Julie White

That's a picture of me on my 45th birthday, completing a bike ride of 45 miles. 45 was somewhat of a turning point for me, and I chronicled my preparation for the bike ride at RocBike, a bike culture blog where I still sometimes post. I also set a goal to complete 45 handmade objects, which I wrote about at My 45th Year.

These days, I post at HandCraftedLife and can be found on Ravelry,

My hope is that through these varous outlets, I can share lessons learned and struggles still in process as I attempt to live as sustainably as possible. It can feel a bit overwhelming at times to live by my principles and integrate them into a life that includes full-time work as a community college educator, parent of two young adults, partner to the love of my life, and graduate work towards a Ph.D. in education. Fortunately I am surrounded by a rich and supportive community of family and friends who share my values! I hope that sew green will help expand that community!

I live in the mid-size city of Rochester, New York, close enough to work and school to bike/walk/bus most places, although I confess it can be a challenge in the winter. I also knit, sew (a little), garden and grow some of my own food, keep chickens,and can/dry/preserve food for the winter.

I am excited to being a part of sew green and can't wait to get to know you all better!

Jennifer Whiteford

Who am I?

I am a thirty-something city dweller living with my boyfriend, three dogs, and two cats in a falling-apart 100 year old house in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. As my day job, I work as a daycare inspector, and in my spare time I write, garden, listen to records, sew, cook and read.

In 2006 my first novel, Grrrl, was published by Gorsky Press. I'm working on a second novel now, as well as doing lots of blog writing and some music reviews for Razorcake Magazine.

My blog is called It Ain't Meat, Babe and it chronicles my adventures in vegan home cooking. I focus mainly on simple foods made from scratch with wholesome ingredients. I try to cook using local ingredients as much as possible, and look to my garden as a source of both food and inspiration.

Gardening in relatively new to me, and it has quickly become a big passion of mine. My next step is to set up a small beehive in the garden, something that I plan to tackle next summer.

During the winter months I spend a lot of time in my sewing room, working on quilts and other crafty projects sewn from recycled fabric. I usually give handmade, practical gifts, because I believe that the things we own should be minimal and meaningful.

Every Tuesday night I volunteer as a meal server at a women's shelter. I'd like to do more volunteering in the future, but the trick is to fit it into my schedule.

That's me!

J.

Oh, P.S.

My favourite writers are Jane Austen, Sarah Vowell, Paul Auster, Aaron Cometbus and Richard Brautigan.

My favourite bands are The Unlovables, The Clash, The Measure [SA], Camera Obscura and Holly Golightly.

My favourite TV shows are The Big Bang Theory, The Wire, The Golden Girls, The Daily Show and Battlestar Galactica.

Maimy

Blog/Shop/Twitter

On May 18th, 2009, I became a self-employed designer-maker, specialising in eco-friendly fashion and interior accessories. In June 2009 I completed my BA (Hons) in Applied Arts for Enterprise.

For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with making, collecting and customising things. I mostly work with textiles. I have an almost endless patience for stitch, especially embroidery and crochet, and anything that isn't crocheted or embroidered gets block printed with my lino cuts. I use a lot of hemp and hemp-mix fabrics (I have a particular weakness for hemp-corduroy) and vintage embellishments. My ceramic work is usually single-fired porcelain.

I find it a huge challenge trying to balance a green ethos with saleable product, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Luckily my boyfriend understands, and tolerates my ranting...

I live in Redcar, a rainy English seaside town. I have two cats, a corn snake and two bearded dragons. I’ve been a vegetarian since I was four.

I still want to be an author-illustrator when I grow up.