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Zero Waste T-Shirt Upcycling With Janelle Abbott

  • Custom Collaborative 253 West 35th Street New York, New York, 10001 United States (map)

Get creative turning old tees into a one-of-a-kind patchwork style in this hands-on workshop where you'll be challenged to use every scrap!

In this workshop, you'll start with a T-shirt (bring your own or we'll provide one) and trade pieces with other participants. Swap a sleeve for a neckline. Trade half a body for a pocket. Negotiate what you need to build your vision!

Then you'll sew your collected components into a new, one-of-a-kind "Frankenstein" upcycled T-shirt where nothing goes to waste.

Meet your instructor:
Raised in her parents’ Seattle clothing factory, Janelle Abbott (JRAT) developed an early respect for the labor behind every stitch. After graduating from Parsons, she rejected corporate fashion, choosing a radically sustainable, zero-waste path. Through her brand JRAT and Wardrobe Therapy, she transforms discarded materials into rhythmic, layered, unapologetic garments. Her work merges activism, art, and performance—a form of labor solidarity, she exposes fast fashion’s farce through garment reclamation, reminding us that all garments are human artifacts.

Come ready to talk, sew, and walk out with a shirt nobody else will ever own.

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September 10

How To Use & Maintain Your Home Sewing Machine

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September 23

Wardrobe Rescue: NYC Climate Week Benefit Boutique