L’aghetto Imperfetto – Giorgia Garofalo

Needlework Imperfect was born in 2021 when, tired of the dynamics of office work, I decided to turn what until then was just a hobby into work. I turned a corner of my house into a workshop and, in that space, I invent, design and create. I mainly do creative sewing related to sustainability. I make objects whose purpose is to replace disposable or plastic products. Many of my creations are made from reclaimed materials and, I transform my own scraps into new objects for everyday use.

Q&A

What craft do you work with?

I have been practicing a sustainable lifestyle for years and I am committed to disseminating it to the public through my work. Recovering scrap is a way for me to avoid waste; reducing waste is part of a lifestyle that I feel is deeply mine. I started sewing as a self-taught, right after the pandemic, with the desire to return to allow space for a creativity long left in the corner.Initially it was just a way to disconnect from the everyday, then it became a passion and a job.

What inspires you to work with this craft?

From a very young age I felt very attracted to all things creative, and this led me to study restoration. The desire to breathe life back into something that is past or has been discarded was what stimulated me as a restorer and what drives me today to work with salvaged materials, mostly fabrics and industrial fabric scraps.I love to see how something now considered waste can be transformed into something new and even useful.

How do you start your creative process?

Usually it all stems from a personal need or request for a project to be developed. This is followed by the time of research to develop the product with the most suitable features for that particular need. I create an initial drawing and then the prototype. Once the functionality of the object has been tested, I create the template and then finally make the finished product.

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

Currently my workspace is in my apartment. I have converted a room in the house into a workshop. On a large table is the sewing machine, an indispensable tool for my work, to which a base extension, made by me, is often added. Tools such as scissors, rulers, needles, pins etc. are stored on shelves, hung or stored in drawers, all in close proximity to the work area, so that they are always readily available. Fabrics are stored neatly folded in a closet while my creations are stored in cardboard containers also inside the closet.

Are there new techniques you would like to try?

I would like to learn the Free Motion technique,which allows you to sew “freehand” decorations with the sewing machine.

What have you learnt or the best advice you have received that you would like to share with fellow crafters?

As I am self-taught, I have learned that study and planning are essential and that one cannot improvise. I believe that listening to the suggestions and impressions of the people I interface with for work is a great source of personal growth.

What other types of craft do you dream of collaborating with?

I would like to collaborate with other artisans who are involved in recycling, perhaps combining fabrics with other materials and find out what forms of recovery can come out of them.

What professional dream do you have?

I would like to open a real workshop, where I can share my experience with people interested in the kind of activity I do. At the same time, I would like to continue to develop projects related to the recovery of industrial textile waste, as has already been the case in recent years thanks to my collaboration with a major local furniture maker.