Have you noticed that everyone’s getting crafty these days? Books such as ‘Stitch ‘n’ Bitch have inspired us to snatch the needles from our grannies hands, making knitting cool – no offence gran. And with sites such as Etsy taking off with exponential success homemade is the new must have!

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But making friends with a needle and thread is not just de rigueur, it’s also another step towards being more environmentally friendly. From turning an old t-shirt into a new bag, to sewing your QSW stripy clothes ties into a coaster for your coffee cup as I did recently, D.I.Y is a great way to recycle and reuse.

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One of my favourite things to do with a pair or old hole ridden socks is to make sock monsters! Which is a great way to prevent clothing waste clogging up landfill and they make an amusing gift for birthdays. Here’s how to make a basic sock monster…

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This one’s a cat, but you can make any animal or monster shape you like by adapting the ear shape and leg length. Try monkeys, owls or something crazy looking with horns!
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What you will need:
- 2 old socks - doesn’t matter if they have holes in, you can always put a patch over it!
- 2 buttons - odd is better
- Stuffing – get this from a sewing shop, old teddy, or use cotton wool
- Felt or fabric in a contrasting colour

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Leading a more natural and environmentally conscious lifestyle is not just about investing in sustainable fashion, but also about the cosmetics we put on our bodies too. So here’s a recipe for a divine homemade sugar scrub and the reasons why you should start using it.
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On average, women in the western world use 200 man made chemicals in their skincare routine every day. Chemicals such as parabens, sodium laureth sulfate, and phthlates are found in most body care products but the scary thing is scientific studies have linked these chemicals to skin disorders and hormone disruption.
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What’s more, cosmetics cannot only be bad for your health they can also harm the environment. Thanks to Jo Royal, skipper of the Plastiki, I recently discovered that some exfoliating face washes and body scrubs contain tiny plastic beads (polyethylene granules). Although these may not directly harm humans, research has shown that once they wash down our drains and out into the ocean, these pointless bits of plastic can harm fish and attract toxins that can travel up the food chain, which is bad news for us as consumers of seafood.
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The good news is there’s a wide range of natural products available these days in large chemists, department stores and health food shops. However, be careful that you’re not fooled by items such as shampoos that claim to be natural just because they contain plant extracts or have a picture of a coconut on the front, so always check the ingredients list.
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In addition, homemade alternatives to conventional cosmetics are cheap and easy to make. Natural moisturisers such as olive oil and honey can work wonders for your skin and avocado is a great conditioner for your hair! So here’s my recipe for a natural and plastic free body scrub that can be used on your face or body. It’s perfect for exfoliating before applying fake tan or for polishing your skin before you slip into the QSW spring/summer swimwear range.
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Homemade sugar scrub

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• 1 cup of unrefined (brown) sugar
• 2 - 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• A few drops of essential oil, such as lavender, rose, ginger, or vanilla.

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Mix the ingredients in a container that has a lid until the sugar is lightly bound together by the oil - I’ve reused an old body moisturiser tub but you can also fill a glass jar. Why not add some dried rose petals or lavender flowers if you have any lying around to add a bit of colour or to make it a luxurious gift for a friend or your mum.

One thing I love about the Quiksilver Women’s range of clothing is that there’s no massive Quiksilver logo on any of the pieces. There’s not even a small Quiksilver logo on there. In fact, when there is a logo it’s tiny or non-existent, with only the buttons or the label inside to distinguish its origins. It’s personal preference really, some people love a logo splashed across their chest, but as I’ve grown older I realised it’s just not for me. That’s not to say I don’t think the logo is important though. Quite the opposite.
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No matter how big or small the Quiksilver logo is on the item you buy it’s there to remind us all about some of the things we should be protecting in life: mountains and waves. You don’t even need to be into surfing or snowboarding to care about these though. I mean, we all like going to the beach right? And I’m sure you’ve already been checking out the new Quiksilver Women’s range of spring/summer ’10 bikinis and swimsuits …

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You may have noticed that it’s not just Quiksilver who use symbols from nature to form all or part of their logo. Many companies, universities and organisations out there use a variety of plants and animals to help them construct an identity, and in doing so it’s up to them to help protect that identity. This is something the organisation Save Your Logo is extremely passionate about.

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Save Your Logo is an ‘innovative project for biodiversity’ who’s mission is: to create an opportunity for companies represented by flora and fauna in their logo to contribute to the conservation of that species or element and build a global community around that common objective. They’re a not-for-profit organisation that achieves their goals through private sector investment in an endowment fund, which is then distributed to groups that specialise in biodiversity and conservation projects.

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So what are Quiksilver doing to save their logo you may ask? For over 10 years now, the Quiksilver Group has been working under the slogan ‘Don’t Destroy What You Came To Enjoy’ and they encourage this through a variety of initiatives ranging from eco-design to awareness raising events, ad campaigns and partnerships with a number of environmental organisations including Save Your Logo.

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At the moment as part of their No Water Sucks campaign Quiksilver are selling Save Your Logo eco bracelets in their shops. The bracelets are sold at 3 euros each with 1 euro donated to Save Your Logo for every one sold, and it’s the same for any other product you buy from Quiksilver’s eco range.

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Ruth - wearing the "Save Your Logo" Eco Bracelet

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Additionally, Quiksilver are also running a ” No Water Sucks” picture competition until April 30, with the chance to win the handsome sum of 1000 euros for both the winning entrant and one of three conservation charities.

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So, whether you like to wear a bird on your chest, a wave on your hat, a cat on your shoe, a mountain on your bag or like me, a tiny logo on the button of your jeans, you might want to think about protecting that logo, both for you and future generations.

Today is International Women’s Day (IWD), a global celebration of the social, political and economic achievements of women past, present and future, so it only seems right that Quiksilver Women mark this occasion too.
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The first IWD was on the 19th March 1911 and was recognised in Denmark, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where more than one million woman and men attended IWD rallies in support of women’s rights to work, vote and to end discrimination. Unfortunately, despite significant success surrounding equality in recent decades fair treatment is still an issue and in many countries woman do not have access to the same standard of healthcare and education as men do and often suffer violence against them.
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Thankfully IWD is now an official holiday in countries such as Russia, China, Bulgaria and Mongolia where men honour the women in their lives with flowers and small gifts - much like we do for Mothers Day here in the UK. In addition, every year thousands of events are held the world over in celebration of IWD and the achievements of women including political rallies, craft markets, art projects, fashion parades and theatrical performances. The US have even declared the entire month of March ‘Women’s History Month.’

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In support of woman worldwide Quiksilver Women Ellie Lawson, Leddra Chapman and I are sending our old bras to charity via the Breast Talk Bra Appeal. A variety of charities such as Oxfam then distribute unwanted bras to woman who really need them both here in the UK and in countries such as Africa, where good quality bras are highly sought after. Additionally, old bras can also be used to raise funds for breast cancer research.

Bras are an item we all too often take for granted, but there are many woman across the globe that don’t own a bra or cannot afford one. Through bra donations such as ours reusable bras will go towards helping homeless and underprivileged woman, where as damaged bras can be recycled into quilts.
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Here in the UK over 70 per cent of woman are thought to be wearing the wrong size bra. I recently had my bust professionally measured and found I was far from wearing the correct size, but I’m glad I have somewhere to send all my old ones now. So why not get yourself fitted and rather than sending your old bras to landfill reduce waste and help support disadvantaged woman and the environment by sending your old bras to the Breast Talk Bra Appeal too!

When Quiksilver Woman hit UK shops in Fall 2008 I couldn’t have been more excited! Not just because QSW seems to encapsulate that edgy yet feminine look I love, but also because here in front of me Quiksilver were offering eco-friendly clothing that I actually wanted to wear.

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Eco-friendly clothing is synonymous with flappy dresses made from frumpy fabrics, naff hippy t-shirts and ill fitting hemp trousers. But not any more! In fact, environmentally conscious fashion has had a major overhaul in recent years and it’s getting much easier to find stylish alternatives to mainstream fashion, even on the high street.

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The first thing that struck me about the QSW eco-friendly range were the organic t-shirts, which are so soft you won’t want to take them off, and you’ll never have to use fabric softener – which is also better for the environment!  We all think of cotton as being one of the most natural things around, but for the average cotton t-shirt only 73% of it is actually cotton, the rest is made up of chemicals and resins used to make the fabric. These chemicals are not only bad for your health but the health of the cotton farmer and local wildlife, too.

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In addition, hemp isn’t as bad as I made it out to be either, and bamboo is my new favourite fabric. Both of these take far less water to grow than cotton, which is much better for the planet and bamboo is so smooth against your skin it feels like silk. Don’t believe me? Try it out - you won’t be disappointed!

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My favourite piece so far would be the Sweet Thing Dress  from the Autumn/Winter 2009 collection - I love anything checked! I like to layer it with one of the lovely organic tees, black tights and little black ankle boots. I top it all off with a chunky cream neck warmer that I knitted for a cosy but stylish winter look – it’s very cold and snowy in Scotland right now! For spring 2010 look out for the Russell muscle tee and the Millbank long skirt.

Sweet Thing Dress from Quiksilver Women's Fall Winter 2009 Collection

People often complain that you have to pay more for eco-friendly clothing, which is sometimes true, but can we really afford to put a price on the environment and the health of workers and wildlife? After all, would you rather have one really great, good quality organic t-shirt that you can wash and wear over and over again or for the same price buy 4 cheap conventional ones that loose their shape after a couple of washes and end up forgotten about at the back of a drawer? I know what I’d choose…

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Quiksilver may not be completely organic yet, but they are changing little by little and making it easier for you to do so too, without having to sacrifice style!

Russell Muscle Tee from Quiksilver Women's Spring 2010 Collection

Millbank Skirt from Quiksilver Women's Spring 2010 Collection

Image by Ruth Carruthers

Let me introduce myself … I’m Ruth, a Scottish Lass who likes to write, take pictures, make things and make change. I am passionate about communicating environmental matters to people in a creative way.

I divide my time between Glasgow, London and the great outdoors, which has inspired me to write about environmental issues and illustrate my words with my own pictures when I can. I contribute to art projects and make up my own, even if it’s just creating something out of an old pair of socks or a plastic bag - it’s amazing what you can do with the stuff other people would normally throw away!

I love the Quiksilver Women’s eco-friendly range of clothing and over the next few months I’ll be telling you about other ways you can become greener, help charities and create change in your own special way.

So stay tuned for my monthly column “Creating Change”, the first post is up on the 8th of February when I’ll be talking about eco-style.

Image by Timo Jarvinen

Image by Frankie Buckle