This week’s project involved finding new uses for some of the old sweaters we have loitering around the household.  As I wrote on Monday, thrift shops and rummage sales are so full of old clothes, I can’t imagine them all winding up on someone’s frame. But, my goal in recycling the sweaters is not to reduce the thrift shop supplies. It’s really to make it less easy to say: Out with the old clothes, more room for the new.  If recycling our old stuff requires more effort, then maybe we’ll think more seriously about what and when we need new items.

This reminds me of the day my husband came home from work with this story: Driving to a meeting in the south loop, my husband and a co-worker made an unscheduled stop at a random corner.  The co-worker got out of the car, opened the trunk and took out a bag of coats. He handed them out to some homeless men hanging around, then got back in the car and drove off.  The co-worker said he wanted to make sure his old clothes went to someone who could use them for the winter.

Now, let’s start the show.  First up is guerrilla sweater recycling, with apologies to any knitters.  I think this striped number flattters the tree more than it would any person.  And I’m looking forward to seeing how long it stays there in the nearby park.

Next, a sequined cardigan that was a nice wear until left in the dryer too long.  I paired it with another cardigan–a black and white one from Old Navy that one of the kids abandoned.  I printed a coat pattern for small dogs from marthastewart.com. Then I cut and sewed the coat.  Lacking a model–my dog is too large and the cat too small—here it is on the floor, but would look better on.

Does a dog you know need a some warm sparkle for the winter?  If the dog is around the size of a French bulldog, about 13 inches from neck to tail, I’d be happy to send you this one.  Just email me, and later, send a photo of coat and dog.

Next, a black cardigan I made into a backpack.  The additional materials needed for this I had on hand—a remmant of cotton for the lining and some cord for the drawstring and straps.  I cut the sweater into two rectangles, lined both pieces then sewed them together.  Then I turned over the upper edge to make a casing for the drawstring. I threaded the cord through the casing and also through buttonholes I made at the bottom corners of the backpack.

On to the craft corner. Why do potholders end up looking like crap so fast?  Below is one of our better ones, but just the same needed a slipcover.
With one leftover sleeve from the backpack sweater, I cut two pieces, then weaved some yard in and out around it.  To use up the bits of another scrap, I ironed on the bird applique with fusible interfacing.

Two books of inspiration on reworking old clothes:

Junky Styling: Wardrobe Surgery by two women in London who run a clothing boutique of clothes made from hacking together thrift-store finds and salvaged textiles.

Altered Clothing Hip fixes and transformations with a needle and thread.

Happy Friday, everyone!