Designing the Farmers’ Market Tote
Nestled in the Parkville neighborhood of Hartford, CT lies a thriving community of small businesses, each giving back to society in their own unique ways. One such remarkable story is of Mary Ruth, the visionary owner of United Sewing Design, who turns an unlikely material destined for the landfill into a symbol of sustainable fashion and support for small businesses. With a passion for minimizing our environmental impact, Mary Ruth inspired us to co-create a locally-sourced, locally made upcycled tote bag.
In a heartfelt video conversation with Donald, founder of Curated CT, Mary Ruth Shields demonstrates her passion and vision for sustainable living. Every upcycled tote bag produced by United Sewing Design is created with love and a purpose—to empower local businesses and protect the environment.
It all began with an unexpected phone call from one of Mary Ruth's loyal customers. A shipment of sports practice equipment had been mis-manufactured and as such was destined for the Hartford landfills. Seeing an opportunity to bring her vision for sustainability to life, Mary Ruth set out to repurpose the discarded nylon material into something extraordinary—stylish, functional, and socially conscious tote bags. She knew we had been exploring ways to partner with small businesses to create meaningful opportunities like this, and thus began our journey.
“Working with upcycled material means we need to quickly and efficiently separate the stuff we don’t need from the stuff we need and lay it flat to make it into cuttable form... All of our material here at United Sewing Design is recycled. We don’t let anything go into the landfill.”
The birth of the upcycled tote bag is more than just a product; it is a symbol of Mary Ruth's unwavering commitment to sustainability and her genuine desire to support local businesses. She is aware that these tote bags can make a huge difference in people's lives, both environmentally and economically.
At United Sewing Design, every aspect of their operation reflects their commitment to reducing waste. Almost all materials used are recycled to ensure that nothing ends up in the landfill. In fact, an upgraded version of the tote bag incorporates a coated canvas thoughtfully repurposed from a previous project. The military-grade 600 denier fabric is used to reinforce the bag’s bottom and handles, adding strength and durability. Their promise of a lifetime guarantee on products is also a testament to their unwavering belief in craftsmanship and customer satisfaction.
“Everything that is made at the United Sewing and Design is guaranteed for the life of the product for our workmanship. You just need to get the product back and we’ll fix it.”
A 100% women-owned business, United Sewing Design exudes a strong sense of community and pride. They repurpose and recycle an impressive 90% of their paper and flexible goods materials, further solidifying their position as a beacon of sustainable living and local support in Hartford.
From supporting small businesses to promoting environmental consciousness, the upcycled tote bags by United Sewing Design have the power to inspire change. When you buy a bag from us, you’re not only buying an accessessory, you're joining a movement that stands for empowerment, sustainability, and community upliftment.
Together, let’s embrace the joy of giving back! Watch the video now and find out how you can be part of this incredible movement. Let’s make a difference!
You can feel good that nearly 100% of your Farmers’ Market Tote purchase goes to support small local businesses, like United Sewing & Design, a woman-owned business of highly-skilled sewers in Hartford, CT. Proceeds are being reinvested by Curated CT to develop and launch the upcoming Live Local Guide, supporting even more makers, growers, and artisans across Connecticut.
Originally posted on Month Day, Year. Last updated on Month Day, Year.
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