MILWAUKEE — This is a hidden gem that takes upcycling to a new level.
Owner Jess Poisl combined her concern for the environment with her artistic abilities to create a business designed to keep rubbish out of landfills.
“Rubbish Remade was my effort at finding all of these materials that were around me and using them in creative and interesting ways to try to pull them out of the waste stream,” Jess said. What started out as making inexpensive gifts for friends turned into a mission after Jess saw an online video on making koozies out of plastic bags. Jess said, “Oh my God, plastic bags are everywhere and there's only so much you can do to recycle them. That led me down the rabbit hole on the Internet of learning more about our waste and what happens to it and how it is a problem. All those visuals really got me, and I felt like I needed to do something about it.”
But Jess doesn't just upcycle plastic bags; she also does and teaches visible mending. This is an ornamental approach to repairing torn or worn items of clothing, highlighting the imperfections in a creative way.
“I started running workshops to encourage people to come in and bring things that they love that need repair. They can either do it in community with other people, or I can show them how I would approach that problem and what I would do to fix it,” Jess said.
Visible mending can apply to everything from socks to suits. It could save you lots of money because you’d never have to discard old or torn clothing.
Jess offers her Mending Mondays classes every second Monday of the month from 3-8 p.m.
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