Hello! My name is Ellen Helms and I love all kinds of needlework! I began knitting as a child, sewing as a preteen, crocheting as a teenager, cross-stitch as a young adult.
Using and honing my needlework skills were vital for me as a stay-at-home mother and helped our one-income family use money wisely when creating clothing for myself, my children, for our home and for presents.
Earthwise Emporium is about taking lessons of frugality and low waste from my grandmother and responding to the current years of wastefulness in our country. In the 1920's, my grandmother would take her children's outgrown clothing to a rug maker and upon completion, my mother and her sister would enjoy playing on the rugs and identifying their old clothing!
The mission of Earthwise Emporium is to follow my grandmother's wisdom but instead of rag rugs, I'm making bags, pouches, and ornaments, with ideas for more products to come. As I often carry projects when I'm out and about, I created my own bags using leftover fabric and added a wristlet clasped to the zipper. For me, it makes the zipper more easily accessible!
The passion I bring into my shop is creating new products by repurposing high-quality second-hand fabrics. The ornaments I make honor our faith, country and various holidays; some of these fabrics came from other small businesses that are also working to make a success of their work!
My products are made for customers who appreciate and respect repurposing materials. They are concerned about using resources wisely as much as they can; they strive to reduce what goes into their trash as well as recycling containers and focus on the circular use of products. Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Repair, Repurpose aren't just words, they are a way of life!
When repurposing fabrics, I consider who the fabric came from and what they may have planned to make before they chose to clear it from their stashes. This makes the fabric much more special to me and increased the attention I give to the creation of the bags or ornaments!
My packaging, similar to my products, is simple and pretty! Everything is wrapped in white paper tied up with a lovely piece of yarn. All products are wrapped as a gift whether it's for the buyer or they are giving it as a gift!
My products are made with the love and care I put into making things for my family and myself! The process of making them may be a drop in the bucket of repurposing fabrics but it is my hope that others will appreciate these products and join in on living a low-waste life!
