As both myself and Chelsea-Lee continue to grow, you can imagine that so do the donations.
I’m incredibly grateful for every person who has offered me textiles, clothing and materials they no longer need, with the hope that I can give them a second life. It genuinely means so much to me that people see what I’m creating and want to contribute to that journey.
But with growth comes a responsibility to be more intentional about what I accept.
My mission with Chelsea-Lee has always been about reducing textile waste and giving existing materials a new purpose. And I’ve realised that if I continue accepting every textile that is offered to me, I can quickly end up with far more than I’m realistically able to use.
When that happens, the intention behind the donation gets lost. Materials can sit unused, take up space and eventually become waste again, which is the exact cycle I’m trying to prevent.
So I’ve decided to make a change to the types of textiles I accept.
Rather than accepting general clothing donations, I’ll be focusing on materials that I know I can genuinely work with and transform into something new. This includes things like denim of all colours, patterns and washes, unwanted fabric stashes and offcuts, quilts and quilted blankets, sheets and certain basic T-shirts that can be transformed into fabric yarn.
I’m also more than happy for you to send me a photo if you have something you're unsure about. I’d much rather say “I don’t think I’ll be able to use this” before accepting it than take something with good intentions and have it ultimately go unused.
This change isn't about accepting less because I don't appreciate the donations — it's actually about being more responsible with what I accept.
I want every textile that comes into Chelsea-Lee to have a genuine opportunity to become something new.
Because for me, textile rescue isn't about how much I can collect.
It's about how much I can actually save from becoming waste.