Don't throw away that old T-shirt, upcycle it

 

A review of The Upcycled T-Shirt: 28 Easy-to-Make Projects That Save the Planet - Clothing, Accessories, Home Decor & Gifts

Note: This article was originally published in my Substack, The Wandering Maker Corner.

Do you have a pile of old t-shirts that you really don’t want to just throw away and contribute to the growing piles in the landfill? Do you have favorites that have meaning to your or are mementos from trips or special events? There is a better way to keep them around. longer and this book from Jenelle Montilone will show you how

Note: This book is only available as a Kindle edition on Amazon as it is currently out of print. I checked out this book using Kindle Unlimited which is my favorite way to experience a book or browse different subjects without making a final purchase to download permanently or have a physical copy taking up room on a shelf.

Why this book?

So the reason I decided to check out this book was for two things. One, I have a growing pile of t-shirts that are either ill-fitting, have some holes, or stains. The second reason was I have been interested in t-shirt yarn for awhile now and even though I could just do a Google search and find a page or video on how to do it, there is just something about looking at a book that someone took the time to write. This person is providing me with options and ideas all in one compact format that I can flip back and forth through even if it is in digital format on a Kindle or my Fire tablet (my preference for how-to books with color images).

What does this book do and not do?

There are three basic parts of this book:

1. Introduction and the effects of clothing in landfills (unfortunately it looks like the blog mentioned in the Sewing with a Purpose section is no longer active)
2. The basics of how to prepare the t-shirt, sewing tips, dyeing, creating yardage, and making yarn
3. The projects - categorized: Wearables, home, kids, pets, decorations, reusable items (cleaning helpers and market bags)

Project instructions are clear and stepped out well. For some of the clothing, alternate knit fabric yardage is given along with the approximate number of t-shirts required. Instruction images are hand drawn and not photos but this actually may be more helpful as it simplifies the explanations and eliminates visual obstructions that can occur with photography. All finished models of projects are displayed with color photography.

If you prefer to have patterns included in your book then you will be happy with this one as there is a hyperlink in the Kindle version that will open up a PDF with all the needed patterns. For larger pattern pieces, it also includes how to assemble the pages you will need once you print them. The book does note that depending on your software and printer the sizing could be affected.

My final thoughts

I really enjoyed this book that provided me with different ways I can recycle and reuse t-shirts I already have and possibly transfer this to other clothing items. I wished she had done a series of different types of clothing: denim, sweaters, flannel, etc.

Although I only used it to make the t-shirt yarn, I will be trying out how to make a t-shirt quilt because unlike most t-shirt quilt instructions, the author chose to use the shirts as fabric to piece a patchwork-type quilt instead of the basic memory quilt using the print on the shirt for each square. The quilt made in the book was more modern and used paint to enhance the design.

My experiment

Although there are several projects in the book, I tried out the section on making my own t-shirt yarn.

There are two methods given but I wanted to try the one that would give me the longest continuous length possible. This involves cutting out a block of the shirt from under the sleeves to the hem. Then, mark a line 2 inches below one fold (side seam) and then cut strips beginning from the other folded edge up to the line. Next, cut diagonally from one strip across the fold. It is very similar to making bias binding strips for quilts if you are familiar with that process.

Once the “yarn” has been cut you starting pulling on the strips to make the fabric curl in on itself. As shown in the image below you will notice that the pink knit did not behave like it should have but I don’t think it will matter depending on how I end up using it. It will act more like a ribbon yarn versus a cord type of yarn that the beige is simulating.

Now, I just have try it out. I’m thinking of doing a small rug possibly with granny squares. The book does have different projects for using the yarn: tufted in burlap for pillows, knitting a chair pad, a macrame plant holder, and a arm-knitted throw.

What would you like to make with extra t-shirts?

An Easy Start to Making an Improv Quilt

A review of Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts: A Stress-Free Journey to Original Design

Note: This article was originally published in my Substack, The Wandering Maker Corner. 

Have you ever wanted to just grab some fabric and start sewing it together without strict rules or thinking about points meeting? Do you enjoy the look of abstract art quilts and wonder if you could create one? This book by Rayna Gillman will help you to start.

I checked out this book using Kindle Unlimited which is a wonderful way to experience a book or browse different subjects without making a final purchase to download permanently or have a physical copy taking up room on a shelf. In fact, many of the books I will be reviewing in the future will be from my Kindle Unlimited adventures.

Why this book?

The reason I selected this one is I have always wanted to create art quilts and although I have a very extensive collection of quilt books I rarely follow a pattern exactly as shown. I don’t like buying quilt kits. My joy comes from picking out the fabrics even before I have a pattern in mind so you can probably guess that I also have a very large collection of fabric and this book seemed like it could help me with creating unique quilt pieces and use up some of my stash.

What does this book do and not do?

This is a guide book. There are no patterns. There are no hard rules. It shows you how to take your fabric and simply start by sewing strips together. You can work with yardage, scraps or existing blocks to create new looks. There are plenty of images and exercises to help you improvise and create unique pieces.

One of first things it will help you with is how to sort your fabrics if this is something you haven’t already done. If you are like me and are a compulsive fabric hoarder you may already have piles of fabrics separated by color, print, or themes.

Once you have mastered cutting and sewing strips, Rayna will show you how to take the strips and make them into various configurations. This includes making them into creative blocks with or without borders.

My final thoughts

The best piece of advice the book provides you is to be experimental and not be afraid of putting different colors together. The more you do this, the more you will find you can sew with less stress and more joy. If you are ready to let go of patterns and simply cut and sew then this book is for you. However, if you need more structured instructions I would at least recommend taking a look through it to appreciate this format and see how different patterns and colors can make unique projects.

My experiment

I took a few blocks I had in my stash from a class I took several years ago (I don’t get rid of anything) and used the information in this book to start cutting into them as encouraged by this book.

This first image is after I had already started slicing up some the half triangle blocks (like the ones on the far left) to make the rows you see in the center. I forgot to stop and photograph them beforehand.

This next image is where I completed some more slicing and added some purple strips. I will be adding more strips and am considering adding a full border around it to make it looked more like a framed piece of art. (Note: not all sections are sewn together yet as I am testing out if I like it.)

What do you think? Have you created improv quilt blocks or full quilts before? If not, are you ready to try?