Sustainable Tips Blog

Re-Used Coffee Grounds Natural Dye

I have a passion for Natural Dyeing.  It’s such a beautiful practice - both asetethically and holistically.  The compounds in leaves, seeds, bark, flowers, insects and other natural dye creating materials are full of anti-oxidents and anti-microbrobial materials.  When it comes to food waste - including Avocado pits and skins and pomegranate skins - sometimes the parts of the food we throw away include even more of these healthy compounds than the part we eat!

So I was SUPER excited with Califia Farms reached out and asked me to lead a coffee dye activity for baristas and coffee fans during LA Coffee Fest.  

Continue reading
Food Waste Dye Workshop Flyer. Onion Skins. 3/31 11am pst Instagram Live @eastweststuff and TikTok Live @eastwestshop
Dyeing with Onion Skins Natural dyeing and tie dyeing are a fun way to cover stains on stained clothing and/or cloth napkins and rags The goal of this post is to not overwhelm you with information or teach you a...
Continue reading
East West Shop Garment Lifecycle Sustainable Fashion Lifecycle.  Shows illustrations of each step.  The steps are shown enlarged separately

Chances are if you've stopped into our shop before and mentioned this lifecycle (it currently lives printed on a curtain towards the back of the shop) you've heard all of the information below.  But for all of you who don't get the pleasure of stopping in I've written it all out below for you.  I hope it gives you an idea of what goes into making your clothes and inspires your future buying choices!

- Erin Han

Continue reading
Example of East West Shop Sashiko Quilt Mending for Garment Repair.  Blog post includes a video with instructions.
Japanese Sashiko style quilting is a fun and easy way to repair many holes and worn fabric. The materials needed are simple and can be found around your home. If you enjoy this technique you may want to upgrade your materials to the Japanese needles, thread and thimble that are intended for this type of repair.
Continue reading