Sweater & T shirt Necklace

Easy & almost free necklace #2. I cut a felted sweater (orginally striped) into squares, threaded them on a scrap of wire and strung on my favorite kind of cord (a strip of an old T shirt). This T shirt happened to be tan and looks just like faux suede. Cost of necklace: free. I was going to donate the sweater & T shirt anyway. Plus I can make probably 30 from one sweater and T shirt.

I didn't travel to the tropics to take this photo. I used an Elephant Ear plant in my back yard as the background. The bulbs are inexpensive and can be brought inside and stored for the winter. The leaves can be over 2 feet long and will turn any back yard into a tropical paradise. (A few Tiki torches can't hurt either.)

Vintage Computer Graphics

I'm working on some super fast & super cheap projects for a workshop at Maker Faire. I was going to recycle a book from 1984 called "Art and the Computer". Seriously, why did I even still have this totally 80s computer graphics book? But something held me back and I decided to keep it. These vintage computer graphics are so dated that I think they're actually cool.

I made this necklace by glueing a page from the book on corrugated cardboard. I put a scrap of wire through for hanging and made the necklace by cutting a black T shirt into a long strip. Of course any image/collage from a book or magazine would be fun.

Trashion

Following the pattern of TV’s “Project Runway,” my  8 to 11 year old students create these designs in my "Trashion" workshops. The girls are divided into teams and given an array of trashy items I’ve collected. And of course we have runway shows with guest judges. Every summer we exhibit the work. In the of 2011 we collaborated on a fundraiser with Donna Karan’s Urban Zen and exhibited the collection in the store. This summer we had a spectacular runway show in the Hamptons. (Ironic, yes!) Here are some additional photos.

I'll be at Maker Faire this coming weekend, September 29th & 30th. 

I love the magical process of collaboration  and invention that occurs in these classes. Thanks to  Treehugger.com for the wonderful article about my work!

Interesting Footprint

Amid all the footprints in the sand  along the shore this one caught my eye. I'm assuming that someone wore flip flops with "REUSE" carved into the bottom.

I love my recycled flip flop doormat and I have recycled flip flop bracelets too. I reuse all kinds of things that come across my path but so far I haven't made anything out of flip flops. So that's my latest challenge. What can I make out of this summer's old flip flops? (They're in the washer now getting freshened up.)

Crafting & Activism

Crafting and activism are two of my very favorite things, so when I get to do both at the same time its just a perfect day. Last Sunday I joined the Occupy Arts & Labor group Debt Squares project.

I made the square in the foreground of this photo. It represents my home because I almost lost it due to medical debt after a serious illness. Debt is a huge burden, and to make matters worse many of us (like me) feel guilty about, even if it was though no fault of our own. It was so healing and empowering to sew and share with the other people participating in this project.