Open for a BONUS *Swap-portunity*

Hey y’all!

Mads here! We’re SO excited to be partnering with Earth Day Indiana for their 35th annual Earth Fest at Garfield Park. We’ll be in the middle of the environmental action with what I’m calling a “bonus swap-portunity.”

You know and love us for our regular monthly swaps (3rd Saturday of every month at Garfield Park Arts Center!). Now that we have a good rhythm and some amazing volunteers, we’re branching out to offer some bonus clothing swaps with other partner organizations.

Our first “bonus swap-portunity” will be Saturday, May 31 at Earth Fest in Garfield Park, right behind the arts center building, from 11am - 5pm. The festival is FREE admission, and we encourage you to check the other awesome activities and exhibitors. Check out the most up-to-date map here:

There will be a FIVE-ITEM limit for this swap to keep it manageable for our volunteers. While this is not officially a themed swap, we do want to encourage you to bring items made of natural fibers like cotton and linen. I could yap about the environmental impact of the fast fashion industry and our fiber consumption for ages, but I’ll keep it short and sweet here and just focus on the immediate, personal benefits of natural fibers.

I am a fiber artist and mending instructor. In my experience, natural fibers—including those from plants and animals—are more durable than synthetic fibers (made of petroleum) like acrylic, polyester, and acrylic. The 100% cotton vintage jeans from the 80s are still kicking…while the high-stretch jeggings from last year are already falling apart. Natural fibers hold up with repeated, heavy use.

And when natural fibers do get a hole or a rip, they’re easier to fix. I would much rather darn a wool sock than try to patch a pair of athletic leggings.

Finally, natural fibers keep you cool. You want a cotton dress or a flowy pair of linen pants on a hot day. Wool wicks sweat so that your feet don’t get swampy. You get the gist. Obviously, synthetic fibers have a time and a place, and there are some amazing fabrics out there. And of course: the most environmentally-friendly clothes are the ones that already exist! We just want to encourage awareness and more thoughtful consumption.

As always, bring your best stuff. We hope to see you and your FIVE ITEMS on Saturday!