i've always been a big fan of repurposing materials. when i was young and first starting my creative journey, that's all i had access to- household objects, thrift store finds, and hand me downs. i come from a family full of creators so i could always count on second hand tools and materials, but i didn't have a lot of control over what supplies i had. i had to work with what was available to me.
these days, when i buy supplies new it almost feels wrong and dirty- which makes it a little exciting. i treat it as a special treat, but it's something i usually avoid. it feels like a waste, (i'm cheap!) but it also lacks the extra little bit of imagination that it takes to look at an item and try to imagine it as a completely different item.
after trying my hand at some basic quilting with brand new fabrics gifted to me by paul (which i will take pictures of and post later) i decided that when i was ready to go for a slightly more complicated machine quilted blanket, i would use recycled materials. men's dress shirts seemed like the way to go and i looked around the internet for inspiration. a lot of the shirt quilts i found looked too patchwork-y for my taste, but some looked modern enough that i knew there was hope for me. i hit the salvation army store on wednesday (when most items are half off) and came home with a scheme i'm super happy with.
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| most of the shirts are XL or larger, so maximum usable fabric. |
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| i found a guide to break down shirts and get the most out of them, but i found that most of the instructions were pretty intuitive. this is exactly how i would have done it if i had no guide. |
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| i saved the collars but threw the rest of the scraps away. it felt wrong but i don't need to become a scrap hoarder- my things are already unmanageable with the space that i have and my lack of organizational skills. the collars were the only pieces that had promise for use, although they give me flashbacks to my senior year of high school when all i wore, every single day, was a collared shirt with some type of sweater over it. since then i've weened off the habit and weeded out my closet full of button downs and i think i could be ready to introduce them back into my wardrobe. maybe. |
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i ended up with a stack of fabric that seems pretty substantial to me. i'm going to give it some time to tell me what it wants to become before i commit to cutting, but i'm leaning towards 5" 60 degree triangles. i love the look of triangles and pieces on the smaller side will maximize the fabric- many of the pieces have off shapes and curves. in the meantime i need to practice my cutting and piecing- maybe some mini quilts/pillows out of fabrics in my stash. i'll keep you (who is "you?" who is my audience? i think it's just me.) updated!
