A Second Life for Textile Castoffs

Some of the best companies are born out of garages and makeshift studios. Add to the list Non-Perishable Goods, a company founded by designer Shay Carrillo in her Portland, Oregon, backyard.

Shay began with a desire to make useful products while reducing disposable consumption, and she found her creative medium in remnants and material scraps. The list of natural fibers that she uses in her products includes: repurposed denim, leather, cotton, and paper, as well as vintage wool, recycled cotton/hemp, and new linen and wool felt. Her dedication to reuse has resulted in an array of pillows, napkins, and party textiles that give castoffs a vibrant second life.

Above: Limited Edition Kantha Pillows are made from kanthas (Indian bedcovers stitched from vintage saris) transformed into body pillows, no two exactly alike. The pillows are meant for double, queen, and king beds, or for sofas; they measure 54 inches long and are filled with a feather down combinatioin; $260 each.

Above: The 10-foot-long Fiesta Garland is decorated with wool felt flags with sewn edges that are made using remnants from the company’s wool felt balls (see below).

Above L: Made from Non-Perishable Goods’ foelt pillow offcuts, the Felt Coaster Set in Cool Colors has a different shade of felt on the front and back; $36 for four. Above R: The Felt Coaster Set in Warm Colors is also two-toned and $36 for four.

Above: Non-Perishable Goods’ outsized napkins measure 12 inches by 23 inches and are called Dinner Towels. They’re made of linen in multiple colors with contrast stitching; the gray tweed shade (shown here in the middle) is a 100-percent recycled cotton/hemp blend. A set of six is $80. The 11-by-11 inch Everyday Napkins are $50 for six. Both designs are sewn in partnership with Portland, Oregon, sewing company Spooltown.

Above: Bola Pilar children’s toys are soft indoor balls of hand-sewn, multi-colored wool felt with combed wool fill; $24 each.

Above: Window Draft Pillows are made from scrap textiles (a Swedish overshot woven pattern is shown here) with 100 percent wool fill; each is 30 inches long and made to fit across a windowsill; $30 each.

For more tabletop fabrics, see Left Coast Luxury, Table Linen Edition. And for some napkin folding ideas, have a look at my recent post 5 Quick Fixes: Elevating the Napkin, Thanksgiving Edition.