I have this idea of travelling all over to visit people doing Trashmagination stuff. I’m going to keep a running list of places I want to see for the day I go.

The keywords I use when searching for these people are:

• American Made
• Collaborative Working Space
• Creative Recycling
• Etsy Recycled
• Fiber Art Center
• Folk Art Center
• Maker Faire
• Mosaics
• School of Crafts
• Scrap
• Textile Center
• Tinkerer
• Upcycled

 

EVENTS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

• Maker Faire – All over the world
• Renegade Craft Fair – “Indie” craft fair in Austin, Chicago, San Fransisco, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, London

 

ALABAMA

• Alabama Chanin – This visionary has a factory of organic cotton design awesomeness in Florence.
• The Resource Place – A place for teachers & caregivers to get recycled materials in Mobile 

 

ALBERTA

• Cedar Mueller Art – In Canmore, makes bears, horses and other large animals from cut up recycled vehicles
• Sustainable Slow – In Edmonton, I would love to meet Deb Merriam who founded The Local Good and does rug hooking

 

ARKANSAS

• The Rabbit’s Lair – In Rogers – I like that they call themselves a creative fiber center

 

AUSTRALIA

• Crossing Threads – I would like to meet weavers Lauren and Kassandra Hernandez

 

BRITISH COLUMBIA

• Kristen Chursinoff – amazing fabric artist in Vancouver
• Lucy Poskitt – I would love to meet this weaver in Victoria

 

CALIFORNIA

• A Place to Grow – Greenhouses made from recycled windows & building supplies – in San Luis Obispo
• Arribacycle – A collective of Latino parents in Oakland who make things from recycled materials
• Brightworks – At this school in San Fransisco, the kids really take ownership of their learning. They study subjects in “arcs” where each child takes some aspect and runs with it. I really want to do the silk scarf dancing from the ceiling.
• Camp Couture – A camp for people who want to make clothing from recycled materials in San Mateo
• Chimera Arts and Maker Space – A place for makers of all types to get together in Sebastopol
• Couch Guitar Straps – Guitar straps from recycled seat belts in Long Beach
• Crochet by Kait – I would like to meet weaver Kaitlyn Taylor in Long Beach
• East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse – connecting people with reusable art supplies – in Oakland
• FabMo – Taking designer fabric scraps, collecting them and having a monthly event for designers – in Mountain View
• Fallen Fruit – A project by two artists mapping the locations of fruit trees on public lands
• Maranoni – I would love to meet quilter and home goods designer Lorena Marañon in Los Angeles.
• Nine Lives Products – This company is finding cool products to make from recycled styrofoam, in Berkeley – they make Glu6
• People Towels – I have given these gifts so many times – I would love to meet Mary Wallace and Linda Lannon in Monterey
• Rare Hare Studio – They host fairs that encourage creative recycling around the San Diego area.
• Re-Create – Less trash & more art – great slogan – in Roseville
• Rediscover Center – Connecting educators & caregivers with recycled materials in Los Angeles
• Renga Arts – In Sebastapol, furniture and random sculptures from recycled materials
• Resource Area for Teaching – At a warehouse in San Jose, teachers can get recycled materials and curriculum ideas.
• Ruth’s Table – A place for creative people to come together in San Fransisco
• Scrap – The first of the “scrap” places which turn factory ends into art materials, located in San Fransisco
• Sherri Lynn Wood – This incredible creative reuse fiber artist lives in Oakland
• Sticky Art Lab – In Berkeley, a place for makers to get together
• The Away Station – In Fairfax
• This Into That – Artist Jim Rosenau makes shelves & furniture from books in Berkeley.
• Tinkering Studio, Exploratorium – In San Fransisco, a group of inventors and creators
• Trash Amps – Speakers made from recycled materials like aluminum cans – in the Bay area
• Trash for Teaching at Two Bit Circus Foundation – In Fresno
• Wishi Washi Studio – I would love to meet bookmaker and quilter Jody Alexander in Santa Cruz

 

COLORADO

• Green Guru Gear – Upcycled bicycle parts and climbing ropes in Boulder
• Rebecca Mezoff Tapestry – I would love to meet weaver Rebecca in Fort Collins
• Reframe Creative Reuse Center – in Lakewood
• Repurposed Materials – In Henderson, Damon Carson connects industrial waste with new uses
• The Makerie – A place for artists and makers to come together in Boulder
• Who Gives a Scrap – creative reuse centers in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs

 

CONNECTICUT

• Whole Circle Studio – I would like to meet quilter Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill in New Haven.

 

DENMARK

• Thomas Dambo – This creative reuse artist lives in Copenhagen.

 

DISTRICT of COLUMBIA

• Fab Lab DC – A place where you can make just about anything related to technology
• Scrap DC – Takes donated art materials and makes them available for low costs

 

FLORIDA

• Repurpose Project – in Gainesville
• Trash to Treasure Creative Reuse Center – in Fort Lauderdale
• Upcycle Exchange – in St. Petersburg

 

GEORGIA

• Vita Marie Lovett – This artist stitches layers on to canvas to make it look like old barn doors, in Marietta

 

GERMANY

• Little Herb Bouquet – I would love to meet innovative embroidery design Veselka Bulkan in Munich

 

ILLINOIS

• Community Art Cart – an organization that encourages people to create art carts of recycled craft materials, like the Little Free Library movement
• Creative Reuse Warehouse – In Chicago, connected with a lot of other cool resources such as urban farming
• Growing Power – Very cool program that teaches people urban farming – Will and Erika Allen are super inspiring human beings
• Resweater – She makes lots of things from old sweaters in Geneva
• Sarah Nishiura Quilts – So yummy – I read about her in Martha Stewart magazine – she is in Chicago

 

INDIANA

• Pattern Workshop – Lauren Dahl offers courses on how to design patterns
• Sayaka Ganz – a recycling artist in Fort Wayne
• Teachers’ Treasures – Allows teachers from schools with low-income students to get free supplies

 

IOWA

• Make It Yours Upcycle Center – in Welton Iowa

 

KENTUCKY

• Good Garbage – a creative reuse center in Louisville

 

MAINE

• A Gathering of Stitches – A making space for fiber and textile artists in Portland
• Anne Riggs Designs – She makes wonderful items that reduce trash use in the home
• EcoSeaTile – Tiles made from recycled materials at Mount Desert
• Haystack Mountain School of Crafts – In Deer Isle, you can take craft classes in so many topics.
• Parris House Wool Works – I would like to meet rug hooking artist Beth Miller in South Paris
• Scrapwood Renaissance – Metal sculpture in Biddeford
• Weaving a Life – In Brookville, Susan teaches people how to become weaving instructors so they can return to their own communities and share the fun.

 

MARYLAND

• Broken Plates Pendant Company – In Baltimore, she makes jewelry from broken plates.

 

MASSACHUSETTS

• Alchemy Initiative – Located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, some folks transformed a church into an arts collective, with classes around the Berkshires.
• Gather Here Stitch Lounge – In Cambridge, a place where people who love fiber can work
• Mimi Kirchner – I would love to visit this innovative dollmaker in the Boston area.
• Nancy’s Gone Green – Two stores, in Roslindale and Brookline Village, rejuvenate vintage and other clothing
• The Beautiful Stuff Project – free materials for creative reuse by teachers & students – in Somerville
• Sharon McCartney – love her fiber work, especially when it looks so true to nature – in Belcherville

 

MICHIGAN

• Arts and Scraps – In Detroit, a place for artists to get inexpensive supplies
• Boots N’ Gus – Lighting from glass jars and kitchen ware in Grand Haven
• Figjam Studio – I would love to meet creative reuse artist Kerry Heath in Coldwater
• Green Sheep – She takes wool sweaters and makes them into  blankets
• Green Sheep Felt – She also takes woolen sweaters and makes them into fun stuff, in Dearborn
• Scrap Box – In Ann Arbor, they gather factory ends and other bits for artists, as well as offering classes.

 

MINNESOTA

• Combed Thunder – I would love to meet weaver Natalie Novak.
• Creative Chicks Cafe and the Old School Art Studio – In Afton, a group of people who do creative things together
• Smooth Hills Weaving – I would love to meet weaver Mandi Smethells in St. Paul.
• Textile Center of Minnesota – I love to see all the classes they develop.

 

MISSOURI

• Ashley L. Thurman – I would love to meet this fiber artist in St. Louis.
• Lily & Gus – Adorable stuffed toys from recycled fibers – love the whales!
• St. Louis Teacher Recycle Center – I love this trend of gathering materials for teachers. 
• Upcycle Exchange – In St. Louis

 

NEVADA

• The Teacher’s Exchange – This program is run by the Public Education Foundation in Las Vegas and connects teachers with materials.

 

NEWFOUNDLAND

• Norton’s Cove Studio – Janet Davis’ studio – I love her work, expecially her hooked rugs – especially Clifford’s Educational Fund – in Brookfield

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

• Dorr Mill Store – In Newport, a Mecca for rug hooking artists
• Sarah K. Benning – I would love to meet this illustrious embroidery designer in Hillsborough

 

NEW JERSEY

• dordesign – In Rumson, she makes furniture from recycled billboards.
• Group Hug Quilts – Handmade quilts, personalized, in Cranbury
• Middle Brook Fiberworks – I would love to meet spinner and weaver Anne Choi and take classes in her beautiful studio.
• Peters Valley Craft Center – In Layton, there are 2-5 day classes that make me swoon
• Terracycle – Some day I would really love to visit the design headquarters for this company I have admired for years, in Trenton – their goal is to “eliminate the idea of waste”

 

NEW YORK

• Adirondack Folk School – At Lake Luzerne, workshops in all the crafts you want to learn.
• Aly Parrott – I would love to meet embroidery artist Aly Parrott in Albany
• Aurora Shoe Company – Leather is all from the United States, shoes are all handmade – in Aurora
• Crazy As A Loom – I visited this amazing weaving school & recycled fiber artist – she is phenomenal outside Glens Falls.
• Finger Lakes Re-Use – In Ithaca, they have a ReUse Art Show and a center where you can get materials.
• First World Trash – bags from billboards, seat belts, inner tubes in Queens
• Haptic Lab – In Brooklyn, Emily Fischer makes quilts I want to touch.
• Materials for the Arts – In New York, run by the New York Department of Cultural Affairs, this connects artists with stuff, and a group called “Friends of Materials for the Arts” teach classes with that re-used stuff.
• NYC Wastematch – Run by the Department of Sanitation, this site matches waste to people who want it. This should exist everywhere!
• Paisley Studio – I would like to meet rug hooking artist Sarah McNamara
• Skraptacular – A community group that hosts events encouraging recycling, especially weaving items, in New York
• Snuggly Ugly – Stuffed toys from sweaters in Brooklyn
• Textile Arts Center – Lots of great fiber classes in Brooklyn & Manhattan
• Thompson Street Studio – I would like to visit this studio in New York.
• Vaya Bags – In Queens, she makes bags from recycled bicycle tubes, sails and billboards.
• Zak Foster Quilts – I would love to meet quilter and weaver Zak Foster in Brooklyn.

 

NORTH CAROLINA

• Earth Guild – Selling everything you need to make anything – in Asheville
• John C. Campbell Folk School – It is my dream to take a class here in Brasstown. Or maybe to teach a class here?
• Jujujust – I would love to meet weaver Judit Just in Asheville.
• Paperhand Puppet Intervention – They make giant puppets from incredible stuff in Saxapahaw – some summer, we must go for a show.
• Penland School of Crafts – Founded in 1929, the heart and soul of American craft history
• Scrap Exchange – In Durham, this organization encourages re-use by gathering donations and re-selling to makers.
• Screen Door – Variety shop with more than 100 vendors, many doing creative reuse – in Asheville
• Snuggly Monkey – I would like to meet crafter and quilter Claudia Martinez in Durham.
• Trendefemme – Women’s clothing from recycled fibers in Raleigh

 

NOVA SCOTIA

• A Twist of Iron – Recycled metal art, specializing in making fire pits from old propane tanks, by Kevin, Noreen and Loreen Nicholson in Cape Breton
• Martine Vermeulen – She makes collages from recycled linoleum in Port Medway.

 

OHIO

• Art Grange – Michelle Stitzlein, queen of plastic caps and one of my favorite Trashmagination artists, in Baltimore
• BuildMore Workshop – A maker space in Dublin
• Columbus Idea Foundry – A maker space in Columbus
• Forest City Portage – Awesome messenger bags from upcycled materials in Lakewood
• Indigo Hippo – Art supply creative reuse center in Cincinnati
• Joy Did It – Fiber artist in Pickerington
• Recyclabowls – Swirly bowls made from recycled fabric in Cincinnati
• Reincarnations – They paint furniture that would get tossed into art pieces in Fostoria.
• Reuse Industries – in Athens and Albany
• Team Chipmunk – Children’s clothing from recycled fibers in Columbus
• Zero Landfill – upcycling program for artists and art educators

 

OREGON

• Dropcloth – I would love to meet embroidery innovator Rebecca Ringquist in Portland
• Eugene Textile Center – Wonderful fiber arts classes
• Hilde Morin Fiber Art – I would love to meet quilter Hilde Morin.
• Latimer Quilt and Textile Center – In Tillamook, this center was built in a restored school. My mom visited and said it was awesome.
• MECCA or Materials Exchange Center for the Creative Arts – I have heard that once you live with MECCA, it’s difficult to live without it – located in Eugene.
• Resource Revival – They make cool stuff from bicycle parts in Mosier.
• Scrap Portland – Like Scrap DC and Scrap San Fransisco – connecting people with unwanted stuff

 

ONTARIO

• Bookhou – I would love to meet designers Arounna Khounnoraj and John Booth in Toronto.
• Fish Eye Sisters – I would like to meet quilter and rug hooker Jen Manuell in Huntsville
• Karen D. Miller Studio – In Ottawa, I would like to visit this rug hooking artist.
• Textile Museum of Canada – In Toronto
• The Workroom – In Toronto, a place where people can get together to learn how to sew or rent sewing machines

 

OREGON

• Cartwright Design – Matt makes sculptures from recycled metal and wood in Portland.
• Lolivia Gifts – They plant succulent gardens in found objects in Nehalem.

 

PENNSYLVANIA

• Deckstool – Furniture made from recycled skateboards, located in Clifton Heights, west of Philadelphia
• Hatch Arts Studio – in Pittsburgh – lots of creative reuse projects for adults & kids
• My Paper Crane – I would love to visit Heidi Kenney who does many things and I love them all.
• New Leaf Initiative – In State College, a group got together, refurbished a house, and is trying to make a really cool community initiative.
• Oh-Zie Designs – Clothing from recycled t-shirts in North East
• Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens – Mosaics made from amazing things
• Pittsburgh’s Center for Creative Reuse – Open 7 days a week, amazing art supplies!
• Resource Exchange – In Philadelphia, connecting people with unwanted stuff
• TrashN2Tees – Her t-shirts designs are adorable, all from recycled textiles located in Easton, east of Allentown.
• Victoria Gertenbach – In Lancaster, her quilts are all about using scraps and I love her Mend series.

 

RHODE ISLAND

• Loop by Loop Studios – Sharon & Hayley Perry are rug hooking artists in Warren
• Squam Art Workshops – Retreats for artists and makers in Providence and nearby locations

 

SASKATCHEWAN

• Hooked on the Prairies – I would like to meet rug hooking artist Shelly Nicolle-Phillips

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

• Miner Metal – Sculptures from recycled metal in Mount Pleasant
• Rebot – Wonderful things made from recycled kayaks in Charleston
• Shop-Keep – Handmade quilts with sashiko thread in Greenville
• Sunwoven – I would love to meet weaver Erin Barrett in Charleston

 

TENNESSEE

• Fiber Farm – a farm where they deconstruct old sweaters to make skeins of yarn for reuse (while also raising animals) in Tracy City
• Reunion Yarn – Emily and Mike Felix rescue yarn of many fibers from unwanted items in Chattanooga
• Salvage Goods – amazing bags made from recycled seatbelts – in Nashville
• Turnip Green Creative Reuse – in Nashville, creative reuse center

 

TEXAS

• Austin Creative Reuse – I love all creative reuse centers!
• Austin Tinkering School – Looking at the photos from their events makes you want to collect a whole bunch of scrap wood and other bits, place them on picnic tables in the backyard of a school, and have the kids build whatever their heart desires.
• Cathedral of Junk – In Austin, artist Vince Hannemann built a sculpture in his yard from trash.
• Dumpster Project – A professor who is doing an annual project living in a dumpster to see how one can live with fewer resources, in Austin
• Folk Fibers – I would love to meet Maura Grace Ambrose near Austin
• Geekdom – In San Antonio, a place where makers get together
• Pheonix Commotion – Dan & Marsha Phillips teach people how to make their own homes with recycled materials near Houston – great TEDx talk!
• Remagine That – in Austin
• Spare Parts – In San Antonio – Save the Arts Spare Parts creative reuse center
• Wool and Weave – I would like to meet weaver Marie Matter in Houston.

 

UNITED KINGDOM

• DewLeaf – I would love to meet creative reuse artist Julie Alice Chappell in Portsmouth

 

UTAH

• Joy Craft and Design – A boutique of upcycled sweet items in Springdale

 

VERMONT

• Resource Vermont – While it is like many other thrift stores, I admire how they train folks who have dropped out of high school in various trades – located in Burlington

 

VIRGINIA

• Artistic Artifacts – Mixed Media classes and materials in Alexandria
• Fibre Space – The best locally produced yarn ever, and a great place to knit
• Finch Sewing Studio – In Leesburg, not far from me – I’ll have to get there asap!
• Jen-A-Fusion – Bags and clothing from recycled fibers in Alexandria – I met Jen and she super-inspired me!
• Living Earth School – teaches outdoor activities in Afton
• Schimmel Art – Sandy makes very nifty art from junk mail – and she lives not far from me!
• Wild Hare Fiber Studio – in Front Royal – makes yarn from men’s ties?

 

WASHINGTON

• Maker Haus – A collaborate space for makers in Seattle
• Wise Craft Handmade – I would love to meet creative reuse fiber artist Blair Stocker in Seattle

 

WEST VIRGINIA

• Meredith Young – Beautiful jewelry from aluminum cans in Second Creek

 

WISCONSIN

• Forevertron – A large sculpture from recycled metal in North Freedom.
• Growing Power – Very cool program that teaches people urban farming – Will and Erika Allen are super inspiring human beings
• Sew Much Style – iPad and bowl covers from recycled fabrics in Keewaunee