how Graham made the looms out of scrap wood, mostly pallets, and how to use it. She also shared that Graham has made twelve small looms and a large one which the LDLC team are taking to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival at the end on the month, to share the knowledge, skills and total joy of making your own rug, placemat, trivet, or when you get hooked by it, your own piece of art to hang on your wall. The twelve Peg looms will be available to use at the festival, as she thought that the participants could use it as a sit mat at the festival. The big Loom is for making an art Instillation, where everyone who visits the Learning Centre tent, can join in and do “their bit” by adding to a bigger project.

"Finding ways to reuse old fabrics not only reduces textile waste, but, making them into new and useful things like rugs, trivets, mats and art, can help reduce consumption and the further carbon footprint of buying things new".

The team are excited to take these skills back to their communities and run similar workshops as part of our programme of waste reduction events.

To find out more about what's on offer, visit our events and workshop page.

If you’re interested in delivering these workshops in your community, get in touch: highlandcommunitywaste@keepscotlandbeautiful.org