Starting NuBonelle: My Journey Into Sustainable Making

🌿 BLOG POST #1 — Starting NuBonelle: My Unexpected Journey Into Sustainable Making

Hello, and welcome to the very beginning of NuBonelle’s blog.

I wanted my first post to be honest, informal, and definitely not a lecture about sustainability. Mainly because I’m not an expert. I’m a designer–maker — someone who loves textiles, yarns, colours, and the magic of handmade craftsmanship — and who’s now trying to build a business that feels good for the planet and good for the people who use my products.

How I Ended Up Caring (A Lot) About Sustainability

A couple of experiences nudged me down this eco-friendly path.

As a former London College of Fashion (LCF) graduate — now part of University of the Arts London (UAL) — I reconnected with their work through the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. Their research, reports, and policy work highlighted how design and fashion can improve sustainability across the industry.

Then I attended a Carbon Literacy course, and that was the moment the penny properly dropped. Carbon footprints suddenly weren’t just a concept floating around in the news — they were something I personally influence, both in my everyday life and through my business decisions.

And that’s where NuBonelle quietly began to take shape.

What I Am Trying to Do at NuBonelle

At its heart, NuBonelle is about simple, beautiful, handcrafted, and small batch pieces where the textiles do the talking. I’m particular — in the best way — about craftsmanship and quality.

But I’m also aware of the very real environmental impact of the textile industry. The more I learned, the more I thought:

If I’m going to create products in this world, I want to do it differently.

So here’s what I aim to do:

• Use eco-friendly materials and fibres such as cotton, linen, hemp, and bamboo
• Upcycle, recycle, and revive discarded textiles, garments, and deadstock
• Reduce waste in production
• Support the circular economy by making products that last
• Keep things handcrafted
• Use local small batch machine production
• Support social justice 

Acquiring materials this way means availability isn’t always predictable and quantities can be low — which is why many NuBonelle pieces are Limited Editions. Once a textile is gone… it really is gone.

Our Two Ranges 

To keep things transparent and simple, NuBonelle has two ranges:

🌱 1) Revival Range — The Recycled One

Supporting the principles of circularity, this range uses upcycled fabrics, old garments, textile waste, and deadstock.

These pieces generally reduce polyester use by around 20% compared with conventional alternatives — sometimes more, depending on what I’m able to source.

🌿 2) Positive Impact Range — The Eco-Friendly One

Made with new but more sustainable materials such as cotton, hemp, bamboo, jute, wool, and other lower-impact fibres.

 Eco friendly small-batch products made by NuBonelle

For example, when making washbags:

• The outside fabric is eco-friendly,
• The inside still needs to be waterproof — and at the moment, affordable eco-friendly linings are extremely limited.

So, I currently use a polyester lining but still reduce overall synthetic content by around 60% compared with standard commercial washbags.

Not perfect. But better. And improving all the time.

The Honest Bit: It’s Harder Than It Looks

With all the will in the world, trying to live and work sustainably is… well, a bit of a maze, isn’t it?

• Infrastructure isn’t always supportive
• Availability isn’t always reliable
• Eco materials cost more
• Busy lifestyles leave little time
• Old habits (mine included!) die hard
• Change happens slowly

And let’s be real — the average person isn’t actively searching for carbon-neutral everything. I’d love to help change that mindset. Even tiny shifts matter, and talking about it helps.

Where NuBonelle Is Headed

Right now, I’m developing a net zero strategy (that’s a whole future blog post).

One of my early goals: 80% eco-friendly packaging within two years.

Will it be perfect?
Absolutely not.

Will it be honest, thoughtful, and improving every step of the way?
Yes. That’s the plan.

I’ll keep sharing progress here — openly, transparently, and with room to grow.

Before the Next Post: A Simple Glossary

Before we dive into COP30 in the next blog post, here’s a short, easy glossary of key climate-change terms to make everything feel clear and accessible.

• Carbon emissions — The release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, primarily from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes.
• Greenhouse gases — Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane.
• Carbon footprint — The total amount of greenhouse gases generated by an individual, event, organisation, or product.
• Greenhouse effect — The natural process where certain gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun.
• Net zero — Achieving a balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and emissions removed from the atmosphere.

And Finally… I’d Love to Hear From You

Are you trying to make more eco-friendly choices too?
What’s been surprisingly difficult?
What small things have you managed to change?

I don’t want this blog to be me talking at you.
I want it to feel like a proper conversation — so please share your thoughts. Let’s learn from each other.

If you’re still reading… thank you.
And welcome to NuBonelle — I’m genuinely excited you’re here. 💚

Background

My earliest memory of sewing goes all the way back to infant school, long before the national curriculum. Every Friday afternoon we had a needlecraft lesson, and I loved it so much that I’d take my work home to finish it over the weekend — just so I could start something new on Monday. That feeling of excitement never really left me.

As I grew older, my confidence in making continued to develop. I studied A Level Textile and Dress, went on to the London College of Fashion, and completed a Light Dress and Garment Technology course before working in the fashion industry. Those early years gave me hands-on experience, professional training, and a solid grounding in high-quality production.

Over time, I ran a childrenswear business and later managed a fashion centre, all while witnessing what the industry looked like before sustainability became part of the conversation. Eventually, I became disillusioned and stepped away, returning to a 9–5 role that allowed me to study part-time. After several years, I completed both a BA and a Master’s degree. I also co-ran a social enterprise with my husband until his work took us abroad, where we lived for six years.

All of these chapters — the early enthusiasm, the industry experience, the break, the studying, the travel — eventually brought me back to making. And this time, with a clearer sense of purpose: to create thoughtfully, responsibly, and with genuine care for the world around us.