Move over, single-use paper towels, and make way for Sartor Designs
For all its awful aspects, the pandemic did give those stuck at home time to get creative in the kitchen. Jen Iapalucci’s job making costumes for local theater companies was on hold, her sewing machine was gathering dust and the rolls of paper towels her family was going through seemed a bit much.
“I decided this was the time to try to make a real conversion for my household,” she says. “It can be easier than you think.”
Enter paper-free towels, her best seller and star of her business, Greener by Sartor Designs, where shoppers can find reusable items they might not know they needed. These towels are made from colorful fabric, cut and hemmed to the size of a commercial paper towel. They cling to each other enough to be wrapped around a cardboard tube so it’s easy to grab one at a time.
Iapalucci’s original business plan was to sell her products online, but once she could get out of the house, local markets beckoned and took on a life of their own. She can be found at pop-up markets in the Cargo District as well as the weekly Riverfront Market on Dock Street.
Popular items include elasticized cloth covers to substitute for cling wrap and microwave cozies that make it easy to remove hot bowls from the microwave. She says it’s a great way to encourage people to use leftovers and help kids remove a bowl without getting burned.
Self-taught in sewing and clothes-making, Iapalucci got started when one of her sons wanted to wear a new costume every day after he turned 4. Disney princesses were his thing. “Once people learn you can sew,” she says, “they’re very quick to start asking you to sew for them.”
Iapalucci buys as many sustainable materials as she can and finds a way to use every scrap, which is how the microwave cozies were born.
All the work is done in her downtown home where she lives with her husband, Adrian, and sons Max and Milo. “All of what I do is handmade here in Wilmington,” she says, adding “People like to know where their products are from. I want to contribute to the local economy. It’s better to keep it here than to send it overseas.”
All items are also available at sartordesigns.com
The story was originally published in the Fall 2024 issue.
