Curtains to Couture: Stitching Together Style & Sustainability
It all began over a Sunday lunch. A group of friends suddenly realised they were all wearing clothes stitched from old curtains. From that moment, an idea began to take root.
Today, that idea has blossomed into Curtains to Couture, a collective consisting of Marcia, Jill, Lisa, Sorrel, Clare, Nicky and Hayley. Though scattered across the country, they’re united by a common thread: the joy of giving old textiles a new life and championing slow fashion.
To date, the multiple ways they blend sustainability with creativity and fun have drawn over 8,700 Instagram followers and counting.
Above: The Sunday lunch that started it all
We had the great privilege of chatting with founding member Marcia Lois Riddington from her shop Smoking Monkey Antiques on the day of the very first anniversary of Curtains to Couture.
Here’s the group’s story, in her own words.
Why Curtains to Couture: Tackling Textile Waste with Creativity
I think we were all quite alarmed at the amount of fabrics being sent to landfill. People buy cheap clothes and wear them a couple of times. They go to charity shops, and nine times out of ten, they end up in landfill. So, we wanted to do something to encourage people to be more sustainable.
But I don't think it's ever good to lecture. If you want to make people do things differently, make it sound like it's something they would really enjoy doing.
We were talking about opening an Instagram page, but we didn't do anything. And then, one evening, Claire just started the Instagram page! That was actually quite good because it made us do it. We thought: it's there, we’re going to have to do something about it now.
We all contribute, and then we've got two regular things: Sustainability Sunday, where we have a sustainable story of some description, and Follower Friday, where our followers tag us and we feature what they have made.
We were rather shocked at how quickly it grew, to be honest. We weren’t expecting it! The lovely thing is that it’s not just an Instagram page. It’s become a nurturing community. This year, we attended the Floral Fringe Fair. We invited our followers to come and say hello, and we met so many amazing people.
Above: Curtains to Couture at the Floral Fringe Fair, 2025
And it’s incredibly fun. It's about making people want to get involved, curate their own clothes, and think about where things come from. I think that making your own clothes is empowering because you can be completely yourself.
And there are so many older women now who are more than happy to photograph themselves in the things they make. At one time it was just young people, and I think now we are getting the confidence to say: yes, I'm older. I’m very lucky to have gotten this far and I'm proud of it. And I'm just going to be me. I think that is such an important message.
There's a group called Sew Over 50 who have been around Instagram for a few years now, and they have been really good at making a safe space for older women. I must give a shout out because they have been really good, and they support us as well. It’s a very supportive community.
Curtains to Couture Collaborations: Jackets, Petticoats, and Bold Ideas
Taunton School donated a bin full of old school jackets that had been left and no one wanted, and they weren't good enough to sell. Jill cannot bear anything going in landfill. So, eleven of us each took a jacket and we just did what we wanted with them, and turned them into works of art. That became the Lost Jackets Project, and it’s been in a few exhibitions.
Since we did that, I have become slightly obsessed with embroidery. Not just doing a bit of embroidery on clothes, I’m just going completely mad and covering them with embroidery!
We’ve also got this little project called Petticoats of Power. Petticoats were always a kind of discreet garment, whereas now we’re making these petticoats and venting our anger on them. I’ve turned mine into a kind of diary of things that upset me. It’s becoming a beautiful petticoat that I made from an old nightshirt, and I’m just embroidering things that are making me angry and things I want to get off my chest.
The Joy of Slow Fashion: Marcia’s Maker Mindset
The more you put into making your clothes, the more you have a connection with them and you really want to keep them forever. And you enjoy wearing them. I don't rush anything. I enjoy the process, it really is therapeutic. These are very, very slow fashion. They're pieces you want to take care of. They have memories and stories.
One of the things I’ve enjoyed since I’ve been making my own clothes is the change of seasons — you can get things out that have been away for six months. And you get to rediscover all of the lovely things that you made. So, the change of season, which used to feel like a bit of a nuisance, I actually really enjoy.
What’s Next for Curtains to Couture? From Workshops to Fashion Shows
It’s all just taking off. I’m not sure where it’s going, but it’s definitely going in the right direction. It's an ever changing world anyway, and you never know who you're going to meet and what ideas you're going to come across.
Above: Rugmaking Workshop run by Jill Denton
We’ve started doing retreats. Jill is now running fairly regular rag rugmaking workshops, which are a wonderful way to use old textiles. And we’re talking about perhaps arranging clothes swaps and a sustainable fashion show next year. There’s an awful lot out there we can do.
Tips for Starting Your Own Slow Fashion Journey
When I go to charity shops, I don't specifically look for clothes. I look for fabrics. It might be made into a garment that you really don't like, or it doesn't quite fit properly. But if it's nice fabric, you can always reuse that fabric.
I also think that the thing to do if you want to be sustainable is develop your own style, rather than follow fashion. Decide how you want to look and have fun.
Above: Members of Curtains to Couture
I think the problem for a lot of people is finding the fabrics. There's a lot more fabric at antique and vintage fairs now than there used to be, which is good. Some online sellers are a bit hit and miss. You've just got to buy it when you see it. You can always keep it at home, and if you decide you don't like it, you can forward it to a friend.
And there are so many people who think it's difficult to make clothes. But if you’ve got a beautiful fabric, you don't need a complicated pattern. The simpler the better. Keep it simple and build up your confidence.
All photographs courtesy of Curtains to Couture.
For more on the Curtains to Couture Collective - listen to this recent episode of Check your Thread.
