Youth In Action: Carly Peters’ Patchwork with Progress

Written by: Seona Srivastava, Student at Aragon High School

Our Youth in Action series shines a light on the transformative community initiatives and creative environmental projects the young trailblazers of San Mateo County are doing to shape a greener, brighter future. This is our second feature of a youth playing a crucial role in driving sustainable practices. Follow us on Instagram or sign up for our newsletter to see more Youth in Action profiles.

If you are a high school student improving the sustainability of San Mateo County, apply for our Youth Sustainability Award!

Name: Carly Peters

Organization: Patchwork with Purpose
The mission of Patchwork with Purpose is to create good in the community in a sustainable way. By upcycling old, landfill-bound textiles, we are working towards reducing waste and the impact of the fashion industry on our planet. The materials we collect are transformed into quilts, which are donated to local shelters for the greater benefit of the community.

Impact to Date: Over 700 articles of clothing rescued from landfills by obtaining donations from second-hand stores and community members. Five large events hosted in the past year to teach people how our process works and allow them to contribute to our quilting efforts.

What inspired you to start Patchwork with Purpose?
I started Patchwork with Purpose in the spring of 2022 when I learned about the amount of waste produced by teens who fall victim to the fashion industry. I was inspired to invent a creative solution to upcycle old fabrics. I’ve always loved to sew, so I decided to make quilts out of the unusable excess clothing my friends and I had.

“The fabrics we had were unique and quirky enough, and they turned a pile of daunting excess fabrics into something truly beautiful.”

How does the process work?
For our quilting projects, we start with community donations. We take the articles of clothing that are donated to us by the community and we wash and iron them for our quilting workshops. From there, we make the quilts with the community as we guide them through the challenges of using a sewing machine and working with fabric. Once the quilts are ready, we can deliver them straight to the shelter.

What are some challenges you’ve faced and how have you overcome them?
I didn’t know how to quilt when I began this project. It was a lot of trial and error, a lot of Google searches, and a lot of YouTube tutorials. But I’ve learned a lot in the past year, especially patience and the value of good friends that will stick with you through the tricky parts of a project. It’s very rewarding to see the smiles on people’s faces as we teach them how to use a sewing machine for the very first time.

How were you able to get exposure for your organization?
Instagram was extremely instrumental in our advertising. We would make posts about events and projects we had been working on. Additionally, the Youth Climate Ambassadors Organization helped to spread the word to other climate-oriented youth, allowing us to come to their midpoint retreat to present our project to this year’s cohort. NextDoor was also very helpful and my neighborhood was so supportive.

Can you share one of your favorite moments from the work you’ve done?
One of my favorite memories was teaching a six year old girl how to make a scrunchie. We helped her cut her own fabric, sew it, and handle the elastic and finish it. She picked out her fabric and was so proud of the finished result. We did her hair and she walked out of the workshop with her new creation with a huge smile on her face.

What does the future of your organization look like?
For this year, I hope to host more pop-up boutiques and drives. They are always so fun and really engaging for the community.  I will be graduating this year, and I hope that Patchwork with Purpose will have a legacy that carries on after I am gone.

“The most important thing for me and my organization is just continuing to make art and share it with my neighbors, friends, and family.”

What advice do you have to others looking to make our world more sustainable?
Be creative! I’ve seen so many climate action organizations, and I know that there are so many unique solutions to problems that teens can come up with. I love seeing people step out of their comfort zones and try to invent and do new things no one else has thought of. It’s so inspiring to see young people tackle sustainability with an open mind and a love for learning–it’s even better when they can brainstorm their own creative initiatives.