Little by Little Day by Day - Recycling Shirt Fabric for Patchwork and other Crafting

Little by Little, Day by Day, making the most of that which comes my way.  That may come in many different guises bearing in mind that I tend to have several fingers in the pot at any one time!

There is always something else going on in the background at home, sorting this or sorting that.  Just a little at a time.  Mostly to do with my crafting, many fabrics, wools etc. that before they can be used need sorting out so that they can be located easily when it becomes their time to be turned into something else. Some stuff has previously been shoved away in a hurry never to be seen again, so trying to do a bit a day is me trying to sort things quietly and methodically to restore order to absolute chaos and for me not to be overwhelmed.  It is going to take some time, but it lessens with each little bit achieved.

I also have a myriad of started but not finished items (UFOs) and I need to get back to sorting and finishing those items. I have gathered together some of the projects to be finished and will be concentrating on those first. However, before I can do that there are some items that are in the way, the fabrics, the wool, the embroidery threads, the beads and many other crafting items.  They need sorting first because of the room taken up with how they are at the moment, when it can be streamlined that much more.  I have therefore started to "tame" the wildness of these items, and I am looking to do a couple of preparation projects a day to get them sorted.  I think once they are organised it will simplify things that much more and once the "organised" UFOs have been completed.  I can do the same for the next batch of UFOs, (yes there are more) in an effort to get them finished and into use, and/or put away. In other words I am trying to organise the chaos!

Last night (Friday night 17.02.23) I managed to strip another three shirts recycling them for the fabric with the ultimate aim of turning them into patchwork quilts/throws or smaller that can be made out of the fabric.  That is six shirts in two days.  I am hoping I can do a few more in the week to come.  It is something I can do whilst sitting and watching/listening to the TV.  Prepping the fabric in this way is also reducing the amount of space the fabric will take for storing.

This time around the fabrics are purple/lilac/blue and pink shades.  All stripes.  It can be a tedious job, but it is one that needs sorting, and I am feeling a little productive as a result of it. The bonus will be once it is all sorted that I will then be able to blend the fabrics for individual quilts and get them all cut out then ultimately stitched. I want to get each quilt cut out and then I can create an assembly line for sewing the quilts up. If there are smaller pieces of fabric left over from each quilt I will perhaps be able to turn them into cushion fronts to go with the quilts.  All of the fabric is recycled fabric, and I am getting a good metre a shirt, sometimes a little more.  For the bindings though I may actually have to buy in suitable cotton to do this and also the batting.  I am also saving the buttons as I have a few ideas to turn these  into some Christmas decorations for the Christmas tree for Christmas 2023, using embroidery, beads, buttons and sequins.  It is a long old job and I still have quite a few shirts to go.  I have tended in the past (when I have been able to) to find suitable candidates and at the right price to buy in a few shirts here and there. It is therefore an long overdue task on the homemaking front. Should make storage and use much more efficient in the long run as now I can find them.

Therefore this evening, I hope to be able to strip yet another three shirts down.  

Last night's offerings (Saturday night 18.02.23) were pale blues, denim blues, and Turquoise. I have a bag full of previously cut fabric and once I have all the fabric prepared ready for cutting out the shapes I will be able to colour co-ordinate the fabric that much better with the colour and some of the patterns.

Sunday offerings (19.02.23)

I did not get to any stripping down of shirts on Sunday evening.  Below is a stack of fabric which was prepared previously.  There is quite a variation in colourway.  I have different colourways in mind for different things.  

There is a load more fabric already sorted into little bags (to keep the fabric clean) somewhere.  Will locate that shortly and add it to the stash.  All the fabric will need ironing before cutting.  I intend to have "block" excuse the pun cutting sessions where I will indeed be creating the patches in blocks! 

Monday Night (20.02.23)

I sat and stripped two more shirts and got them sorted out.

This is the pile of shirt fabric which has been salvaged these past few days.

I then set too and started to sort out some wool that had got a little dingy and which had been washed and came out in a heap a while ago.  It has been getting on my nerves somewhat and I still have a couple of similar piles of "Cat's Cradles" to tackle. 

Tuesday (day and night 21.02.23)

I am tackling it.  I forgot to take a photo of the full skein of wool that disintegrated, but this is half of it together with one ball recovered.

OH had an appointment and so left me at home with Missy.  She went into howling mood as soon as her Dad left, and started howling each time I made to go downstairs.  So I ended up sitting with her. Sometimes it is easiest and more practical for her health to give in.  So I set too and finished off the ball rolling!  Success.  That took some doing, but it is well worth it.  OH thinks I am crazy and would have dumped it, but that is being wasteful.  It is after all Aran wool!

Tuesday Evening, I then set too and stripped another three  shirts to add to the ever increasing fabric pile.  This is going to prove very useful in the long term.

Wednesday Evening (22.02.23)

Another shirt has been stripped down.  This one like last night is shades of blue.

I have also been saving the buttons from the shirts as I can use these in decorative projects as well as recycling them in new garments.

Back to the wool I have re-wound; this is pure Aran wool for finishing off my moss stitch blanket that was started last year.  Need to get that out the way with then can start the next one. I am finding the pick up, knit a bit a little at a time,  (when I have a few minutes) fits in well with what I do and I am making the most of the little bits of time by creating something. There are a lot of similar jobs that will need doing eventually.  At least I am starting to address them.  Now the initial ball rolling has been completed, I can now get back to the knitting of the blanket! That will be a useful project out of the way with when I get there. That is for another day. However before I do that I have several other projects that just need bits doing to them, like a scarf I have knitted needs fringing, and I also have wool to make mittens and a hat or headband to match.  All part of the same project.  As they are relatively small projects they may get done first and out of the way with.  If there is any wool left over that can go into my scrap crochet blanket that I have on the go.  (Yes I have one of those too)!  I also have some jumpers to finish, a couple of knitted shoulder shawls and their fringing, recycling some chocolate trays into earring caddies

In view of the fact that this post predominantly started off with me dealing with the fabric recovery for patchwork,  it has also  become loosely connected with other crafting items when I come across them and have a few pennies in the purse. 

I also tend to source second hand sheets (cotton) from charity shops and after a good wash. They are intended to be used for backing some of the quilts eventually.  However, I do need to sort out a load of either white or cream fabric to use with the coloured patches to create the tops,

I also recycle (or buy new reduced towels) towels or the fabric from them into smaller projects for lining items like oven gloves (with "Insulbright" a heat resistant material which you layer inbetween the fabric and the towelling).  Sale time is a good time to go around and see what is available even if sheets are neutrally coloured or a colour to tone with the colours in prospective quilts; the same with new towels.

Tonight (Thursday 23.02.23)

I have picked up a UFO a jumper where I have started the rib in a beautiful rainbow coloured wool.  Will work at this a bit at a time until completed. That is the beauty with knitting or crochet you can pick it up and put it down when you want.

Therefore despite not having shifted mountains, I have managed to achieve a reasonable amount of useful stuff during the week so far.

Right up and away to the knitting.

Have a lovely evening.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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