EcoEquitable Inc.
Textile waste reduction. Women's empowerment. Sewing a better story. www.ecoequitable.ca
EcoEquitable: Recycling Fabric, Sewing Training for Newcomers and People in vulnerable situations, Public Sewing Classes
Changing Lives
EcoEquitable is a non-profit organization providing a bridge to social and economic integration for people in need, especially immigrant women, while greening the community. EcoEquitable offers intensive a 15-week sewing programs to immigrant women - allowing them to join the Canadian textile industry.
☀️Another week another deal
Come by the boutique at 404 McArthur Drive and shop our home decor which will be going for $5/meter.
⚠️This will be running from today Wednesday 14th August - Friday 16th August
Save the date for this month’s fabric sale happening on the 24th of August!
Stay tuned for more insight on what’s to come👀
We recently had the pleasure of welcoming our friends, Donna and Derek, from Foundation into our shop for a grand tour 💜 It was a jam packed morning showing them around our newly expanded space, chatting with our team about Eco's journey thus far, and where we're headed.
Thanks to RBC Foundation for your partnership and support!
We are seeking volunteer teaching assistants for both Level 1 and Level 2 classes of our Sewing For Jobs Program. It runs from September 9th to December 13th, Monday to Thursday. We are looking for dedicated and patient teaching assistants with sewing experience.
Selected candidates will be invited for an interview, and if they are a good fit, they will start in September. Ideally, we would prefer a commitment of two days a week, but this is negotiable.
❗️Responsibilities include:
- Assisting the instructor in preparing supplies and patterns for each class.
- Helping students understand the lessons and keeping up with the class.
- Supporting students in completing their projects on studio days.
📍Please help spread the word and invite interested candidates to send their CVs and, if available, a portfolio of their work to: [email protected]
Thank you in advance!💜
💜Get inspired by these local makes from our very talented customers. Each piece was created using materials from our very own EcoEquitable boutique, proving that upcycling can be a fun, stylish and rewarding experience.
💜Thank you to everyone who has used our fabric, sourced patterns from us or created through our programs. We wouldn’t be here without your support!
💜Do you sew with EcoEquitable fabric, notions, or patterns? Have you made a garment in one of our classes? Share with us by tagging on social media for a chance to be featured in our style posts!
Come by the boutique at 404 McArthur Drive for our Deal of the Week: $3/meter for our selections of polyester!
⚠️Please note that this deal will only be run this Wednesday, 31st July.
Feel free to let us know what you make with your purchases💜
💜We’ve got more new public sewing classes to close out this season!
🔗 Register now to confirm your spot
For the rest of summer you can be a part of:
🪡Quilted Cushion Covers and an Asymmetrical Summer Dress Workshop with Coco
We’ve also got many new classes coming up this fall, including:
♻️A Repair-It-Yourself Series starting September 7th for 4 weeks
📍 Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Sewing Classes, each beginning in the first half of September for 8 weeks
🧵Serger basics class starting September 11th for 8 weeks
Don’t miss out on these opportunities to learn
🔗Sign up with the link in bio🔗
💜We officially swore in 4 new members to our Board of Directors on the 13th of June 2024, when we held our Annual General Meeting.
💜Meeha Irfan, Emma Smith, Tabatha Soltay and Nina Squires will be contributing their vast experience to our organization and we’re grateful to have them.
💜Please join us in welcoming them to the EcoEquitable team. Feel free to read more about them by clicking the link in our bio.
☀️Come check out our NEWLY EXPANDED BOUTIQUE at our next Fabric Sale THIS SATURDAY between 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM at the boutique (404 McArthur Ave)!
🎖️We’re celebrating with 2 extra special deals:
1. $10 (not $20) to fill-a-basket with yarn, select notions and fabric. This is the lowest price we have ever offered it!
2. Another raffle eligible for all purchases over $25. The prize basket is over $250 this time around!
🧵Also look forward to:
- $1 threads, books and magazines
- $3/meter polyester
- 2 for $1 sewing patterns
- $2 & $3 zippers
💜Bring a bag and a friend. We’re looking forward to seeing you!
We love a good raffle👀❤️ Come on out to our fabric sale NEXT SATURDAY, July 27th and be entered to win this beautiful basket packed full with some of our favourite goodies:
💫Wool, cotton, cotton sateen, 2 polyester, knit & African waxed cotton fabrics
💫Box of vintage cotton thread
💫4 patterns
💫4 books
Must make a minimum $25 purchase to be automatically entered💜
See you next week!
💬Here are a few comments from past students who have attended the public classes and workshops that we host here at Eco Equitable.
These include our serger workshops, and pattern making classes to name a few.
🪡We’re glad to be able to share our love for sewing whilst providing the region with skills to live a more sustainable lifestyle- after all, sewing your own garment is inherently eco-friendly and can be oh so rewarding.
💜With our public classes being one of our primary revenue generators to help fund what we do, we hope you’ll continue to support us. There’s lots to learn this summer. Sign up with the link in bio!
Stay tuned 💜
Having passed the halfway mark of the year, it is important to reflect on our social impact. We’re pleased to highlight a few things during this period:
🟣Nearly 6500 pounds of textiles and notions were saved from landfill so far; this is more than double what we had collected during the same period last year!
🟣257 Total volunteer hours occurred at our boutique and during our sewing classes, which are essential to the smooth running of our spaces
🟣We continue to foster relationships with organizations that align with our values, including the attending of events such as the Adult High School Fair and the Hintonburg Flea Market
We’d like to send a BIG thank you to each and everyone of you who interact, patronize and support our organization in any and every way. We’re looking forward to sewing a better story and continuing to grow with our promotion of responsible textile consumption, female empowerment and creativity.
Stay tuned for our full, 2024 Annual Impact Report at the end of the year 💜
💜We are still accepting applications for our Sewing For Jobs program, open to all skill levels and hosted in our new space at Heartwood House (404 McArthur Avenue)
💜This program consists of 3 levels each occurring over a 13 week period. Our Level 3 graduates are eligible to enter into our Job Referral Program which connects them to fair paying, local sewing projects as they arise.
💜See link in bio to apply by 15th July!
💜New public sewing classes are here!
Fill your creative cup with our summer classes that cater to all levels.
🔗Register now to confirm your spot🔗
We are currently offering:
🧵Sewing 1 - A great introduction to sewing in a friendly, welcoming environment, which leaves you with a finished project
🧵🧵🧵 Sewing 3- These classes touch on pattern alterations, working with lining, zippers and neck edges as well as taking body measurements
♻️Upcycling Workshop- Learn the basics of sewing and transform an item from your very own wardrobe into a new garment
📍 Sewing Machine Crash Course- Bring your machine and get better acquainted with its functions and possible fixes
☀️Bucket Hat Workshop- With the sun out this season, here are sessions to walk you through making a professional looking bucket hat
💃Circle Skirt with Coco- Create a personalized pattern , and then transform that into your very own skirt
🪡Embroidery Workshop- where you’ll learn how to pick the fabric for each usage, prepare fabric to start, different kinds of transferring design techniques onto garments, essential embroidery techniques, finishing, all to have a lovely project to take home with you!
🔗 Sign up with the link in bio and let us know what you are excited to learn!
💜 New Public Sewing Classes have dropped!
Fill your creative cup with our summer classes that cater to all levels.
🔗Sign up before they fill up
We are currently offering:
🧵Sewing 1 - A great introduction to sewing in a friendly, welcoming environment, which leaves you with a finished project
🧵🧵🧵 Sewing 3- These classes touch on pattern alterations, working with lining, zippers and neck edges as well as taking body measurements
♻️Upcycling Workshop- Learn the basics of sewing and transform an item from your very own wardrobe into a new garment
🪡 Sewing Machine Crash Course- Bring your machine and get better acquainted with its functions and possible fixes
☀️Bucket Hat Workshop- With the sun out this season, here are sessions to walk you through making a professional looking bucket hat
💃Circle Skirt with Coco- Create a personalized pattern , and then transform that into your very own skirt
🔗 Sign up with the link in bio and let us know what you are excited to learn!
☀️You are invited to kick off our Summer Grand Opening with our next Fabric Sale THIS SATURDAY between 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM at the boutique (404 McArthur Ave)!
🎖️We’re celebrating with a Grand Opening Prize:
ALL PURCHASES OVER $50 ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENTRED TO WIN A $250 GIFT CARD TOWARDS OUR ECO BOUTIQUE AND PUBLIC CLASSES
🧵Deals include:
- Buy 2 Baskets, Get 1 Free (includes select fabric and notions)
- Zippers, thread, patterns and books all $1 each
- 3 meters of corduroy for $15
- $3/meter cottons and knits
Bring a bag and a friend. We’re looking forward to seeing you! 💜
👋Big welcome to Nana! We are so excited to be working with Nana over the next couple of weeks🤗 She joins us as our Communications Intern at an exciting time, with loads of exciting announcements and projects on the horizon!
Nana recently graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Commerce, concentration in International Business, and minor in Mandarin. Born and raised in Ghana, Nana has always been surrounded and intrigued by the beauty of transforming fibres into lovely, wearable pieces.
Read more about Nana by checking out her profile on our Team page🫶
A couple sewing projects that we're celebrating this week💜👀
ELTOC Tote Bags sewn by Almaz through our Job Referral Program. These totes were apart of ELTOC's volunteer appreciation event last month and we were honored and grateful to get to construct these for them! Fun fact: ELTOC is also located in Heartwood House where we are located 📍🫶
Laundry Superhero Capes for the Community Laundry Co-Operative (also formerly located in Heartwood House). Sadly the Laundry Co-op closed down last month and when their director Phil reached out looking to see if we could make custom capes for their staff team as part of their closure and celebration ceremony, we made it happen. Thanks to Sophie, one of our public class instructors, for hopping on this project and completing it within a tight timeframe! ⭐️🥰
Sofa cushions sewn by one of our volunteers, Susan, with fabric from our Eco Boutique🤌! How gorgeous are these🤯!? Susan volunteers as a Teaching Assistant in our Sewing For Jobs classroom and leads our Thursday Studio Day sessions.
An e-reader case, designed and sewn by a couple of our team members as part of a little creativity project last week💜
What are you sewing this week? Drop some inspo in the comments!😄
Stay tuned for more details regarding June’s Fabric Sale!
Let us know in the comments what you are looking forward to finding this time around.
This past Sunday our executive director, Julia, ran in the half marathon to raise money for EcoEquitable🏃♀️ With the incredible support of friends, family, and the Eco community, we surpassed our goal and raised $3,170!!!!💜 THANK YOU!!!!
It was a beautiful day, with gratitude for the Eco Team who surprised Julia on the finish line💫💫 Special shout out to our board chair, Leigh Ellen, who nabbed a spot in the 10km race and helped us fundraise❣️
In case you were wondering, Julia can definitely run faster than she sews🤭 Will you join our running squad next year? Send us a DM if you're interested!💜
In April alone, we received 2,030.5 pounds of donated textiles from the community♻️💜 THANK YOU!!
To celebrate, join us on Saturday, May 25th from 9:30am-12:30pm for our monthly fabric sale!!!
📍404 McArthur Avenue, Ottawa
Special sales will be shared closer to the date via our newsletter, subscribe through the link in our bio! We can't wait to see you there! 🫶🥰
We're hiring for 2 new positions!🙌 Are you looking to join a local organization working at the intersection of women's empowerment and textile waste reduction? Are you passionate about sewing, gender equity, sustainability, and community impact? We are looking for 2 individuals to join our team this summer as a Communications Intern + a Textile Assistant💜
Link in bio for both job descriptions and information on how to apply.
We can't make wait to hear from you!🫶
🧵SEWING FOR JOBS APPLICATION PORTAL IS NOW OPEN!🧵
Sewing for Jobs is a sewing training program designed to equip newcomer women and women experiencing barriers to employment with the necessary skills to thrive in their next chapter🫶.
Apply today to join us in our next semester that starts September 2024.
Visit our website to learn more and apply. Please help us spread the word💜👏
It's here 💫🫶💥
This project has been brimming in our minds for quite some time, we're so excited it's officially LAUNCHED!
Details via the link in our bio or on our website💜! Limited quantities of this first batch, pre-order while you can🎉 Thank you for your support in providing this meaningful opportunity to our Sewing for Jobs students🙌
Introducing our Pre-Order Project!🌎🫶🎉
Locally and equitably made. One-of-a-kind treasures. Sustainable fabric. Created by women.
Support Sewing for Jobs students in their final semester by pre-ordering our one-of-a-kind Everything Bag. Sewn at EcoEquitable with upcycled fabric sourced directly from our Eco Fabric Boutique, each bag tells a unique story.
Pre-orders we receive will be matched to a student and will provide them with an opportunity to complete their first paid sewing project before they graduate 🎓
Why now?
We are always seeking creative ways to provide meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities for women who are graduating from the Sewing for Jobs program, that promote fair wages and pay transparency in the sewing industry without compromising on our values of sustainability, community, and dignified work. A detailed cost breakdown will be available on our website in order to shed light on the true cost of garment and product construction.
We will have a limited quantity of this first batch of pre-orders for our Everything Bag🥰
Please subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know when they drop later this week! All pre-orders will be available for purchase on our website. Pick-up at our shop only (no shipping available, yet!) at 404 McArthur Avenue. Ottawa.
Thank you for supporting our mission and work 🙌
Every day feels like Earth Day at Eco 🌎
Grateful to the 98 individuals who came to our April 13th Fabric Sale and purchased sustainable fabric, helping us keep it in circulation and out of waste streams!🥰
Grateful to be connected with so many environmental organizations doing incredible work in Ottawa, and to gather together again in October for our second annual Circularity Fair event! 💜
Grateful to our talented instructors who work with us to educate others on sustainable fashion through repair workshops, upcycling classes, and more!
Grateful to our community who share their creative work online and inspire others🫶
Grateful to our volunteers who make our bobbins go round, whether it's fixing up a donated sewing machine before it's sold or given to a student, sorting incoming fabric donations for the boutique, and more!🙌
Happy Earth Day 🌎💜
Do not look directly at The Pants 👀.... Without proper eye protection that is 👓
We can't keep our eyes off these epic flowy pants constructed by one of our former Sewing for Jobs students, Mercedes. We loved them so much we had to put them in the sky 🌒
Happy eclipse day to everyone! May today serve as inspiration to keep making art and creating new possibilities💜
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Our Story
EcoEquitable: Every Stitch... A story.
EcoEquitable is a non-profit organization providing a bridge to social and economic integration for people in need, especially immigrant women, while greening the community. EcoEquitable offers intensive 5-month sewing programs to immigrant women - allowing them to join the Canadian textile industry, by selling recycled fabric in our boutique, by offering contract sewing for conference bags and small designer lines, as well as repairs and alterations on site.
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Address
404 McArthur Avenue, Unit D (Door 412)
Ottawa, ON
K1K1G8
Opening Hours
Monday | 9am - 3pm |
Tuesday | 9am - 3pm |
Wednesday | 9am - 3pm |
Thursday | 9am - 3pm |
Friday | 9am - 3pm |
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