Well Loved Quilt Rewind

I bought a well loved old quilt that was really falling apart. Many of the squares were torn or missing but I loved the worn and faded the remaining fabric. It was extremely fragile so I decided to make a fabric collage using Misty Fuse. Its a very sheer fusible webbing that bonds the fabric permanently and is nearly invisibly when ironed. I frayed the fabric a bit more and added a few extra fibers. 

Valentine's Candy Box Rewind

This outfit is a collaborative project I made with a group of  8-12 year old girls. As soon as I saw the empty Valentine's chocolate box I thought "Bling!" The girls added the acrylic jewels. The dress is made from a coffee sack. I had to make it larger for the mannequin so I poked holes in the sides and added and tied strips of fabric cut from an old plaid shirt. Click here to find out more about my recycled fashion class. 

Cozy Dog on a Cozy Sweater Pillow

I was inspired by my button box. Once I stacked up the buttons they looked so interesting I had to figure some way to display them so I made this pillow from a felted wool sweater. (Wash on warm, dry on hot & you've got a felted sweater.) And my dog New New used the pillow to display ... himself! 

Recycled Bangle

I used a cardboard tape roll end as the base of this bracelet. To make it smaller & fit I removed a 1.5" wide slice from the cardboard and taped it back together. Then I wrapped it with some bits of yarn from my stash and finished it by using hot glue to line it with a scrap of leather. I think its going to be a big year for bangles! No more cardboard tape rolls are going in my recycling bin. Today's Creative Blog. 

Valentines for Occupy Wall St

Occupy Wall Street has sparked a conversation about all kinds of social and economic issues. I made these embroidered pins (or patches) from felted wool sweaters and embroidered them with OWS to encourage a conversation. What is OWS? What do you think about the Occupy movement? If you'd like one (FREE!) email me with your mailing address. P.S. No personal information will be used for any kind of marketing. 

Sweater Turns into a Potholder

I have fond memories of making those loopy potholders and still have my loom. The sleeve of this felted wool sweater made perfect, colorful loops. This project made me think of Amy Sedaris' (funny!) book "Crafts for Poor People". Very 1930s too. Perfect for taking a budget-friendly casserole out of the oven. 

Painting with Wool

I started with a (rummage sale) fuchsia wool sweater. Great color but otherwise not so cool. I put it in the washer & dryer to "felt" it and cut a piece out of the back. Then I took some colorful fluffy wool roving, laid it out on the sweater and used a felting needle (a large needle with little barbs) to poke the roving into the sweater backing. Quite addictive & comforting, its like painting with wool. You can find all the supplies you need to start your own experimenting on Etsy, as well as items for sale that are alternately beautiful and downright scary.