Stuffed and Stitched Up

Making home furnishings is a popular pastime for many Waste Exchange clients who find the ease of sourcing free materials easy and cost effective for their hobbies. Here are some examples of our enterprising clients, one each of the three regions that the TerraNova Waste Exchange covers – Waimakariri District, Christchurch, and the West Coast. 

		Tanya Henderson and retired Christchurch woman Shirley Thian both make and sell cushions and pillows at local markets – Tanya in Kaiapoi and Shirley at the Riccarton Raceway markets on Sundays. Waste Exchange facilitator Jim Forsman approached both women during visits to the markets with the offer of helping them to source the cushion filling and fabric at no cost.
Tanya's cushions	Shirley's cushions	Until that point Tanya had  been buying her filling material, but for the last year she has relied on Waste Exchange for Dacron off-cuts. She finds out about what is available via emails from Jim. “It’s so convenient to get materials through Waste Exchange” says Tanya. “It’s local and easy to get, so it saves time and money.”

Hazel Phahlert was put onto Waste Exchange through a friend who met Jim during one of his visits to the West Coast District Council. Hazel is part of a creative group of women on the West Coast who use their crafty talents to help others, and Hazels’ friend thought Jim might be able to help her with materials. Hazel is a member of a group called Patching Friends, based in Harihari, who meet monthly. The group makes cushion inners and quilts. Hazel has accessed Dacron filling and quilting material strips via the Exchange service.

The cushions are sold as a  fundraiser, and funds generated go towards paying tutors to come to their meetings and demonstrate new techniques. The quilts are made as more of a community project. For example, after a recent house fire a local family was left with no house, so the Patching Friends made patchwork quilts for the children. Soon they hope to start making quilt covers so that the quilts they make can be used as a duvet. Hazel also has plans to utilise some of the material they can get from the Exchange for the Christmas parade, and possibly as stuffing for dolls. “I’ve only just cottoned onto Waste Exchange so I hope to spread the word to others in the group” says Hazel. “It’s certainly a great way to access material at no cost.”