DIY City Blog

Annie Sherburne - London based eco supplies shop

In today’s society eco-friendly products are becoming more and more important in our daily lives. So it s not unexpected that artists and crafters have started searching for eco-friendly and fair trade supplies to make their products with. Annie Sherburne is a textile artist who has had the foresight to start providing for us…

Sara: Why are fair trade and eco friendly products so important to you?

Annie: Because the system of production for textiles is polluting, and the way that people are treated in countries without our high levels of protectionism is unacceptable. Abuse of human rights to get things made cheaply, or with little care for the local environment can be changed by using the capitalist system, if enough people chose to buy products that do not exploit people or the environment. I decided a long time ago, that all I could do was whatever I can personally do, the problem is too big otherwise. Research was a way of finding out the truth behind the issues.

Annie’s shop is a wondrous collage of colour and texture, which pulls you in to explore from the outset. Among her own fabulous rug designs (which are eco friendly, of course), Annie sells jewellery made from vintage components and handbags made by her partner. She also stocks a range of eco-friendly yarn, natural dyes in powder form, some mordents, knitting needles and crochet hooks and some gorgeous buttons too. And if you are looking for home products you can also find neem bathroom cleaners and other laundry materials (because laundry is 85% of the impact which textiles make on the environment.)

Sara: Apart from stocking eco friendly and fair trade products and supplies in your shop, how else do you try to get your eco-message across?

Annie: Lili, another Masters graduate has produced a great game that will help people understand the issues by actually designing various products. I currently stock this in my shop. It is useful a useful tool for teaching teenagers and undergraduates too. I also sell eco design books, and materials and am always happy to debate with visitors.

This shop is a great starting point for artists and crafters wishing to make the move into environmentally conscious work. This is where I found out about an event called Eco Design Fair, based here in the UK. Run by Louise Kamara, Eco Design Fair have also produced ‘the sustainable directory’, which is also useful for people wishing to buy completed works.

Annie Sherburne
1:10 Oxo Tower Wharf
Bargehouse Street
London
SE1 9PH
(Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 11.30am to 4.45pm)

You can also find her shop on-line at anniesherburne.co.uk

DIY with Sara

Sara Millis
Sara’s Texture Crafts

Come and visit me, for craft news, my on-line magazine (blog), events & shopping at Sara’s Texture Crafts
sarastexturecrafts.fusiveweb.co.uk