Written by Wenona Napolitano
Published on August 21st, 2009
The one thing I have always wanted to learn how to do, but have never gotten around to it, is sewing. Sure I can do the basics like stitch a seam back together or sew a button back on but when it comes to using a sewing machine…I am totally intimidated. I don’t even know where to start.
I don’t want my daughter’s creativity to be thwarted like mine. Not being able to sew has limited my crafty creations. I design a lot of things, many which never come in being because I can’t sew.
The book Sew with Sara: PJs, Pillows, Bags & More–Fun Stuff to Keep, Give, SELL!
is a great way to get my daughter interested in sewing.
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Written by Becky Striepe
Published on August 11th, 2009
When the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced that it was deaccessioning part of its textile collection, artist Robert Fontenot was on the scene. He hit up three separate auctions and acquired 50 pieces, almost half of the items the museum was getting rid of. The resulting work is sometimes arty, sometimes functional, and all beautiful! He embroiders the accession number into each finished piece.
The project is still a work in progress, and I just love this quote from his artist’s statement: “Although each item has not yet been used, each item can have a use.” Yes! I think that can apply to materials in a much larger sense, and his work is a fantastic reminder that old pieces can take on a whole new life with just a little bit of love.
Want to get your upcycle on? Thrift stores and even the back of your closet are full of textiles that can take on a whole new life! Here are a few ideas to get you going:
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Written by Wenona Napolitano
Published on July 31st, 2009
Fairfield, the makes of Poly-fil have gone green adding a whole new line of eco-friendly products to help green your fiber arts and crafts.
You can now quilt green, stuffyour little critters in an eco-friendly way and have bamboo pillows.
Nature-Fil batting, fiberfill and pillow forms now come in bamboo options and natural fiberfill is made out of both bamboo and PLA corn materials. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Jamie Ervin
Published on July 29th, 2009
I’m always on the lookout for creative uses for t-shirts. We have a bunch collecting dust in our closets and they are readily available at resale shops.
We’ve all heard about the shirt quilt (it’s fun to make for a new college student’s dorm room), but what about curtains, valance, bedskirt, children’s clothing, diapers or dresses?
Martha Stewart has a fabulous idea for making a reusable shopping tote out of t-shirts. What a fun way to reuse all those souvenir and college tee’s. This bag is simple to make:
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Written by Becky Striepe
Published on July 23rd, 2009
[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by wowcool]
We love a good mix tape remix around here. Heck, some of us even knit with used cassettes. Seamstresses, don’t you fret! You can get in on the recycled cassette action, too…
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Written by Becky Striepe
Published on July 1st, 2009
Summer is here! That means cookouts, porch parties, and backyard picnics! You can fancy up your next outdoor shindig with this easy peasy fabric scrap banner. Here’s what you need to make one:
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Written by Jackie Hernandez
Published on May 14th, 2009
After I saw this I decided there is no way I am letting my husband donate his old dress shirts to Goodwill ever again. At least not until I have made a dress shirt quilt for my son. How endearing for a son to have a quilt made from his father’s dress shirt? Repurposed denim quilts always seemed a little too country for my tastes, but a dress shirt quilt can be as modern as the shirts used to make it. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Jackie Hernandez
Published on April 24th, 2009
Remember this fabulous Forsythia linen swatch I ordered from Cicada Studio? Well,
thanks to Ohdeedoh’s post about de-branding the kitchen counter with pretty canisters, I was inspired to make over my stainless steel canisters. I love stainless steel, but it can seem very clinical. I decided to warm up my canisters with linen cozies. Read on for the complete how-to… Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Jackie Hernandez
Published on April 15th, 2009
Sewing pattern tissue has a great graphic quality. If you have some vintage or used sewing patterns laying around, consider reusing them for art, home decor, jewelry, or anything else you can decoupage. Here are a bunch of inspiring ideas for reusing sewing pattern tissue paper. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Jackie Hernandez
Published on March 18th, 2009
Self-proclaimed crazy selvedge lady, Jodie Carleton of Vintage RicRac, never lets a scrap go to waste. Not even the selvedge. She developed her own process for turning fabric selvedge into “cloth”. She has used selvedge to make everything from a dress to pillow covers. Her latest project was this selvedge reupholstered chair. I have never been so inspired to be more creative and less wasteful.
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