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remember those eco-sponges that i made from wool clothes that i’d inadvertently felted? i wrote about how i’d done something with the remainders of those clothes, but then three months went by without my writing the post. but, you know how they say, better late than never! (really, that can apply to basically everything i do…)
first there were the sleeves of this very cute dress from yo soy feliz. the sleeves didn’t felt up because they’re a synthetic blend. i made the most obvious thing out of them:
little girl legwarmers! (posed with the zucchetta – a type of summer squash – from a friend’s garden. i mean, what else would i have posed them on?!)
they were slightly blah, so i used the bit of fabric left from the top of the shoulders (cut off to make a straight hem) to make diamond-shaped appliqués, using a contrasting thread color and making the stripes go the opposite direction. then i also added on the colored buttons to the center of the diamonds.
they’re quite cute, but the best part is that you can also use them as adult wrist-warmers! meaning, for me when they won’t fit my daughter anymore! after all, i wouldn’t want to waste them! 😉
but wait, we’re not done yet. there were also these other measly scraps left over.
just out of principle, i used every millimeter of fabric to create:
a little girl’s headband and a woman’s choker.
the headband was the easier one of the two. as a base i used the elastic band of the felted skirt and i hand sewed on the flowers and leaves. i tried sewing beads on both the leaves and flowers, as well as embroidering the leaves, but i was never happy with the result, so in the end i left it as it was. even if my six-year-old is modelling the headband, it actually fits a younger child. i tried to make my little boy model it for me because it fit him fine, but he had no intention of cooperating! well, to be honest, his sister wasn’t very happy to do it either because it was too tight for her!
i made this embellished necklace/choker/collar with the remaining scraps.
the main piece wasn’t long enough to go around the neck, so i extended it, adding a button (and also changing the position of one pair of stars).
i made two buttonholes on the other end to be able to adjust its tightness.
for the rest, there’s a rosette (this time with wooden beads added on the inside of it) and then i “drew” on it with the sewing machine using two colors of thread. this piece doubles as choker/neck decoration as well as light scarf to protect from the cold. what do you think about it? i think it’s pretty cool!
Yep, it's a cool choker…how did you create the little rosettes on the headband (& choker)? Really adorable! =O)
it's super easy to make those rosettes. you just spiral-roll up the fabric, folding it over every so often to keep it from being just a tube of fabric. with the triangular pieces, i kept the widest part at the center so that it would stick out more in the center. then i hand sewed the back of the rosette to keep it from falling apart and then hand sewed it to whatever base it went on. it's pretty fun to manipulate the fabric until you get what you're looking for.
I'm always impressed at just how resourceful you are! It makes me feel guilty every time I throw ANY scrap of fabric away!
well, instead of feeling guilty, you could a) donate any fabric or article of clothing even if stained/slightly ripped/etc to a thrift shop or goodwill, b) cut up any natural fiber fabric to use as rags around the house (we use them for dusting and for messy arts and crafts activities or in general in place of paper towels, but they can also be used for washing sinks or dishes), c) put anything else all together in a bag to use as stuffing for pillows! you don't necessarily need a sewing machine to make them!