Recycling

While "upcycling" is all the rage in the US, it hasn't really caught on here. After paying for a bunch of new (used) clothes from my favorite Saturday market vendor, he said, "Don't worry, if something doesn't fit, you can bring it back for something else." I told him size wasn't a problem, as I used the fabrics to make stuffed animals. Huh? But true to his trade (selling anything to make a buck), he asked to see some examples (of which I had on my phone). Hmmm, this is sellable. He asked if I wanted to put them in his second-hand shop...Now if it were a funky vintage store like we have in Cambridge, I'd have been excited. But the fact that I know the only people going into his shop are those looking for cheap clothes, the idea didn't make me so happy. Oh no, I said. My son wouldn't let me!

So what is all this upcycling, repurposing, recycling?  I've posted about it before. The obsessions started with the wool sweaters which I felted in the washing machine. But soon, in the heaps of clothes for a euro, I saw tweed skirts and men's shirts, and they called to me. Make me into an owl!  No, I want to be  a rooster! Don't forget about me, I'd make a great fish!

Each week I seem to be on a different jag. One week it's purple, the next week scarves and ties (you should see the "Rome" scarves I found with all the different monuments on them. What I'm going to do with them is unclear, but they had to be mine at 2x1 euro.). This week I seemed to be all about tweeds, oranges and men's shirts (this was the owl calling me). Everything is washed and hanging to dry, ready for the scissors, pins, and sewing machine!

I see each project as a learning opportunity.  Oh, that's what they meant when they said to pin the tail on the inside. Hmmm, I think these seams were meant to go inside. Did I just cut out two ears without turning over the pattern?  None of them are perfect. Some I like better than others. But each one was an enjoyable (ok, at times frustrating) experience.

So first, check out some of the stashes (horrible color representation because taken with my phone in order to send over to Patrizia).

This is a stack of all the felted sweater sleeves I had accumulated by January

Pinks, around Valentine's Day

Purples (you'll see these bottom ones soon!)

Love the hand-embroidered cloths

shirts

oranges

This skirt is the one that wanted to be owl wings and got me on the brown/orange/tweed hunt

Mostly skirts -- and my second Max Mara find (for a euro!)

Just to give you a sense of proportion, like at the size this man's sweater shrunk down to:

I started off doing simple things like eyeglass case, ipad case, hot water bottle covers, ornaments, cat beds and baskets. All hand sewn and rather "folk arty" (read: lopsided and irregular). I posted a lot of them in "Idle Hands."

Mom's (my first) hot water bottle cover

Mine and Patrizia's (her craft room is FREEZING)

for a homesick advisee

for Max who wanted his to be a cat!

Scarf turned into basket to hold all my stuff

two sweaters that didn't felt turned into cat beds

Then I got into needle felting for a short stint (takes waaaaaaaay too long)

little mouse (some say moose due to the size of his nose) in tuna can

Then came the sewing machine and Patrizia's hot glue gun!

I've actually made two more of these -- one for Savannah and one for Celie (in purple argyle and pink/grey)

I turned this hen into a rooster by making a tail from scraps (still isn't attached here)

Max's bunny. This was a cashmere Max Mara vest. Very soft!

His ears were made from a winter scarf

Recognize these sweaters?

Not sure who will be next. Feeling kind of foresty with all the browns and oranges: fox, owl, squirrel...

But I also wanted to do some lighter patchwork guys with the shirts...

For now, I'm just trying to catch up on the blog.