Dear Sewing Machine

Dear Sewing Machine,

It has been a while since I wrestled with your upper tension for which I apologise. But you are just one of my many diversions and I was lacking textile inspiration. But then I found some funky fabric (in the form of a tunic top that would never fit around my bust but might just with a tug and a pull of its A-line silhouette be re-fashioned into a top).

This was shortly followed by a stripey maxi dress in a rainbow of summery colours begging to be shortened for the Princess to parade in.

I'm sorry it has been so long. I even had to dust you off a bit. But now that I have found you again I shall be getting a bit more use out of you. I hope you enjoyed your little break because I now have plans for you and you will not be getting any time off for good behaviour.

Yours sewingly
X

25 Recycling Projects For Old Jeans

I'm on a revamping mission. Or is it upcycling? It could be repurposing I suppose. But then again maybe I'm recycling. I'm sure there is an argument to say I'm refashioning. What is the difference anyway?

Recycling according to wikiwhatsit is processing used materials (waste) into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials.
Whereas upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.
Repurposing on the other hand is to use a tool for use as another tool, usually for a purpose unintended by the original tool-maker.
And Refashion does not exist according to the authority that is wikiwhatsit. So it definitely can't be that.

Could jeans be considered a tool? Not sure so let me just say that I have a couple of pairs of jeans that are too big (yay!) and too shabby to be decent for anything more than gardening and I couldn't just throw them out. One pair has a particularly nice back pocket which I thought I could use for something so I googled recycle/repurpose/upcycle/revamp jeans/denim and after hours of research which uncovered a denim covered car (save that project for another day) I found I was spoilt for choice.

Some of the projects I found look really simple (I say look, but the reality may be anything but simple) and some are of a seriously professional quality. Now there's a profession: Jeans Upcycler. Explain that at a dinner party!

Here are some of my favourites:

 

1. Knee patches
2. Turn them into a skirt
3. Crop them
4. Make a bag
5. Make a pot for pens
6. Make a pot holder
7. Make coasters
8. Make a quilt (you may need a few pairs of jeans for this one)
9. Upholster an armchair (yeah in my spare time!)
10. Make a whale
11. Weave a handbag
12. Make a pencil roll
13. Create art (requires an artistic eye that I may not possess)
14. Make a corsage (check out missielizzie who has a Jeanius Challenge going on)
15. Make an owl
16. Make a coffee cup cosy
17. Make bunting
18. Make a dog coat (This is not Misty by the way)
19. Make an ipod, iphone, kindle case
20. Make a cushion
21. Noticeboard organiser
22. Mobile phone socket organiser
23. Make gift wrapping
24. Make some monsters!
25. Make a business or credit card case.

Challenge is I only have two pairs of jeans and a limited number of hours in the day.

I really want to try to get the most out of them though, so I am going to make a skirt, an owl cushion, a corsage,  a monster, a mobile charging pocket, and a business card holder.

So watch this space and who knows what jean-carnage will be erupting here soon!

Sorry Misty but you will have to wait to get your doggy jacket!

The £1 Dress

I love a bargain.
I also love a rummage.
I love creating things.
I love sewing.
I love the smile on the Princesses face.

So can you imagine the skip in my step when I delved into my local charity shop and came out with this little cotton top for the bargain sum of £1.

It was the fabric that drew me to it. I loved the bright blue and orange print and a little bit of me hoped that the top would fit me. [I can't ever bring myself to try clothes on in a charity shop. It is the smell you see].

It didn't. Too small. Must diet.

So instead I cut it up. Or partially deconstructed it like this.

Then I had to wing it.

I wanted to keep the yoke section and then have the dress attached from that leaving it sleeveless.
I took in the side seams of the dress and then gathered the top of the front and back of the body to fit the width of the yoke.
I then cut bias strips out of the excess fabric from the sleeves to finish the arm holes.
I attached the yoke front and back and then finished the edges of the yoke.

Not the neatest of jobs I have to admit but for a £1 slip-on dress I was chuffed.

And the Princess? Well she doned her model pose and declared that it was lovely!

Am I alone in wandering charity shops looking for things to cut up?
I'm going to start my own club.

Refashion and all that

I have discovered a new passion.

It is upcycling or refashioning depending on your preference. Upcycling for things and refashioning for clothes (or I may be completely wrong. So shoot me).

The other day I turned a rather cute skirt found in Cancer Research into a pretty dress for Princess O. Yes, just like that. Yes <punches air>. I used a free downloadable pattern from Oliver + S but they also have some really cute dress patterns for sale too.

Stupidly I didn't take a 'before' picture so you will have to trust me on this one! In future I will be sure to take both before and after shots or else I will be forever doubted. Except by the bin man who may catch a glimpse of the entrails of an old dress falling into the bin lorry.

I am now however obsessed with charity shops and find myself scouring the shelves and rails for anything that would make a likely cushion cover (was a dressing gown) or paper bunting (kids story books with missing pages. It would be a crime to cut up a book otherwise!).

Anyway, I will keep you updated with progress and treasure finds. But must dash as the Wee One has upcycled the dog's water bowl into a paddling pool.