The Sari: Love at First Sight

The Sari: Love at First Sight

 5th Nov 2018 |  Shop |  Fritha Mason


Hi, my name is Arti and I am a Secret Projects Ambassador.

I would like to share with you the journey some of my own Saris have taken, and invite you and yours to also take part...

The Sari is a beautiful, personal piece of clothing which has been honoured through the generations. When you wear a sari, it becomes part of you. The texture, the colours, the integrate embroidery: a sari puts a smile of the whole mind, body and soul. In this way, the Sari tells a thousand stories.

The whole process from deciding which Sari to buy, the actual purchase and finally wearing it is such a thrill. However, there will come a point in time where, after it has been worn a number of times and has reached its peak, a Sari must continue its journey.

Where will that journey take it?

In honour of the beloved Sari, I fell in love with Secret Projects not only because it holds the Sari at the centre of all it does, but also because of its concept and process of transformation. Secret Projects uses the Sari to support and empower women across India.

Secret Projects trains women survivors of human trafficking and women who are at risk of being trafficked to make the Secret Sari Dress. This serves as a form of income generation in areas where there are little or no opportunities for women.

If you would like to see your Sari continue its journey in this way and empower women across India, please consider gifting your Sari to our Sari Amnesty.

The concept is simple: once we have collected 50 saris together, we will begin to sort them. Some will be used by our trainee Makers when they are making their first Secret Sari Dresses, some will be used to make up our vintage Range of Secret Sari Dresses, some will be used to make Kantha blankets and some will be used to make draw string bags and Christmas decorations. All leftover Sari scraps will then be used to make educational packs which are sold globally to textile teachers.

Here are some images of the products the Saris are transformed into:

If you would like to know more about the process or donate, here are a few simple steps:

  1. Please contact me, Arti, via Instagram arti108 or email apatel0@me.com
  2. We can have a chat about what exactly we are looking for (only Saris, and they must have no rips or stains).
  3. We can arrange collection.
  4. You and your Sari will contribute to our Training for Empowerment Programme and will become part of the wider Secret Projects family.

Thank you for support support and time in reading this page.

Aum Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

More

Our first destash!

Our first destash!

What to do on a rainy Sunday? Hold our very first destash! You may be asking what a destash is?  In short, it's a call out to people to go through old . . . sewing supplies and fabric etc. and donate it to a good cause. With that good cause being Secret Projects! We set up in the Pulborough Village Hall (which is close to where our Business Unit is), and, through various advertising methods, the word had spread and we were delighted to welcome scores of people who came along with their very gratefully received donations. Donations weren't just brought in on the day, we had parcels sent to us and others dropped supplies round to our CEO's house in Pulborough ahead of the official destash day. In total we collected 325 kilos of delici0us pre-loved sewing supplies. Much of the fabric donated has been sorted and will be made up into our ever popular and best selling scrap packs available through our eBay and Etsy Stores. In fact, we now have over 30 different scrap packs to purchase and more will be added, so do keep visiting our stores. We are still taking donations and if you do have any fabric or pre-loved sewing supplies, please do get in touch via fritha@secretprojects.org And of course the most enormous thank you everyone who donated to, and also helped us run our very first destash! More to come! Let's hear it for destashing!   Image: offering a cup of tea to all who came along to the destash was one way of us saying a big thank you.
Continue reading >
We would LOVE you to donate any unwanted sewing supplies to us!

We would LOVE you to donate any unwanted sewing supplies to us!

We can make such good use of your pre-loved sewing supplies We have added various items of pre-loved sewing supplies to our online stores, including . . . scrap fabrics and buttons for the past few years and it has developed into a small but very good source of income for our Community Benefit Society. The pre-loved sewing supplies market is only getting stronger and is something we are keen to develop and grow and are therefore putting out an 'ask' to our customers and supporters (and of course, anyone else who reads this!) for your old sewing items. We would LOVE them! Ideas for sewing supplies donations! From scrap fabric, to buttons, to pins, to needles, to embroidery equipment, we would adore to talk to you about what you have. Sewing items can often have sentimental value - in fact, our Comms Manager, Margaret was just telling us about a pin cushion she has of her mother's that she could only give away to someone who would really appreciate, and make good use of. Maybe this has resonated with you. So, if you do have sewing supplies you would like to donate, please email Fritha Vincent Mason at: fritha@secretprojects.org. We would just LOVE your pre-loved sewing supplies!  
Continue reading >
The 2024 AGM of SPCBS will take place on 24th January 1-2pm UK time

The 2024 AGM of SPCBS will take place on 24th January 1-2pm UK time

The 2024 Annual General Meeting of Secret Projects Community Benefit Society We are delighted to announce that 2024 The Annual General Meeting of . . . Secret Projects Community Benefit Society will take place on January 24th at 1-2pm UK time. All Shareholders are warmly invited and notification and the agenda plus financial information have been sent out. Please do check inboxes and junk folders and if not received, please email: invest@secreprojects.org. We very much look forward to seeing our Shareholders and providing an update on our progress over the last year.    
Continue reading >